Daf 50b (דַּף נ׳ ע״ב)

It is the mystery of the Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד מַיִין נוּקְבִין), and it does not allow them to be refined within it (וְאֵינוֹ מַנִּיחַ לְהִתְבָּרֵר בְּתוֹכָם). Do not wonder about this Bohu (וְאַל תִּתְמַהּ עַל הַבֹּהוּ הַזֶּה), for the Ra'ash [Earthquake] surrounds it on every side (כִּי הָרַעַשׁ מְסַבְּבוֹ מִכָּל צַר), and even the drops themselves, before descending to the lowest degree, must also ascend and be refined (וַהֲלֹא הַטִּפִּין עַצְמָם קֹדֶם יְרִידָתָם אֶל תַּכְלִית צְרִיכִים לַעֲלוֹת וּלְהִתְבָּרֵר גַּם הֵם), separating the food from the refuse through Abba and Imma (אֹכֶל מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסוֹלֶת ע״י אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), in the mystery of, “Thus it arose in thought” (בְּסוֹד כָּךְ עָלָה בַּמַּחֲשָׁבָה), and the one who understands will understand (וְהַמֵּבִין יָבִין). And this is why the Zohar says, “Bohu is never without Ra'ash [Earthquake]” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַזֹּהַר בֹּהוּ לָאו אִיהוּ בְּלָא רַעַשׁ), for in every case this refuse remains with it (כִּי עַל כָּל פָּנִים עִמּוֹ הַפְּסוֹלֶת הַזֶּה), while within it is He Himself, in the mystery of Bohu (וּבוֹ הוּא עַצְמוֹ בְּסוֹד בֹּהוּ), and the food must be separated from the refuse (וְצָרִיךְ לְהִתְבָּרֵר אֹכֶל מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסוֹלֶת), after which angels and souls are made from them (וְאַחַ״כ נַעֲשִׂים מֵהֶם מַלְאָכִים וּנְשָׁמוֹת). The nature of the impurity is that there is within it such severe Judgment (וְעִנְיַן הַטֻּמְאָה הוּא שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּם כָּל כָּךְ דִּין חָזָק), that from it arise perversion of justice, murder, theft, for they steal the abundance of Holiness, robbery, anger, and blows and chastisements against the souls, and, Heaven forbid, much killing (עַד שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנּוּ עִוּוּת הַדִּין וּרְצִיחָה גְּנֵבָה שֶׁהֵם גּוֹנְבִים הַשֶּׁפַע הַקְּדֻשָּׁה וּגְזֵלָה כַּעַס וּמַכּוֹת מַרְדוּת לַנְּשָׁמוֹת וְהֶרֶג רַב ח״ו), all of it belonging to the side of harsh Judgment (כֻּלּוֹ סִטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא), called the excesses (הַנִּקְרָא מוֹתָרוֹת), and it is not sweetened (וְאֵינוֹ מְמוּתָּק), in the mystery of what our Rabbis of blessed memory said, “The serpent came upon Chavah and cast impurity into her; Yisrael, who stood at Mount Sinai, their impurity ceased” (בְּסוֹד שֶׁאַרְזַ״ל בָּא נָחָשׁ עַל חַוָּה וְהִטִּיל בָּהּ זוֹהֲמָא, יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁעָמְדוּ עַל הַר סִינַי פָּסְקָה זוֹהֲמָתָן) (Shabbat 146a), and their Judgments were sweetened (וְנִמְתַּק דִּינֵיהֶם), and they became people of Chesed [Kindness], charity, modesty, and compassion (וְנַעֲשׂוּ בַּעֲלֵי חֲסָדִים וּצְדָקָה בַּיְשָׁנִים וְרַחֲמָנִים), and they do not stand idly by the blood of their fellow (וְאֵינָם עוֹמְדִים עַל דַּם רֵעֵיהֶם), but on the contrary, they bestow kindness upon one another (וְאַדְרַבָּה הֵם גּוֹמְלִים חֶסֶד זֶה לָזֶה). But the nations (אֲבָל הָאֻמּוֹת), who did not stand at Mount Sinai (שֶׁלֹּא עָמְדוּ עַל הַר סִינַי), and whose souls did not depart in the mystery of, “My soul went forth when He spoke” (וְלֹא פָּרְחָה נִשְׁמָתָן בְּסוֹד נַפְשִׁי יָצְאָה בְדַבְּרוֹ) (Song of Songs 5:6), therefore their souls were not purified at that time (לָכֵן לֹא נִזְדַּכְּכוּ נִשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם בְּאוֹתוֹ הַפַּעַם), but on the contrary, the impurity of Yisrael also clung to them (וְאַדְרַבָּה נִדְבַּק בָּהֶם זוֹהֲמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל גַּם כֵּן). Concerning this our Rabbis of blessed memory said, “Whoever possesses these three qualities, it is known that his fathers stood at Mount Sinai” (וְעַל זֶה אַרְזַ״ל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ שָׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹת הַלָּלוּ בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁעָמְדוּ אֲבוֹתָיו עַל הַר סִינַי) (Yevamot 79a), for there the impurity of the Attribute of Judgment ceased (כִּי שָׁם פָּסְקָה זוֹהֲמָתָן שֶׁל מִדַּת הַדִּין), together with the evil of their inclination and their deeds (וְרֹעַ יִצְרָם וּמַעַלְלָם), and they acquired upright qualities as the nature of their souls (וְקָנוּ מִדּוֹת הֲגוּנוֹת מִטֶּבַע נִשְׁמָתָם), and this is sufficient for the one who understands (וְדַי לַמֵּבִין). And the impurity is the doubling of the Judgments (וְהַטֻּמְאָה הִיא כֶּפֶל הַדִּינִין), alluded to by the word Ra'ash [Earthquake] (הִיא נִרְמֶזֶת בְּמִלַּת רַעַשׁ), whose numerical value is two times MNTZPKH (שֶׁעוֹלֶה בּ׳ פְּעָמִים מנצפ״ך), right and left (יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל), and it is the fire of the storm whirling over the heads of the wicked in Gehinnom (וְהוּא הָאֵשׁ שֶׁל הַסַּעַר הַמִּתְחוֹלֵל עַל רֹאשׁ רְשָׁעִים שֶׁבְּגֵיהִנָּם), and it is the impurity of the soul through its evil deeds, in anger and the wickedness of the heart (וְהוּא זוֹהֲמַת הַנְּשָׁמָה בְּרֹעַ מַעֲשֶׂיהָ בְּכַעַס וּבְזָדוֹן לֵבָב).