## Otzar Midrashim, Midrash on Revival of the Dead, Questions of Rabbi Eliezer Regarding the Revival

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**שאלות ר׳ אליעזר [בענין התחיה]**


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[בית המדרש ח״ו 148]


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**ואלו עשר שאלות ששאל ר׳ אליעזר בתחיית המתים:**

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
These are the ten questions that Rabbi Eliezer asked regarding the resurrection of the dead:


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**וזו היא הראשונה** – אם יחיה הקב״ה קצת מישראל או כולם? ואמרו, כל מי ששב בתשובה לפני בוראו קודם מיתתו, אפילו עבר כל מצות עשה ולא תעשה, כריתות ב״ד וחילול שם שמים, בכולם – מיתה מכפרת לו עם התשובה, שנאמר הִנֵּה אֲנִי פֹתֵחַ אֶת קִבְרוֹתֵיכֶם וְהַעֲלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם מִקִּבְרוֹתֵיכֶם עַמִּי (יחזקאל ל"ז י"ב), מכאן שתחית המתים לכל ישראל.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The first one is - will God resurrect some of Israel or all of them? The answer is that anyone who repented before their Creator before their death, even if they transgressed all the positive and negative commandments, incurred the death penalty of the court and desecrated God’s name - death atones for all of them together with repentance, as it says "Behold I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, My people" (Ezekiel 37:12). This shows that the resurrection of the dead is for all of Israel.


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**השניה** – לאחר שיחיה את כולם אם ימותו עוד? וא״ל שוב לא ישובו לעפרם, שנאמר לֹא תָקוּם פַּעֲמַיִם צָרָה (נחום א' ט'), אלא הקב״ה מוליכם לחיי עולם הבא.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The second is - after resurrecting everyone, will they die again? The answer is they will never return to their dust, as it says "Trouble shall not rise up twice" (Nahum 1:9). Rather, God will bring them to the life of the World to Come.


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**השלישית** – אחר שיחיו כולם, איך יספיק להם ארץ ישראל? וא״ל משיצאו ישראל לעולם כ״ה מאות שנה וט״ו שנים מימות יוסף הצדיק שהתחילו להפדות ולהרבות עד אלף שנה לחורבן בית שני, שהיה כשיעור ל״ב דורות, כמאה ועשרים רבוא אנשים ונשים בכל דור ודור, ואעפ״י שהיו כולם צדיקים ובעלי תשובה יגיע לכל זוג וזוג אלפים וארבע מאות אמות וחצי טפח על אלפים וארבע מאות אמות וחצי טפח, והן יותר, לפי שעתידה א״י שתתרחב ותתארך בכל הישוב, שהוא מהלך קס״ו שנה וח׳ חדשים לאדם בינוני, שהוא עשר פרסאות ליום. ומי הוא שיבקש יותר מזה השיעור בין לבית שדה וכרם? ולמאן דתני שיתרחב כל העולם, יהיה לכל אחד פי שלשה.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The third is - after everyone is resurrected, how will the Land of Israel contain them? The answer is that from when Israel went out to the world, there were 425 years and 15 years from the days of Joseph the Righteous when they started reproducing until the Destruction of the Second Temple, which was about 32 generations. Each generation was around 120,000 men and women, and even though they were all righteous repentants, 2000 x 400 cubits plus half a cubit by 2000 x 400 cubits plus half a cubit comes out per couple. And they will have even more, because the Land of Israel is destined to expand and lengthen in settlement, which is a 366 year 8 month walk for an average person, 10 parsas per day. Who would desire more than this amount for a house, field and vineyard? And according to the one who taught that the entire world will expand, each one will have three times as much.


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**הרביעית** – אם כל אחד ואחד יכיר את קרובו? א״ל, שבעה רועים ושמונה נסיכי אדם יחזרו כל אחד ואחד למשפחתו, שנאמר גְבוּל אֲשֶׁר תִּתְנַחֲלוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ לִשְׁנֵי עָשָׂר שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (יחזקאל מ"ז י"ג).

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The fourth is - will each person recognize their relatives? The answer is that seven shepherds and eight anointed men will each return to their families, as it says "The boundary with which you shall divide the land for an inheritance for the twelve tribes of Israel" (Ezekiel 47:13).


