English translation — עמוד 132

And with this the Alter Rebbe answers

That which in every generation there are "many and many liable to kares and capital punishments and they prolonged their days and years in pleasantness"

— because during the time of exile the influence from the Shechinah is clothed in the ten sefiros of "nogah".

And therefore

can also one liable to kares and death by the hand of heaven prolong his days

(and even "in pleasantness")

more than 50 or 60 years

(although by him is "cut off and severed

(became the)

cord of connection from the name Havayah blessed be He")

— because then he receives vitality from the palaces of the other side may He spare us.

And then,

in the time of exile,

can one also from that live.

5.

Based on this it is understandable simply why it is not brought in Shulchan Aruch that when one reaches the age of sixty years one should need to make a "yoma tava",

because

is even more]

also when one reaches the age of sixty years,

there is entirely no proof

(by many people)

that "he emerged from kares of years" even — because during the time of exile can indeed prolong days more than sixty years also even one whose "cord of connection" is already may He spare us cut off and severed.

And based on this it is understandable what R. Yosef said with a simple certainty "They come out from me [as one liable for] kares" — although during the time of exile also one liable for kares, may G-d spare us,

can live longer than sixty years

(from the aspect of his receiving vitality from the palaces of impurity)

— because by Rav Yosef it was seen openly,

before [his] fleshly eyes,

that his physical life "is not a life of flesh*<sup>36</sup>

but a spiritual life"<sup>37</sup>

— "The fear<sup>38</sup>

of the Lord is life."

But nevertheless,

before he reached sixty years,

he was concerned that by him perhaps there was indeed a matter of the prohibition of kares — because also one liable for kares can receive vitality from holiness until fifty or sixty years,

for until then there still remains by him a "residue" from his divine soul,

as brought earlier

(section 4)

from Iggeret HaTeshuvah.

Nevertheless, he said to Abaye, "Take for yourself at least half in your hand,"

because from the aspect of the greatness of humility he was not yet completely certain of this,

for after all, it is "Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death."

But on the other hand,

seeing that from "karet of the second [day]" he was already certainly freed

(as above section 6),

it strengthened him with confidence that with him there would already be no "karet of the day" either.

And therefore he then made a "good day."

And this is also the explanation of what Rav Yosef said, "Take for yourself at least half in your hand"

(and not "one"),

that the term "half" indicates

(as above end of section 2)

that his being freed from "karet of the second [day]" is

(not merely one matter in itself,

but also)

a half of being freed from karet in general

(including also from "karet of the day")

— because his being freed from "karet of the second [day]",

that strengthened in him the confidence

(at least),

that with him there would already be no "karet of the day" either, God forbid.