Daf 54a (דַּף נ״ד ע״א)

For this reason, a man should not take his water for handwashing from one who has not washed his hands (וְעַל דָּא לָא יִטּוֹל יְדוֹי בַּר נָשׁ מִמָּאן דְּלָא נָטִיל יְדוֹי), because he draws upon himself that impure spirit (בְּגִין דְּאַמְשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ הַהוּא רוּחַ מְסָאֳבָא), and the one who takes water from him receives it (וְקַבִּיל לֵיהּ הַאי דְּנָטַל מַיָּא מִנֵּיהּ), and it has permission to rest upon that man (וְאִית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְשַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ). For this reason, a man must protect himself from all sides against that wicked serpent (בְּגִין כָּךְ בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא בְּכָל סִטְרוֹי מִסִּטְרָא דְהַאי חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא), so that it not have dominion over him (דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט עֲלוֹי). And Kudsha Berikh Hu is prepared, in the world to come, to remove it from the world (וְזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי לְאַעֲבָרָא לֵיהּ מֵעָלְמָא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב), “And the spirit of impurity I will remove from the earth” (Zechariah 13) (וְאֶת רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה אַעֲבִיר מִן הָאָרֶץ). And likewise it is written (וְכָדֵין) (ד״א וְכְתִיב), “He will swallow up death forever…” (Yeshayahu 25) (בִּלַּע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח וְגו׳). And the Man knew Chavah, his wife, etc. (וְהָאָדָם יָדַע אֶת חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ וְגו׳).

Rabbi Abba opened and said (רַבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “Who knows the spirit of the sons of man-whether it ascends upward, and the spirit of the beast-whether it descends downward to the earth” (Kohelet 3) (מִי יוֹדֵעַ רוּחַ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם הָעוֹלָה הִיא לְמַעְלָה וְרוּחַ הַבְּהֵמָה הַיּוֹרֶדֶת הִיא לְמַטָּה לָאָרֶץ). This verse has many aspects (הַאי קְרָא כַּמָּה גְוָונִין אִית בֵּיהּ). And so it is with every utterance of the Orayta (וְהָכִי הוּא כָּל מִלּוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), many aspects in each and every one (כַּמָּה גְוָונִין בְּכָל חַד וְחַד), and all are fitting and so they are (וְכוּלְהוּ יָאוּת וְהָכִי אִנּוּן). And all of Orayta is explained in seventy faces (וְכָל אוֹרַיְּיתָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁא בְּשִׁבְעִין אַנְפִּין), corresponding to seventy aspects and seventy branches (לָקוּבֵיל שִׁבְעִין סִטְרִין וְשִׁבְעִין עַנְפִּין). And so it is with every word and word of Orayta (וְהָכִי הוּא בְּכָל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), and all that goes forth from every word, many aspects are explained from it in all directions (וְכָל מַה דְּנָפִיק מִכָּל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה כַּמָּה גְוָונִין אִתְפַּרְשָׁן מִנֵּיהּ לְכָל סִטְרִין).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), when a man walks in the path of truth (כַּד בַּר נָשׁ אָזִיל בְּאוֹרַח קְשׁוֹט), he walks to the right side (הוּא אָזִיל לִימִינָא), and draws upon himself the holy supernal spirit from above (וְאַמְשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה מֵעֵילָא). And this spirit rises in holy desire to be unified above and to cleave in the supernal holiness that never separates from it (וְהַאי רוּחַ סָלִיק בִּרְעוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא לְאִתְאַחֲדָא לְעֵילָא וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בִּקְדוּשָׁה עִלָּאָה דְּלָא אִתְעַדֵּי מִנֵּיהּ). But when a man walks in a wicked path and strays from his ways (וְכַד בַּר נָשׁ אָזִיל בְּאוֹרַח בִּישׁ וְסָטֵי אָרְחוֹי), he draws upon himself an impure spirit from the side of the left (הוּא אַמְשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ רוּחַ מְסָאֳבָא דְּלִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא), and it defiles him and becomes impure in him (וְסָאִיב לֵיהּ וְאִסְתָּאַב בֵּיהּ). As it is said (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), “Do not become defiled by them, and you shall be defiled by them” (Vayikra 11) (וְלֹא תִטַּמְּאוּ בָּהֶם וְנִטְמֵתֶם בָּם). He comes to be defiled-and they defile him (אֲתָא לְאִסְתָּאֲבָא מְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ).

