Zohar Chayei Sarah - Section 10 - Dumah Brings Them In and Out of Reckoning

It is recommended to study the section prior to reading the Synopsis.

Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah Section 10

It is best to study the Zohar in the following manner:

1. Read out loud the Aramaic Verse. If you need to transliterate in order to read with the sounds of the lettersthe verse see below. If you use the transliteration tool than make sure you scan the Aramaic first and last.

2. Read the English Translation - if you desire to understand and realize that your understanding will limit the energy you receive. This is why it is important to scan the aramaic verse first.

3.Write out your understanding of the verse. Send it to yeshshem@hotmail.com in an email. Use the Parasha Name and verse number in the subject. By sending your understanding you give yeshshem.com permission to post this to web page and any other uses Yeshshem may see a beneficial use.

4. Now read chanoch's Commentary or additions to enhance and or modify your own personal understanding.

SYNOPSIS:

The role of Dumah, angel in charge of graveyards, is discussed. The rabbis agree that he is in charge of all bodies good and wicked sorting them into graves according to merit, until the Day of Reckoning. Torah interpretation tells us that Abraham's body was granted a special "treasure of peace and great rest." Also, according to various rabbis, those who have kept the Law, studied Torah, and performed acts of great piety, may inherit either 200 or 400 "worlds in the World to Come."

THE RELEVANCE OF THE PASSAGE:

A righteous person is not necessarily one who has attained the same level of spirituality and wisdom as the eminent sages of antiquity or the great Kabbalists cited in the Zohar. We are not expected to reach their level, but we are expected to at least strive for it. Therefore, an individual who consistently endeavors toward high spiritual goals is defined as righteous. More important than the level attained is the degree of change that we achieve through spiritual growth. Hence, we need to awaken loftier aspirations and goals. Moreover, we require inner strength and determination to pursue higher levels of righteousness. These qualities take root within us as we meditatively study this section of Zohar.

Pasook 55. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah

מַאי נְשִׂיא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה. אָמַר ר' פִּנְחָס, קוֹדֶם שֶׁיֵּצֵא הַצַּדִּיק מִן הָעוֹלָם, בַּת קוֹל יוֹצֵאת בְּכָל יוֹם, עַל אוֹתָם הַצַּדִּיקִים בְּגַן עֵדֶן, הָכִינוּ מָקוֹם לִפְלוֹנִי שֶׁיָּבֹא לְכָאן. וְעַל כֵּן הֵם אוֹמְרִים, מֵאֵת אֱלֹהִים מִלְּמַעְלָה, אַתָּה נָשִׂיא, בְּכָל יוֹם בְּתוֹכֵנוּ, בְּמִבְחַר קְבָרֵינוּ, בְּמִבְחַר הַצַּדִּיקִים, בַּחֲבוּרַת הַצַּדִּיקִים הַמּוּבְחָרִים, מְנֵה אוֹתוֹ, הַכְנִיסֵהוּ בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן עִמָּנוּ, וְאִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ לֹא יִמְנַע, אֶת הַמִּנְיָן, כִּי כוּלָּנוּ שְׂמֵחִים בּוֹ, וּמַקְדִּימִים לוֹ שָׁלוֹם.

Transliteration

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Translation

What is meant by the phrase, "You are a mighty prince (or: a prince of Elohim)" (Beresheet 23:5)? Rabbi Pinchas responded that, before the righteous leave the world, a divine voice echoes every day among the righteous in the Garden of Eden to 'prepare a place for so-and-so who will come here'. Therefore, they say, from Elohim above, "You are a prince" every day among us, "in the choicest of our graves" (Ibid.), among the choicest company of the righteous he should be counted. No one will prevent fulfillment of the quorum, for we all rejoice in him and hasten to greet him.

chanoch's Commentary

This pasuk introduces this section. It asks questions about a phrase in the Parasha of Chayei Sarah in the description of Abraham purchasing a burial site for the body of Sarah.

Pasook 56. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן פַּזִּי, תָּא חֲזֵי, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה פּוֹגַעַת בָּהֶם, וְתָדוּן, לְאַחַר כָּךְ, פּוֹגַעַת לְאוֹתוֹ הַמַּלְאָךְ, הַמְמֻנֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם, דִּתְנַן, מַלְאָךְ מְמוּנֶּה, עַל בָּתֵּי קִבְרֵי, וְדוּמָה שְׁמוֹ, וְהוּא מַכְרִיז בֵּינֵיהֶם, בְּכָל יוֹם, עַל הַצַּדִּיקִים, הָעֲתִידִים לִיכָּנֵס בֵּינֵיהֶם, וּמִיָּד פּוֹגַעַת בּוֹ, כְּדֵי לְשַׁכֵּן הַגּוּף, בְּהַשְׁקֵט, וּבְבִטְחָה, וּבִמְנוּחָה, וּבַהֲנָאָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל עֶפְרוֹן.

