1)

(a)Seeing as the Nochrim do not even keep their own seven Mitzvos, it is obvious that they will not ask for another six hundred plus. Their complaint against Hash-m will therefore be that - Yisrael do not observe all their Mitzvos either.

(b)They will reject the testimony of ...

1. ... Hash-m that Yisrael kept all the Mitzvos on the grounds that - He is their Father, and the Torah disqualifies a father from testifying for (or even against) his own son.

2. ... Heaven and earth that they did, on the grounds that - they are prejudiced, since their own existence is linked to Yisrael's righteousness (as we will now see).

(c)Resh Lakish extrapolates from ...

1. ... the word "ha'Shishi" (in the Pasuk in Bereishis "Vayehi Erev ... Yom ha'Shishi") that - at the time of the creation, Hash-m made a condition with the world that it would only be finally established on the sixth of Sivan, if Yisrael would accept the Torah; otherwise, He would revert it to null and void, as it was before it was created.

2. ... the Pasuk in Tehilim "mi'Shamayim Hishma'ta Din, Eretz Yar'ah ve'Shakatah" that - at first, the world was apprehensive, and that it only calmed down after Yisrael declared 'Na'aseh ve'Nishna'.

(d)Hash-m will reply - that in that case, He would bring witnesses from among the Nochrim themselves who would attest to Yisrael's righteousness.

2)

(a)Nimrod will testify that Avraham did not worship idols and Lavan, that Ya'akov did not steal ...

1. ... Potifera's wife that - Yosef did not commit adultery ...

2. ... Nevuchadnetzar, that - Chananyah, Mishael and Azaryah did not worship idols ...

3. ... and Daryavesh that - Daniel did not negate Tefilah.

(b)The last set of three men that Hash-m will bring to testify will be Beldad ha'Shuchi, Tzofer ha'Na'amasi and Elifaz ha'Teimani (friends of Iyov) - the ones referred to in the Pasuk in Yeshayah that we cited above "Yitnu Eideihen Ve'yitzdaku", who will testify - as to Yisrael's loyalty to Hash-m.

(c)It would not be correct to add 'Elihu ben Berechel ha'Buzi' (another friend of Iyov) to this group - because he was a Jew.

3)

(a)The Nochrim will then ask Hash-m - to give them another chance.

(b)Hash-m's initial response will be - to cite the Ma'amar Chazal 'Mi she'Tarach be'Erev Shabbos, Yochal be'Shabbos'. How can someone who did not prepare here in this world, expect to receive reward in the World to Come?

(c)In spite of that, Hash-m will accede to their request and give them the Mitzvah of Succah, which He will describe as - an easy Mitzvah.

(d)We query Hash-m's benevolent act from Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who Darshened from the word "ha'Yom" (in the Pasuk in Va'eschanan " ... asher Anochi Metzaveh eschem ha'Yom") - 1. 'ha'Yom La'asosam, ve'Lo le'Machar La'asosam (the time to perform Mitzvos is today before Mashi'ach comes [afterwards will be too late]; 2. ha'Yom La'asosam, ve'Lo ha'Yom Litol S'charam' (now is the time to perform the Mitzvos, the reward comes only later.

(e)He will nevertheless grant them a second chance, based on the principle - 'she'Ein Hakadosh-Barush-Hu Ba bi'T'runya al B'riyosav' (Hash-m does not act despotically with His Creations).

4)

(a)The Nochrim will accept Hash-m's offer and build a Succah on their rooftops - which is the most convenient spot to build Succos for people with flat roofs.

(b)Hash-m will test the Nochrim - by causing a midsummer sun to begin beating down on them (despite the fact that this will occur in Tishri).

(c)Testing them in this way will not be considered behaving 'despotically' - because, seeing as it sometimes happens to us that the summer season extends into Succos, it falls within the realm of a natural phenomenon.

(d)The Nochrim will react to the test - by exiting their Succos angrily, giving them a kick on their way out.

5)

(a)A Yisrael is Patur from Succah under the above circumstances.

(b)Consequently, it is (not the exiting itself that will be faulty but rather) - the way in which they will exit. To give it a kick demonstrates the attitude that Hash-m (Kevayachol) is rejecting their favors.

(c)A Yisrael on the other hand, would leave dejectedly (as the Mishnah explains in Succah), because he feels that it is not he who does Hash-m a favor, but Hash-m who grants him the privilege of serving Him, a privilege of which he has currently been deemed unworthy.

(d)Hash-m will react to the Nochrim's behavior - by laughing, as the Pasuk writes in Tehilim "He dwells in the Heaven and laughs".

(e)Rebbi Yitzchak comments that - this will be the only occasion on which Hash-m will ever have laughed in this world.

6)

(a)In the second Lashon, Rebbi Yitzchak's comment refers to a statement of Rebbi Yossi, who says in a Beraisa that in the days of Mashi'ach, Ovdei Kochavim will convert. Another Beraisa states that - they will not accept converts in the days of Mashi'ach, just as they did not accept them in the days of David and Shlomoh ...

(b)... because it is only when Yisrael are impoverished that one accepts the Geirim who come to convert (because it is only then that the Geirim are sincere), but not when they are thriving.

(c)We reconcile Rebbi Yossi with the second Beraisa - by establishing the Geirim there as 'Geirim Gerurim', converts who will convert of their own volition, who will attach Tzitzis to their clothes, wear Tefilin and fix Mezuzos to their doorposts.

