| 222 1st. The key of the Womb-Genesis 30:22.
2d. The keys of the Rain-Deut. 28:12.
3d. The key of Raising the Dead-Ezekiel 37:13.
Talmuh Tract Sanhedrin and Bereshith Rabba agree with Rabbi Jocanan. Others attribute the resurrection to the Messiah. The Medrash Mihle R. Levi ber Gerohonon, Deuteronomy 34:10, literally then, should not be a prophet like Moses; but Messiah would be a greater prophet: he would be the prophet of all nations-and this his general power he would prove by the resurrection from the dead.
Some Rabbies [Rabbis] attribute the power of raising the dead to the righteous and godly, and they also bring their proofs from the Bible. R. Jonathan finds a proof in Zechariah 8:4, and Second Kings 4:29-even as Elijah and Elisha raised the dead, even so in future all righteous, old men and women with their sticks, will raise the dead. See Talmud Tract Resokim.
In the book Emek Hameleck it is said that those only which have embraced the Jewish religion will have power to raise the dead. The proofs are taken from Isaiah 65:20, saying those who did not embrace the Jewish religion before the coming of Messiah, he will not acknowledge them: then they will be ashamed at their obstinacy-repent and die-afterward the righteous will raise them. The same is said in Jalkut Kadash.
The Sohar speaks differently on the subject.-Those who died in the promised land will rise 40 years before those who died without its boundary. Now every one that dies without and has but one relative there to mourn for him, can rest most assuredly to profit by the resurrection, because his relative in the promised land has power to raise all his kinsmen who died out of it. But this quickening is connected with a painful sensation, called by them Gilgool Meholus, the rolling in the caves beneath. R. Elias means the corps rolls itself, under the earth, to the Romish land. That this is possible, says Rabbi Akiba, at the time when the dead shall rise, God Almighty will come down from the highest Heaven, set himself upon his Throne at Jerusalem. Jeremiah 3:17. Then he will call his ministering spirits and angels and say: My sons, I have had no other motive in your creation than that you should do me a favor at this hour. Lord of the Universe, will they say, we are ready to fulfil [fulfill] all thy commands. Well, says the praiseworthy, walk through the whole earth; go in the four parts, lift up the surface of the earth, so that there might be a cave, but in such a manner that every righteous person will have his own cave, and bring unto me, every one separately, the righteous N., son of N. the good N * * * Bring me all those who have labored for my namesake, that they may not torment themselves long. I will quicken them in the land of Israel. At this all the angels go forth in the four parts to take hold of the four corners to lift her up, according to Job 38:13. Draw out the ungodly, and in that manner make the caves so that they might roll themselves into the promised land. Then God himself will quicken them, to the comfort of those who are afraid of this troublesome journey. The book Avodath Hakodash promises that the righteous out of the promised land will stand upright in their caves, and go there. The Rabbies [Rabbis] all agree that this journey will be painful. Talmut Tract Ketuboth and Sohar show the occasion, viz: The passengers will be plagued by the powers of Darkness. The Jews believe the world is parted among the seventy nations, and they call the rulers of them Chipa Devils when they pass through their dominion, and this is the reason that they are so much afraid of it, and many in their old age go to Jerusalem to die. They believe a fear of it is discovered by the patriarchs Jacob and Joseph, who were, most assuredly, good; and yet they commanded to be taken to the promised land, so that they might not robe themselves there. See Talkut Kadash, R. Solman Jarkian and Genesis 39:20. the place where those who roll themselves, will come-out is Mount Olivet, according to the Chaldaic translation 8:5, Song of Solomon. Solomon prophesies there that at the resurrection, Mount Olivet will open itself so that the righteous may come out of it, but the wicked will be drawn out of their graves like a stone out of a sling.-Zechariah 14:4. In Abodah Hakadash Rabbi Simeon, son of Jacay and Pesikta Raba, are of the same opinion. The reason of this painful and troublesome journey, is that the Almighty might swear unto them that they never should be carried from their land. He will do it in the following manner: The Holy One, blessed be his name, will let down the Heavenly Jerusalem with the already finished Temple, which never will be destroyed, and because in future the souls of the Jews will always remain with God, they (body and soul,) could not be united together in any other place but such as will remain forever, according to Isaiah 4:3. Now in like manner as the body of Zebaoth is holy and lives forever, even so shall the righteous be called holy and live forever. There are some Rabbies [Rabbis]who deny the rolling altogether. R. Abarbane denies the rolling. He says, on Isaiah 18: Because the resurrection will take place in all the world, then the nations of the earth will be afraid and tremble: yea, even those of the Euphrates, and will send messengers upon the Sea
(page 222) |
