31a (ל״א:א׳)

And now I will reveal to you a secret concerning the matter of the goat to Azazel (וְעַתָּה אַגְלֶה לְךָ סוֹד עַל עִנְיָן שָׂעִיר עֲזָאזֵל), since we are now engaged in the matter of Sama’el, its ruling minister (לְפִי שֶׁאָנוּ עוֹסְקִים עַתָּה בְּעִנְיָן סַמָּאֵ״ל שַׂרוֹ). Let it not arise in your mind (אַל יַעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתְּךָ), that the Holy One Blessed Be He-being that He is the God of gods and Lord of lords (שֶׁהקב״ה בְּהִיוֹתוֹ שֶׁהוּא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַאֲדוֹנֵי הָאֲדוֹנִים)-and His desire was to atone for the transgressions of Yisrael (וְהָיְתָה רְצוֹנוֹ לְכַפֵּר עֲוֹנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל), that He would need to bring a gift to Sama’el, who is the work of His hands, blessed is He (שֶׁהָיָה צָרִיךְ שֶׁיָּבִיא דוֹרוֹן לְסַמָּאֵ״ל שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ).

Rather, know (אֶלָּא דַּע), that His intention, blessed is He, was to destroy the memory of Sama’el from the world (שֶׁכַּוָּנָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ לְאַבֵּד זֵכֶר סַמָּאֵ״ל מִן הָעוֹלָם), for he is the accuser against Yisrael (שֶׁהוּא מְקַטְרֵג כְּנֶגֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל), as was said in the teaching I explained above (כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּמַּאֲמָר שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי לְמַעְלָה), when the Satan asked: “Torah-where is it?” etc (שֶׁשָּׁאַל הַשָּׂטָן ״תּוֹרָה הֵיכָן הִיא״ וְגוֹ). And since Sama’el rules over the forces of defilement (וּבְהִיוֹת שֶׁסַמָּאֵ״ל מוֹשֵׁל עַל כֹּחוֹת הַטֻּמְאָה), they gave him from the herd of goats (נָתְנוּ לוֹ מִמִּקְנֵה הָעִזִּים), for many times the demons clothe themselves in the form of goats (שֶׁפְּעָמִים הַרְבֵּה הַשֵּׁדִים מִתְלַבְּשִׁים בְּצוּרַת עִזִּים). And the Holy One Blessed Be He would command that this offering be brought before Him, blessed is He (וְהקב״ה הָיָה מְצַוֶּה שֶׁיָּבִיאוּ זֶה הַקָּרְבָּן לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ), as the verse says: “And he shall take the two goats and set them before Hashem” (Leviticus 16:7) (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וְלָקַח אֶת שְׁנֵי הַשְּׂעִירִם וְהֶעֱמִיד אוֹתָם לִפְנֵי ה׳). And after they offered it before Him, blessed is He (וְאַחַר שֶׁהִקְרִיבוּהוּ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ), behold it is as if they had made from them a sacrifice (הֲרֵי הוּא כְּאִלּוּ עָשׂוּ מֵהֶם קָרְבָּן), and once they are His, blessed is He (וְאַחַר שֶׁהֵם שֶׁלּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ), He would command that lots be cast upon them (הָיָה מְצַוֶּה שֶׁיִּתְּנוּ עֲלֵיהֶם גּוֹרָלוֹת), and that one be given to Sama’el from what is His, blessed is He (וְשֶׁיִּתְּנוּ הָאֶחָד לְסַמָּאֵ״ל מִשֶּׁלּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ).

And before they would bring it to him (וְקוֹדֶם שֶׁיוֹלִיכֻהוּ לוֹ), He commanded that all the sins of the Children of Yisrael be confessed over it (צִוָּה שֶׁיִּתְוַדּוּ עָלָיו כָּל עֲוֹנוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), As the verse says (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “And Aharon shall lay both his hands upon the head of the living goat” (וְסָמַךְ אַהֲרֹן אֶת שְׁתֵּי יָדָיו עַל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר הַחַי), “and confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Yisrael” (וְהִתְוַדָּה עָלָיו אֶת כָּל עֲוֹנוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), “and all their transgressions for all their sins” (וְאֵת כָּל פִּשְׁעֵיהֶם לְכָל חַטֹּאתָם), “and he shall place them upon the head of the goat” (וְנָתַן אוֹתָם עַל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר), “and send it by the hand of a designated man into the wilderness” (וְשִׁלַּח בְּיַד אִישׁ עִתִּי הַמִּדְבָּרָה) (Leviticus 16:21).

