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); and they have again said: "The righteous will never again return unto dust, but remain standing in their concrete form" (Sanhedrin, 92a); and yet again they said: "They will rise in their deformities, but will be healed" (Ibid. 91b). All of which is conclusive proof that the dead will arise with their bodies and remain alive. Nevertheless, it is possible that the Creator will set them in strong, healthy forms as are the forms of angels, and as is the form of Elijah, of good memory!, when the garlands, too, will be literally and naturally, not in similitude". ¹

footnotes: ¹ Evidently the RABD erred in placing the World to Come instead of resurrection. RAB (Berakot, 17a) is authority for the contents of this paragraph in the Maimoni text, in so far as the World to Come is concerned. Of course, the RABD's words are true with respect to resurrection, but Maimonides herein speaks of the World to Come, and not of resurrection. C. G.

And the sages, figuratively, named etc. If this be the Banquet, no Cup of Benediction can be herein. Silence would have been best for him.¹

footnotes: ¹ The RABD refers to Pesahim. 119b, and to Psalms, 116. 13. The entire conception of the RABD is contradictory to the opinion of Rab (Berakot, 17a), even though it is established that he erred in placing the World to Come instead of resurrection. The accepted doctorine, according to all commentaries on Maimonides is this: The dead will be resurrected. Life will then go on for a time. Then life as we know it will cease completely, when the era of the World to Come will be inaugurated. In all there are four distinct eras: (1) this world, as at present; (2) Messianic era; (3) era of Resurrection; (4) era of the World to Come. C. G.

As for the reason why the sages called it etc. It appears that he denies that the world will again be without form and void, and that the Holy One, blessed is He! will renew His world, as the sages have said: (Sanhedrin 97a.) Six thousand years will this world last, and one thousand years it will be desolate, as a consequence the world after that is a new one.¹

footnotes: ¹ It is strange, indeed, that those who criticised Maimonides should have given so little of their thought to his text. What if this world will be desolate a thousand years, and a new one created, would that alter the life after death of which he speaks? C. G.