31b (ל״א:ב׳)

And this idolatry was worshipped by many from among Yisrael (וְזֹאת הָעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה עָבְדוּ הַרְבֵּה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל), and concerning them the prophet Yirmeyahu said: “Shall a man make gods for himself?” (Jeremiah 16:20) (וְעֲלֵיהֶם אָמַר הַנָּבִיא יִרְמְיָה ״הֲיַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ אָדָם אֱלֹהִים). And he was speaking regarding those who serve this idolatry (וְהָיָה מְדַבֵּר עַל הָעוֹבְדִים זוֹ הָעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה), as you will understand below where he said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁתָּבִין לְהַלָּן שֶׁאָמַר): “The sin of Yehudah is inscribed with an iron pen, with a point of diamond, engraved upon the tablet of their heart and upon the horns of your altars” (Jeremiah 17:1) (חַטַּאת יְהוּדָה כְּתוּבָה בְּעֵט בַּרְזֶל בְּצִפֹּרֶן שָׁמִיר חָרוּשָׁה עַל לוּחַ לִבָּם וּלְקַרְנוֹת מִזְבְּחוֹתֵיכֶם), “like the memory of their children-so are their altars and their Asherim by the leafy trees” (Jeremiah 17:2) (כְּזִכְרָם בְּנֵיהֶם מִזְבְּחוֹתָם וַאֲשֵׁרֵיהֶם עַל עֵץ רַעֲנָן).

Know (דַּע), that the seven stars (שֶׁהַשִּׁבְעָה כּוֹכָבִים), each one rules over one of the kinds of metals (כָּל אֶחָד מוֹשֵׁל עַל אֶחָד מִמִּינֵי הַמַּתְּכוֹת), and silver too is counted among the metals (שֶׁהַכֶּסֶף חַי גַּם כֵּן הוּא בִּכְלַל הַמַּתְּכוֹת). And there are among them those whose rule overlaps with the rule of their counterpart (וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶם שֶׁמוֹשֵׁל עַל מַה שֶּׁמוֹשֵׁל חֲבֵרוֹ), and Mars rules over iron (וּמַאְדִּים מוֹשֵׁל עַל הַבַּרְזֶל). And with an iron pen they would engrave images beneath those trees (וּבְעֵט בַּרְזֶל הָיוּ חוֹקְקִים צוּרוֹת תַּחַת אוֹתָם הָאִילָנוֹת), and concerning this it says: “engraved upon the tablet of their heart” (Jeremiah 17:1) (וְעַל זֶה אָמַר ״חָרוּשָׁה עַל לוּחַ לִבָּם).

He means to say (יִרְצֶה), that their heart was not directed to His service, may He be exalted (שֶׁלִּבָּם לֹא הָיָה לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְעַלֶּה), but to those tablets (רַק עַל אוֹתָם הַלּוּחוֹת). And likewise they would abandon His altar, blessed is He (וְגַם כֵּן הָיוּ עוֹזְבִים הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁלּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ), and go to altars of idolatry (וְהוֹלְכִים בְּמִזְבְּחוֹת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה), and this is what it says: “and upon the horns of your altars” (Jeremiah 17:1) (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר ״וּלְקַרְנוֹת מִזְבְּחוֹתֵיכֶם). And that which he said: “and their Asherim by the leafy tree” (Jeremiah 17:2) (וּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר ״וַאֲשֵׁרֵיהֶם עַל עֵץ רַעֲנָן), he means to say (יִרְצֶה), that their wealth and fortune they would place upon the fresh tree (שֶׁהָאֹשֶׁר שֶׁלָּהֶם הָיוּ מְשִׂימִים עַל עֵץ רַעֲנָן), which are these trees we have spoken of (שֶׁהֵם אֵלּוּ הָאִילָנוֹת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), for in those first three years they would engrave idolatry within them while still fresh (שֶׁבְּאוֹתָן ג׳ שָׁנִים רִאשׁוֹנוֹת חוֹקְקִים בָּהֶם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה בִּהְיוֹתוֹ רַעֲנָן). And this was the reason that the Holy One Blessed Be He prohibited orlah to Yisrael (וְזוֹ הָיְתָה הַסִּיבָּה שֶׁאָסַר הקב״ה עָרְלָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל).

The general rule is that two revolutions must pass over it from the time of its planting (הַכְּלָל הוּא, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ שֶׁיַּעַבְרוּ עָלָיו שְׁנֵי סִיבּוּבִים מִשַּׁעַת נְטִיעָתוֹ), and since its sphere completes a revolution in eighteen months (וּכְיוֹן שֶׁהוּא סוֹבֵב גַלְגַלּוֹ בִּשְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה חֹדֶשׁ), it follows that when three years have passed (נִמְצָא שֶׁכְּשֶׁעָבְרוּ ג׳ שָׁנִים), it has revolved twice from the place it was at the time of planting (סָבַב שְׁנֵי סִיבּוּבִים מִן הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁהָיָה בוֹ בִּזְמַן הַנְּטִיעָה).

A proof to this is from that which is said in the Book of the Zohar (רְאָיָה לָזֶה, מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ בְּסֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר), that during all the early years, the forces of defilement dominate the trees (כִּי כָּל הַשָּׁנִים הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת כֹּחוֹת הַטּוּמְאָה שׁוֹלְטִים בָּאִילָנוֹת), and therefore they are called foreskin (וּלְפִיכָךְ נִקְרָאִים עָרְלָה), and their fruits are born from that very force (וּפֵרוֹתֵיהֶם נוֹלָדִים מִן הַכֹּחַ הַהוּא), and whoever benefits from them is benefiting from the forces of defilement called foreskin (וְהַנֶּהֱנֶה מֵהֶם נֶהֱנֶה מִכֹּחוֹת הַטּוּמְאָה הַנִּקְרָאִים עָרְלָה).

