The Chronicles of Jerahmeel: Or, the Hebrew Bible Historiale. Being a Collection of Apocryphal and Pseudo-Epigraphical Books Dealing With the History of the World from the

VIII

Chapter VIII was not translated by Gaster

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IX. THE FORMATION OF THE

CHILD

I will now add here the description of the formation of a child by these three

agencies, as it is contained in the book called ### (Ye

ṣirath ha-velad), which is

as follows:

(1) I will now proceed to explain the formation of the fœtus which God

created when man approaches his wife. God indicates it to the angel appointed

over conception, whose name is Lailah. God says, 'Know that this night a

woman will conceive. Take this sperm, place it in thy hand, and break it on the

threshing-floor into three hundred and sixty-five particles.' He does so. He then

takes the sperm in his hand, brings it to God, and says, 'O Lord of the world, I

have done as Thou hast commanded me, and now decree what is to become of

it.' God then decrees that it will be either strong or weak, male or female, rich or

poor, beautiful or ugly, long or short, wicked or righteous. (2) God then makes a

sign to the angel appointed over spirits, and says, 'Bring me a certain spirit which

is hidden in the Garden of Eden, whose name is So-and-so, and whose form is

So-and-so.' This applies to all the spirits which are destined to be created, for

from the very moment when the world was created all (these spirits) were

prepared for men, as it is said, 'What has already been has been called by name.'

The angel brings the (said) spirit, which, when it comes before God, bows down

and prostrates itself before Him. (3) At that moment God says to the spirit, 'Enter

thou this sperm.' The spirit then opens its mouth, and says, 'O Lord of the

universe, I am satisfied with the world in which I have lived from the day on

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which Thou didst create me; if it please Thee, do not suffer me to enter this

impure being, for I am holy and pure.' God replies, 'The world which I will cause

thee to enter is better than the world in which thou hast lived; and when I created

thee, I created thee only for this purpose.' (4) God then causes it to enter this new

being against its will. The angel then returns and causes it to enter the womb of

its mother. Two angels are prepared to watch the embryo (during pregnancy). A

light shines upon the head of the child, by which it sees from one end of the

world to the other. (5) In the morning the angel takes it, carries it into the Garden

of Eden and shows it the righteous men who sit there in glory with crowns on

their heads. The angel then says to the soul, 'My child, dost thou know who these

are?' 'No,' it replies. The angel then says, 'These people whom thou seest here

were formed like thee in the womb of their mother. They went forth into the

world and observed God's statutes, therefore they became worthy of this bliss.

Know also that thou wilt at the end of thy days depart from the world. and if

thou wilt be thought worthy to hearken unto the Law and the Commandments

then thou wilt be likewise worthy of sitting with these in the place where I

showed thee.'

(6) In the evening he carries it into Gehinnom, and shows it the sinners,

whom the wicked angels beat with fiery staves. They cry 'Woe, woe!' but no

mercy is shown them. The angel then says to the soul, 'Dost thou know, my

child, who these are that burn?' 'No,' it replies. The angel answers, 'These were

of the same mean origin as thou art. They went forth to the world and did not

observe the commandments and judgments of God. Therefore they have come to

this place of punishment. Know also, child, that thou must ultimately quit this

world.' (7) The angel walks about with it from morning until evening, and shows

it every place which it is destined to tread, and the place where it will be buried.

After this he shows it the world of the good and the world of the wicked, and in

the evening he places it back again in the womb of its mother. God then encloses

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it within folded doors, as it is said, 'And He shut in the sea with doors, until it

burst forth from the womb and became free.' It is further said, 'I will lay My

words in thy mouth, and I will protect thee in the shadow of My hand.' God then

said, 'Thus far shalt thou go, and no further;' and He sustains the child in the

womb of its mother for nine months.

