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I should append to this the following: the specification of what reward each commandment, law, and personal effort earns, and likewise the specification of what punishment the abandonment of each law, commandment, and effort incurs —
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has not been specified in this world, for reasons of wisdom. First: the source by which reward and punishment come about has not been observed by us — we only apprehended it by approximation and analogy. How then could we grasp its detailed branches, which are more obscure and subtle?
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Second: so that the discourse would not become lengthy, the speech extended, and the general public burdened.
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Third: so we would not favor some commandments over others were we told precisely what reward each one earns.
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Fourth: the greatest occupation of our hearts is with the near matter — namely the matter of the Redemption. That is why Scripture expanded on it and expounded it,
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yet we hope that the classification of reward for each commandment and the detailed enumeration of punishments for each transgression will be explained to us in the time of the Redemption —
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when this community will have been purified, the hearts cleared to seek wisdom, and the humors refined to receive understanding — since they will be close to, indeed already prepared for, the departure to the World to Come.
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And that is why I say Scripture declares that prophecy will be universal at that time: וְהָיָה אַחֲרֵי כֵן אֶשְׁפּוֹךְ אֶת רוּחִי עַל כָּל בָּשָׂר וְנִבְּאוּ בְּנֵיכֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיכֶם ["And afterward I will pour out My spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters will prophesy"],
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and they will prophesy concerning what is imminent at that time — and what is imminent at that time is nothing other than the reward and punishment of the World to Come.
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And once He informs them of this, He will give them signs and proofs of it — as it says: וְנָתַתִּי מוֹפְתִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ דָּם וָאֵשׁ וְתִימְרוֹת עָשָׁן ["And I will give portents in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke"].
Then He followed it by noting that these things will occur before the Day of Resurrection — as
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it says: הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יֵהָפֵךְ לְחֹשֶׁךְ וְהַיָּרֵחַ לְדָם לִפְנֵי בּוֹא יוֹם ה' הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא ["The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome Day of the Lord comes"].
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One who reasons within himself will be among "the wise"; one who reforms people toward obedience to their Lord and teaches them what leads them to it will be among "those who lead the many to righteousness" —
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and this is the reason that impels every scholar to take care in enlightening people and guiding them.
Here ends the Ninth Maamar of the Book of Beliefs and Opinions.