Commentary for Shabbat 304:13

א"ל ההוא צדוקי לר' אבהו אמריתו נשמתן של צדיקים גנוזות תחת כסא הכבוד אובא טמיא היכא אסקיה לשמואל בנגידא א"ל התם בתוך שנים עשר חדש הוה דתניא כל י"ב חדש גופו קיים ונשמתו עולה ויורדת לאחר י"ב חדש הגוף בטל

snorted at them. So they went and told R. Nahman, 'A man snorted at us.' He went and asked him, 'Who are you?' 'I am Ahai b. Josiah.' 'But did not R. Mari say. [Even] the righteous are fated to be dust?' said he. 'But who is Mari,' he retorted 'I do not know him.' Yet surely a verse is written, 'and the dust returns to the earth as it was'? he urged. 'He who taught you Ecclesiastes did not teach you Proverbs,' he answered, 'for it is written, But envy is the rottenness of the bones:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XIV, 30. ');">¹²</span> he who has envy in his heart, his bones rot away. [but] he who has no envy in his heart, his bones do not rot away.' He then felt him and perceived that there was substance in him. 'Let my master arise [and come] to my house,' he invited him. 'You have thus disclosed that you have not even studied the prophets, for it is written, And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XXXVII, 13; i.e., God alone can free men from their graves. ');">¹³</span> said he to him, 'But it is written, for dust art thou, and unto dust thou shalt return?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. 111, 19. ');">¹⁴</span> 'That means one hour before the resurrection of the dead', replied he. A certain Sadducee said to R. Abbahu:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' MS.M. min (v. Glos.). This is preferable as there were no Sadducees in the time of R. Abbahu; cf. Sanh., Sonc. ed., p, 706, n. 8. ');">¹⁵</span> You maintain that the souls of the righteous are hidden under the Throne of Glory: then how did the bone [- practising] necromancer bring up Samuel by means of his necromancy?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' v. i Sam, XXVIII, 7. Bones were used in necromancy. ');">¹⁶</span> — There it was within twelve months [of death], he replied. For it was taught: For full [twelve months] the body is in existence and the soul ascends and descends; after twelve months the body ceases to exist

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