Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us about the fate of the Generation of the Exodus:

The members of the generation of the wilderness have no share in the World-to-Come and will not stand in judgment… this is the statement of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Eliezer says: The members of the generation of the wilderness were essentially righteous… It is they who entered into the covenant with God, and they will certainly be rewarded in the future.

The commentaries have great difficulty with Rabbi Akiva’s position that these lofty folk—who experienced miracles and revelations that none others ever witnessed—should be excluded from the World-to-Come.

Kedushas Levi (Likkutim 122) offers a brilliant idea. It is not so much that the generation of the wilderness lost their share and reward in the World-to-Come as that they lost the struggle of reward and punishment. Meaning to say, they saw open miracles and were fed, clothed, and protected directly by God. In a sense, they no longer were of this world, no longer faced the challenges of physical existence, and therefore no longer could obtain reward. The direct exposure to God removed their free will and therefore removed the human experience of voluntarily connecting to God and thereby elevating the physical, which is part of the system of reward and punishment. This is hinted at in the verse (Numbers 14:35): “Thus will I do to all that wicked band that has banded together against Me: in this very wilderness they shall die and so be finished off (yitamu).” The Hebrew for “finished off” is yitamu, which also can mean “complete.” This generation completed its work in this world.

Therefore, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer are not really arguing; instead, they are expressing two different sides of the same coin. Rabbi Eliezer says they were fully righteous, and Rabbi Akiva says, exactly, and this is why their actions no longer were relevant in terms of earning a share in the World-to-Come.

(As an important aside, it is known that the legalistic discussions of the Gemara, considered to be in dispute with one “right” side and one “wrong” side, in the mystical realm are considered true on both sides. In the mystical world, a machlokes actually represents two different truths, not a wrong or right opinion, since there are many facets to Torah. One example is that in the Gemara Rosh Hashanah 33b, there is a three-way safek about what is the “Teruah” sound of the Shofar. Therefore, we blow the three sounds we hear on Rosh Hashanah: Shevarim, Teruah, and Shevarim-Teruah. Technically, only one sound is the true “Teruah,” and we blow all three versions to cover our bases. Yet, according to Zohar III:232a, each sound activates different Middos in Hashem, and thus all three sounds are necessary. Here too, there is no real dispute between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer.)

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com