Daf 234b (דַּף רל״ד ע״ב)

And in the first connection, Ra‘aya Meheimna said (וּבְחִבּוּרָא קַדְמָאָה, אָמַר רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא), surely thus it is, that the liver is the level of Esav (ודַּאי הָכִי הוּא, דְּכָבֵד אִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא דְּעֵשָׂו). Esav is Edom (עֵשָׂו הוּא אֱדוֹם). He gathers all the bloods, both clear and murky (הוּא כָּנִישׁ כָּל דָּמִין, בֵּין צְלוּלִין, בֵּין עֲכוּרִין). And he does not distinguish between good and evil (וְלֹא אַבְחִין בֵּין טַב לְבִישׁ).He makes no separation between them (לָא עָבִיד אַפְרָשׁוּתָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ). The heart is Yisrael (לִבָּא אִיהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל), which distinguishes between good and evil (דְּאַבְחִין בֵּין טַב לְבִישׁ), between impure blood and pure blood (בֵּין דָּם טָמֵא לְדָם טָהוֹר), and takes only the clarity and purity of that blood (וְלָא נָטִיל אֶלָּא בְּרִירוּ וְנַקְיוּ דְּהַהוּא דָּמָא), like one who selects food from refuse (כְּבוֹרֵר אוֹכֶל מִגּוֹ פְּסוֹלֶת). And after the heart, which is Ya‘akov, takes the clarity of the bloods (וּלְבָתַר דְּנָטִיל לִבָּא, דְּאִיהוּ יַעֲקֹב, בְּרִירוּתָא דְּדָמִים), which is above (דְּאִיהוּ לְעֵילָּא), the liver, which is Esav, remains in the refuse (וְאִשְׁתְאַר כָּבֵד דְּאִיהוּ עֵשָׂו בִּפְּסוֹלֶת).

It becomes angry through the gall (אִיהוּ כָּעִיס עָלֵיהּ בְּמָרָה), which is Gehinnom (דְּאִיהִי גֵּיהִנָּם), which was created on the second day (דְּאִתְבְּרִיאַת בְּיוֹמָא תִּנְיָינָא), the death of the great ones (מוֹתָא דְּרַבְרְבֵי), and it is the evil female (וְאִיהִי נוּקְבָא בִּישָׁא), strange fire (אֵשׁ זָרָה), hard labor (עֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה)—we call it avodah zarah [foreign worship] (עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה קָרֵינָן לָהּ). And because anger is aroused in the liver from it (וּבְגִין דְּמִינָהּ אִתְעַר כַּעַס לְכָבֵד), the Rabbis established in the Mishnah (אוֹקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן בְּמַתְנִיתִין): “Whoever becomes angry, it is as if he worships avodah zarah [foreign worship]” (כָּל הַכּוֹעֵס כְּאִילּוּ עוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה). And not only this (וְלֹא עוֹד), but there is no burning or heat in all the illnesses of the limbs of the body except from gall (אֶלָּא דְּלֵית שְׂרֵיפָה וַחֲמִימוּת בְּכָל מַרְעִין דְּאֵבָרִין דְּגוּפָא, אֶלָּא מִמָּרָה). For it kindles in flames upon the arteries of the liver (דְּאִיהִי אַדְלִיקָת בְּשַׁלְהוֹבִין עַל עַרְקִין דְּכָבֵד), and seeks to burn the whole body (וּבָעֵי לְאוֹקְדָא כָּל גּוּפָא).

And it is like the sea (וְאִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְּיַמָּא): when it is angry (כַּד אִיהוּ כָּעִיס), the waves of the sea rise up to the firmament (דְּגַלֵּי יַמָּא סַלְּקִין עַד רְקִיעָא), and seek to go out from their boundaries (וּבָעוּ לְנָפְקָא מִגְּבוּלַיְיהוּ), to break the world (לְתַבְרָא עָלְמָא). [Some say: to destroy the world] (ס״א: לְחַרְבָּא עָלְמָא). Were it not for the Shekhinta (אִי לָאו שְׁכִינְתָּא), who is to the sick person as the sand that surrounds the sea (דְּאִיהִי לַחוֹלֶה כְּחוֹל דְּאַסְחַר לְיַמָּא), so that it does not go forth from its mouth (דְּלָא נַפְקַת מִפּוּמָהָא), so too the Shekhinta surrounds the body (אוּף הָכִי שְׁכִינְתָּא אַסְחַרַת לְגוּפָא), and supports it (וְסָמִיךְ לֵיהּ), as it is said: “Hashem will support him upon the bed of illness” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, יְיָ יִסְעָדֶנּוּ עַל עֶרֶשׂ דְּוָי) (Psalms 41). And because of this, the masters of the Mishnah established (וּבְגִין דָּא אוּקְמוּהָ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין): One who visits the sick person must not sit at his head (הַמְּבַקֵּר אֶת הַחוֹלֶה, לָא לֵיתִיב לְמֵרַאֲשׁוֹתָיו), because the Shekhinta is at his head (מִשּׁוּם דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ); nor at his feet (וְלָא לְרַגְלוֹי), because the Angel of Death is at his feet (דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת לְרַגְלוֹי).