Behold, it is clear to you the reason for this commandment (הֲרֵי בָרוּר לְךָ טַעַם זוֹ הַמִּצְוָה). And along with this, you will understand that which our Sages of blessed memory said (וְעִם זֶה תָּבִין מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ ז״ל): “Less than this is like placing a finger in the eye” (פָּחוֹת מִכָּאן כְּנוֹתֵן אֶצְבַּע בָּעַיִן), for a girl less than three years old-her virginity returns (שֶׁקְּטַנָּה פְּחוּת מִג׳ שָׁנִים בְּתוּלֶיהָ חוֹזְרִים). The reason is (שֶׁהַסִּבָּה הִיא), because Mars has not yet completed two full revolutions over her (לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא סָבַב עָלֶיהָ כָּל סִיבּוּב מַאְדִּים שְׁנֵי סִיבּוּבִים), for blood is only spilled through the power of Mars (לְפִי שֶׁאֵין דָּם נִשְׁפָּךְ אֶלָּא מִכֹּחַ מַאְדִּים), and since Mars has not passed over her sufficiently (וּכְיוֹן שֶׁלֹּא עָבַר עָלֶיהָ כָּךְ מַאְדִּים), therefore this flow is not enduring, and her virginity returns (לָכֵן זוֹ הַשְּׁפִיכָה אֵינָהּ קַיָּימֶת, אֶלָּא בְּתוּלֶיהָ חוֹזְרִים). And now I will reveal to you a great secret concerning the matter of the Red Heifer (וְעַתָּה אַגְלֶה לְךָ סוֹד גָּדוֹל בְּעִנְיָן פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה). And in order for you to understand it, we will first explain the matter of Ya'akov’s sheep with Lavan, and the rods (וּכְדֵי שֶׁתָּבִין אוֹתוֹ נְפָרֵשׁ תְּחִלָּה עִנְיַן הַכְּבָשִׂים שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב עִם לָבָן וְהַמַּקְלוֹת). As the verse says: “And Ya'akov took rods of fresh poplar and hazel and chestnut, and peeled white peelings in them, exposing the white that was on the rods” (Bereshit 30:37) (אָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וַיִּקַּח לוֹ יַעֲקֹב מַקַּל לִבְנֶה לַח וְלוּז וְעֶרְמוֹן וַיְפַצֵּל בָּהֵן פְּצָלוֹת לְבָנוֹת מַחְשֵׂף הַלָּבָן אֲשֶׁר עַל הַמַּקְלוֹת).

Know (דַּע), that the seven planets that govern the world by His utterance, blessed is He (שֶׁהַשִּׁבְעָה כּוֹכְבֵי לֶכֶת הַמַּנְהִיגִים הָעוֹלָם בְּמַאֲמָרוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ), each has power over a particular color (כָּל אֶחָד יֵשׁ לוֹ כֹּחַ עַל צֶבַע אֶחָד). And from the moment of their creation, they revolve through the celestial sphere (וּמִשְּׁעַת בְּרִיאָתָם הֵם סוֹבְבִים הַגַּלְגַּל), and they conjoin one with another (וּמִתְחַבְּרוֹת זוֹ עִם זוֹ). According to their conjunctions, so is the variation found among the lower creations (וּכְפִי הַהִתְחַבְּרוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם כָּךְ יֵשׁ שִׁנּוּי בַּדְּבָרִים הַשְּׁפָלִים), for if they did not conjoin, there would be no change in the world-everything would always be in one manner (שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא לֹא הָיוּ מִתְחַבְּרוֹת לֹא הָיָה שִׁנּוּי בָּעוֹלָם אֶלָּא תָּמִיד הָיָה בְּאֹפֶן אֶחָד).

And from this it results (וּמִזֶּה נִמְשָׁךְ), that in a single creature there are many hues, according to the conjunctions the planets formed at the moment of its birth (שֶׁבִּבְרִיָּה אֶחָת יֵשׁ גְּוָנִים הַרְבֵּה כְּפִי הַהִתְחַבְּרוּת שֶׁעָשׂוּ הַכּוֹכָבִים בִּשְׁעַת הַלֵּדָה). And if a person were to inscribe those colors at the time of the planetary conjunctions (וְאִם יִהְיֶה אָדָם מְחַקֵּק אֵלּוּ הַצְּבָעִים בִּשְׁעַת חִבּוּר הַכּוֹכָבִים), and place them before animals (וְיָשִׂים אוֹתָם כְּנֶגֶד הַבַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים), even if at the moment of birth the planets are not in that conjunction (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבִּשְׁעַת הַלֵּדָה לֹא יִהְיוּ הַכּוֹכָבִים בְּאוֹתוֹ חִבּוּר), nevertheless it will cause them to give birth in that form (עִם כָּל זֶה יוֹעִיל שֶׁיוֹלִידוּ בְּאוֹתוֹ אֹפֶן). And this is what our father Ya'akov did (וְזֶהוּ מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ), for he engraved upon the rods all the possible conjunctions of the planets (שֶׁחָקַק בַּמַּקְלוֹת כָּל מִינֵי הַחִבּוּרִים שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר בַּכּוֹכָבִים).