Daf 265b (דַּף רס״ה ע״ב)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), how much men must guard their ways (כַּמָּה אִית לְהוּ לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא אוֹרְחַיְיהוּ), so that they may labor in the service of their Master (בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתַּדְּלוּן בְּפֻלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן) and merit the life of the world to come (וְיִזְכּוּן לְחַיֵּי עָלְמִין). Beneath the throne of the holy King there are supernal dwellings (תְּחוֹת כּוּרְסְיָיא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, אִית מָדוֹרִין עִלָּאִין). And in that place of the throne, a mezuzah is bound (וּבְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּכוּרְסְיָּיא, מְזוּזָה אִתְקְשַׁר), to save from the many masters of judgment who are ready to arouse themselves against mankind in that world (לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא מִכַּמָּה מָארֵי דִּינִין, דִּזְמִינִין לְאַתְּעָרָא בְּהוּ בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא). In this likeness Kudsha Berikh Hu did for Yisrael (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), and gave them the commandments of the Orayta (וְיָהַב לְהוּ פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא), so that they might labor in it and be saved in this world from many masters of judgment, from many accusers who are ready against mankind every day (בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתַּדְּלוּן בָּהּ וְיִשְׁתֵּזְבוּן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, מִכַּמָּה מָארֵי דִּינִין, מִכַּמָּה מְקַטְרְגֵי, דְּאִזְדַּמְנוּן בְּהוּ בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא בְּכָל יוֹמָא).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר): He who wishes to guard his ways (הַאי מַאן דְּבָעֵי דְּיִסְתָּמַר אוֹרְחוֹי), let him not pour water of washing before the entrance (לָא יֶעְבַּר עַל מַיָּיא דְּאוֹשְׁדִין קַמֵּי פִּתְחָא). For there dwells a certain demon (בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן שָׁרִי חַד שִׁידָא), and he is between the two doorposts of the entrance, and his face is toward the doorway (וְהוּא בֵּין תְּרֵין דָּשִׁין דְּפִתְחָא, וְאַנְפּוֹי לָקֳבְלֵיהּ דְּפִתְחָא), and he gazes at all that is done in the house (וְאִסְתָּכֵי כָּל מַה דְּעַבְדִין בְּבֵיתָא). And a man should not desire to pour water between the two gates (וְלָא לִבְעֵי לֵיהּ לְאֱנוֹשׁ דְּיִשְׁדֵּי מַיָּיא בֵּין תְּרֵי תַּרְעֵי).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said (רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר): With clear water, we have no concern (מַיִין צְלִילָן לֵית לָן בָּהּ). And that is, provided he does not cause disgrace to them on the way (וְהוּא דְּלָא יוֹשִׁיט לוֹן אֹרַח קְלָנָא). What is the reason? Because he has permission to cause harm (מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין דְּאִית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְנַזְקָא). And not only this, but he turns his head toward the house, and whatever he sees, damage is attached (וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּיֶהְדַּר רֵישֵׁיהּ לָקֳבְלֵי בֵּיתָא, וּבְכָל מַה דְּאִסְתְּכַל אִתְלַטְּיָיא).

Three hundred and sixty-five, as the number of days of the year, he has ministers over whom he rules (תְּלַת מְאָה וְשִׁתִּין וְחָמֵשׁ, כְּחוּשְׁבָּן יְמֵי שַׁתָּא, אִית לֵיהּ שַׁמָּשִׁין, דְּהוּא שַׁלִּיט עָלַיְיהוּ). And all of them go out with a man, when he goes out from the doorway of his house (וְכֻלְּהוּ נָפְקִין עִם בַּר נָשׁ, כַּד נָפִק מִתַּרְעָא דְּבֵיתֵיהּ).

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): All of this Kudsha Berikh Hu desires, to guard Yisrael (כָּל דָּא בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְנַטְרָא לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). And He prepared His holy Name above (וְאַתְקִין שְׁמֵיהּ קַדִּישָׁא לְעֵילָּא), which is the Orayta (דְּאִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא). And the Orayta is all one holy Name (וְאוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא חַד שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִיהוּ). And whoever labors in the Orayta, labors in His Name (וּמַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אִשְׁתְּדַּל בִּשְׁמֵיהּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), a man must at the doorway of his house inscribe the holy Name (בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ בְּפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתָא לְרַשְׁמָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), which is the faith of all (דְּאִיהוּ מְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא). For in every place where the holy Name is found (דְּהָא בְּכָל אֲתָר דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִשְׁתְּכַח), evil forces are not found there, and they are not able to accuse that man (זִינִין בִּישִׁין לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי תַּמָּן, וְלָא יַכְלִין לְקַטְרְגָא לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ), as it is written: “No evil shall befall you…” (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב לֹא תְאוּנֶה אֵלֶיךָ רָעָה וְגוֹ׳) (Psalms 91). Mezuzah it is called (מְזוּזָא אקרי). The place of the doorway of the house below corresponds to the place of the doorway of the supernal House above (אֲתָר דְּפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתָא שַׁרְיָא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, אֲתָר דְּפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתָא עִלָּאָה שַׁרְיָא). It is called mezuzah (מְזוּזָא אִקְרֵי). For it is the perfection of the House and the doorway of the House (דְּהוּא תִּקּוּנָא דְּבֵיתָא, וּפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתָא). From that mezuzah, the masters of strict judgment flee away (מֵהַהִיא מְזוּזָה עַרְקִין מָארֵי נִימּוּסִין), and the masters of judgment are not found before it (מָארֵי דְּדִינִין קַמֵּיהּ לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין). And corresponding to this below, when a man affixes a mezuzah to the doorway of his house (וְקֳבֵל דָּא לְתַתָּא, כַּד בַּר נָשׁ אַתְקִין מְזוּזָה לְפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתָא), and this holy Name is inscribed in its letters (וְהַאי שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא רָשִׁים בְּאַתווֹי), that man is crowned with the crown of his Master (הַאי בַּר נָשׁ אִתְעֲטָּר בְּעִטְרוֹי דְּמָארֵיהּ). And no evil forces come near the doorway of his house, and they are not found there (וְלָא קְרָבִין לְפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתֵיהּ זִינִין בִּישִׁין, וְלָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי תַּמָּן).