In this manner, he would send to him all the sins of Yisrael in that goat (בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁהָיָה שׁוֹלֵחַ לוֹ כָּל עֲוֹנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאוֹתוֹ שָׂעִיר). And when Sama’el would see a goat that was from his own herd (וּכְשֶׁהָיָה סַמָּאֵ״ל רוֹאֶה שָׂעִיר שֶׁהוּא מִן הַמִּקְנֶה שֶׁלּוֹ), he would seize it (הָיָה אוֹחֲזוֹ), and all the sins of Yisrael would fall upon it (וְכָל עֲוֹנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ נוֹפְלִים עָלָיו), in such a way that he would not be able to accuse Yisrael (בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה יָכוֹל לְקַטְרֵג עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל), since all their sins were in him (כֵּיוָן שֶׁכָּל עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם הָיוּ בוֹ). And in this, the Holy One Blessed Be He would bring great benefit to Yisrael (וּבָזֶה הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה הקב״ה תּוֹעֶלֶת גְּדוֹלָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), for not only did He remove their sins from them (שֶׁלֹּא דַּי שֶׁהָיָה מֵסִיר הָעֲוֹנוֹת מֵעֲלֵיהֶם), but He would place them upon Sama’el in order to banish him from the world (אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיָה נוֹתְנָם עַל סַמָּאֵ״ל כְּדֵי לְטָרְדוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם). And the proof that Sama’el rules over the goat-herd and that he walks in the wildernesses (וְהָרְאָיָה שֶׁסַמָּאֵ״ל מוֹשֵׁל עַל מִקְנֵה הָעִזִּים וְשֶׁהוּא הוֹלֵךְ בַּמִּדְבָּרוֹת), is from that which the Ramban, may his memory be for a blessing, said (מִמַּה שֶׁאָמַר הָרַמְבַּ״ן זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה):

“And behold, the Torah completely forbade the acceptance of their divinity and any service to them (וְהִנֵּה הַתּוֹרָה אָסְרָה לַגָּמְרֵי קַבָּלַת אֱלֹהוּתָם וְכָל עֲבוֹדָה לָהֶם), but the Holy One Blessed Be He commanded on Yom haKippurim that a goat be sent into the wilderness (אֲבָל צִוָּה הקב״ה בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים שֶׁנִּשְׁלַח שָׂעִיר בַּמִּדְבָּר), to the minister who rules in the places of desolation (לְשַׂר הַמּוֹשֵׁל בִּמְקוֹמוֹת הַחֳרְבָּן), and he is suited to it, for it is his domain (וְהוּא הָרָאוּי לוֹ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא בְּעָלָיו), and from the emanation of his power come destruction and desolation (וּמֵאֲצִילוּת כֹּחוֹ יָבוֹא חֳרְבָּן וּשְׁמָמוֹן), for he is the cause of the stars of the sword, and of bloodshed, and wars, and quarrels, and wounds, and blows, and division, and destruction (כִּי הוּא הָעִילָּה לִכּוֹכְבֵי הַחֶרֶב וְהַדָּמִים וְהַמִּלְחָמוֹת וְהַמְּרִיבוֹת וְהַפְּצָעִים וְהַמַּכּוֹת וְהַפֵּרוּד וְהַחֳרְבָּן). And in summary (וְהַכְּלָל), he is the nefesh of the planet Mars (שֶׁהוּא נֶפֶשׁ לִגְלְגַל מַאְדִּים), and his portion among the nations is Esav (וְחֶלְקוֹ מִן הָאֻמּוֹת הוּא עֵשָׂו), who is the people that inherit the sword and wars (שֶׁהוּא הָעָם הַיּוֹרֵשׁ הַחֶרֶב וְהַמִּלְחָמוֹת), and from among the animals-he rules over the hairy goats and wild goats (וּמִן הַבְּהֵמוֹת – הַשְּׂעִירִים וְהָעִזִּים).”

