Sanhedrin 220:1

א"ל כל תלתין יומין מהדרא להו גיהנם כבשר בתוך קלחת ואמרי הכי משה ותורתו אמת והן בדאים:

The Arabian then said to me, 'Every thirty days Gehenna causes them to turn back [here] like meat in a pot, and they say thus: "Moses and his Torah are true, but they are liars."'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [V. B.B. 74a, with slight variations.] ');">¹</span> THE GENERATION OF THE WILDERNESS HATH NO PORTION IN THE WORLD TO COME etc. Our Rabbis taught: The generation of the wilderness hath no portion in the world to come, as it is written, in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XIV, 35. ');">²</span>

דור המדבר אין להם חלק לעולם הבא וכו': ת"ר דור המדבר אין להם חלק לעולם הבא שנאמר (במדבר יד, לה) במדבר הזה יתמו ושם ימותו יתמו בעולם הזה ושם ימותו בעולם הבא ואמר (תהלים צה, יא) אשר נשבעתי באפי אם יבואון אל מנוחתי דברי ר"ע

'they shall be consumed', refers to this world; 'and there they shall die' — to the world to come. And it is also said, Forty years long was I grieved with his generation [sc. of the wilderness —&nbsp;…] Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XCV, 10f. ');">³</span> this is R. Akiba's view. R. Eliezer maintained: They will enter into the future world, for it is written, Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. L, 5. This description fits the generation of the wilderness. Cf. And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord&nbsp;… And Moses took the blood (thereof), and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words. (Ex. XXIV, 5, 8). ');">⁴</span>

ר"א אומר (הן באין) לעולם הבא שנאמר (תהלים נ, ה) אספו לי חסידי כורתי בריתי עלי זבח אלא מה אני מקיים אשר נשבעתי באפי באפי נשבעתי וחוזרני בי

How then do I interpret<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'fulfil.' ');">⁵</span> Unto whom I sware in my wrath etc? — [Only] in my wrath I sware, but repented thereof. R. Joshua b. Karha said: This verse was spoken only in reference to future generations. [Thus:] Gather my saints together unto me — this refers to the righteous of every generation; that have made a covenant with me — to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who submitted to the fiery furnace; by sacrifice — to R. Akiba and his companions, who gave themselves up to immolation for the sake of the Torah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Akiba disobeyed the Roman edict forbidding the practice and teaching of religion, and was martyred in consequence. — Ber. 61b. He was executed after several years of imprisonment (supra 12a) about the year 132 C.E. ');">⁶</span>

רבי יהושע בן קרחה אומר לא נאמר פסוק זה אלא כנגד דורות הבאים אספו לי חסידי אלו צדיקים שבכל דור ודור כורתי בריתי (עלי זבח) אלו חנניה מישאל ועזריה שמסרו עצמן לתוך כבש האש עלי זבח [אלו] ר"ע וחביריו שמסרו עצמן לשחיטה על דברי תורה

R. Simeon b. Manasya said: They will enter the future world, as it is said, And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XXXV, 10: he regards 'the ransomed of the Lord' as alluding to those who left Egypt, whom the Lord 'ransomed'. ');">⁷</span> Rabbah b. Bar Hana said in R. Johanan's name: [Here] R. Akiba abandoned his love.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In his love for Israel he generally sought the happiest destinies for them. Here, however, he taught that the generation of the wilderness had no portion in the world to come, though, as the speaker proceeds to demonstrate, he could so have interpreted a verse as to grant them a share therein. ');">⁸</span>

ר"ש בן מנסיא אומר באים הן לעולם הבא שנא' (ישעיהו לה, י) ופדויי ה' ישובון ובאו ציון ברנה אמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן שבקה ר"ע לחסידותיה שנאמר (ירמיהו ב, ב) הלוך וקראת באזני ירושלים לאמר זכרתי לך חסד נעוריך אהבת כלולותיך לכתך אחרי במדבר בארץ לא זרועה ומה אחרים באים בזכותם הם עצמן לא כל שכן:

For it is written, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord: I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. II, 2: thus the merit of this act of faith on the part of the generation of the wilderness stood their descendants in good stead and conferred the privilege upon them of a share in the future world. ');">⁹</span> if others will enter [the future world] in their merit, surely they themselves most certainly will!

