Daf 186a (דַּף קפ״ו ע״א)

And there stands that appointed one of Gehinom to punish (וְתַמָּן קַיְּימָא הַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם לְאַסְטָאָה). Meritorious is he who is found innocent from judgment (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מַאן דְּזָכֵי מִן דִּינָא). And if not, that appointed one of Gehinom takes him (וְאִי לָאו הַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם נָטִיל לֵיהּ), at the moment he is handed into his hands (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמַסְרִין לֵיהּ בִּידוֹי), and hurls him from there downward (וּמִקְלַע לֵיהּ מִתַּמָּן לְתַתָּא), like one who hurls a stone in a sling (כְּמַאן דְּמִקְלַע אַבְנָא בְּקַרְטִיפָא). Some say: in a sling (נ״א: בְּקוֹסְפִיתָא). As it is written: “And the soul of your enemies He shall sling out, in the hollow of the sling…” (1 Samuel 25) (דִּכְתִיב, וְאֵת נֶפֶשׁ אוֹיְבֶיךָ יְקַלְעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ כַּף הַקָּלַע וְגוֹ'). And he casts him into Gehinom (וְשַׁדֵּי לֵיהּ לְגֵיהִנָּם), and he receives his punishment according to how he was judged (וְקַבִּיל עוֹנְשֵׁיהּ כְּפוּם מַה דְּאִתְדָּן).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): “And He showed me Yehoshua the high priest standing before the angel…” (Zechariah 3) (וַיַּרְאֵנִי אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי מַלְאַךְ וְגוֹ'), for they had brought him up for judgment in that Academy of the heavens (דְּסָלִיקוּ לֵיהּ לְדִינָא, גּוֹ הַהוּא מְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא), at the time when he departed from this world (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְפְּטָר מֵהַאי עָלְמָא). “Standing before the angel of Hashem” (עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי מַלְאַךְ יְיָ), this is that youth (דָּא הוּא הַהוּא נַעַר), the Head of the Academy (רֵישׁ מְתִיבְתָּא), who seals judgment upon all (דְּאִיהוּ חָתִיךְ דִּינָא עַל כֹּלָּא).

“And the Satan” - who is this Satan? (וְהַשָּׂטָן, מַאן וְהַשָּׂטָן). It is that appointed one (הַהוּא דִּמְמָנָא), over the souls in Gehinom (עַל נַפְשָׁתָא בְּגֵיהִנָּם), whose desire is to rule over him (דְּתִיאוּבְתֵּיה לְמֵיסַב לֵיהּ), and he ever stands and says: “Give! Give! Bring the guilty to Gehinom” (וְתָדִיר קַיְּימָא וְאָמַר הַב הַב, הָבוּ חַיָּיבִין לְגֵיהִנָּם). To accuse him, to recall his sins (לְשִׂטְנוֹ, לְאַדְכְּרָא חוֹבוֹי). Then it is written: “And Hashem said to the Satan, Hashem rebuke you, O Satan, Hashem rebuke you” (Zechariah 3) (כְּדֵין וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל הַשָּׂטָן, יִגְעַר בְּךָ הַשָּׂטָן, וְיִגְעַר ה' בְּךָ). Why two rebukes? (תְּרֵין גְּעָרוֹת אֲמַאי). Rather, one for Duma (אֶלָּא חַד לְדוּמָה), and one for that which goes forth from Gehinom, which always stands to punish (וְחַד, לְהַהוּא דְּנָפְקָא מִגֵּיהִנָּם, דְּקַיְּימָא תָּדִיר לְאַסְטָאָה).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): that higher Satan descends, as they have established (הַהוּא שָׂטָן עִלָּאָה נָחִית כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ), who is revealed in the likeness of an ox (דְּאַגְלִים בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּשׁוֹר). And all those evil spirits who are judged to be brought into Gehinom (וְכָל אִינּוּן רוּחִין בִּישִׁין, דְּאִתְּדָנוּ לְאַעֲלָא בַּגֵיהִנָּם), he licks them up in a single moment (לָחִיךְ לוֹן בְּרִגְעָא חֲדָא), and seizes them (וְחָטַף לוֹן), and descends and gives them over to Duma after he has swallowed them (וְנָחִית וְיָהַב לוֹן לְדוּמָה, לְבָתַר דְּבָלַע לוֹן). And this is what is written: “And Moav said to the elders of Midyan: now will this assembly lick up all that are around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field” (Numbers 22) (וְדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב, וַיֹּאמֶר מוֹאָב אֶל זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן, עַתָּה יְלַחֲכוּ הַקָּהָל אֶת כָּל סְבִיבוֹתֵינוּ כִּלְחוֹךְ הַשּׁוֹר). It is made known (דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע), that Ox who stands in evil over all the inhabitants of the world (הַשּׁוֹר דְּקַיְּימָא לְבִישׁ עַל כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). “The grass of the field” (אֵת יְרֶק הַשָּׂדֶה), these are the spirits of human beings (אִינּוּן רוּחִין דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), for they are the grass of the field (דְּאִינּוּן יֶרֶק הַשָּׂדֶה). “The field” - this is that field which is known (הַשָּׂדֶה, הַהוּא שָׂדֶה דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע).

