Daf 125a (דַּף קכ״ה ע״א)

And if you should say, the wives of Yisrael were worthy (וְאִי תֵּימָא נְשֵׁיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל יָאוּת), they-why is that so? (אִינּוּן אֲמַאי). Rather, they too were required (אֶלָּא אוּף אִינּוּן בַּעְיָין), that they should not become defiled with the women of Egypt (דְּלָא אִסְתַּאֲבוּ בִּנְשֵׁיהוֹן דְּמִצְרָאֵי). And the women of Yisrael were not defiled in Egypt (וּנְשֵׁיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא אִסְתַּאֲבוּ בְּמִצְרָאֵי), all those years that they were among them (כָּל אִינּוּן שְׁנִין דַּהֲווֹ בֵּינַיְיהוּ), and all of them gave birth to meritorious males and females (וְכֻלְּהוּ נָפְקוּ גּוּבְרִין וְנוּקְבִין זַכָּאִין), and the seed of Yisrael was found to be holy and meritorious (וְאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ זַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל קַדִּישִׁין זַכָּאִין).

Then Kudsha Berikh Hu made His Name dwell among them (כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַשְׁרֵי שְׁמֵיהּ בֵּינַיְיהוּ), and because of this, upon the water certainly (וְעַל דָּא עַל מַיָּא וַדַּאי), “There He placed for them statute and judgment, and there He tested them” (שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט וְשָׁם נִסָּהוּ) (Exodus 15). Also here, with water the Kohen tests the woman (אוּף הָכָא בְּמַיָּא בָּדִיק כַּהֲנָא לְאִתְּתָא), and with the Holy Name (וּבִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). “and from the dust that shall be in the floor of the Mishkan” (וּמִן הֶעָפָר אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בְּקַרְקַע הַמִּשְׁכָּן). What is the dust? (מַאן הֶעָפָר). Behold, we have learned (הָא תָּנֵינָן), it is written (Ecclesiastes 3) “all came from the dust and all return to the dust” (כְּתִיב הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר וְהַכֹּל שָׁב אֶל הֶעָפָר). “All came from the dust” (הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר), Even the sphere of the sun. (אֲפִלּוּ גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה), how much more so the human who is found from it (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ מִנֵּיהּ).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי), had it been written only “from the dust” and nothing more (אִלּוּ כְּתִיב וּמִן הֶעָפָר וְלָא יַתִּיר), I would have said thus (הֲוִינָא אָמַר הָכִי). But since it is written “from the dust that shall be in the floor of the Mishkan” (אֲבָל כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִּיב וּמִן הֶעָפָר אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בְּקַרְקַע הַמִּשְׁכָּן), it implies that it is another thing (מַשְׁמַע דְּאַחֲרָא הוּא). But it is written (ישעיה מא) “He gives his sword like dust” (יִתֵּן כֶּעָפָר חַרְבּוֹ), these are masters of catapults and ballistae (אִלֵּין מָארֵיהוֹן דְּקִיסְטִין וּבַלִיסְטְרָאִין), masters of harsh judgment (מָארֵי דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא).

Thus the meaning of “in the floor of the Mishkan” is that they are grasped below (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִּיב בְּקַרְקַע הַמִּשְׁכָּן דַּאֲחִידָן לְתַתָּא). And for this, “the Kohen shall take and put into the waters” (וְעַל דָּא יִקַּח הַכֹּהֵן וְנָתַן אֶל הַמָּיִם). “The bitter, cursing waters” (מֵי הַמָּרִים הַמְאָרְרִים), these are the waters of the sea (אִלֵּין מֵי יַמָּא), for they are bitter (דְּאִינּוּן מְרִירִין). What is this? (מַאי הוּא). This is the Holy Name (דָּא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), when it is found in judgment (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בְּדִינָא), then they are called “the bitter, cursing waters” (כְּדֵין אִקְרוּן מֵי הַמָּרִים הַמְאָרְרִים). And therefore, the waters of the sea below are all bitter (וּבְגִין כָּךְ מַיָּא דְּיַמָּא דִּלְתַּתָּא כֻּלְּהוֹן מְרִירִין).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), this Holy Sea (הַאי יַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא), how many sweet rivers enter into it (כַּמָּה נַהֲרִין מְתִיקִין עָאלִין בְּגַוָּוהּ), and because it is the judgment of the world (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהִי דִּינָא דְעָלְמָא), its waters are bitter (מֵימוֹי מְרִירָן), because death is grasped within it for all the inhabitants of the world (בְּגִין דְּאָחִיד בָּהּ מוֹתָא לְכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). And even though they are bitter (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינּוּן מְרִירָן), when they are extended, they are sweet (כַּד מִתְפַּשְּׁטִין מְתִיקִין אִינּוּן). Sometimes the waters of the sea are bitter (לְזִמְנִין מַיִין דְּיַמָּא מְרִירָן). Sometimes the sea swallows all the other waters (לְזִמְנִין יַמָּא דְּבָלַע לְכָל שְׁאָר מֵימִין), and it is called the Frozen Sea (וְאִקְרֵי יַמָּא דְּקָפָא), and it swallows all those others (וּבָלַע כָּל אִינּוּן אַחֲרָנִין), and absorbs them into itself (וְשָׁאִיב לוֹן בְּגַוִיהּ), and they do not flow out (וְלָא נִיגָרִין לְבַר). Sometimes it releases the waters (לְזִמְנִין שָׁאַרָן מַיָּא), and they flow out from that sea (וְנַגְדִין מֵהַהוּא יַמָּא), all that flows to the lower realms (כָּל מַה דְּנָגִיד לְתַתָּאֵי). And in many forms this sea exists (וּבְכַמָּה גְּוָונִין קַיְּימָא הַאי יַמָּא). The bitter waters (הַמַּיִם הַמְאָרְרִים), at the time the serpent comes and casts filth (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָתֵי חִיוְיָא וְאָטִיל זוּהֲמָא), then they are the bitter waters (כְּדֵין הַמַּיִם הַמְאָרְרִים). And for this the Kohen performs the act below (וְעַל דָּא כַּהֲנָא עָבִיד עוֹבָדָא לְתַתָּא), and pronounces the declaration (וְאוֹמֵי אוֹמָאָה), and judgment is enacted (וְאִתְעָבִיד דִּינָא).