Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
Moses asked Shamshiel about the size of Paradise, but not even he who
is the prince thereof could answer the question, for there is none that
can gauge it. It can neither be measured nor fathomed nor numbered. But
Shamshiel explained to Moses about the thrones, that they were
different one from the other, some being of silver, some of gold, some
of precious stones and pearls and rubies and carbuncles. The thrones
made of pearls are for the scholars that study the Torah day and night
for her own sake; those of precious stones are for the pious, those of
rubies for the just, those of gold for the repentant sinners, and those
of silver for the righteous proselytes. "The greatest of them all,"
continued Shamshiel, "is the throne of Abraham, the next in size the
thrones of Isaac and Jacob, then come the thrones of the prophets, the
saints, and the righteous, each in accordance with a man's worth, and
his rank, and the good deeds he has performed in his lifetime." Moses
asked then for whom the throne of copper was intended, and the angel
answered, "For the sinner that has a pious son. Through the merits of
his son he receives it as his share."
Again Moses looked, and he beheld a spring of living water welling up
from under the tree of life and dividing into four streams, which
passed under the throne of glory, and thence encompassed Paradise from
end to end. He also saw four rivers flowing under each of the thrones
of the pious, one of honey, the second of milk, the third of wine, and
the fourth of pure balsam.
Beholding all these desirable and pleasant things, Moses felt great
joy, and he said, "Oh, how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid
up for them that fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for them that put
their trust in Thee, before the sons of men!" And Moses left Paradise,
and returned to the earth.
At the moment of his departure, a heavenly voice cried aloud: "Moses,
servant of the Lord, thou that art faithful in His house, even as thou
hast seen the reward that is laid up for the pious in the world to
come, so also thou wilt be worthy of seeing the life of the world that
shall be in the future time. Thou and all Israel, ye shall see the
rebuilding of the Temple and the advent of the Messiah, behold the
beauty of the Lord, and meditate in His Temple."[118]
In the world to come Moses, beside sharing the joys of Israel, will
continue his activity as the teacher of Israel, for the people will go
before Abraham and request him to instruct them in the Torah. He will
send them to Isaac, saying, "Go to Isaac, he hath studied more of the
Torah than ever I studied," but Isaac, in turn, will send them to
Jacob, saying, "Go to Jacob, he hath had more converse with the sages
than ever I had." And Jacob will send them to Moses, saying, "Go to
Moses, he was instructed in the Torah by God Himself."[119]
In the Messianic time, Moses will be one of the seven shepherds that
shall be the leaders of Israel with the Messiah.[120]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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