hose of the house of Eliyahu have taught that Gehenna is above the sky,
but some say it is behind the mountains of darkness.

_Tanu d'by Eliyahu._

Gehenna was created before Paradise; the former on the second day and
the latter on the third.

_Yalkut_.

In T.B. P'sachim, fol. 54, col. 1, it is said that the reason of
the omission of the words, "And God saw that it was good," in
respect to the second day of the creative week, was because
hell-fire was then created; but see the context.

When Adam saw (through the Spirit) that his posterity would be condemned
to Gehenna, he disobeyed the precept to procreate. But when he perceived
that after twenty-six generations the Israelites would accept the law,
he bestirred himself in compliance; as it is said (Gen. iv. 1), _Adam
vero cognovit uxorem suam Hevam_.

_Yalkut_.

"And the souls they had gotten in Haran" (Gen. xii. 5). These are they
who had been made proselytes. Whoever attracts a Gentile and
proselytizes him is as much as if he had created him. Abraham did so to
men and Sarah to women.

_Bereshith Midrash Rabbah._

"Sing and rejoice" (Zech. ii. 10). The Holy One--blessed be He!--will in
the future bring all the proselytes that were proselytized in this
world, and judge all the nations of the world in their presence. He will
say to them, "Why have ye left Me and served idols, which are nothing?"
They will reply and say, "Had we applied at Thy door, Thou wouldst not
have received us." Then will He say to them, "Let the proselytes that
were made from among you come forward and testify against you."

_P'sikta._

These are the pious female proselytes--Hagar, Osenath, Zipporah,
Shiphrah, Puah, the daughter of Pharaoh (Bathia), Rahab, Ruth, and Jael.

_Yalkut Yehoshua_, 9.

"The Lord keepeth the proselytes" (Ps. cxlvi. 9). "I esteem it a great
compliment on the part of the proselyte to leave his family and his
father's house and come to Me. Therefore I on My part will command
respecting him (Deut. x. 19), 'Love ye therefore the proselyted.'"

_Midrash Shochar Tov_, 146.

"I am a God near at hand" (Jer. xxiii. 23). "I am He who drew Jethro
near, and did not keep him at a distance"; therefore thou also when a
man comes to be proselytized in the name of Heaven, draw him near, do
not repulse him or keep him at a distance. From this thou art to learn
that while one repulses with the left hand he is to draw with the right,
and not as Elisha did.