(8) At the end of that time the same angel comes and says to it, 'Come forth,

for the time has come for thee to go forth into the world.' It replies, 'Have I not

already told God that I am satisfied to remain in the place where I was

accustomed to dwell? And He replied, "The place I will cause thee to enter is

better than that world from which thou hast come." Now that it pleases me to

remain here, why dost thou wish to remove me hence?' The angel replies, 'Thou

must know that thou wast formed in the womb of thy mother against thy will,

and now know that against thy will thou wilt be born, and wilt come forth into

the world.' He then immediately strikes it, extinguishes the light, and brings it

forth against its will. It then forgets whatever it had seen. As soon as it comes

forth unto the world, it cries.

(9) And why does it cry? Because of the world it has left behind. For at that

moment seven new worlds are awaiting it. In the first world it is like unto a king

after whose welfare all people ask; all desire to see it and embrace it, and kiss it,

because it is in the first year. In the second world it is like unto a swine which

wallows in mire; a child does the same until it reaches two years. In the third

world it is like unto a kid that skips and gambols about on the meadows. Thus, a

child skips about here and there until it is five years of age. In the fourth world it

is like unto a horse which strides along haughtily. In the same way does a child

walk along proud of his youth until he is eighteen years old. In the fifth world he

is like unto an ass upon whose shoulders burdens are placed. In the same manner

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burdens are heaped upon man's shoulders; he is given a wife by whom he begets

children. He must wander to and fro in order to obtain food for them until he is

about forty years old. In the sixth stage he is like unto a dog, insolent and

wandering about in all places for food: stealing and robbing in one place and

enjoying it in another. In the seventh stage he is like unto an ape, whose

appearance is changed in every respect. All the household curse him and desire

his death. Even the young children make fun of him, and even the smallest bird

wakes him from his sleep. (10) Finally, the time arrives for him to quit this

world. When that time arrives the same angel comes beside him and says to him,

What is thy name?' To which he replies 'So-and-so, and Why dost thou come to

me to-day?' 'To take thee away from this world.' When he hears this he weeps,

and his voice reaches from one end of the world to the other, but no creature

hears his voice except the cock. 'Have I not already told thee,' he says, 'not to

bring me forth from the world in which I have lived?' But the angel replies,

'Have I not already told thee that against thy will thou wast created, against thy

will thou wast born, against thy will thou livest, and against thy will thou shalt

die, also against thy will thou art bound to render account and reckoning before

Him who said, and the world was made?'

(11) Behold, these are the four Divine hosts which God showed to Elijah the

prophet, as it is said, 'And He said, Go out and stand upon the mountain before

God.' God then said to Elijah, 'Behold, these are the four worlds through which

man must pass. The great and strong wind is this world. After the wind comes

the earthquake, i.e., after this world comes death, which causes the whole body

of man to quake. After the earthquake comes the fire, i.e., after death there

follows the judgment of Gehinnom, which is fire, and after the judgment of

Gehinnom there follows a voice, as it is said, 'A still, soft voice,' which is the

voice of the last judgment. After this follows the judgment of the spirits that flit

about in the air, and no one is left except God, as it is said, 'God alone shall be

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exalted on that day.' All this is included in the words of holy tradition spoken by

David, king of Israel, who said, 'I was made in secret, I was formed in the

nethermost parts of the earth.'

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X

(1) The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Happy is the man in whom

there is wisdom combined with fear; one may be doing more, another less,

provided that his heart is turned to heaven. (2) Woe to, him whom this world

leads astray; woe unto him who does not walk in the ways of God; woe unto him

who hearkens to his evil inclination, or who does not listen to his Creator; woe to

him whose pleader becomes his accuser; woe unto him who does not devote his

heart to his Father in heaven; woe to him whose wheel of life has turned; woe

unto the man who has been righteous and has turned wicked; woe to him who

loses his life's work in a rash moment, or causes the profanation of God's name.

