Daf 107b (דַּף ק״ז ע״ב)

And afterward they strayed from the path of faith (וּלְבָתַר סָאטוּ מֵאוֹרְחָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), and they left the tree that is uniquely above all trees (וְשָׁבְקוּ אִילָנָא יְחִידָאָה עִלָּאָה מִכָּל אִילָנִין), and they came to cleave to the place that changes and turns from color to color (וְאָתוּ לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בַּאֲתַר דְּמִשְׁתַּנֵי וּמִתְהַפֵּךְ מִגַּוְונָא לְגַוְונָא), and from good to evil (וּמִטָב לְבִישׁ), and from evil to good (וּמִבִּישׁ לְטָב). And they descended from above to below (וְנַחְתּוּ מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא), and they cleaved below with many changes (וְאִתְדְּבָקוּ לְתַתָּא בְּשִׁנּוּיִין סַגִּיאִין), and they abandoned the Supernal One of all, who is One (וְשָׁבְקוּ עִלָּאָה דְּכֹלָּא, דְּהוּא חַד), and never changes forever (וְלָא אִשְׁתַּנֵּי לְעָלְמִין). This is what is written (הַדָּא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב): “That Elohim made man upright, but they sought many schemes” (אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם יָשָׁר וְהֵמָּה בִקְשׁוּ חִשְּׁבוֹנוֹת רַבִּים) (Ecclesiastes 7).

And they sought many schemes indeed (וְהֵמָּה בִקְשׁוּ חִשְּׁבוֹנוֹת רַבִּים וַדַּאי). Then their hearts turned within them to that very side (כְּדֵין אִתְהַפָּךְ לִבַּיְיהוּ בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא מַמָּשׁ), sometimes for good (זִמְנִין לְטָב), sometimes for evil (זִמְנִין לְבִישׁ), sometimes for mercy (זִמְנִין לְרַחֲמֵי), sometimes for judgment (זִמְנִין לְדִינָא). Like that word to which they surely cleaved (כְּהַהוּא מִלָּה דְּאִתְדְּבָקוּ בָּהּ וַדַּאי). And they sought many schemes (וְהֵמָּה בִקְשׁוּ חִשְּׁבוֹנוֹת רַבִּים), and they cleaved to them (וְאִתְדְּבָקוּ בְּהוּ).

Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): Adam (אָדָם), you left life (שַׁבְקָת חַיֵּי), and you cleaved to death (וְאִתְדַבְּקַת בְּמוֹתָא). Life (חַיֵּי), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “And the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden” (וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן), the tree that is called life (עֵץ דְּאִתְקְרֵי חַיִּים), that whoever holds fast to it (דְּמַאן דְּאָחִיד בֵּיהּ), shall never taste the taste of death forever (לָא טָעִים טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא לְעָלְמִין). And you cleaved to another tree (וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּאִילָנָא אָחֳרָא). Behold, surely this is death for you (הָא וַדַּאי מוֹתָא הוּא לָקֳבְלָךְ). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “Her feet go down to death” (רַגְלֶיהָ יוֹרְדוֹת מָוְת) (Proverbs 5), and it is written (וּכְתִיב): “And I find more bitter than death the woman” (וּמוֹצֶא אֲנִי מַר מִמָּוֶת אֶת הָאִשָּׁה) (Ecclesiastes 7). Surely he cleaved to the place of death (וַדַּאי בַּאֲתַר דְּמוֹתָא אִתְדְּבַק), and abandoned the place of life (וְשָׁבַק אֲתַר דְּחַיֵּי). Therefore death was decreed upon him and upon all the world (בְּגִין כָּךְ אִתְגְּזַר עָלֵיהּ וְעַל כָּל עָלְמָא מוֹתָא).

