When good and saintly people perform minor transgressions, these are punished not in the World to Come, but in this world.
It came about that a righteous man and wicked man died at the same time on the same day in the same city. All the congregation went to attend to the requirements of the wicked man and engage in burying him, and no one came to the righteous man.
Now his son-in-law was there and wept bitterly that no man came to bury his father-in-law. Then he fell fast asleep and Eliyahu haNovi (Elijah the Prophet), whom it is good to mention, came and said to him, “why are you crying?” “Because,” answered he, “all the congregation went to honour the wicked man, and no one at all paid any attention to my father-in-law who was such a perfect saint engaged in the study of Torah (Scriptures) day and night.” “Come with me,” said Eliyahu haNovi. So he went with him to Gehenna where Elijah showed him a certain soul crying, “water, water!” The water was next to him, yet he could not enjoy it. Eliyahu haNovi , whom it is good to remember, said, “this is the soul of the wicked man who was shown so much honour in this world.”
After that, he led him to the Garden of Eden where he saw the ministering angels preparing the throne of his righteous father-in-law, and saying, “let us show lovingkindness and grace to the righteous man who is about to come.”
Then the young man asked him, “how was it that so much honour was shown to the wicked man? And why did my righteous and worthy father-in-law have to be punished in that the congregation did not show him the last true kindness?”
Eliyahu haNovi explained, “the wicked fellow only performed one good deed in his whole life. He used to be a tax collector and collected taxes from all the people. On one occasion he took radishes in place of taxes. One radish fell, and a poor man was walking along behind him picked it up. He saw it but pretended not to of seen it, and knew of it and remained silent, while poor man sustained himself with the radish and restored his soul. That is why he enjoyed all that honour, in order that he might afterwards be sent straight to Gehenna, since he received his reward in this world. But your father-in-law was a perfect saint. In all his life he only sinned once. That was when a student of the wise visited him, and afterwards his wife spoke of him rudely and he said nothing. That is why he was punished and the Holy One, blessed be He made him pay in this world for the minor sin he did here, in order that he might be whole and entire in the world to come.”
Then Eliyahu haNovi went his way. The young man woke up from his sleep and saw all the congregation in his home. For after all they had shown last kindness to his father-in-law (when they were done with the other) and had gone to bury him in full honour.
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)