Up to here (עַד כָּאן).

If so, this goat that they would give to him (אִם כֵּן, זֶה הַשָּׂעִיר שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹתְנִין לוֹ) was like one who gives him poison of death within a sweet potion (הָיָה כְּמִי שֶׁנוֹתֵן לוֹ סַם הַמָּוֶת תּוֹךְ מִרְקַחַת טוֹב), for so was this goat that they would give him (שֶׁכֵּן הָיָה זֶה שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹתְנִין לוֹ הַשָּׂעִיר), and the poison of death was within it-that is, the transgressions and the sins (וְסַם הַמָּוֶת בְּתוֹכוֹ שֶׁהוּא הָעֲוֹנוֹת וְהַפְּשָׁעִים). And now I will reveal to you another secret (וְעַתָּה אַגְלֶה לְךָ סוֹד אַחֵר), concerning that which the verse says: “And when you shall plant any food tree, you shall treat its fruit as forbidden...” (Leviticus 19:23) (עַל מַה שֶּׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וּנְטַעְתֶּם כָּל עֵץ מַאֲכָל וְעָרַלְתֶּם עָרְלָתוֹ״ וְגוֹ).

Know (דַּע), that the reason for the prohibition of foreskin (שֶׁטַּעַם אִיסּוּר הָעָרְלָה) is that during those three years the power of Sama’el rules over it (לְפִי שֶׁאוֹתָם ג' שָׁנִים מוֹשֵׁל עָלָיו כֹּחַ סַמָּאֵ״ל), inasmuch as he is the nefesh of the planetary sphere of Mars (מִצַּד שֶׁהוּא נֶפֶשׁ לִגְלְגַל מַאְדִּים), and Mars completes its circuit in eighteen months (וּמַאְדִּים סוֹבֵב גַּלְגַּלּוֹ בִּשְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה חֹדֶשׁ). And when one plants a new tree during the time of that revolution (וּכְשֶׁנוֹטְעִין אִילָן חָדָשׁ בִּזְמַן הַסִּיבּוּב), the practitioners of sorcery perform their operations beneath those trees (פּוֹעֲלִים בַּעֲלֵי הַכְּשָׁפִים פְּעוּלוֹתֵיהֶם תַּחַת אוֹתָם הָאִילָנוֹת), and they inscribe within them idolatrous images (וּמְצַיְּרִין בָּהֶם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה).

And because it is possible that when this tree was cut from another tree for replanting (וּבִשְׁבִיל שֶׁיָּכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁכְּשֶׁכָּרְתוּ זֶה הָעֵץ מֵעֵץ אַחֵר לִנְטָעוֹ), the influence of Mars had already begun to revolve over it (כְּבָר הִתְחִיל מַאְדִּים לְסַבֵּב עָלָיו), and it does not confer its power upon this new planting (וְאֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן הַכֹּחַ עַל זוֹ הַנְּטִיעָה), but rather upon the original tree from which it was cut (אֶלָּא עַל הָאִילָן שֶׁנֶּחְתַּךְ מִמֶּנּוּ), therefore it is necessary to wait the remaining eighteen months (לְכָךְ צָרִיךְ לְהַמְתִּין שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה חֹדֶשׁ הָאַחֲרֹנִים), that it should revolve again upon this new planting (שֶׁיְּסַבֵּב עַל זוֹ הַנְּטִיעָה), so that there be in total three years (שֶׁיְּהֵא בֵּין הַכֹּל שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים).

And during these three years, they perform all the sorceries they wish to perform (וּבְאֵלּוּ הַשָּׁנִים הֵם עוֹשִׂים כָּל הַכְּשָׁפִים שֶׁרוֹצִים לַעֲשׂוֹת), for they know that necessarily the influence of Mars has passed over it during these three years (שֶׁיוֹדְעִים שֶׁהַכְּרָח הוּא שֶׁבִּשְׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים עָבַר עָלָיו כֹּחַ מַאְדִּים).