Transliteration

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Translation

Rabbi Yosi ben Pazi said, Come and behold, after the soul meets them, it is sentenced. It meets the angel appointed over them, the angel in charge of the graveyards, named Dumah. He announces among them, every day, the names of the righteous who are about to come among them. It immediately entreats him to lodge the body in tranquillity, safety, rest, and pleasure. This is the meaning of, "And he spoke to Efron" (Yeshayah 57:11).

chanoch's Commentary

The name Dumah can be translated as "door to Mah - what". I am not sure how one relates the phrase "and he spoke to Efron" to the angel Dumah.

Pasook 57. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah

אֲמַר רַבִּי יֵיסָא, זֶה הַמַּלְאָךְ הַנִּקְרָא דּוּמָה, וְלָמָּה נִתְכַּנֶּה שְׁמוֹ עֶפְרוֹן, עַל שֶׁהוּא מְמוּנֶּה עַל שׁוֹכְנֵי עָפָר, וְהוּפְקְדוּ בְּיָדוֹ, כָּל פִּנְקְסֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים, וַחֲבוּרוֹת הַחֲסִידִים, הַשּׁוֹכְנִים בֶּעָפָר, וְהוּא עָתִיד לְהוֹצִיאָם בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן.

Transliteration

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Translation

Rabbi Yesa asks, Why is the angel Dumah called Efron? He responded, Because he is in charge over the dwellers of dust (Heb. afar). All the lists of the righteous and companies of the pious that dwell in the dust were given to him, and he will bring them out according to the reckoning.

chanoch's Commentary

My question from pasuk 56 is now answered. What is "according to the reckoning"?

Pasook 58. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah

וְתָאנָא אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, כְּשֶׁיִּפְקוֹד הַקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְהַחֲיוֹת הַמֵּתִים, יִקְרָא לַמַּלְאָךְ הַמְּמוּנֶּה עַל הַקְּבָרוֹת, וְדוּמָה שְׁמוֹ וְיִתְּבַע מִמֶּנּוּ מִנְיַן כָּל הַמֵּתִים, הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַחֲסִידִים, וְאוֹתָם גֵּרֵי הַצֶּדֶק, וְשֶׁנֶּהֶרְגוּ עַל שְׁמוֹ, וְהוּא מוֹצִיאָם בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנְּטָלָם בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב הַמּוֹצִיא בְּמִסְפַּר צְבָאָם וגו' אִישׁ לֹא נֶעְדָר.

Transliteration

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Translation

Rabbi Elazar said, When the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to raise the dead in the future, He shall call the angel named Dumah, who is appointed over the graves. He will ask him for an enumeration of all the dead, the righteous and the pious, and all the sincere proselytes killed for the sake of His name. He will bring them out according to the reckoning, the same as he put them into it. This is the meaning of the verse, "That brings out their host by number...not one is missing" (Yeshayah 40:26).

chanoch's Commentary

The reckoning is now clear. It is a hierarchy of the spirirtual level of the soul that applies to the body.

Pasook 59. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah

וְתָאנָא, אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בְּרַבִּי יַעֲקֹב, נְפָשׁוֹת הָרְשָׁעִים, נְתוּנוֹת בְּיָדוֹ שֶׁל מַלְאָךְ זֶה, שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ דוּמָה, לְהַכְנִיסָם בַּגֵּיהִנֹּם, וְלָדוּן שָׁם, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנִּמְסָרוֹת בְּיָדוֹ, שׁוּב אֵינָן חוֹזְרוֹת, עַד שֶׁיִּכָּנְסוּ לַגֵּיהִנֹּם, וְזֶה יִרְאַת דָּוִד שֶׁנִּתְיָירֵא, כְּשֶׁעָשָׂה אוֹתוֹ עָוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוּלֵי ה' עֶזְרָתָה לִי כִּמְעַט שָׁכְנָה דוּמָה נַפְשִׁי. אָמַר רַבִּי יֵיסָא, הַנְּשָׁמָה פּוֹגַעַת לוֹ, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתוֹ גּוּף, עִם שְׁאָר גּוּפוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים, בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹנָם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל עֶפְרוֹן וגו'.