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> עשרת השבטים אינן עתידין לחזור שנא' (דברים כט, כז) וישליכם אל ארץ אחרת כיום הזה מה היום הולך ואינו חוזר אף הם הולכים ואינן חוזרים דברי ר"ע ר"א אומר כיום הזה מה יום מאפיל ומאיר אף עשרת השבטים שאפילה להן כך עתידה להאיר להם:

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. THE TEN TRIBES WILL NOT RETURN [TO PALESTINE], FOR IT IS SAID, AND CAST THEM INTO ANOTHER LAND, AS IS THIS DAY:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXIX, 27. ');">¹⁰</span> JUST AS THE DAY GOES AND DOES NOT RETURN, SO THEY TOO WENT AND WILL NOT RETURN: THIS IS R. AKIBA'S VIEW. R. ELIEZER SAID: AS THIS DAY — JUST AS THE DAY DARKENS AND THEN BECOMES LIGHT AGAIN,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Becoming dark in the evening and light in the morning. ');">¹¹</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ת"ר עשרת השבטים אין להם חלק לעוה"ב שנאמר (דברים כט, כז) ויתשם ה' מעל אדמתם באף ובחמה ובקצף גדול ויתשם ה' מעל אדמתם בעוה"ז וישליכם אל ארץ אחרת לעוה"ב דברי ר"ע ר"ש בן יהודה איש כפר עכו אומר משום ר"ש אם מעשיהם כיום הזה אינן חוזרין ואם לאו חוזרין

SO THE TEN TRIBES — EVEN AS IT WENT DARK FOR THEM, SO WILL IT BECOME LIGHT FOR THEM. <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Our Rabbis taught: The ten tribes have no portion in the world to come,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [I.e., not in the hereafter but in the Messianic days.] ');">¹²</span>

רבי אומר באים הם לעוה"ב שנאמר (ישעיהו כז, יג) ביום ההוא יתקע בשופר גדול וגו' אמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן שבקה ר"ע לחסידותיה שנא' (ירמיהו ג, יב) הלוך וקראת את הדברים האלה צפונה ואמרת שובה משובה ישראל נאם ה' ולא אפיל פני בכם כי חסיד אני נאם ה' לא אטור לעולם

as it says, And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">¹³</span> And the Lord rooted them out of their land, refers to this world; and cast them into another land — to the world to come:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., into a place other than the future world. ');">¹⁴</span>

מאי חסידותיה דתניא קטני בני רשעי ישראל אין באין לעוה"ב שנא' (מלאכי ג, יט) כי הנה היום בא בוער כתנור והיה כל זדים וכל עושי רשעה קש ולהט אותם היום הבא אמר ה' צבאות אשר לא יעזוב להם שורש וענף שורש בעוה"ז וענף לעוה"ב דברי רבן גמליאל

this is R. Akiba's view. R. Simeon b. Judah, of the Kefar of Acco,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 484, n. 7. ');">¹⁵</span> said on R. Simeon's authority: If their deeds are as this day's,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if they do not repent, 'this day' referring to the time of their being exiled. ');">¹⁶</span>

ר"ע אומר באים הם לעוה"ב שנא' (תהלים קטז, ו) שומר פתאים ה' שכן קורין בכרכי הים לינוקא פתיא ואומר (דניאל ד, כ) גודו אילנא וחבלוהי ברם עיקר שרשוהי בארעא שבוקו ואלא מה אני מקיים לא יעזוב להם שורש וענף שלא יניח להם לא מצוה ולא שיורי מצוה ד"א שורש זו נשמה וענף זה הגוף

they will not return; otherwise they shall. Rabbi said: They will enter the future world, as it is said, [And it shall come to pass] in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, [and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount of Jerusalem].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XXVII, 13: 'the holy mount of Jerusalem' is understood here to mean the future world. ');">¹⁷</span> Rabbah b. Bar Hana said in R. Johanan's name: [Here] R. Akiba abandoned his love,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V, p. 758, n. 7. ');">¹⁸</span>