(3) Certain punishments follow immediately upon the committal of sin,

others come after a time. There are punishments which come one after the other,

others simultaneously. Some punishments come upon man while he is asleep,

others while he is awake; some come upon him heavily, others lightly; some

affect part of the body, others the whole body; some, again, come upon one in

his youth, while others come in his old age; some which he anticipates, others

which he does not anticipate; some are open and some are hidden, others, again,

are revealed to the whole world. And all the trouble, misery, and shame come

upon man in consequence of sin and transgression. (4) Some bear their

punishments with love; some worship God for fear of suffering in their

sustenance or in their livelihood, or through the ill-health of their children, or

through the punishment of Gehinnom. Some worship Him in simplicity, in

purity, in joy, and some in the hope that they may make others worthy of reward.

Some, again, worship Him to guard themselves against punishments, as it is said,

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'When they are in trouble, they seek Me early.' Everyone is judged while he is in

full consciousness, and this applies to the living and the dead alike.

(5) When man is about to quit this world the angel appointed over him says,

'Pity this body that goes out of this world without having performed any good

actions.' He looks at his two legs, and says, 'Woe unto those legs which have not

walked in the ways of the Lord. Woe unto those thighs which have not been

eager to run after God's Commandments. Woe unto the bowels which have

enjoyed stolen property. Woe unto those hands which have occupied themselves

with sin. Woe unto the mouth which has consumed the property of others. Woe

unto the eyes which have desired the property of strangers. Woe unto those ears

which have not hearkened to reproof. Woe to that proud stature that has not bent

in repentance. Woe unto the spirit that has not humbled itself before its Creator.'

(6) The angel in anger bids him stand up for judgment to relate his deeds. He

says, 'Know whence thou hast come, and whither thou art going—to a place of

dust and worms. Who is the Judge, and before whom art thou to give account

and reckoning? If thou art able to answer, then answer, for no one else can

answer for thee; there is no remedy except good deeds, as it is written, "Thy

righteousness shall go before thee."' (7) What enjoyment can it be for man to

look upon sin, since it is like fire to stubble, and like a sword to the neck, as an

arrow to the liver, as chains to the feet, as darkness to the eyes, as gall to the

mouth, and as chastisement to the body? Whoever induces another to swerve

from the good path is cut off in the midst of his days, and whoever flatters a

sinner, his days shall be shortened in this world. Whoever scoffs at the

Commandments will have no mercy shown to him from heaven. (8) Whoever

causes another to blush in public will cause the book in which the sins of man

are inscribed to be opened. Whoever scoffs at the poverty of the poor, behold he

shall be brought low, he will be ahungered while others shall eat before him.

Whoever commits fraudulent transactions shall have no rest on the eve of the

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Sabbath; behold, all the joys which gladden his heart will be turned into

mourning. He will be visited on the day of reckoning with terrible judgment and

with much shame by relentless angels in the world to come. Therefore it is said,

'And what wilt thou do on the day of visitation?' (9) He who sins with his eyes,

those eyes shall become dim; he who sins with his mouth, behold his words shall

not be heard; he who sins by giving false advice, behold his own prosperity shall

vanish; he who sins in his thoughts, his days shall be a constant vexation; he who

sins with his tongue, behold chastisement will overtake him; he who sins with

his hand shall lose his honour; he who sins with his legs, the years of his life

shall be shortened; whoever sins in his heart shall die of grief; whoever sins with

his inclination, this very inclination shall turn his accuser; he who sins and

causes others to sin shall bury his wife and his children during his lifetime; he

who sins purposely, the decree of Divine judgment will be sealed against him; he

who sins unwittingly is not in a good moral condition.

(10) What benefit has a man by sinning? his ultimate end is to quit this

world for another, to go from light to darkness, from life to death, from sleep

which is sweet to a sleep that is troubled; he is a prey for the worms; he passes

from sweet dainties to the taste of dust; from beautiful garments to the shroud in

the grave. But this is not all: he moreover loses his soul. Many rich men have

lost their souls through their riches, such as Dathan and Abiram; and the wisdom

of many a wise man has caused him to come to grief, as, for instance, Ahitophel,

Doeg the Edomite, and Balaam, the wicked one. Likewise many mighty men

have existed whose power has been the cause of their fall, as Samson, Abner,

Asael, and Joab. Many also have reared sons, but have had no joy from them, as

Aaron, the High Priest, who had no joy from Nadab and Abihu. All this applies

equally to the righteous as well as the wicked; death overtakes them all. There

were also many beautiful ones, whose beauty was the cause of their downfall,

such as Absalom and Adonijah ben

Ḥagith. There have been many elders of the

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community who have departed this life without honour, such as the great

Sanhedrin in the time of Zedekiah, who were slain by Nebuchadnezzar. And

again, how many young people have been snatched away from their bridal

canopy! (11) Thus, what advantage can possibly accrue to man by robbing and

stealing? for, although he may thereby derive some temporal comfort, he must

nevertheless render account and reckoning before God. What benefit can man's

joy be to him when it brings sorrow and grief upon him? What benefit is it for a

man to inspire fear, since punishment will overtake him? What benefit his proud

strut if it brings pains upon him? What benefit his evil meditation, which brings

in its train many kinds of death? What benefit his deception, which dashes his

prosperity to the ground? On account of this the righteous and the pious have no

desire whatever for this world which is fleeting. But how do we know that this

world is fleeting? Because it is said, 'For a wind has passed over it, and it is no

more.'

(12) On the other hand, he is heir to the future world who keeps aloof from

strife, from evil talk, from causeless hatred, from inciting quarrels, who is truly

modest, who is devout in his prayer, and confesses his sins before God. He it is

who is loved by God. Therefore the righteous have resolved to claim no honours,

and to refrain from pleasure. They have therefore placed a check upon their eyes,

their mouths, their hands, and their feet, to prevent them from doing evil. The

eye which does not sin is worthy to behold the face of the Divine glory, as it is

said, 'Thine eyes shall behold the King in his beauty.' The heart that does not sin

shall be worthy to see the Divine glory with abundant joy. The hand that does

not sin will be worthy of receiving every reward, as it is said, 'Behold the Lord

God shall come with strength, and give him mastery in his arm.' The mouth that

does not sin will be worthy of singing praises before God, as it is written, 'And

thou shalt say, On that day I will praise Thee, O God.'

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XI

(1) R. Abahu told the parable of three different men. One tills the ground,

another works in silver and gold, and the third studies the law. When the time

approaches for him who tills the ground to die, he says to his household, 'Give

me some of my work, so that I do not go to the next world empty-handed.' To

which they reply, 'Thou art foolish. Hast thou not worked the field? and

Scripture has already said, "The earth and its fulness belong to God," therefore

thou hast nothing of thine own to bring.'

(2) When the end of him who works in silver and gold arrives, he says to his

household, 'Give me some of my labour (work), that I may not go to the next

world empty-handed.' But they reply, 'Thou art foolish. Thou hast worked in this

world in silver and gold. Scripture has already said, "Mine is the silver, and

Mine is the gold, saith the Lord;" therefore thou hast nothing of thine own to

bring.'

(3) When the time arrives for him who studies the law (Torah) to quit this

world, he says to his household, 'Give me of my labour, that I may not go to the

next world empty-handed.' To him they say, 'O thou pious and righteous man,

how can we give thee (the fruits) of thy labour? Hast thou not constantly

occupied thyself with the law? But God will grant thee the reward of thy work,

and shall receive thee with good grace. The ministering angels shall go forth to

meet thee and exclaim, "Come thou in peace;" and concerning thee Scripture

says, "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning."'

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(4) Rabbi Jose says, 'If thou desirest to know the reward of the righteous in

the world to come, come hither and learn it from what has befallen Adam. He

was commanded to perform an easy precept, and because he transgressed it, God

punished him and all subsequent generations with many kinds of death.

