The Dead Know the Affliction of the Living

276) Rabbi Yehuda was walking along the way and Rabbi Aba was with him. They went into a certain place and slept there. They ate. When they wanted to lie down, they placed their heads on a mound of dust where there was a grave. Before they fell asleep, a voice called out from the grave, saying, “My semen is going to the ground,” meaning lost. “For twelve years already, I have not woken up, until now when I see my son’s face here.”

277) Rabbi Yehuda said, “Who are you?” He told him, “I am a Jew, and I sit in solitude, as though excommunicated, for I cannot enter the Garden of Eden because of the sorrow over my son, whom an idol-worshipper had stolen while he was still little, and he beats him every day. His affliction prevents me from entering my place, and in this place, I have no awoken until now.”

278) He told him, “And do you know the sorrow of the living?” He told him, “I swear in the minister of my grave that if not for our prayer for the living, they would not exist in the world even half a day. And now I have awoken here, and they would tell me each day that my son would soon come here, and I do not know if while he is still alive or after his death.”

279) Rabbi Yehuda told him, “What do you do in that world?” The grave was alarmed and told him, “Go, arise, for now my sons are being stricken!” They were perplexed and fled from there. They sat until the light of morning. They got up to go, and saw a man running, fleeing from his rav [teacher], since he was saved from him by the prayer of his dead father. He was bleeding from his shoulders. They held him and he told them what had happened, that the foreigner who had stolen him while he was little struck him until he bled.

They said to him, “What is your name?” He told them, “Lachma Bar Livai.” They said, “And what of Livai Bar Lachma? It was the name of that dead one; we are more afraid to speak with him.” They did not return to him. Rabbi Aba said, “The prayers of the dead are protecting the living, for it is written, “They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron,” to pray on the tombs of the Patriarchs, so they will pray for them.

280) The Creator made two oaths to Jacob: 1. that He would go down to dwell in exile with him, 2. that at the time of redemption, He would raise him from his grave to see the joy of the holy camp of the Merkavot and the angels that dwelled with his sons in exile. It is written about that, “I will go down with you to Egypt,” in the exile, “And I will also surely bring you up again,” at the time of redemption. Ascent means redemption, as it is written, “And [I will] cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people,” and as it is written, “There the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, a testimony to Israel.”

281) “And a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” On that day, the minister of Egypt was given authority so he would prevail over all other nations. Until the death of Joseph, Egypt was not given government over Israel. When Joseph died, it is written, “A new king arose over Egypt.” “Arose,” as in falling and rising, since on that day the minister of Egypt was grown.