אבל קטני בני רשעי עובדי כוכבים ד"ה אין באין לעוה"ב ור"ג נפקא ליה (ישעיהו כו, יד) מותאבד כל זכר למו

for it is written, Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep mine anger for ever.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. III, 12. ');">¹⁹</span> Now, to what does 'his love' refer? — Even as it has been taught: The children of the wicked of Israel, [who died] in their minority, will not enter the future world, as it is written, For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root or branch:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mal. III, 19. ');">²⁰</span>

אתמר קטן מאימתי בא לעוה"ב ר' חייא ור"ש בר ר' חד אמר משעה שנולד וחד אמר משעה שסיפר מ"ד משעה שנולד שנא' (תהלים כב, לב) יבואו ויגידו צדקתו לעם נולד כי עשה ומ"ד משעה שסיפר דכתיב (תהלים כב, לא) זרע יעבדנו יסופר לה' לדור

'root', refers to this world; 'branch' — to the world to come:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And both are assumed to refer to the young children of the wicked. ');">²¹</span> This is Rabban Gamaliel's view. R. Akiba said: They will enter the world to come, as it is written, The Lord preserveth petha'im,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]. (E.V. 'the simple'.) ');">²²</span>

אתמר רבינא אמר משעה שנזרע דכתיב זרע יעבדנו ר"נ בר יצחק אמר משעה שנימול דכתיב (תהלים פח, טז) עני אני וגוע מנוער נשאתי אימיך אפונה

and in the island cities, a child is called pattia;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]. ');">²³</span> and it is said also, Hew the tree down, and destroy it: yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Dan. IV, 20; i.e., the family stock remains, the children of the wicked entering the future world. ');">²⁴</span>

תנא משום ר"מ משעה שיאמר אמן שנא' (ישעיהו כו, ב) פתחו שערים ויבא גוי צדיק שומר אמוני' אל תקרי שומר אמונים אלא שאומר אמן

How then do I interpret<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'fulfil'. ');">²⁵</span> 'that it shall leave them neither root nor branch'? — That He shall not leave them [unpunished the violation of] a single precept or the remnant thereof [i.e., even the most insignificant precept]. Another interpretation: 'root' refers to the soul, and 'branch' to the body.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But of the wicked themselves, not their children. Thus we see R. Akiba, in his love for Israel, interpreting the verse as leniently as possible. ');">²⁶</span> But as for young children of the wicked heathens, all agree that they will not enter the future world. And R. Gamaliel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The name is deleted by the Wilna Gaon and this appears so too from Rashi. ');">²⁷</span> deduces it from And thou hast made all their memory perish.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XXVI, 14. ');">²⁸</span> It has been said: An infant — from when may he enter the future world? — R. Hiyya and R. Simeon b. Rabbi [disagree]: one maintained, from birth; the other, from when it spoke. The one who says that it is from birth derives it from the verse, They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XXII, 32. ');">²⁹</span> The one who holds, from when it spoke, [deduces it] from the verse, A seed shall serve him; it shall be related of the Lord for a generation.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 31. It shall be related shews that when God's glory can be related by a person, i.e., when he can speak, he earns his right to a portion of the world to come. ');">³⁰</span> It has been stated: Rabina maintained: From conception,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'its being sown'. ');">³¹</span> as it is written, A seed shall serve him. R. Nahman b. Isaac said: From its circumcision, for it is written, I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up; while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. LXXXVIII, 16, translated: I am poor and ready to die (like the wicked, i.e., without entering the future world) from my being cast forth (from the womb); but once I have borne thy dread i.e., circumcision, which one always bears on his body, I am whirled round — in the whirl of life (the future world). ');">³²</span> It was taught on R. Meir's authority: From when he said Amen, as it is written, Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XXVI, 2. ');">³³</span> render not which keepeth the truth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]. ');">³⁴</span> but which sayeth Amen.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]. ');">³⁵</span>