Daf 13a (דַּף י״ג ע״א)

Rabbi Pinchas said (אָמַר רִבִּי פִּינְחָס): Three are those who stand as guardians over a person when he is meritorious (תְּלָתָא אִנּוּן דְּקַיְימֵי אַפּוֹטְרוֹפְּסִין עֲלֵיה דְּבַר נָשׁ כַּד זָכֵי). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב): “If there be for him an angel, an intercessor, one out of a thousand, to declare to man his uprightness” (אִם יֵשׁ עָלָיו מַלְאָךְ מֵלִיץ אֶחָד מִנִּי אָלֶף לְהַגִּיד לְאָדָם יָשְׁרוֹ) (Job 33:23). “If there be for him an angel”—behold, one (אִם יֵשׁ עָלָיו מַלְאָךְ הָא חַד). “An intercessor”—that is two (מֵלִיץ תְּרֵי). “One out of a thousand, to declare to man his uprightness”—behold, three (אֶחָד מִנִּי אָלֶף לְהַגִּיד לְאָדָם יָשְׁרוֹ הָא תְּלַת).

Rabbi Shim'on said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): Five (חָמֵשׁ), as it is written afterward (דִּכְתִיב יַתִּיר): “And He is gracious to him, and says” (וַיְחֻנֶּנּוּ וַיֹּאמֶר) (Job 33:24). “And He is gracious to him”—that is one (וַיְחֻנֶּנּוּ־חַד). “And says”—that is two (וַיֹּאמֶר־תְּרֵין). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): It is not so (לָאו הָכִי). Rather (אֶלָּא), “And He is gracious to him”—this is Kudsha Berikh Hu alone (וַיְחֻנֶּנּוּ־דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), for permission is given to none but Him (דְּהָא לֵית רְשׁוּ לְאָחֳרָא אֶלָּא לֵיהּ).

He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): You have spoken well (שַׁפִּיר קָא אֲמַרְתְּ). And whoever refrains from procreation (וּמָאן דְּאִתְמְנַע מִפְּרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה), it is as though he diminishes the Diyukna [Likeness] that includes all likenesses (כִּבְיָכוֹל אַזְעִיר דִּיוּקְנָא דְּכָלִיל כָּל דִּיוּקְנִין). And he causes that river not to flow its waters (וְגָרִים לְהַהוּא נָהָר דְּלָא נַגְדִין מֵימוֹי), and blemishes the holy covenant in every direction (וּפָגִים קְיָימָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּכָל סִטְרִין). And concerning him it is written (וְעֲלֵיהּ כְּתִיב): “And they shall go out and see the carcasses of the men who rebelled against Me” (וְיָצְאוּ וְרָאוּ בִּפְגָרֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הַפּוֹשְׁעִים בִּי) (Isaiah 66:24). “Against Me”—indeed (בִּי וַדַּאי), this refers to the Body (דָּא לְגוּפָא). And his Neshamah [Soul] does not enter the Curtain [Pargod] of the King at all (וְנִשְׁמְתֵיהּ לָא עָיֵיל לְפַרְגּוֹדָא (דְּמַלְכָּא) כְּלָל), and is driven out from that world (וְאִטְרִיד מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא).

The seventh commandment (פִּקּוּדָא שְׁבִיעָאָה) is to circumcise on the eighth day and to remove the defilement of the foreskin (לְמִגְזַר לִתְמַנְיָא יוֹמִין, וּלְאַעֲבָרָא זוּהֲמָא דְּעָרְלְתָא), because that Chayah [Living Being] is the eighth level above all the levels (בְּגִין דְּהַהִיא חַיָּה אִיהִי דַּרְגָּא תְּמִינָאָה לְכָל דַּרְגִּין), and that Nefesh [Soul] which flies forth from it must appear before it for eight days (וְהַהִיא נֶפֶשׁ דְּפָרְחָא מִינָהּ אִצְטְרִיכָא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קַמֵּהּ לִתְמַנְיָא יוֹמִין), because it is the eighth level (כְּמָה דְּאִיהִי דַּרְגָּא תְּמִינָאָה). And then it is truly seen that it is a Nefesh Chayah [Living Soul] (וּכְדֵין אִתְחַזֵּי וַדַּאי דְּאִיהִי נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה), the Nefesh [Soul] of that holy Chayah [Living Being] (נֶפֶשׁ דְּהַהִיא חַיָּה קַדִּישָׁא), and not from the Sitra Achra [Other Side] (וְלָא מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא). And this is (וְדָא אִיהוּ): “Let the waters swarm” (יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם) (Genesis 1:20).