If he sinned, what did the whole world sin? (אִי הוּא חָטָא, כָּל עָלְמָא מַאי חָטְאוּ). If you say that all creatures came and ate from that tree, and therefore it befell all (אִי תֵּימָא דְּכָל בִּרְיָין אָתוּ וְאַכְלוּ מֵאִילָנָא דָּא, וְאִתְרְמֵי מִכֹּלָּא). It is not so (לָאו הָכִי), but at the time that Adam stood on his feet (אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָדָם קָאִים עַל רַגְלוֹי), all creatures saw him (חָמוּ לֵיהּ בִּרְיָין כֻּלְּהוּ), and they feared before him (וְדַחֲלוּ מִקַּמֵּיהּ), and they would follow after him (וַהֲווּ נַטְלִין בַּתְרֵיהּ), like servants before a king (כְּעַבְדִּין קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא). And he said to them (וְהוּא אָמַר לוֹן): I and you (אֲנָא וְאַתּוּן), Come, let us bow and kneel, let us bend before Hashem our Maker (בּוֹאוּ נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְנִכְרָעָה נִבְרְכָה לִפְנֵי יְיָ עוֹשֵׂנוּ) (Psalms 95), and all of them followed after him (וְכֻלְּהוּ אָתוּ בַּתְרֵיהּ). When they saw that Adam bowed to that place and cleaved to it (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמוּ דְּאָדָם סָגִיד לְהַאי אֲתַר, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בֵּיהּ), all of them were drawn after him (כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְמְשָׁכוּ אֲבַתְרֵיהּ), and he caused death for himself and for the whole world (וְגָרִים מוֹתָא לֵיהּ, וּלְכָל עָלְמָא).

Then Adam changed into many colors (כְּדֵין אִשְׁתַּנֵּי אָדָם לְכַמָּה גַּוְונִין), sometimes for good (זִמְנִין לְטָב), sometimes for evil (זִמְנִין לְבִישׁ). Sometimes wrath (זִמְנִין רוּגְזָא), sometimes calm (זִמְנִין נַיְיחָא). Sometimes judgment (זִמְנִין דִּינָא), sometimes mercy (וְזִמְנִין רַחֲמֵי). Sometimes life (זִמְנִין חַיֵּי), sometimes death (זִמְנִין מוֹתָא). And he did not stand constantly established in one of them (וְלָא קָאִים בְּקִיּוּמָא תָּדִיר בְּחַד מִנַּיְיהוּ), because that place caused it for him (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא אֲתַר גַּרְמָא לֵיהּ).

And concerning this it is called (וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי): the flaming sword which turns (לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת), from this side to that side (מִן סִטְרָא דָּא, לְסִטְרָא דָּא), from good to evil (מִן טַב לְבִישׁ), from mercy to judgment (מִן רַחֲמֵי לְדִינָא), from peace to war (מִן שָׁלוֹם לְקְרָבָא). It turns in all directions (אִתְהַפִּיכַת הִיא לְכֹלָּא). And it is called good and evil (וְאִקְרֵי טוֹב וָרָע), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): And from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat from it (וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ) (Bereshit 2). And the Supernal King (וּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה), having mercy upon the works of His hands (רַחֲמָא עַל עוֹבָדֵי יְדוֹי), admonished him (אוֹכַח לֵיהּ), and said to him (וְאָמַר לֵיהּ): And from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat from it (וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ) (Bereshit 2). And he did not accept from Him (וְהוּא לָא קַבִּיל מִנֵּיהּ), but was drawn after his wife (וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ בָּתַר אִתְּתֵיהּ), and was expelled forever (וְאִתְתָּרַךְ לְעָלְמִין). For the woman ascended to that place, and not beyond (דְּהָא אִתְּתָא לַאֲתַר דָּא סַלְּקָא, וְלָא יַתִּיר). And the woman caused death to all (וְאִתְּתָא גָּרִים מוֹתָא לְכֹלָּא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), for the world to come it is written (לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי כְּתִיב): For as the days of the tree shall be the days of My people (כִּי כִימֵי הָעֵץ יְמֵי עַמִּי) (Isaiah 65). “As the days of the tree” (כִימֵי הָעֵץ): this is that tree which is made known (הַהוּא עֵץ דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע). Concerning it, a time is written (בֵּיהּ זִמְנָא כְּתִיב): He will swallow up death forever, and Hashem Elohim will wipe away the tear from upon all faces (בִּלַע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח וּמָחָה יְיָ אֱלֹהִים דִּמְעָה מֵעַל כָּל פָּנִים) (Isaiah 25). Blessed is Hashem forever, amen and amen (בָּרוּךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן), Hashem shall reign forever, amen and amen (יִמְלוֹךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).