Babylonian Talmud, Rosh
Hashanah 16a:
וְאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: מֶלֶךְ וְצִבּוּר — מֶלֶךְ נִכְנָס תְּחִלָּה לַדִּין,
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדּוֹ וּמִשְׁפַּט עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל״. מַאי
טַעְמָא? אִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: לָאו אוֹרַח אַרְעָא לְמֵיתַב מַלְכָּא אַבָּרַאי.
וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: מִקַּמֵּי דְּלִיפּוֹשׁ חֲרוֹן אַף.
§ About this verse Rav Ḥisda
said: When a king and a community are brought before God for
judgment, the king is brought in for judgment first, as it is stated: “To
make the judgment of His servant,” and afterward: “And the judgment of
His people Israel.” What is the reason for this? If you wish, say
that it is not proper conduct for the king to stand outside and wait for
the trial of his subjects to come to an end. And if you wish, say
instead that the king is brought in first so that he may be judged before
God’s anger intensifies due to the sins of the community, and
consequently he may be saved from overly harsh judgment.
Rosh Hashanah 16b-17a:
תַּנְיָא, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים: שָׁלֹשׁ כִּתּוֹת הֵן לְיוֹם הַדִּין:
אַחַת שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִין, וְאַחַת שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים גְּמוּרִין, וְאַחַת
שֶׁל בֵּינוֹנִיִּים. צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִין — נִכְתָּבִין וְנֶחְתָּמִין
לְאַלְתַּר לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם, רְשָׁעִים גְּמוּרִין — נִכְתָּבִין וְנֶחְתָּמִין
לְאַלְתַּר לְגֵיהִנָּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְרַבִּים מִיְּשֵׁנֵי אַדְמַת עָפָר
יָקִיצוּ אֵלֶּה לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם וְאֵלֶּה לַחֲרָפוֹת לְדִרְאוֹן עוֹלָם״,
בֵּינוֹנִיִּים — יוֹרְדִין לְגֵיהִנָּם,
It is taught in a baraita:
Beit Shammai say: There will be three groups of people on the
great Day of Judgment at the end of days: One of wholly righteous
people, one of wholly wicked people, and one of middling people.
Wholly righteous people will immediately be written and sealed for
eternal life. Wholly wicked people will immediately be written and
sealed for Gehenna, as it is stated: “And many of those who sleep in the dust
of the earth shall wake, some to eternal life and some to shame and everlasting
contempt” (Daniel 12:2). Middling people will descend to Gehenna
to be cleansed and to achieve atonement for their sins,
17a
וּמְצַפְצְפִין וְעוֹלִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶת הַשְּׁלִישִׁית
בָּאֵשׁ וּצְרַפְתִּים כִּצְרוֹף אֶת הַכֶּסֶף וּבְחַנְתִּים כִּבְחוֹן אֶת
הַזָּהָב הוּא יִקְרָא בִשְׁמִי וַאֲנִי אֶעֱנֶה אוֹתוֹ״, וַעֲלֵיהֶם אָמְרָה
חַנָּה: ״ה׳ מֵמִית וּמְחַיֶּה מוֹרִיד שְׁאוֹל וַיָּעַל״.
and they will cry out in
their pain and eventually ascend from there, as it is stated:
“And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as
silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on My
name, and I will answer them” (Zechariah 13:9). This is referring to the
members of the third group, who require refinement and cleansing. And about
them, Hannah said: “The Lord kills, and gives life; he brings down to the
grave, and brings up” (I Samuel 2:6).
בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים: ״וְרַב חֶסֶד״ — מַטֶּה כְּלַפֵּי חֶסֶד. וַעֲלֵיהֶם
אָמַר דָּוִד: ״אָהַבְתִּי כִּי יִשְׁמַע ה׳ אֶת קוֹלִי״, וַעֲלֵיהֶם אָמַר דָּוִד
כׇּל הַפָּרָשָׁה כּוּלָּהּ — ״דַּלּוֹתִי וְלִי יְהוֹשִׁיעַ״.
Beit Hillel say: He Who is
“and abundant in kindness” (Exodus 34:6) tilts the scales in
favor of kindness, so that middling people should not have to pass through
Gehenna. And about them, David said: “I love the Lord, Who hears my voice
and my supplications” (Psalms 116:1). And about them, David said the entire
passage: “I was brought low [daloti] and He saved me” (Psalms
116:6). Although they are poor [dalim] in mitzvot, God saves them.