Rabbi Yosi said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): if so, Balak was wise (אִי הָכִי, חַכִּים הֲוָה בָּלָק). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): indeed (וַדַּאי), and thus it was necessary for him to know all the ways of that Ox (וְהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְמִנְדַּע כָּל אָרְחוֹי דְּהַהוּא שׁוֹר), for if he did not know them (וְאִי לָא יַדְעֵי לְהוּ), he could not perform his sorceries and his enchantments (לָא יָכִיל לְמֶעְבַּד חֲרָשׁוֹי וְקִסְמוֹי). Rabbi Yosi said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): indeed it is so (וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא), and rightly have you spoken (וְיָאוּת אַמָרְת). And the strength of that Ox (וְתוּקְפֵּיהּ דְּהַהוּא שׁוֹר), is when proclamations are made over the produce (מִכִּי מַכְרִיזוּ עַל הַתְּבוּאָה). [Here is missing] (כָּאן חָסֵר), all those days when proclamations are made, and all those days when proclamations are made concerning the spirits of human beings (כָל אִינּוּן יוֹמִין דְּמַכְרִיזִין וְכָל יוֹמִין דְּמַכְרִיזֵי עַל רוּחֵיהוֹן דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא). And these are (וְאִינּוּן) the days of Nisan and the days of Tishrei (יוֹמֵי נִיסָן, וְיוֹמֵי תִּשְׁרֵי), and behold it has already been explained (וְהָא אִתְּמַר). p1-35