Rabbi Abba was coming to see Rabbi Shimon (רִבִּי אַבָּא הֲוָה אָתֵי מִלְּמֵחמֵי לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן). Rabbi Yitzḥak met him (פָּגַע בֵּיהּ רִבִּי יִצְחָק). He said to him: From where do you come, master of light, man who is attached to the fire that consumes every day, behold the light dwells with him (אָמַר לֵיהּ מֵאָן אָתֵי, מָארֵיהּ דִּנְהוֹרָא, גְּבָר דְּאִתְדַּבָּק בְּנוּרָא דְּאַכְלָא כָּל יוֹמָא, הָא נְהוֹרָא עִמֵּיהּ שָׁרֵי). He said to him: We have learned, it is an obligation upon a man to greet the Shekhinah at every new moon and every Shabbat (אָמַר לֵיהּ, תָּנֵינָן דְּחִיּוּבָא עָלֵיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ, לְקַבְּלָא אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא, בְּכָל רֵישׁ יַרְחֵי וְשַׁבַּתֵּי). And who is it? His master (וּמַאן אִיהוּ. רַבֵּיהּ). How much more so the supernal Holy Luminary, before whom all the people of the world must come to greet His face (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בּוּצִינָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא, דְּכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא בָּעָאן לְקַבְּלָא אַנְפּוֹי). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: I will return with you, and I will greet the face of the Shekhinta, and taste of those supernal words which you taste before Him (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אַהֲדַרְנָא עִמָּךְ, וְאַקְבֵּל אַנְפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא, וְאַטְעַם מֵאִינּוּן מִלִּין עִלָּאִין, דְּאַטְעֲמַת קַמֵּיהּ).

Rabbi Abba opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר): “A Song of Ascents: Unto You I lift up my eyes, You who dwell in the heavens” (שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי הַיּוֹשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמַיִם) (Psalms 123). This song-it is not written who said it (שִׁיר דָּא, לָא כְּתִיב מַאן אָמָרוֹ). Rather, in every place that it is hidden, the Holy Spirit said it, regarding Yisrael in exile (אֶלָּא בְּכָל אֲתָר דְּאִיהוּ סָתִים, רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ אַמָרוֹ עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא). “You who dwell in the heavens”-it should have said “who dwells” (הַיּוֹשֵׁב מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). What is “who dwell”? (מַאי הַיּוֹשְׁבִי). Rather, we have established: whoever desires to pray his prayer before the holy King (אֶלָּא אוֹקִימְנָא, מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְצַלָּאָה צְלוֹתֵיהּ קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), must request from the depth of all (בָּעֵי לְמִבָּעֵי מֵעֲמִיקְתָא דְּכֹלָּא), to draw blessings below (לְאַרְקָא בִּרְכָאן לְתַתָּא). As it is written: “A Song of Ascents: Out of the depths I have called to You, Hashem” (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב, שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ יְיָ) (Psalms 130). And that extra yod is the depth of all (וְהַאי יו״ד יַתִּיר, עֲמִיקְתָא דְּכֹלָּא הִיא). And with this one must ask his request (וּבְהַאי בָּעֵי לְמִבָּעֵי בָּעוּתֵיהּ), to draw blessings into that place which is called “heavens” (לְאַרְקָא בִּרְכָאן לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם), to cause everything to flow from it (לְאַתְּזְנָא מִנֵּיהּ כֹּלָּא). And because of this: “who dwell in the heavens”-in the heavens literally (וְעַל דָּא הַיּוֹשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמַיִם, בַּשָּׁמַיִם מַמָּשׁ). For when blessings flow and are drawn from that place, the depth of all, and settle in that place called “heavens” (דְּכַד אִינּוּן בִּרְכָאן נְגִידוּ וְאִתְמְשָׁכוּ מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר עוּמְקָא דְּכֹלָּא, וְאִתְיַשְּׁבָן בַּאֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם), then blessings are found above and below (כְּדֵין בִּרְכָאן מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי). “As the eyes of servants unto the hand of their master” (כְעֵינֵי עֲבָדִים אֶל יַד אֲדוֹנֵיהֶם) (Psalms 123)-what is “as the eyes of servants”? (מַאי כְעֵינֵי עֲבָדִים). These are the great rulers of the nations (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן שְׁאַר רַבְרְבֵי עַמִּין), who are sustained only from the remainder-the waste of the tree to which Yisrael cleaves (דְּלָא אִתְּזָנוּ אֶלָּא מִשִּׁיּוּרַא נוֹפָא דְּאִילָנָא, דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְדַּבְּקֵי בֵּיהּ). And when Yisrael take blessings from that place, all are blessed from Yisrael (וְכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל נַטְלִין בִּרְכָאן מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר, כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְבָּרְכָן מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל).