Continuing its discussion of the World to Come, the Talmud on today’s daf offers an interpretation of Isaiah 64:3, which describes the wondrous acts God has performed: “Such things had never been heard or noted. No eye has seen them, O God, but You, Who act for those who trust in You.”

What are these wonders about which Isaiah and the other prophets were prophesying? Rabbi Yohanan offers three possibilities. Here’s the first:

All the prophets prophesied only about the messianic era, but with regard to the World to Come (the reward is not quantifiable, as it states): “No eye has seen them, O God, but You, Who act for those who trust in You.” (Isaiah 64:3) 

According to Rabbi Yohanan, the promises of the prophets applied only to the worldly redemption of the Jewish people from persecution during messianic times. They could never describe the World to Come because, citing Isaiah, no human eye had ever seen such a thing. 

Rabbi Yohanan’s second teaching contrasts the reward for those who repent with the reward for those who are steadfastly righteous:

All of the prophets prophesied only with regard to penitents, but with regard to the steadfastly righteous, it is stated: “No eye has seen them, O God, but You.” 

Here, Rabbi Yohanan suggests that the promises of the prophets referred only to rewards for repentance, but the rewards from God for those who remain steadfastly righteous are so great that even the prophets could not describe them. The Talmud then records an opposing view claiming that in fact penitents are more rewarded than those who never sinned, citing this famous teaching: 

Rabbi Abbahu says that Rav says: In the place where penitents stand, even the completely righteous do not stand, as it is stated: “Peace, peace upon him who is far and him who is near.” (Isaiah 57:19)

Rabbi Yohanan’s third teaching contrasts the rewards for those who support Torah scholars with the rewards for the Torah scholars themselves:

All of the prophets prophesied only with regard to one who marries his daughter to a Torah scholar, and to one who conducts business on behalf of a Torah scholar, and to one who benefits a Torah scholar from his property. But Torah scholars themselves, as it is stated: “No eye has seen it, O God, but You.”

As noble as supporters of Torah scholars are, their promised reward from God pales in comparison with the indescribable reward given to those who do the actual heavy lifting of Torah study.

In its original context, the verse from Isaiah recalls the indescribable acts of redemption that God performed for the people in the past. Rabbi Yohanan interprets the verse as describing the rewards that will come in the future — in the World to Come, for remaining steadfastly righteous, and for pursuing Torah study. Why does he connect these three things? Surely, he must be attempting to inspire people to remain faithful to the idea of ultimate redemption, to behave righteously and to learn Torah. I imagine him teaching his students who are despairing of God’s promises for remaining faithful to Judaism in dark times, as if to say: “Don’t lose hope. Your rewards for these things are going to be so amazing that even the prophets of old couldn’t describe them.”

I would also suggest that Rabbi Yohanan is contrasting faith in the World to Come with righteous behavior and Torah study. The World to Come is a beautiful idea, but it’s abstract and otherworldly. Acting righteously and learning Torah are concrete tools that center us in faith, provide us with community and challenge us to help God make our indescribable future rewards our present reality. 

Read all of Sanhedrin 99 on Sefaria.

This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on March 26, 2025. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.