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**החמישית** – מי שמת סומא או מוכה שחין מה יהיה ממנו? א״ל, יעמדו ויקומו במומם ואח״כ מתרפאין, שנאמר אֲנִי אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה מָחַצְתִּי וַאֲנִי אֶרְפָּא (דברים ל"ב ל"ט) – הקדים תחיה לרפואה, וכתיב אָז תִּפָּקַחְנָה עֵינֵי עִוְרִים, וכתיב אָז יְדַלֵּג כָּאַיָּל פִּסֵּחַ (ישעיהו ל"ה ה' ו').

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The fifth is - one who died blind or afflicted with boils, what will become of them? The answer is that they will arise in their defects and afterwards be healed, as it says "I kill and I bring life, I have wounded and I heal" (Deut. 32:39), mentioning resurrection before healing. And it says "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened" (Isaiah 35:5) and it says "Then the lame shall leap like a hart" (Isaiah 35:6).


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**הששית** – אם יאכלו ואם ישתו ואם ישאו נשים? א״ל, כמו שמצינו בבן השונמית שהחיה אליהו ובן הצרפתית שהחיה אלישע שאכלו ושתו ונשאו נשים, כן יהיה.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The sixth is - will they eat and drink and marry women? The answer is that just as we find by the son of the Shunamite revived by Elijah and the son of the Zarephite revived by Elisha, that they ate and drank and married, so will it be.


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**השביעית** – לאחר ימות המשיח איך יהיו לחיי עולם הבא בלא אכילה ושתיה ובלא פריה ורביה? א״ל, מצינו במשה רבנו שלא אכל מ׳ ימים שהיה בהר סיני וחי ונהנה מזיו השכינה, כן יחיו גם הם.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The seventh is - after the days of Mashiach, how will they have eternal life of the World to Come without eating, drinking or procreating? The answer is that we find by Moses our teacher that he did not eat for 40 days he was on Mount Sinai yet he lived enjoying the radiance of the Divine Presence, so they too will live thus.


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**השמינית** – המתים שעתיד להחיות הם ובניהם הנולדים, אם יהיו כולם צדיקים או יהיו מהם רשעים? א״ל, גלוי וידוע לפני המקום קודם תחייתם שלא יהיה אחד מהם רשע אלא כולם צדיקים, שנאמר וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ (ישעיה ס' כ"א).

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The eighth is - the dead who will be resurrected and their children born to them - will they all be righteous or will some be wicked? The answer is that it is revealed and known before the Omnipresent before their resurrection that none of them will be wicked, rather they will all be righteous, as it says "Your people, they are all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever" (Isaiah 60:21).


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**התשיעית** – באותן צדקות שיעשו לימות המשיח, אם יהיה להם שכר פעולתם? א״ל, כשם שבעולם הזה מי שעשה צדקה שכרו ספון לימות המשיח, כך העושה צדקה או מצוה לימות המשיח שכרו ספון ונצור לעולם הבא.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The ninth is - regarding those righteous deeds they perform in the Messianic era, will they have reward for their actions? The answer is that just as in this world one who performed charity, their reward is hidden for the Messianic era, so too one who performs charity or a mitzvah in the Messianic era, their reward is hidden and preserved for the World to Come.


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**העשירית** – כשהישועה באה, החיים שהם חיים בימים ההם – מה יהיה בהם? א״ל, לא ימותו, שלא יהיה עוד מיתה לעולם, שנאמר בִּלַּע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח (ישעיה כ"ה ח'), ויש אומרים שהקב״ה ימיתם ואח״כ יחיה אותם להשוותם אל החיים באותו הזמן, ויש אומרים יחיו שנים רבות ימים ארוכים כשנותיו של אדם הראשון ויותר, ואח״כ ימותו עד שיביאם לחיי עולם הבא, שנאמר כִּי כִימֵי הָעֵץ יְמֵי עַמִּי (ישעיה ס"ה כ"ב), ואין עץ אלא אדם, שנאמר כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה (דברים כ' י"ט).

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The tenth is - when salvation comes, those living in those days - what will happen with them? The answer is they will not die, as death will be eliminated forever, as it says "He has swallowed up death forever" (Isaiah 25:8). Some say God will kill them and afterwards resurrect them to make them equal to those resurrected in that time. Some say they will live many long years, as long as Adam originally and longer, and afterwards they will die until He brings them to the life of the World to Come, as it says "For the days of My people will be like the days of a tree" (Isaiah 65:22), and "tree" refers to man, as it says "For man is the tree of the field" (Deuteronomy 20:19).