Reply To: Question of the day: higher gan Eden for reshaim

Avira you also seem to be forgetting that every Yid is filled with mitzvos as a pomegranate is filled with seeds (that’s Gemara, not Chassidus) so of course he belongs in gan Eden after he’s been cleansed.

This doesn’t mean that all poshim rise above Tzaddikim- that was my takeaway that it could be possible. For example yeravam was offered by Hashem to do teshuva, and if so, he would rise above everyone but Dovid HaMelech. He declined when he heard Dovid would be first. Interestingly, Dovid himself experienced much suffering/ teshuva which is maybe why he would still come out on top.

And I know we’re not discussing teshuva but rather gehennom. Point being that Yeravam also wasted time on aveiros and was machati es harabbim, yet- if he would have done teshuva he would’ve ended up at the top.

This is the power is teshuva- it derives from above Seder Hishtalshelus. Similarly, a nisayon brings out the etzem hanefesh when overcome properly. So it seems here that gehennom can have a similar sobering/ maturing effect.

Also worth mentioning that in gan Eden- the malochim/ people are called omdim- they rise only one level at a time. It’s possible that the dark suffering of gehennom can elevate a person higher than sitting in gan Eden for the same amount of time would