Transliteration

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Translation

In the name of Rabbi Ya'akov, Rabbi Shmuel said that the souls of the evil are in the hands of the angel Dumah, who will send them to Gehenom to be sentenced. Once they are put in Dumah's hands, they do not return again before going to Gehenom. This is what David feared when he committed that sin, as it is written, "Unless Hashem had been my help, my soul had soon dwelt in Dumah" (Tehilim 94:17). Rabbi Yesa said, The soul entreats him to put the body with the bodies of the other righteous and be enumerated in their numbers. This is the meaning of, "And he spoke to Efron..."

chanoch's Commentary

This pasuk is clear as it is written

Pasook 60. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah

אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם, הַמַּלְאָךְ קוֹדֵם וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ. רְאֵה מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה, וְעֶפְרוֹן יוֹשֵׁב בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי חֵת, שִׁחֲתוֹ לִשְׁכּוֹן בֶּעָפָר, וְהוּא מַקְדִּים וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתוֹ הַגּוּף, בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַצַּדִּיקִים, הה"ד וַיַּעַן עֶפְרוֹן הַחִתִּי אֶת אַבְרָהָם בְּאָזְנֵי בְנֵי חֵת לְכֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר עִירוֹ לֵאמֹר. מַאי לְכֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר עִירוֹ, רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר, אִינוּן דְּעָאלוּ, בִּכְתַב חוּשְׁבַּן פִּנְקָסֵיהּ דַּאֲמַר רַב נַחְמָן, וְהָכֵי אִתְגְּזַר, בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן עַל יְדוֹי דְדוּמָה, עָאלִין בְּבָתֵּי קִבְרֵי, וּבְחוּשְׁבַּן פִּתְקָא, זַמִּין לַאֲפָקָא לוֹן, וְהוּא מְמוּנֶּה עַל דַּיְירֵי עַפְרָא.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

Rabbi Tanchum added that the angel first addresses him. Look at what was written before the verse. It is, "And Efron dwelt among the children of Chet" (Beresheet 23:9), who were afraid of dwelling in the dust. He hastens to instruct Dumah to put that body in the reckoning of the righteous. Then the verse reads, "And Efron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ear of the children of Chet, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying" (Ibid.). Who went in at the gate of his city? Rabbi Nachman said, Those who were written in the list. As Rabbi Nachman said, and so is was decreed, by the reckoning made by Dumah, they enter, the cemeteries. And by the reckoning he will take them out. And he is in charge of the dwellers of dust.

chanoch's Commentary

This is a poetic way of saying Dumah is in charge of the bodies. Do you think that Dumah is the decision maker about which body will be resurrected and in what order?

Pasook 61. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah

מַהוּ הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לָךְ וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, הַפְקָדָא דְּשַׁלְּוָה, וּמְנוּחָה רַבָּה. אָמַר ר' שָׁלוֹם בַּר מִנְיוּמֵי, אֵין לְךָ כָּל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק מֵאוֹתָם הָעוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מָאתַיִם עוֹלָמוֹת וְכִסּוּפִין בִּשְׁבִיל הַתּוֹרָה, הה"ד וּמָאתַיִם לַנּוֹטְרִים אֶת פִּרְיוֹ, וּמָאתַיִם, עַל שֶׁמּוֹסְרִים עַצְמָם בְּכָל יוֹם, כְּאִילּוּ נֶהֶרְגוּ עַל קְדוּשַׁת שְׁמוֹ, נִצְחוֹ, כְּהַאי פְּסוּקָא לִמְסוֹר נַפְשׁוֹ עַל קְדוּשַׁת שְׁמוֹ, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ נֶהֱרַג בְּכָל יוֹם עָלָיו, הה"ד כִּי עָלֶיךָ הוֹרַגְנוּ כָּל הַיּוֹם. אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן, כָּל הַמּוֹסֵר נַפְשׁוֹ בְּהַאי פְּסוּקָא, נוֹחֵל אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת עוֹלָמוֹת לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף, וְהָא תְּנַן מָאתַיִם. אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן מָאתַיִם עַל הַתּוֹרָה, וּמָאתַיִם עַל שֶׁמָּסַר עַצְמוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם, עַל קְדוּשַׁת שְׁמוֹ.

(עַד כָּאן מִדְרָשׁ הַנֶּעֱלָם).

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

What is meant by, "The field I give you, and the cave, that is in it" (Beresheet 5:10)? Rabbi Yosi said that it is a treasure of peace and great rest. Rabbi Shalom ben Manyumi said, There is not one righteous of those who are occupied in Torah, who has not 200 bright worlds for the sake of Torah. It is written, "And those that keep its fruit 200" (Shir Hashirim 8:12), for they renounce themselves daily, as if they are killed to sanctify His name and His eternity. Whoever surrenders his soul to sanctify His name, the scripture says it is as if he were killed daily for His sake, as it is written, "But for your sake are we killed all the day long" (Tehilim 44:23). Rabbi Nachman said that whoever surrenders his soul according to this verse inherits 400 worlds in the World to Come. Rabbi Yosef said, We were taught that there are 200. According to Rabbi Nachman, it is 200 for Torah and 200 for surrendering every day for the sake of the holiness of His name.

End of Midrash Hane'elam (homiletical interpretations on the obscure)

chanoch's Commentary

This pasuk is hinting to the Kavenah of one of the intentions associated with the "Shema".