In the Book of Enoch it is recorded (בְּסִפְרָא דַּחֲנוֹךְ): the waters of the holy seed bear the imprint of the Nefesh Chayah [Living Soul] (יִתְרַשְׁמוּן מַיָּא דְּזַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, רְשִׁימוּ דְּנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה), and this imprint is the letter Yod (וְדָא רְשִׁימוּ דְּאוֹת יוּ״ד), which is impressed in the holy flesh more than all the other imprints in the world (דְּאִתְרְשִׁים בִּבְשָׂרָא קַדִּישָׁא מִכָּל שְׁאָר רְשׁוּמִין דְּעָלְמָא). “And a bird shall fly over the earth” (וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל הָאָרֶץ) (Genesis 1:20)—this is Eliyahu (דָּא אֵלִיָּהוּ), who flies throughout the entire world in four flights (דְּטָאס כָּל עָלְמָא בְּאַרְבַּע טָאסִין), to be there at that circumcision of the holy Covenant (לְמֶהֱוֵי תַּמָּן בְּהַהוּא גְּזִירוּ דִּקְיָימָא קַדִּישָׁא). And one must prepare a throne for him (וְאִצְטְרִיךְ לְתַקְּנָא לֵיהּ כּוּרְסַיָּיא), and mention with his mouth (וּלְאַדְכְּרָא בְּפוּמֵיהּ): “This is the throne of Eliyahu” (דָּא כֻּרְסְיָיא דְּאֵלִיָּהוּ). And if not (וְאִי לָאו), he does not dwell there (לָא שָׁאַרֵי תַּמָּן). “And Elohim created the Great Tanninim [Dragons]” (וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַתַּנִּינִים הַגְּדוֹלִים) (Genesis 1:21)—these are two (תְּרֵין אִלֵּין): Orlah [Foreskin] and Peri'ah [Uncovering] (עָרְלָה וּפְרִיעָה). The circumcision of Orlah [Foreskin] and Peri'ah [Uncovering] is afterward (גְּזִירוּ דְּעָרְלָה וּפְרִיעָה לְבָתַר), and they are male and female (וְאִנּוּן דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא). “And every living Nefesh [Soul] that creeps” (וְאֶת כָּל נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה הָרוֹמֶשֶׂת) (Genesis 1:21)—this is the imprint of the letter of the holy Covenant (דָּא רְשִׁימוּ דְּאוֹת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא), which is a holy Nefesh Chayah [Living Soul], as we have said (דְּאִיהִי נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה קַדִּישָׁא כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן). “Which the waters swarmed” (אֲשֶׁר שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם) (Genesis 1:21)—these are the supernal waters (מַיִין עִלָּאִין), which are drawn toward her through the letter of this imprint (דְּאִתְמָשְׁכוּ לְגַבָּהּ דְּאוֹת רְשִׁימוּ דָּא). And for this reason Yisrael are marked with a holy marking and are purified below (וּבְגִין דָּא אִתְרְשִׁימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְשִׁימוּ קַדִּישָׁא וְדַכְיוּ לְתַתָּא), in the manner of those holy markings (כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִנּוּן רְשִׁימִין קַדִּישִׁין), so as to distinguish between the holy side and the other defiled side (לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא בֵּין סְטַר קַדִּישָׁא לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא דִּמְסָאֲבוּ). So too Yisrael are marked, so as to distinguish between holiness and the nations who worship stars and constellations (אוּף יִשְׂרָאֵל רְשִׁימִין לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא בֵּין קִדּוּשָׁא, לְעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת), who come from the other defiled side, as it has been said (דְּאַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר). And just as He marked them (וּכְמָה דְּרָשִׁים לוֹן), so He marked their beasts and their birds (הָכִי רָשִׁים בְּעִירֵי וְעוֹפֵי דִּלְהוֹן), in contrast to the beasts and birds of the nations who worship stars and constellations (לִבְעִירֵי וְעוֹפֵי דְּעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת). Fortunate is the portion of Yisrael (זַכָּאָה חוּלַקְהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל).

The eighth commandment (פִּקּוּדָא תְּמִינָאָה) is to love the convert who comes to circumcise himself and to enter beneath the wings of the Shekhinta (לְמִרְחַם גִּיּוֹרָא עַל דְּעָאל לְמִגְזַר גַּרְמֵיהּ וּלְאָעֳלָא תַּחוֹת גַּדְפוֹי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא). And She brings beneath Her wings those who separate themselves from the other defiled side and draw near to Her (וְאִיהִי אָעִילָא לוֹן תַּחוֹת גַּדְפָהָא לְאִנּוּן דְּמִתְפָּרְשִׁין מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא מְסָאֳבָא וּמִתְקָרְבִין לְגַבָּהּ). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב): “Let the earth bring forth a living Nefesh [Soul] after its kind” (תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ) (Genesis 1:24). And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא) that this Nefesh Chayah [Living Soul], which is included within Yisrael, was prepared for everyone (דְּהַאי נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה דִּכְלִילָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְכֹלָּא הִיא אִזְדַּמְּנַת), he returns and says (הֲדַר וְאָמַר): “After its kind” (לְמִינָהּ). How many porticos and chambers (כַּמָּה אַכְּסַדְּרִין וְאִדְרִין), this within that (דָּא לְגוֹ מִן דָּא), does this Earth possess (אִית לָהּ לְהַאי אֶרֶץ), which is a Chayah [Living Being] beneath Her wings (דְּאִיהִי חַיָּה תַּחוֹת גַּדְפָהָא).