סימן נ"א-אמר רבי עקיבא

Said on the first night of Shavuos [5]563. And it was repeated afterwards before Rabbi Nosson — of blessed memory — while he sat and was writing it in the book with ink. And these words — "for before the creation" — were said with great deliberateness — and with precision of each and every word — in a manner that is impossible to convey in writing.

There — at the end of the discourse — "and since it will be all one — how is differentiation possible [in the receiving of reward in the World to Come] between one and his companion according to his level?" But there is in this a secret that it is impossible to understand. The author writes: Through this it is well understood and elaborated — the explanation of the verse: "say to the righteous — for he is good — for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds" [Isaiah 3]. "Woe to the wicked — it is evil — for the recompense of his hands shall be done to him." At first glance this is not understood — for it opens in the singular: "the righteous — for he is good" — and concludes in the plural: "for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds." [And see the end of tractate Sukkah — where the Sages alluded that it is in the manner of: "good for the righteous — good for his neighbor" — see there.] But according to the above it is understood: for the essential hope of the righteous and the receiving of their reward is in the World to Come — when it will be in the aspect of entirely good — entirely one. And therefore it is said regarding this: "the eye has not seen." And therefore it opens in the singular — for then it will be entirely one. And all the righteous are then designated by the name of one Tzaddik. And likewise the receiving of their reward — which is the aspect of: "say to the righteous — for he is good" — for then it will be entirely one — entirely good. But nonetheless regarding the attainment of the oneness and goodness of the World to Come — they will not all be equal — rather each one according to his level. This being the aspect of: "for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds" — in the plural. For even though it is impossible to say of the reward of the righteous — each one — in the singular — since it will then be entirely one — entirely good. This being the aspect of: "say to the righteous — for he is good" as above. Nonetheless: "for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds" — for there will be many righteous — and each and every Tzaddik will then receive the light of oneness and his goodness according to the fruit of his deeds and according to the service he served Hashem in this world. And in truth it is impossible to understand this — for there is a secret in it as above. For this is the aspect of: "how great is Your goodness which You have treasured away for those who fear You" [Psalms 31]. And likewise regarding the punishment of the wicked — G-d spare us — it says: "woe to the wicked — it is evil" — for since they are drawn in this world after impurity, falsehood, and evil — therefore in the World to Come — when it will be entirely good and the evil will be nullified — then of the enemies too it is said: "for behold Your enemies, Haveye'ah" — "behold Your enemies shall perish" [Psalms 1]. It is said: "and the path of the wicked shall perish" — and: "when the wicked perish there is joy."

Or one can say the meaning of: "for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds" — for this will be the essential receiving of their reward — that even in this world — which is the aspect of many reckonings [cheshbonos rabbim] — the aspect of the distance from the One — where opposition and evil and impurity and falsehood rule — the righteous merited in this world to subdue their inclination — to break and nullify the evil and impurity — and merited to draw the Providence of Hashem — until through this what is after the creation — which is the aspect of the many — is included in what is before the creation — which is the aspect of entirely one — entirely good — entirely holy. Through this specifically — in the World to Come — each Tzaddik will merit to receive his reward and to attain the light of oneness and goodness — each Tzaddik according to his level as above. It follows that the receiving of the reward of the righteous — and the differentiation of levels that will be between them even then — is specifically through the aspect of the multiplicity and opposition that exists in this world. This being the aspect of: "what You have done for those who take refuge in You — opposite the children of man [neged bnei adam]" [Psalms 31] — "opposite" specifically — as is elaborated elsewhere. And see Zohar, portion Balak, p. 196: "'who walked in darkness' — 'who walked' should have been written — Rabbi Elazar [said]: because they dwelt together and then were immediately separated" — and so on. And see there in Mikdash Melech: for in holiness — at first the female was joined to the male back to back — and afterwards she was sawn apart — and then she reunited with him face to face. And the kelipah — when it was sawn apart and separated — then the day of Shabbas came — and it remained in separation — and could no longer unite face to face. And this is what is written: "they dwelt in union and concluded in separation." See there in the name of the Holy Ari. And through this one can also explain the above verse — for at first they are in union — and afterwards they are sawn apart — and then reunite face to face — in order to produce fruits — which is the aspect of: "for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds." But: "another god is infertile and bears no fruit" — this being the aspect of what the Sages expounded in Kiddushin, p. 40: on this very verse — "the merits have a principal and fruits" — as it is said: "for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds" — "transgression has no fruits." Meaning: as above.

And for our matter: for the wicked are drawn after the multiplicity and separation — the aspect of the distance from the One. Therefore in the World to Come — when it will be entirely one — then: "the path of the wicked shall perish" as above. But the righteous — on the contrary — specifically through the separation and opposition and distance from the One in this world — they merit in this world to break all of this — and to include what is after the creation in what is before the creation. Which is the aspect of: the reunion face to face — which is made specifically through the sawing apart as above. And through this specifically they merit to produce fruits in this world and in the World to Come — in the aspect of: "for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds" as above. And see in Likutay Halachos, Laws of Ribbis [Interest] [Hilchos Ribbis], Halacha 5 — where extensive and wondrous matters are elaborated on the above discourse.