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Chapter 8. As for the answer to the seventh question — whether their reward and punishment are equal in degree — I say:
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Just as the reward for a thousand good deeds does not expire, so the reward for a single good deed does not expire. And just as the punishment for a thousand sins does not expire, so the punishment for a single sin does not expire.
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But though both reward and punishment are eternal — for one deed as well as for a thousand — the state of each person will be proportional to what they did.
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One who performed one good deed, or ten, or a hundred, or a thousand — his state in reward will be proportional to what he performed, except that it is eternal. Just as we observe in this world that people's
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level of comfort is the measure of their enjoyment — some merely have rest, others additionally eat and drink, others are sheltered and protected, others wear fine garments, and others attain illustrious ranks.
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So too in the World to Come: of some it is said concerning their happiness אַף בְּשָׂרִי יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח ["my flesh too dwells in safety"], and of others בְּצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ יֶחֱסָיוּן ["they take shelter in the shadow of Your wings"],
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and others יִרְוְיֻן מִדֶּשֶׁן בֵּיתֶךָ ["they are sated with the richness of Your house"], and others וְהַלְבֵּשׁ אֹתְךָ מַחֲלָצוֹת ["I will clothe you in fine garments"], and others וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ מַהְלְכִים בֵּין הָעֹמְדִים הָאֵלֶּה ["I will give you access among these standing ones"] — the last referring to the angels of whom it is said שְׂרָפִים עֹמְדִים מִמַּעַל לוֹ ["seraphim standing above Him"].
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Likewise one who committed one sin, or ten, or a hundred, or a thousand — his state in punishment will be proportional to what he did, except that it is eternal,
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just as we observe in this world that people's level of punishment varies: some are merely imprisoned, others are additionally dragged with ropes, others are chained, others are rolled, and others are beaten with what causes them pain.
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So too in the World to Come: of some it is said concerning their punishment: וְאֻסְּפוּ אֲסֵפָה אַסִּיר עַל בּוֹר וְסֻגְּרוּ עַל מַסְגֵּר ["They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit and shut in confinement"],
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and of others: עֲוֹנֹתָיו יִלְכְּדֻנּוּ אֶת הָרָשָׁע וּבְחַבְלֵי חַטָּאתוֹ יִתָּמֵךְ ["The wicked is trapped by his own iniquities, and held fast by the ropes of his sin"], and of others: וְאִם אֲסוּרִים בַּזִּקִּים יִלָּכְדוּן בְּחַבְלֵי עֹנִי ["If they are bound in chains, caught in the cords of affliction"],
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and of yet others: סַעַר מִתְגּוֹרֵר עַל רֹאשׁ רְשָׁעִים יָחוּל ["A whirling storm descends on the head of the wicked"].
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As for the eighth question — whether there are degrees among the righteous, and likewise among the wicked — the principle of its answer was included in what has just been said. But I wish to derive from the principle of gradation seven branches,
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and say: evidence that the righteous have varying degrees of reward comes first from what reason requires, then from what we find in Scripture — which mentions seven distinct graduated levels.
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First, some receive a light like the shining of the sun's rising — of them it says: וְזָרְחָה לָכֶם יִרְאֵי שְׁמִי שֶׁמֶשׁ צְדָקָה ["the sun of righteousness will rise for you who fear My Name"]; and some additionally have pleasure in its rays — of them it says: וּמַרְפֵּא בִכְנָפֶיהָ ["with healing in its wings"].
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Others have the light established within them like something planted, as it says: אוֹר זָרוּעַ לַצַּדִּיק ["light is sown for the righteous"]; and others have their light increasing, as it says: אוֹר צַדִּיקִים יִשְׂמָח ["the light of the righteous rejoices"].
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Others have light like the clarity of the celestial sphere, as it says of them: וְהַמַּשְׂכִּלִים יַזְהִרוּ כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ ["The wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens"].
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Others have light like the light of the stars (other than the sun), as it says: וּמַצְדִּיקֵי הָרַבִּים כַּכּוֹכָבִים לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד ["Those who lead the many to righteousness will be like the stars for ever and ever"].
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And others have light like the light of the sun's orb itself, as it says: וְאֹהֲבָיו כְּצֵאת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּגְבֻרָתוֹ ["may those who love Him be like the sun rising in full strength"].
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As we know from the face of Moses our Teacher (peace be upon him), which was filled with light, versus the face of Joshua which was less than his — as it says: וְנָתַתָּה מֵהוֹדְךָ עָלָיו ["Give him some of your majesty upon him"] — not אֶת הוֹדְךָ ["your majesty"] and not כָּל הוֹדְךָ ["all your majesty"].
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And the face of the seventy elders was less than both of theirs — for it says: וַיָּאצֶל מִן הָרוּחַ אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו וַיִּתֵּן עַל שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ הַזְּקֵנִים ["He took from the spirit that was on him and placed it on the seventy elders"]; and since the reason for the instruction was לְמַעַן יִשְׁמְעוּ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל ["so that all the assembly of Israel might hear"], the seventy elders were counted among the general people.
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Evidence that the punished likewise have varying degrees is that we find in Scripture seven stations in the scorching of fire for them:
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Some are scorched in the face by fire and redden — of them it says: פְּנֵי לֶהָבָה פְּנֵיהֶם ["their faces are flame-faces"].
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Others have their face blackened like the bottom of a pot — of them it says: כָּל פָּנִים קִבְּצוּ פָּארוּר ["all faces gather paleness/soot"].
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Others are affected by fire the way something is roasted and cooked through — of them it says: כִּי הִנֵּה הַיּוֹם בָּא בֹּעֵר כַּתַּנּוּר ["For behold the day comes burning like a furnace"].
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Others are affected the way fire completely consumes — of them it says: תֹּאכְלֵהוּ אֵשׁ לֹא נֻפָּח ["fire not blown by man will consume him"].
Others are affected the way fire consumes wood — of them it says: מְדֻרָתָהּ
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אֵשׁ וְעֵצִים הַרְבֵּה ["fire and much wood"]. Others are affected the way fire consumes earth and stone — of them it says: תֹּאכַל אֶרֶץ וִיבֻלָהּ וּתְלַהֵט מוֹסְדֵי הָרִים ["consuming the earth and its produce and setting the mountains' foundations ablaze"].
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And others are affected the way fire consumes down to the depth of the earth, and as lightning strikes — of them it says: כִּי אֵשׁ הִיא עַד אֲבַדּוֹן תֹּאכֵל ["For it is a fire that devours all the way to Abaddon"],
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just as we know that the plagues of Egypt were general, yet each transgressor received from them in proportion to what he deserved — as it says: יְפַלֵּס נָתִיב לְאַפּוֹ ["He leveled a path for His anger"],
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and the interpretation of יְפַלֵּס is: He weighed that out precisely — as it says: פֶּלֶס וּמֹאזְנֵי מִשְׁפָּט לַה' ["A just balance and scales belong to the Lord"].