This is not for every person (הַאי לָאו לְכָל בַּר נָשׁ), but for the intermediate one (אֶלָּא לַבֵּינוֹנִי). But for the completely righteous one (אֲבָל לַצַּדִיק גָּמוּר): “Hashem will support him upon the bed of illness” (יְיָ יִסְעָדֶנּוּ עַל עֶרֶשׂ דְּוָי) (Psalms 41), at his head (עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ). And the Shekhinta surrounds his body until his feet (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אַסְחַר גּוּפֵיהּ, עַד רַגְלוֹי). And because of this it is said of Ya‘akov (וּבְגִין דָּא אִתְּמַר בְּיַעֲקֹב): “And he gathered his feet into the bed” (וַיֶּאֱסֹף רַגְלָיו אֶל הַמִּטָּה) (Genesis 49). And this is the Shekhinta [Divine Presence] of which it is said (וְדָא שְׁכִינְתָּא דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ): “And the earth is My footstool” (וְהָאָרֶץ הֲדוֹם רַגְלָי) (Isaiah 66).

But concerning the completely wicked one (לְרָשָׁע גָּמוּר), the Angel of Death surrounds him on every side (מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אַסְחַר לֵיהּ בְּכָל סִטְרָא). And this is the yetzer hara [evil inclination] (וְדָא יֵצֶר הָרָע), for the Angel of Death surrounds him on every side (דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אַסְחַר לֵיהּ בְּכָל סִטְרָא), with his sword (חַרְבָא דִּילֵיהּ); his face turns green (דְּפָנָיו מוֹרִיקוֹת) from one drop (בְּטִפָה חֲדָא) of those three drops (מֵאִינּוּן ג׳ טִפּוֹת) that he casts into him (דְּזָרִיק בֵּיהּ). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “And her end is bitter as wormwood” (וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָה כַלַּעֲנָה) (Proverbs 5). The liver—this is male (כָּבֵד דָּא דְּכוּרָא); the lobe of the liver is female (יוֹתֶרֶת הַכָּבֵד נוּקְבָא). Until here (עַד כָּאן).

The stomach is one level of the sixty of death (קֵיבָה, אִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא חַד מִשִּׁתִּין דְּמוֹתָא). And this is called deep sleep (וְדָא אִתְקְרֵי תַּרְדֵמָה). Astirah is the sixth level of the Angel of Death (עֲסְטִירְאָה, דַּרְגָּא שְׁתִיתָאָה דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת). [Some say: Asirta] (נ״א: עסירטא). And because it comes from afar (וּמִגּוֹ דְּאָתֵי מֵרָחִיק), it is from the side of death (אִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְּמוֹתָא), but it is not death (וְלָאו מוֹתָא). It is a hint (רַמְזָא): one of the sixty of death (חַד מִשִּׁתִּין דְּמוֹתָא).

