Daf 48a (דַּף מ״ח ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), what is written regarding Shlomo (2 Samuel 7) (מַה כְּתִיב בִּשְׁלֹמֹה): “And I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of man” (וְהוֹכַחְתִּיו בְּשֵׁבֶט אֲנָשִׁים וּבְנִגְעֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם). Who are the stripes of the sons of man? (מַאן נִגְעֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם) These are the destructive forces (אִלֵּין אִנּוּן מַזִּיקִין).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), at the time that they were created (בִּשְׁעָתָא דְּאִתְבְּרִיאָן), the day was sanctified (אִתְקַדַּשׁ יוֹמָא), and they remained a spirit without a body (וְאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ רוּחָא בְּלָא גוּפָא). And these are creatures that were not completed (וְאִלֵּין אִנּוּן בָּרְיָין דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּכְלָלוּ), [Some say: and they were not established] (ד״א: וְלֹא אִתְיַסְּדוּ), and from the left side (וּמִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא) they are the dregs of gold (אִנּוּן זוּהֲמָא דְּדַהֲבָא). And because they were not completed (וְעַל דָּא בְּגִין דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּכְלְלוּ), and they are blemished (וְאִנּוּן פְּגִימִין), the Holy Name does not dwell in them (שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא שַׁרְיָא בְּהוּ), and they are not bound to it (וְלָא אִתְדַּבְּקוּ בֵּיהּ). And their dread is from the Holy Name (וּדְחִילוּ דִּלְהוֹן מִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), and they tremble and fear before it (אִיהוּ וְזָעִין וְדַחֲלִין מִנֵּיהּ). And the Holy Name does not dwell in a blemished place (וּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא שַׁרְיָא בַּאֲתַר פָּגִים). And come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי), this human being who is blemished (הַאי בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִתְפְּגִים), who did not leave behind a son in this world (דְּלָא שָׁבַק בַּר בְּהַאי עָלְמָא): when he departs from this world (כַּד נָפַק מִנֵּיהּ), he is not bonded to the Holy Name (לָא אִתְדַּבָּק בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא); see above 13a (לעיל יג א). And they do not bring him into the curtain (וְלָא עָאלִין לֵיהּ בְּפַרְגּוֹדָא), because he is blemished and not perfected (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ פָּגִים וְלָא אִשְׁתְּלִים). And a tree that is uprooted requires planting another time (וְאִילָנָא דְּאִתְעַקֵּר בָּעְיָא נְטִיעָא זִמְנָא אָחֳרָא), because the Holy Name must be perfected on all sides (בְּגִין דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִשְׁתְּלִים בְּכָל סִטְרִין). And a blemish is never joined to it for eternity (וּפְגִימוֹ לָא אִתְדַּבָּק בֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין).

