Sanhedrin 99: Messianic Era, Barred from the World-to-Come, Timna, Torah Lishma

The rabbis begin with questions about the larger circumstances surrounding the coming of moshiach, the messiah.  Will the messianic era be 40 years?  Or will it be 7000 years, based on a proof text that teaches that the bridegroom rejoices over the bride for seven days - and each day to us is one thousand years to G-d?

We learn about some of the differences between prophesies about the messianic era and the World-to-Come.  First, prophesies about the World-to-Come are fraudulent, for we learn from texts that only G-d can see the World-to-Come: "No eye has seen it G-d, aside from You". 

The Gemara tells us who is excluded from experiencing the World-to-Come.  The basic proof text is Numbers (15:31), where it is written that "They despised the word of the Lord and has breached His commandments; his soul shall be excised ..." These people include:

• one who is not circumcized
• one who teaches parts of the Torah that are not in accordance with halacha
• one who humiliates another in public
• one who studies Torah but does not teach Torah
• one who could study Torah but does not do so
• one who worships idols
• one who speaks of G-d or Moses on Sinai with contempt
• one who treats a Torah scholar with contempt
• one who teaches their own interpretations of Torah rather than teaching halacha

Rabbi Akiva teaches us to "Sing every day, sing every day".  Review Torah like song so that we will remember what we have learned.

Proverbs teaches that a man who commits adultery is a man who lacks understanding.  Reish Lakish interprets this to be about learning Torah intermittently, which is like turning away from one's wife and toward another woman.  

Others are critiqued as well, including those who act high-handedly.  In this light, we are told the story of Timna, the daughter of Esau and sister of Lotan who becomes Eliphaz's concubine when the rabbis refuse to allow her to convert.  The rabbis teach that it was a mistake to disallow her conversion; that mistake led to her giving birth to Amalek,a great enemy of Israel.

The rabbis note that one who learns Torah for its own sake, Torah lishma, can be a righteous person.  Weren't all Sages doing this?