Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the limbo state occupied by certain stolen objects:

גָּזַל וְלֹא נִתְיָיאֲשׁוּ הַבְּעָלִים – שְׁנֵיהֶם אֵינָן יְכוֹלִין לְהַקְדִּישׁ; זֶה לְפִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ, וְזֶה לְפִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ.

If one stole an item and the owners have not yet despaired of recovering it, neither of them is able to consecrate it: This one, the thief, cannot consecrate the item because it does not belong to him, and that one, the owner, cannot consecrate it because it is not in his possession. 

As we have noted about other halakhos of theft and damages, these formulations also resonate metaphysically. Tiferes Shlomo (Vol III:Nitzavim) quotes the Divrei Yechezkel who uses this statement to understand the state of the sinner.  If one’s soul is stolen or possessed by evil forces, so long as he does not give up, he cannot be given over fully to the Dark Side. 

Reflecting on this, I will add that the metaphor holds true in both directions. Meaning, the in-between stage is one of powerlessness on both sides. While the devil may not take full possession, neither can God, just as the object cannot be consecrated neither by the owner nor by the thief.  The problem of being in-between is one of the patterns in human nature that repeats itself spiritually, emotionally and physically.  A person in a stable but poor relationship does not divorce, nor receives the joy of intimacy. The middle class do not get tax breaks, loan forgiveness, nor tuition breaks, while the poor receive support and the wealthy do not need any of it.

As it states in Avos (4:15 – according to interpretation of Rabbenu Yonah):

רַבִּי יַנַּאי אוֹמֵר, אֵין בְּיָדֵינוּ לֹא מִשַּׁלְוַת הָרְשָׁעִים וְאַף לֹא מִיִּסּוּרֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים

Rabbi Yannai said: it is not in our hands either of the security of the wicked, or even of the afflictions of the righteous. 

Eliyahu on Mount Carmel (I Kings 18:21) rails against the Jews trying to play both ends:

וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ אֶל־כָּל־הָעָ֗ם וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ עַד־מָתַ֞י אַתֶּ֣ם פֹּסְחִים֮ עַל־שְׁתֵּ֣י הַסְּעִפִּים֒ אִם ה' הַאלקים לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְאִם־הַבַּ֖עַל לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֑יו וְלֹֽא־עָנ֥וּ הָעָ֛ם אֹת֖וֹ דָּבָֽר׃

Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you keep hopping between two opinions? If the Hashem is God, then follow Hashem; and if Baal, follow [Baal]!” But the people answered him not a word.

Avoid staying in nowhere-land, and steal victory from the Jaws of mediocrity!

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

Do you like what you see? Please subscribe and also forward any articles you enjoy to your friends, (enemies too, why not?)