זבחים טו

It was בין השמשות on ערב שבת when a great צדיק died and came up to heaven.  The ‏סנהדרי בית דין שלמעלה had already left for קבלת שבת and a מלאך was locking the doors.  The צדיק identified himself and asked for the direction to גן עדן.  The מלאך spread his wings and motioned to the right.  The צדיק headed in that direction by was blocked by a flea, who charged that he had been killed by the צדיק.  The מלאך said that he wasn’t authorized to render judgment in such a case and directed them to a private room where they would have to wait until the בית דין could reconvene after שבת.   Shortly thereafter, an אפיקורס appeared before the מלאך and asked for the direction to גהינום.  The מלאך spread his wings and motioned to the left.  The אפיקורס headed in that direction but was blocked by a beautiful woman, who said that he had saved her life from a burning fire.  The מלאך said that he wasn’t authorized to render judgment in such a case and, as he did with the צדיק and the flea, he directed them to a private room where they would have to wait until the בית דין could reconvene after שבת.   Immediately, a בת קול went forth and asked: “For whom was שבת created, the צדיק or the אפיקורס?”

06/10/2021