679. Righteous ones to whom a transgression occurred from those that the Torah obligates cutting off, and they contemplate repentance yet die, does death atone for them or not? It does, and sometimes they are punished in this world and it is atoned for them.
680. The Torah does not accept impurity, as it is written, “‘But all My words are as fire,’ says the Lord. As fire does not accept impurity, words of Torah do not accept impurity. The ten elders, the martyrs, were punished for the selling of Joseph since they were from the ten tribes that sold Joseph. Why was the iniquity atoned for in their death?
681. Rabbi Akiva, who was one of the ten martyrs, does not have ancestral merit, since he came from proselytes. Thus, they did not come from the ten tribes, and it is written, “Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times,” meaning that the ten martyrs came from Issachar.
682. “When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, ‘You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you.’” “Hired,” now. “Hired you,” after some time. Issachar means Yesh Sachar [there is reward], and after some time, they will be for the kingdom of heaven, and their bodies will remain in their place in this world, and everything returns as in the beginning, and it is written, “blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.”
When the ten martyrs were killed, their souls rose for MAN to Malchut, and through them, a great coupling of ZA and Malchut was done. For this reason, this is regarded for them as a great merit. Because they all came from the tribe of Issachar, the matter of their slaying and their ascent for MAN is implied in the words, “for I have surely hired you,” said about the coupling for the birth of Issachar.
“Hired” means now, that she hired him with the mandrakes of her son for the present coupling, for the birth of Issachar. “Hired you” means that after some time, the ten sons of Issachar will rise for MAN after some time in the ten martyrs, and will make ZA and Malchut copulate. This is also implied in the name Issachar, with the letters of Yesh Sachar [there is reward].
The reward is that they will become the kingdom of heaven, that the names of his sons will rise for MAN to the kingdom of heaven and will cause the great coupling of ZA and Malchut, and their bodies will remain in their place in this world. It all returns as in the beginning, when the body is from the dust, and the soul from the Creator. Here, too, the bodies remain in their place in the dust, and the souls rose for MAN.
Thus, the matter of the killing of them is not a drawback and a fault, but to the contrary, it is a great merit for them. He brings evidence from the verse, “blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.” Thus, all the tribes were complete and righteous, and it cannot be said that the iniquity of selling Joseph was lingering for them.
683. Rabbi Yudai fell on his face and fell asleep. He was shown that verse in a dream. “Do not let your mouth make your flesh sin. You entered the matter of the ten martyrs, keep your mouth shut.” From that day onward, he did not speak of this. Rather, he would say, “How precious is Your grace God, and people take cover in the shadow of Your wings.” Truly “in the shadow of Your wings,” since the souls of people are born from ZON. For this reason, he should not be speaking of his own sons, since the mercy of the Creator is in everything.
684. This is so indeed, as it is written, “Do not touch My Messiahs, and do not harm My prophets.” And it is written, “in whose hand is the soul of every living being and the spirit of the flesh of every man.” We must not speak at all of His hidden secrets, since one in whose hands are the spirits and souls of the righteous, the hidden things he does, we should not get into them.