Bava Batra 17A

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Text Excerpt

מעין העולם הבא, אלו הן: אברהם, יצחק ויעקב. אברהם ⁠– דכתיב ביה: ״בכל״. יצחק ⁠– דכתיב ביה: ״מכל״. יעקב ⁠– דכתיב ביה: ״כל״.

a taste of the World-to-Come. They are: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham, as it is written with regard to him: “And YHWH blessed Abraham with everything” (Genesis 24:1). Isaac, as it is written with regard to him: “And I have eaten from everything” (Genesis 27:33). Jacob, as it is written with regard to him: “Because I have everything” (Genesis 33:11). This teaches that already in their lifetimes they merited everything, i.e., perfection.

שלשה לא שלט בהן יצר הרע, אלו הן: אברהם, יצחק ויעקב; דכתיב בהו: ״בכל״, ״מכל״, ״כל״. ויש אומרים: אף דוד, דכתיב: ״ולבי חלל בקרבי״. ואידך ⁠– צעריה הוא דקא מדכר.

There were 3 people over whom the evil inclination had no sway. They are: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as it is written with regard to them, respectively: “With everything,” “from everything,” “everything.” The completeness of their blessings means that they did not have to contend with their evil inclinations. And some say that even David was not subject to his evil inclination, as it is written: “And my heart has died within me” (Psalms 109:22), meaning that the evil inclination in his heart was nullified as if his heart had died. And how does the other authority, who does not include David in his list, explain this verse? He is mentioning his travails. David means to say that his heart died within him owing to all the suffering that he endured, but he says nothing about his evil inclination.

תנו רבנן: ששה לא שלט בהן מלאך המות, ואלו הן: אברהם, יצחק ויעקב, משה, אהרן ומרים. אברהם, יצחק ויעקב ⁠– דכתיב בהו: ״בכל״, ״מכל״, ״כל״; משה, אהרן ומרים ⁠– דכתיב בהו: ״על פי ה׳״.

A baraita states: There were 6 people over whom the Angel of Death had no sway in their demise, and they are: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as it is written with regard to them, respectively: “With everything,” “from everything,” “everything”; since they were blessed with everything they were certainly spared the anguish of the Angel of Death. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, as it is written with regard to them that they died “by the mouth of YHWH” (Numbers 33:38; Deuteronomy 34:5), which indicates that they died with a kiss, and not at the hand of the Angel of Death.

Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.