(d)The Pasuk "Lamah Ragshu Goyim, u'Le'umim Yehegu Rik" refers to Gog and Magog coming to attack Hash-m and His Mashi'ach (and K'lal Yisrael), and the next Pasuk "Nenatkah es Mosroseimo ve'Nashlich mimenu Avoseimo" - to the Geirim Gerurim, who, the moment they discover Gog and Magog's intentions, will promptly take off their Tzitzis and Tefilin and the Mezuzos from their doorposts, and forget about their 'conversions'.

7)

(a)The Pasuk there describing Hash-m's reaction - writes "Yoshev ba'Shamayim Yischak", which according to Rebbi Yitzchak (in the second Lashon) - will be the only time that Hash-m will ever have laughed in this world.

(b)The Beraisa describes Hash-m's daily schedule. During ...

1. ... the first three hours of the day, He studies Torah, during the second - He judges the world.

2. ... the third three hours He feeds all the creatures in the world from the largest beast down to the eggs of lice, and during the last three - He laughs with the Livyasan (as the Pasuk writes in Borchi Nafshi "Livyasan Zeh Yatzarta Lesachek bo").

8)

(a)In the second time-period, when Hash-m sees that the world cannot exist on Midas ha'Din - He moves from the Throne of Din to the Throne of Rachamim).

(b)Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak reconciles Rebbi Yossi with this Beraisa, from which we see that Hash-m does laugh in this world - by simply differentiating between 'laughing at' (the first Beraisa [which Hash-m only did on that one occasion]) and 'laughing with' (the second Beraisa [which He does every day]).

(c)He could not however, have answered that Rebbi Yossi, who is a Tana, argues with this Beraisa - because the author of the second Beraisa can only be Rebbi Yossi, who holds in Rosh Hashanah that people are judged every day (and not just once a year like the Chachamim, according to whom this Beraisa cannot go).

9)

(a)Rav Acha told Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak that, from the day of the Churban Beis Hamikdash and onwards - Hash-m does not laugh (even with the Livyasan).

(b)We reject the source for this as being the Pasuk ...

1. ... in Yeshayah "Vayikra Hash-m Elokim Tzevakos ba'Yom ha'Hu le'Bechi u'le'Misped" - because this Pasuk refers to the day of the Churban only, and no more.

2. ... in Tehilim "Im Eshkachech Yerushalayim, Tishkach Yemini ... " - because that Pasuk only speaks about never forgetting the day of the Churban, but not about not laughing (see Tosfos' explanation of the Pasuk DH 'Im').

(c)We finally cite Rav Acha's source for his statement as the Pasuk "Hecheshesi me'Olam, Acharish Es'apak' (describing Hash-m's silence following the Churban). And what He does during the fourth period of the day is - to study Torah with the children who died young.

(d)Before the Churban, it is possible that Hash-m did both occupations. Otherwise - the Angel Matatron studied with them.

10)

(a)At nighttime, Hash-m may well follow the same timetable as He does by day. Alternatively, based on the Pasuk in Tehilim ...

1. ... "Rechev Elokim Ribosayim Alfei Shin'an" - which means that the Chariot of Hash-m is twenty thousand minus two (thousand ['Al Tikri "Sha'anan", Ela "she'Einan"]), He might fly through the eighteen thousand worlds on one of His swift cherubs.

2. ... "Yomam Yetzaveh Hash-m Chasdo, u'va'Laylah Shiroh Imi" - He might sit and listen to the Songs of Praise sung by the Chayos ha'Kodesh.

(b)Rebbi Levi says that someone who stops learning Divrei Torah in order to talk idle chatter - will eventually be fed burning coals.

(c)Based on the Pasuk that we just quoted "Yomam Yetzaveh Hash-m Chasdo, u'va'Laylah Shiroh Imi", Resh Lakish says that - David Hamelech, who sang Hash-m's praises and studied Torah by night - merited a special Divine 'thread of kindness' (to find favor in the eyes of everyone) by day (see also Agados Maharsha).

(d)In the second Lashon, he explains - that anyone who learns Torah in this world (which is compared to night), will merit that 'thread of kindness' in Olam ha'Ba (which is compared to day).

11)

(a)Rav Yehudah Amar Rav learns an analogy from the Pasuk "Va'ta'aseh Adam ki'Degei ha'Yam" - comparing Yisrael to fish.

(b)The first comparison is that - a Yisrael who relinquishes Torah and Mitzvos, just like a fish that leaves water, cannot survive.

12)

(a)The second comparison is based on the fact that when fish are exposed to the sun they die. Likewise - when a person is exposed to the sun's heat, he dies, either in this world, or in the World to Come.

(b)The former is based on a statement by Rebbi Chanina, who said that - the only two things that are not in the Hands of Hash-m are colds and overheating.

(c)The latter, is based on a statement by Resh Lakish, who said that - in the time of Mashi'ach, there will be no Gehinom per se; only Hash-m will take the sun out of its bag and the Resha'im will be punished by means of its excessive heat.

(d)And he learns from the Pasuk in Mal'achi ...

1. ... "Ve'zarchah Lachem Yir'ei Hash-m Shemesh Tzedakah u'Marpei bi'Chenafehah" that - the very same sun that will punish the Resha'im, will cure the Tzadikim of all their ailments.

2. ... "Vi'yetzasem u'Pishtem be'Eglei Marbeik" that - in addition, they will actually derive pleasure from the sun.