And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי), at the time when a man walks in the path of truth (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ אָזִיל בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט) and draws upon himself a holy supernal spirit (וְאַמְשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה) and it cleaves to him (וְאִתְדַבִּיק בֵּיהּ), the child that he begets and brings into the world (בְּרָא דְיוֹלִיד וְיִפּוּק מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמָא), he draws upon him supernal holiness (הוּא מָשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ קְדוּשָׁה עִלָּאָה), and he shall be holy in the holiness of his Master (וִיהֵא קַדִּישׁ בִּקְדוּשָׁה דְמָארֵיהּ), as it is written (כְּמָה דִכְתִיב), “And you shall sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy” (Leviticus 20:7) (וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדוֹשִׁים). And when he walks on the left side (וְכַד אִיהוּ אָזִיל בִּסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא) and draws upon himself an impure spirit (וְאַמְשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא) and it cleaves to him (וְאִתְדְּבַק בֵּיהּ), the child that comes forth from him into the world (בְּרָא דְּיִפּוּק מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמָא), he draws upon him a spirit of impurity (הוּא אַמְשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ רוּחַ מְסָאֲבוּ) and he is defiled in the defilement of that side (וְיִסְתָּאַב בִּמְסָאֲבוּ דְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא). And for this reason it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב), “Who knows the spirit of the sons of man, whether it ascends upward” (Ecclesiastes 3:21) (מִי יוֹדֵעַ רוּחַ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם הָעוֹלָה הִיא לְמַעְלָה). When he is joined with the right side, it ascends above (כַּד אִיהוּ בְּאִתְדַּבְּקוּת יָמִינָא סָלְקָא הִיא לְעֵילָא), and when he is joined with the left side (וְכַד אִיהוּ בְּאִתְדַּבְּקוּת שְׂמָאלָא), that left side, which is an impure spirit (הַהוּא סְטַר שְׂמָאלָא דְּאִיהוּ רוּחַ מְסָאֲבוּ), descends from above to below (נָחִית מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא), and makes its dwelling within the man (וְשַׁוֵּי דִיּוּרֵיהּ בְּבַר נָשׁ), and does not depart from him (וְלָא אַעֲדֵי מִנֵּיהּ). And the child (and that which) is born in that impure spirit (וּבְרָא [ומה] דְאוֹלִיד בְּהַהוּא [רוּחַ] מְסָאֲבוּ), he is the son of that impure spirit (אִיהוּ הֲוֵי בְּרֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא רוּחַ מְסָאַב), he is that child (אִיהוּ הַהוּא בְּרָא).

Adam cleaved to that impure spirit (אָדָם אִתְדָּבַּק בְּהַהוּא רוּחַ מְסָאַב), and his wife cleaved to him first (וְאִתְּתֵיהּ אִתְדַּבְּקָא בֵּיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and she took and received that defilement from him (וְנַטְלַת וְקַבִּילַת הַהוּא זוּהֲמָא מִנֵּיהּ), and bore a son (אוֹלִיד בַּר). This son is a son of an impure spirit (הַאי בְּרָא בְּרָא דְרוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא אִיהוּ). And for this reason there were two sons (וְעַל דָּא תְּרֵין בְּנִין הֲווּ), one from that impure spirit (חַד מֵהַהוּא רוּחַ מְסָאָב), and one when Adam repented (וְחַד כַּד תָּב אָדָם בִּתְיוּבְתָּא). And therefore, this one is from the impure side (וּבְגִינֵי כָךְ הַאי מִסִּטְרָא מְסָאֳבָא), and this (other) one (וְדָא ד״א וְהַאי), is from the side of purity (מִסִּטְרָא דַכְיָיא).

Rabbi El'azar said (רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר), at the time when the serpent injected that defilement into Chavah (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַטִּיל נָחָשׁ הַהוּא זוּהֲמָא בָּהּ בְּחַוָּה), she received it (קַבִּילַת לֵיהּ), and when Adam cohabited with her (וְכַד אִשְׁתַּמַּשׁ עִמָּהּ אָדָם), she bore two sons (אוֹלִידַת תְּרֵין בְּנִין), one from that impure side (חַד מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא מְסָאֳבָא), and one from the side of Adam (וְחַד מִסִּטְרָא דְּאָדָם). And Hevel resembled the image of above (וְהֲוֵי דָּמֵי הֶבֶל בְּדִיוּקְנָא דִלְעֵילָא), and Kayin the image of below (וְקַיִּן בְּדִיוּקְנָא דִלְתַתָּא). And for this reason their ways separated from one another (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִתְפְּרָשׁוּ אָרְחַיְיהוּ דָּא מִן דָּא). Surely Kayin was the son of an impure spirit (וַדַּאי קַיִן בְּרָא דְרוּחַ מְסָאֳבָא הֲוָה), he is the wicked serpent (דְּאִיהוּ חִוְיָא בִישָׁא), and Hevel was the son of Adam (וְהֶבֶל בְּרָא דְּאָדָם הֲוָה). And because Kayin came from the side of the Angel of Death (וּבְגִין דְּקַיִן אֲתָא מִסִּטְרָא דְמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת), he killed his brother (קָטִיל לֵיהּ לְאֲחוּי), and he was of his own side (וְהוּא בְּסִטְרָא דִילֵיהּ), and from him all wicked chambers, destroyers, demons, and spirits came into the world (וּמִנֵּיהּ כָּל מְדוֹרִין בִּישִׁין וּמַזִיקִין וְשֵׁדִין וְרוּחִין אַתְיָין לְעָלְמָא).