Rabbi Yitzḥak and Rabbi Yehudah were going on the way (רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּאוֹרְחָא). They came to that place, Kefar Sikhnin (מָטוּ לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דִּכְפַר סִכְנִין), where was Rabbi Ḥamnuna Sava (דְּהֲוָה תַּמָּן רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא). They lodged with his wife (אִתְאֲרָחוּ בְּאִתְּתָא דִּילֵיהּ), who had one small son (דְּהֲוָה לָהּ בְּרָא חֲדָא זְעֵירָא). And every day he was in the house of study (וְכָל יוֹמָא הֲוָה בְּבֵי סִפְרָא). That day he came up from the house of study (הַהוּא יוֹמָא סָלִיק מִבֵּי סִפְרָא), and he came to the house (וְאָתָא לְבֵיתָא). He saw those sages (חָמָא לוֹן לְאִלֵּין חַכִּימִין). His mother said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ אִמֵּיהּ): come near to these exalted men, and you will gain blessing from them (קָרִיב לְגַבֵּי אִלֵּין גּוּבְרִין עִלָּאִין, וְתִרְוַוח מִנַּיְיהוּ בִּרְכָאָן). He came near to them (קָרִיב לְגַבַּיְיהוּ), but before he approached, he turned backward (עַד לָא קָרִיב, אַהֲדָר לַאֲחוֹרָא). He said to his mother (אָמַר לֵיהּ לְאִמֵּיהּ): I do not want to come near to them (לָא בָּעֵינָא לְקָרְבָא לְגַבַּיְיהוּ). For this day they did not recite the Keri’at Shema (דְּהָא יוֹמָא דָּא לָא קָרוּ קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע). And thus they have taught me (וְהָכִי אוֹלְפֵי לִי): whoever does not recite the Keri’at Shema in its proper time (כָּל מַאן דְּלָא קָרֵי קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע בְּעוֹנָתֵיהּ), is in excommunication for that entire day (בְּנִדּוּי הוּא כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא). They heard him (שָׁמְעוּ אִינּוּן), and they marveled (וְתַוְּוהוּ), they raised their hands and blessed him (אָרִימוּ יְדַיְיהוּ וּבָרִיכוּ לֵיהּ). They said (אָמְרוּ): indeed, it is so (וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא). And this day we were occupied with a bridegroom and bride (וְיוֹמָא דָּא אִשְׁתָּדַּלְנָא בַּהֲדֵי חָתָן וְכַלָּה), who did not have what they needed (דְּלָא הֲוָה לוֹן צָרְכַיְיהוּ), and they were delayed from joining together (וַהֲווּ מִתְאַחֲרָן לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא), and there was no person to assist them (וְלָא הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא עָלַיְיהוּ), and we assisted them (וַאֲנָן אִשְׁתָּדַּלְּנָא בְּהוּ), and we did not recite the Keri’at Shema in its proper time (וְלָא קָרֵינָן קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע בְּעוֹנָתֵיהּ), and whoever is occupied with one mitzvah is exempt from another mitzvah (וּמַאן דְּאִתְעַסָּק בַּמִּצְוָה, פָּטוּר מִן הַמִצְוָה). They said to him (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ): my son, how did you know? (בְּרִי, בְּמָה יַדְעַת). He said to them (אָמַר לֵיהּ): by the fragrance of your garments I knew, when I came near to you (בְּרֵיחָא דִּלְבוּשַׁיְיכוּ יְדַעְנָא, כַּד קָרִיבְנָא לְגַבַּיְיכוּ). They marveled (תַּוְוהוּ). They sat (יָתְבוּ), they lifted their hands and broke bread (נַטְלוּ יְדַיְיהוּ וְכָרִיכוּ רִפְתָא).

Rabbi Yehudah’s hands were dirty (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה הֲווֹ יְדוֹי מְלוּכְלְכָן), and he washed his hands, but blessed before washing (וְנָטִיל יְדוֹי, וּבָרִיךְ עַד לָא נָטִיל). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): if you were disciples of Rabbi Shma’yah the pious (אִי תַּלְמִידֵי דְּרַב שְׁמַעְיָה חֲסִידָא אַתּוּן), you would not bless with defiled hands (לָא הֲוָה לְכוּ לְבָרְכָא בְּיָדַיִם מְזוּהֲמוֹת). And whoever blesses with defiled hands is liable to death (וּמַאן דְּבָרִיךְ בְּיָדַיִם מְזוּהֲמוֹת, חַיָּיב מִיתָה).

That child opened and said (פָּתַח הַהוּא יַנּוּקָא וְאָמַר): “When they come into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, and they shall not die…” (Exodus 30) ((שמות ל) בְּבֹאָם אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד יִרְחֲצוּ מַיִם וְלֹא יָמוּתוּ וְגוֹ'). From this verse we learn (יַלְפֵינָן מֵהַאי קְרָא), that whoever does not take heed to this (דְּמַאן דְּלָא חָיִישׁ לְהַאי), and appears before the King with defiled hands (וְיִתְחֲזֵי קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא בִּידִין מְזוּהֲמָן), is liable to death (חַיָּיב מִיתָא). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because the hands of a person are set in the height of the world (בְּגִין דִּידוֹי דְּבַּר נָשׁ יַתְבִין בְּרוּמוּ שֶׁל עוֹלָם). One finger there is in the hand of a person (אֶצְבְּעָא חֲדָא אִית בִּידָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ), and it is the finger with which Moshe pointed (וְאִיהוּ אֶצְבְּעָא דְּאָרָמָא מֹשֶׁה).