Ra‘aya Meheimna

Ra‘aya Meheimna said (אָמַר רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא), after the body is from the Tree of Good and Evil, there is no limb in the body that does not have in it the evil inclination and the good inclination, for the intermediates (בָּתַר דְּגוּפָא אִיהוּ מֵאִילָנָא דְּטוֹב וָרָע, לֵית אֵבֶר בְּגוּפָא, דְּלָא אִית בֵּיהּ יֵצֶר הָרָע וְיֵצֶר טוֹב, לַבֵּינוֹנִיִּים). But for the perfectly righteous, the two inclinations, male and female, are both good, like the likeness of groom and bride (וְלַצַּדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים, תְּרֵין יְצִירוֹת, דְּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָא, תַּרְוַויְיהוּ טוֹבִים. כְּגַוְונָא דְּחָתָן וְכַלָּה). For the completely wicked, the two inclinations are evil, male and female, in every limb, from the side of Samael and the serpent (לָרְשָׁעִים גְּמוּרִים, תְּרֵין יְצִירוֹת בִּישִׁין, דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא, בְּכָל אֵבֶר וְאֵבֶר, מִסִּטְרָא דְּסָמָאֵל וְנָחָשׁ). And because of this, from the side of the Tree of Good and Evil, the stomach has two levels (וּבְגִין דָּא מִסִּטְרָא דְּאִילָנָא דְּטוֹב וָרָע, קֵיבָה אִית בָּהּ תְּרֵין דַּרְגִּין).

For thus the Sages established: the stomach sleeps, and there is sleep, one of sixty in death (דְּהָכִי אוֹקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן, קֵיבָה יָשֵׁן. וְאִית שֵׁינָה, אַחַת מִשִּׁתִּין בְּמוֹתָא). And sleep, one of sixty in prophecy (וְשֵׁינָה, אַחַת מִשִּׁתִּין בַּנְּבוּאָה). And because of this the Sages, masters of the Academy, established: “The dreams speak lies” (Zechariah 10) (וּבְגִין דָּא אוֹקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן מָארֵי מְתִיבְתָא, הַחֲלוֹמוֹת שָׁוְא יְדַבֵּרוּ). And it is written: “In a dream I will speak with him” (Numbers 12) (וְהָכְתִיב, בַּחֲלוֹם אֲדַבֶּר בּוֹ). It is not difficult: here by the hand of a demon, here by the hand of an angel (לָא קַשְׁיָא, כָּאן עַל יְדֵי שֵׁד. כָּאן עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ). A dream by the hand of an angel is one of sixty in prophecy (חֲלוֹם עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ, חַד מִשִּׁתִּין בַּנְּבוּאָה). A dream by the hand of a demon is false, from the side of death (חֲלוֹם עַל יְדֵי שֵׁד, אִיהוּ שָׁוְא, מִסִּטְרָא דְּמוֹתָא). And it is straw, for thus they established: just as it is impossible for grain without straw, so it is impossible for a dream without idle things (וְאִיהוּ תֶּבֶן, דְּהָכִי אוֹקְמוּהָ, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבַר בְּלֹא תֶּבֶן, כַּךְ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לַחֲלוֹם בְּלֹא דְּבָרִים בְּטֵלִים).

The stomach—this is: “the gizzard is peeled” (אִצְטוֹמְכָא דָּא קֻרְקְבָן נִקְלָף) (Chullin 44b). And the Rabbis established (וְאוֹקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן): “The gizzard grinds” (קוּרְקְבָן טוֹחֵן) (Berakhot 61b), for it takes all (דְּאִיהוּ נָטִיל כֹּלָּא), and crushes (וְשׁוֹחֵק), and sends it to all the limbs (וּמְשַׁדֵּר לְכָל אֵבָרִין).If the limbs are without sins (אִי אֵבָרִין בְּלָא חוֹבִין), it is in the manner that the Rabbis established (כְּגַוְונָא דְּאוֹקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן): there are matters that delay the offering (דְּאִית מִלִּין דִּמְעַכְּבִין יַת קָרְבְּנָא), so that it does not descend to receive it (דְּלָא נָחִית לְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ), that which Kudsha Berikh Hu sends to receive His gift (הַהוּא דְּשָׁדַּר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְקַבְּלָא דּוֹרוֹנָא דִּילֵיהּ). And there are offerings that Kudsha Berikh Hu receives by means of a lion (דְּאִית דִּמְקַבֵּל לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל יְדֵי אַרְיֵה), of which it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ): “And the face of a lion was on the right side for the four of them” (וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה אֶל הַיָּמִין לְאַרְבַּעְתָן) (Ezekiel 1). And Kudsha Berikh Hu [the Holy One, blessed be He] rides upon it (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָכִיב עָלֵיהּ), and descends through it (וְנָחִית בֵּיהּ), to receive that gift (לְקַבְּלָא הַהוּא דּוֹרוֹנָא). And there is a gift that He receives by means of the ox (וְאִית דּוֹרוֹנָא דִּמְקַבֵּל לֵיהּ עַל יְדֵי שׁוֹר), of which it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ): “And the face of an ox was on the left side for the four of them” (וּפְנֵי שׁוֹר מֵהַשְּׂמֹאֹל לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן) (Ezekiel 1). And there is a gift that He receives by means of the eagle (וְאִית דּוֹרוֹנָא, דִּמְקַבֵּל עַל יְדֵי דְּנֶשֶׁר), of which it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ): “And the face of an eagle was for the four of them” (וּפְנֵי נֶשֶׁר לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן) (Ezekiel 1). These are two turtledoves or two young pigeons (דְּאִינּוּן שְׁתֵּי תּוֹרִים, אוֹ שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי יוֹנָה). And there is a gift that He receives by means of man (וְאִית דּוֹרוֹנָא, דִּמְקַבֵּל לֵיהּ עַל יְדֵי דְּאָדָם), of whom it is written (דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ): “When a man of you brings an offering to Hashem” (אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַיְיָ) (Leviticus 1).