Therefore the sages have said that, on the contrary, whoever studies and

observes the law and performs good deeds shall be delivered from the

punishment of Gehinnom and the sorrows of the grave.' R. Abahu mentions one

of the proverbial sayings of Rabbi Isaac that the end of man is death, the end of

animals is slaughter, and all are destined to die. (5) R. Jose says, 'Come hither

and see the difference existing between man and animals; the latter are slain and

flayed, and are not subjected to any judgment: whilst with reference to man, how

many chastisements and troubles does he bear in this world; and after his death,

if he is a righteous man, his judgment is delayed; but if he is wicked, he is

brought before the tribunal every year between Passover and Pentecost, as it is

said, "And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men, and it shall

be at every new moon." (6) After man's death he is seen by all the other dead,

and he appears to each just as they last saw him alive: some see him as a youth,

others as an old man, just as each saw him before his own death, so that they

should not think that any man lives for ever, and say when we were among the

living we saw this or that man, and now how many hundreds of years have

passed since we have seen them alive? (7) Therefore, when one dies the angel

who guards the dead makes his soul assume various forms, so that all shall

recognise him by seeing him just as they saw him in life. Then, in the event of

one being condemned afterwards to Gehinnom, he is enveloped with smoke and

brimstone, so that one should not see the punishment of the other; and none

should be put to shame before the other, except those who have publicly put

others to shame.'

(8) Every man after death is brought to judgment, even if he should belong

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to the section of the righteous, still, after a time his sins are visited. Thus Samuel

said to Saul, 'To-morrow thou shalt be in my division.' Was not Samuel in

Ramah, and Saul in another place? The explanation is that he (Samuel) referred

to the soul when he said, 'Thou wilt be with me in my division.' And we see that

after a long lapse of time the house of Saul was judged on account of Saul and

on account of the house of blood. Thus, the house of Saul was visited. Although

he was called 'the chosen of the Lord,' yet His seed was judged.

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XII

(1) R. Isaac ben Parnach has said that all man's iniquities are engraved upon

his bones, as it is said, 'Their iniquities shall be upon their bones,' and all his

merits shall be engraved upon his right hand, as it is said, 'The Lord is thy guard

and thy protection on thy right hand.' (2) R. Joshua ben Levi says that man's

merits and sins are not testified to until the day of his death. Even frivolous

conversation, which is not accounted as a sin, is mentioned only at the time of

his death, as it is said, 'For behold He who has formed the mountains and created

the wind will tell man what his conversation hath been.' (3) Thus at his death

three ministering angels come to him, one the angel of death, one a scribe, and a

third who is appointed to accompany them. They say to him, 'Arise, for thy end

has come.' To which he replies, 'I shall not rise, for my end has not yet arrived.'

(4) Then the scribe proceeds to number his days and years. At that moment the

man opens his eyes and sees the angel of death, whose length extends from one

end of the world to the other; he quakes exceedingly and falls upon his face. (5)

From the sole of his (the angel's) foot to the crown of his head he is full of eyes,

his clothing is of fire, his covering of fire, he is surrounded by fire, he is all fire.

In his hand he carries a fiery blade, from which hangs a bitter drop. This drop

causes first death, then decomposition and the lividness of appearance, but man

does not die until he has seen God, as it is said, ‘For no man shall see Me and

live; but when he dies he shall see Him, as it is said, ‘Before Him there shall

bend all those who go down to the dust when he ceases to live.’ (6) Then the

man confesses everything he has done in the world. His mouth bears witness,

and the Lord writes it down. 'By Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, that from

My mouth shall go forth righteousness.' (7) If he is a man of perfect

righteousness his soul is handed over to its owner. But if a man of consummate

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wickedness, he stiffens his neck and allows his evil inclination to prevail over

him; hence the sages have said that a wicked man's evil inclination prevails over

him even at his death. (8) R. Eliezer has said that just as he is stiffnecked in this

world so is he at the Day of Judgment, as it is said, 'The wicked shall see and be

angry.' (9) At the death of the righteous man three companies of ministering

angels come to him. The first company says, A righteous man has perished from

the earth.' The second company says, 'Let him in peace come and rest upon their

couches.' The third company says, 'He goeth the straight path.' (10) But at the

death of the wicked five angels of destruction come to him and say, 'The wicked

shall return to Sheol.'

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