Mareh Mekomos for Video Shiur click here to listen: for Video Shiur click here to listen:  Psychology of the DAF Shabbos 114

DAF YOMI from a psychological perspective.

Mareh Mekomos

114a

Rabbi Yannai say to his sons: My sons, do not bury me in white garments nor in black garments. Not in white, lest I not be acquitted in judgment, and I will be among the wicked like a groom among mourners. And not in black, lest I be acquitted in judgment, and I will be among the righteous like a mourner among grooms. Rather, bury me in the clothes of the bath attendants who come from a country overseas, which are neither black nor white. 

רמב״ם תשובה ח:א-ב

The hidden good in store for the righteous is, life in the World to Come, which is a life connected with no death and a kind of good connected with no evil...The World to Come harbors neither body nor aught of a concrete form, save only the souls of the righteous divested of body as are the ministering angels. Inasmuch as it harbors no concrete forms there is no need there for eating, drinking, or other of the bodily necessities of the sons of man in this world; neither will any of the many things which happen to bodies in this world come to pass there, as, for instance, sitting down, standing up, sleep, death, sadness, mirth or the like. Thus did the ancient sages say: "In the World to Come there is no eating, no drinking, and no family life, save that the righteous are sitting, graced with garlands upon their heads, and indulge in feasting upon the luminousness of the Shekinah".4Berakot, 17a.  Herefrom, it is clear to you that no body exists there, seeing that there is neither eating nor drinking. That expression of "sitting" herein employed, is figurative, as if saying that they are there without effort or fatigue, and the phrase they employed, saying: "graced with garlands upon their heads", means that they have conscious knowledge of the reason why they have merited to be in the World to Come, and this is their crown of garlands, as, for example, Solomon said: "The crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him" (Songs. 3.11). Moreover, it was said: "And everlasting shall joy be upon their heads (Is. 35.10); now joy is not a body to rest upon one's head, even so the crown spoken of by the sages refers to knowledge. But what is the meaning of the phrase, "and indulge in feasting upon the luminousness of the Shekinah"? It is that by which they know and attain part of the Truth of the Holy One, blessed is He! something they do not know while in the dark, low body.

ראב״ד תשובה ח:ב

העוה''ב אין בו גוף. א''א דברי האיש הזה בעיני קרובים למי שאומר אין תחיית המתים לגופות אלא לנשמות בלבד. וחיי ראשי לא היה דעת חז''ל על זה שהרי אמרו כתובות (קי"א:) עתידין צדיקים שיעמדו בלבושיהן ק''ו מחטה וכו' וכן היו מצוין לבניהם (שבת קי"ד.) אל תקברוני בכלים לבנים ולא בשחורים שמא אזכה

The World to Come harbors neither body nor aught of a concrete form etc. This man's words are in my eyes nigh to such who assert that there is no resurrection to body but the souls alone. But, by the life of my head, this was not the opinion of our sages, may their memory be blessed! Behold, they have said: "The righteous are prepared to rise up in their garments, deduct major from minor, by comparison of a grain of wheat" (Ketubot, 111b); and they left instructions to their children, saying: "Bury us not in either white or black garments, lest I be meritorious and be resurrected" (Shabbat, 114b)

כסף משנה שם

ול''נ שאין חילוק בין רבינו להראב''ד אלא בשמות בלבד. דלרבינו העולם שלאחר המות נקרא העוה''ב וכמ''ש בסוף פרק זה ז''ל זה שקראו אותו חכמים עוה''ב לא מפני שאינו מצוי עתה וזה העולם אובד ואח''כ יבא אותו העולם אין הדבר כן אלא הרי הוא מצוי ועומד

But if so, why did the Raavad object? 

Rambam himself says there is Resurrection of the Dean in his Maamar Techiyas Hameisim and his Thirteen Principles of Faith

Zohar I:140b medrash ne’elam

אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה סְעוּדַת הַצַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא לִשְׂמוֹחַ בְּשִׂמְחָתוֹ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים לה) יִשְׁמְעוּ עֲנָוִים וְיִשְׂמָחוּ. ...וְזוֹ הִיא הַשְּׁתִיָה ואֲכִילָה, וַדַּאי דָא הִיא….אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף וכִי יְמוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים לַאו חַד הוּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, לא. דִּתְנַן, בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קוֹדֶם לְקִבּוּץ גָּלֻיּוֹת, קִבּוּץ גָּלֻיּוֹת, קוֹדֶם לִתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים, וּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים הוּא אַחֲרוֹן שֶׁבְּכֻלָּם

So, what was the Ra'vad really asking?  Note Ra'vad's language: "This man's words are in my eyes nigh to such who assert that there is no resurrection to body but the souls alone".  The Ra'avad realized that the Rambam agreed to the idea of resurrection, rather he felt his emphasis was wrong.

Listen to the full shiur to understand more of the Ra'avad's objections and possible answers for the Rambam.

for Video Shiur click here to listen:  Psychology of the DAF Shabbos 114

Photo by Matteo Maretto on Unsplash

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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