Come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי), these blemished creatures are from above and from below (הָנֵי בָּרְיָין פְּגִימִין אִנּוּן מֵעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא), and because of this, they do not cleave above and do not cleave below (וּבְגִינִי כָךְ לָא מִתְדַּבְּקָן לְעֵילָא וְלָא מִתְדַּבְּקָן לְתַתָּא). And these of whom it is written, “which Elohim created to do” (וְאִלֵּין דִּכְתִיב בְּהוּ אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת), were not completed above or below (דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ עֵילָא וְתַתָּא). And if you say, these are spirits-why then are they not [Some say: were completed] (ד״א: אִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ) above (אַמַּאי לָאו לְעֵילָא)? Rather, since they were not completed below in the earth (אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ לְתַתָּא בְּאַרְעָא), they were not completed above (לָא אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ לְעֵילָא). And all of them come from the side of the left (וְכֻלְהוּ מִסְּטַר שְׂמָאלָא קָא אַתְיָין), and they are hidden from the eyes of the sons of men (וּמִתְכַּסְיָין מֵעֵינָא דִּבְנֵי נְשָׁא), and they stand before them to accuse them (וְקָיְימֵי לְקִבְלַיְיהוּ לְאַבְאָשָׁא לוֹן). Three of them are like ministering angels (תְּלַת לוֹן כְּמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת), and three are like sons of men (וּתְלַת לוֹן כִּבְנֵי נְשָׁא). And this has already been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

After the spirits were created (בָּתַר דְּאִתְבְּרִיאוּ רוּחִין), [Some say: they were hidden] (ד״א: ל״ג אַטְמָרוּ), these spirits remained (אִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ אִנּוּן רוּחִין) around the churning of the female of the Great Deep (בָּתַר רֵחַיָּיא דְנוּקְבָא דִתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא), on the night of Shabbat and the day of Shabbat (לֵילְיָא דְשַׁבַּתָּא וְיוֹמָא דְשַׁבַּתָּא). Once the sanctity of the day departs (כֵּיוָן דְּנָפַק קְדוּשָׁתָא דְיוֹמָא), and they have not been completed (וְלָא אִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ), they emerge into the world (נָפְקוּ לְעָלְמָא) and roam in all directions (וְשָׁטָאן לְכָל סִטְרִין), and the world must be guarded from them (וּבָעְיָא עָלְמָא לְאִתְנַטְּרָא מִנַּיְיהוּ). For then the entire left side is aroused (דְּהָא כְּדֵין כָּל סְטַר שְׂמָאלָא אִתְעָר), and the fire of Gehinnom flames forth (וְאֶשָּׁא דְּגֵיהִנֹּם מְלַהֲטָא), and all those that go by way of the left side (וְכָל אִנּוּן דְּבִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא אָזְלִין) roam in the world (וְשָׁטָאן בְּעָלְמָא). And they seek to become clothed in a body (וּבָעָאן לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בְּגוּפָא), but they cannot (וְלָא יָכְלִין). Therefore, it is necessary to be protected from them (כְּדֵין בָּעֵינָא לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִנַּיְיהוּ), and they established the Song of Wounds (וְאַתְקִינוּ שִׁיר דִּפְגָעִים) at every hour that their dread dwells in the world (בְּכָל שַׁעֲתָא דִּדְחִילוּ דִלְהוֹן שַׁרְיָא בְּעָלְמָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), when the day is sanctified on the eve of Shabbat (כַּד אִתְקַדַּשׁ יוֹמָא בְּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבַּתָּא), the Sukkah of Peace descends and spreads over the world (סוּכַּת שָׁלוֹם שַׁרְיָא וְאִתְפְּרִיסַת בְּעָלְמָא). Who is the Sukkah of Peace? It is Shabbat (מָאן סוּכַּת שָׁלוֹם, דָּא שַׁבַּתָּא). And all spirits, whirlwinds, demons, and all forces of defilement (וְכָל רוּחִין וְעִלְעוּלִין וְשֵׁדִין וְכָל סִטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבֵי), all of them become hidden (כֻּלְהוּ טְמִירִין) and enter into the eye of the churning of the female of the Great Deep (וְעָאלִין בְּעֵינָא דְּרֵיחַיָּיא דְנוּקְבָא דִתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא). For once the holiness is aroused over the world (דְּהָא כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעַר קְדוּשָׁתָא עַל עָלְמָא), the impure spirit is not aroused with it (רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא לָא אִתְעַר בַּהֲדֵיהּ), and this flees from before that (וְדָא עָרִיק מִקַּמֵּיהּ דְּדָא). And then the world is under supernal protection (וּכְדֵין עָלְמָא בִּנְטִירוּ עִלָּאָה), and we do not need to pray for protection (וְלָא בָּעֵינָן לְצַלָּאָה עַל נְטִירוּ), such as “He who guards His people Yisrael forever, amen” (כְּגוֹן שׁוֹמֵר אֶת עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַד אָמֵן). For this is on a weekday (דְּהָא דָּא בְּיוֹמָא דְחוֹל), when the world requires guarding (אִתְתַּקַּן דְּעָלְמָא בָּעְיָא נְטִירוּ). But on Shabbat (אֲבָל בְּשַׁבָּת), the Sukkah of Peace spreads over the world (סוּכַּת שָׁלוֹם אִתְפְּרִיסָא עַל עָלְמָא), and it is protected on all sides (וְאִתְנְטִיר בְּכָל סִטְרִין). And even the guilty of Gehinnom are protected (וְאֲפִילּוּ חַיָּיבֵי גֵּיהִנֹּם נְטִירִין אִנּוּן), and all is found in peace above and below (וְכֹלָּא בִּשְׁלָמָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחָא עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין). And because of this, in the Kiddush of the day, we bless: “He who spreads the Sukkah of Peace over us, over all His people Yisrael, and over Jerusalem” (וּבְּגִין כָּךְ בְּקִדּוּשָׁא דְיוֹמָא מְבָרְכִינָן הַפּוֹרֵס סֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל עַמוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלָם). Why over Jerusalem? (אַמַּאי עַל יְרוּשָׁלָם), Because it is the chamber of that Sukkah (אֶלָּא דָא הִיא מְדוֹרָא דְהַהִיא סֻכָּה). And we must prepare for that Sukkah to be spread over us (וּבָעֵינָא לְזַמְּנָא לְהַהִיא סֻכָּה דְּאִתְפְּרָסַת עֲלָנָא), and to dwell among us (וּלְמֵשְׁרָא עִמָּנָא), and to be [Some say: a shield] (ד״א: מָגֵינָא) over us (וּלְמֶהֱוֵי עֲלָנָא), like a mother who rests over her children (כְּאִמָּא דְּשַׁרְיָיא עַל בְּנִין). And because of this, we do not fear from any direction (וּבְגִין דָא לָא דָּחֲלִין מִכָּל סִטְרִין), and therefore: “He who spreads the Sukkah of Peace over us” (וְעַל דָּא הַפּוֹרֵס סוּכַּת שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), at the moment when Yisrael bless and summon that Sukkah of Peace (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְבָרְכִין וּמְזַמְּנִין לְהַאי סֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם), the holy Ushpizin and say: “He who spreads the Sukkah of Peace…” (אוּשְׁפִּיזָא קַדִּישָׁא וְאָמְרֵי הַפּוֹרֵס סֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם), then the supernal holiness descends (כְּדֵין קְדוּשָׁתָא עִלָּאָה נָחֲתָא), and spreads her wings over them, over Yisrael (וּפְרִיסַת גַּדְפָהָא עֲלַיְיהוּ דְיִשְׂרָאֵל), and covers them like a mother over her children (וּמְכַסְיָא לוֹן כְּאִמָּא עַל בְּנִין). And all evil species are gathered away from the world (וְכָל זִינִין בִּישִׁין אִתְכַּנִּישׁוּ מֵעָלְמָא), and Yisrael sit beneath the holiness of their Master (וְיַתְבֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּחוֹת קְדוּשָׁתָא דְמָארֵיהוֹן). And then this Sukkah of Peace gives new neshamot to her children (וּכְדֵין דָּא סֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם יָהִיב נִשְׁמָתִין חַדְתִּין לִבְנָהָא). Why? (מַאי טַעֲמָא), Because within her dwell neshamot [Some say: for then is a time of Zivug, and she receives souls, and within her they dwell] ([ס״א: דְּכַדֵּין זְמַן זוּוּגָא וְנָטְלַת נִשְׁמָתִין וּבְהַּ שָׁרְיָין]). And from her they emerge (וּמִנֵּיהּ נָפְקִין). And once she dwells and spreads her wings over her children (וְכֵיוָן דְּשַׁרְיָא וּפְרִיסַת גַּדְפָהָא עַל בְּנָהָא), the drawing of new neshamot is extended to each and every one (אֲרִיקַת נִשְׁמָתִין חַדְתִּין לְכָל חַד וְחַד).