In the likeness of that of which it is said (בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּהַהוּא דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ): “And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man” (וּדְמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם פְּנֵי אָדָם) (Ezekiel 1). Yod–Heh–Vav–Heh descends upon them (יְדוָֹ״ד נָחִית עָלַיְיהוּ), to receive the gift (לְקַבְּלָא דּוֹרוֹנָא). And there are natural Chayot [living creatures] (וְאִית חֵיוָן טִבְעִיוֹת), appointed over bodies (מְמָנָן עַל גּוּפִין), which are from the four elements (דְּאִינּוּן מֵאַרְבַּע יְסוֹדִין), and they are pure (וְאִינּוּן דַּכְיָין). And opposite them are four predatory Chayot [living creatures], which are impure (וְלָקֳבְלַיְיהוּ אַרְבַּע חֵיוָן דּוֹרְסִין, מִסְאֲבִין). [Some say: angels appointed over the four gall fluids] (נ״א: מַלְאָכִין מְמַנַּן עַל ד׳ מְרִירָן). These are (דְּאִינּוּן): white gall (מָרָה חִוָּורָא), red gall (מָרָה סוּמָקָא), green gall (מָרָה יְרוֹקָא), and black gall (מָרָה אוּכָמָא).

And there are intellectual Chayot [living creatures] (וְאִית חֵיוָן שִׂכְלִיוֹת), which surround the throne (דְּסָחֲרִין לְכֻרְסְיָיא). And there are those above them (וְאִית לְעֵילָּא מִנַּיְיהוּ), higher than them (וּגְבוֹהִים עֲלֵיהֶם), and these are divine Chayot [living creatures], from the side of holiness (וְאִינּוּן חֵיוָן אֱלָהִיּוֹת, מִסִּטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה). And there are Chayot [living creatures] of the Sitra achra [Other Side] (וְאִית חֵיוָן דְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא), and they are called other gods (וְאִתְקְרִיאוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים). And the divine beings of holiness are Elohim Ḥayyim [living God] (וְאֱלָהִיּוֹת דְּקוּדְשָׁא, אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים). And these divine beings of holiness are called Elohei ha-Elohiyyot [God of the divine beings] (וְאִלֵּין אֱלָהִיּוֹת דִּקְדוּשָּׁה, אִתְקְרִיאוּ אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלָהִיּוֹת), and Illat al Kolla [Cause above all] (וְעִלַּת עַל כֹּלָּא): “El Adon [God, Master] over all works” (אֵל אָדוֹן עַל כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים) (Avodat El). And every kind goes to its own kind (וְכָל זִינָא אָזִיל לְזִינֵיהּ). And because there are other gods (וּבְגִין דְּאִית אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים), it is said concerning them (אָמַר עָלַיְיהוּ): “He who sacrifices to gods shall be destroyed, except to Hashem alone” (זוֹבֵחַ לָאֱלֹהִים יָחֳרָם בִּלְתִּי לַיְדוָֹ״ד לְבַדּוֹ) (Exodus 22), so that Elohim Ḥayyim [living God] not be mingled with other gods (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְעָרֵב אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים עִם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים). [Some say: and in the first union] (ס״א: וּבְחִבּוּרָא קַדְמָאָה). Until here (עַד כָּאן).