209 —עולם הבא, תחיית המתים, וזמן הלכתי באזורים קוטביים

B"H, the seventh day of the month of Shevat, 5706.

Havavac"h iy"a chov"b etc. Hatamim Haraha"g HarA Sha'y

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your letter: a) Regarding Olam Haba (the World to Come) and whether there is eating and drinking there. Concerning the promises and assurances in Tanach and the words of our Sages, there are three eras: the days of Moshiach; Gan Eden; and the world after Techiyas HaMeisim (the resurrection)—both Gan Eden and the world of resurrection are called Olam Haba, which has led to several errors. 1) The days of Moshiach: there are two opinions in the Talmud (Berachos 34b) about how things will be then—whether it will be completely miraculous or whether the only difference from our current world will be freedom from subjugation to other nations. For a ruling on this see Kesef Mishneh and Lechem Mishneh on Hilchos Teshuvah ch. 8:7, also see Zohar I 139a and Zohar III 125a. Although many details about the era of Moshiach are not explicitly stated in Torah (as Rambam writes in Hilchos Melachim ch. 12:2), it is clear that according to both opinions there will be eating and drinking in the days of Moshiach—this is necessary according to many verses and statements of our Sages, as explained by Rambam (ibid.), see also Iggeres HaKodesh by Rabbeinu HaZaken sec. 26. 2) Gan Eden is a dwelling place for souls without bodies (Rambam Hilchos Teshuvah ch. 8; see commentaries there; Torah Ohr Parshas Yisro "Avos heim haMerkavah," etc.). Obviously there is no place for eating or drinking there since that only applies to bodies. 3) The world of resurrection will have souls specifically within bodies (see sources cited in "Teshuvos U'Biurim" in Kuntres Lubavitch vol. 6). Our Sages said (Berachos 17a): "Olam Haba has no eating or drinking," etc.—Rambam's opinion (Hilchos Teshuvah ibid.) is that this statement refers to a world without bodies, but at the time of resurrection there will be eating and drinking (see Lechem Mishneh ibid.; also stated explicitly in Rambam's Iggeres Techiyas HaMeisim). However, Rambam maintains that the ultimate reward is in a world without bodies because it is impossible for a soul to receive such great reward while clothed in a body; therefore he holds that even those resurrected will eventually die again and enter Olam Haba where true reward for service in this world is given (Iggeres Techiyas HaMeisim; see also his commentary on Sanhedrin ch. Chelek). Many great Jewish sages disagreed with him on these points—foremost among them Ramban—bringing clear proofs that Techiyas HaMeisim is the ultimate purpose...and this is true according to Kabbalah (Derech Mitzvosecha mitzvas Tzitzis; see Likkutei Torah commentary on "Shuvah Yisrael"). Therefore it must be that when our Sages say "Olam Haba has no eating or drinking," referring to ultimate reward, they mean the world of resurrection.

b) At Techiyas HaMeisim: Will people rise with complete bodies or will those who had blemishes rise with their blemishes and then be healed? Our Sages said (Sanhedrin 91b): "They stand up with their blemishes [and then] are healed." See more at length in Bereishis Rabbah ch. 95: "Just as a person goes [to his grave], so he comes [back]; if he went blind he returns blind... just as he goes clothed so he returns clothed... afterward I heal them." In Zohar I (223b) it appears this healing comes through "the sun that heals," as our Sages say (Nedarim 8b). See further discussion on this soon to appear in Kuntres Habaa L'karov.

c) At Techiyas HaMeisim regarding souls who have undergone multiple reincarnations—which body rises at resurrection? There are many details here; generally: when a soul (meaning all levels—Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah—or any one of them; not just what is called Neshamah alone) comes into gilgul it is usually to rectify what was not yet corrected during its first descent into a body. Since all Jews are filled with mitzvos like a pomegranate, each descent/gilgul rectifies certain aspects of the soul. At Techiyas HaMeisim each body rises together with those parts of the soul it rectified. Shaar HaGilgulim introduction 4 states: If a body did not merit to fully rectify its nefesh before dying, then at resurrection that body receives only those specific parts it rectified during life; when that nefesh later reincarnates into another body for further rectification... those parts rectified by that second body belong to it at resurrection. And do not wonder if this means some bodies will have only certain aspects of a soul rather than an entire soul—for know that every aspect contains all aspects within itself; each aspect forms a complete structure even though as part of a greater whole it may seem only one aspect—just as all souls together form Adam's single soul—as our Sages said (Bereishis Rabbah ch. 8): while Adam lay unformed G-d showed him every righteous person destined to descend from him—some attached to his head etc.; see Tanya chs. 2 & 37 among other places.

d) In places where day or night lasts longer than twenty-four hours—and note Zohar III p.10a: "There are places where it is always day except for one brief hour at night..."—how should Shabbos be observed? Should we count by hours or by days as elsewhere or by sunrise/sunset? I do not understand your question—how can one keep Shabbos based on sunrise if sunrise may occur only after many days or even months? Similarly what does it mean to keep days as elsewhere—which place? For Zohar says: when it's light here it's dark there; here it's day while there it's night. Clearly in such places one must count hours—that is, twenty-four hours per day—and Shabbos begins simultaneously everywhere sharing the same longitude/meridian. I believe Sefer HaBris discusses this but I don't have access now.

However what requires further investigation is: a) For matters dependent on day or night—such as prayer times—in which locations should we begin following clock hours rather than seasonal/variable hours? For example: where daytime lasts only one hour it seems unreasonable that Asarah B'Teves fast would last just one hour etc.; b) At either pole there's no meaningful longitude/meridian—how should people conduct themselves there? This needs further study but space does not allow more now.

Summary

This letter explores deep questions about Olam Haba and Techiyas HaMeisim—including bodily resurrection, reincarnation outcomes, and practical halachic guidance for observing mitzvos like Shabbos in regions with unusual daylight cycles.