13:3 A. The House of Shammai says, “There are three groups, one for
eternal life, one for shame and
everlasting contempt (Dan. 12:2)—these are those who are completely evil.
B. “An
intermediate group go down Gehenna and scream and come up again and are healed,
C. “as it is said, I will bring the third part through fire and
will refine them as silver is refined and will test them as gold is tested, and
they shall call on my name and I will be their God (Zech. 13:9).
D. “And concerning them did
Hannah say, The Lord kills and brings to
life, brings down to Sheol and brings up (1 Sam. 2:6).”
E. And the House of Hillel say, “Great in mercy (Ex. 34:6)—He inclines
the decision toward mercy,
F. “and concerning them David
said, I am happy that the Lord has heard
the sound of my prayer (Ps. 116:1),
G. “and concerning them is said
the entire passage.” (Tosefta, Sanhedrin 13:3, in The Tosefta: Translated from the Hebrew with
a New Introduction, 2 vols. [trans.
Jacob Neusner; Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 2002], 2:1188-89)
