Daf 126b (דַּף קכ״ו ע״ב)

He said to him: But behold, it is written, “And he did not go as at other times to seek enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness” (אָמַר לֵיהּ וְהָא כְּתִיב וְלא הָלַךְ כְּפַעַם בְּפַעַם לִקְרַאת נְחָשִׁים וַיָּשֶׁת אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר פָּנָיו). He said to him: A lower side, which comes from the impure spirit above-this is the impure spirit that rules in the wilderness (אָמַר לֵיהּ, סִטְרָא תַּתָּאָה דְּאַתְיָא מֵרוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא דִלְעֵילָא, הוּא רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא דְּשַׁלִּיט בְּמַדְבְּרָא), when Yisrael made the calf in order to be defiled with it-which is the lower one (כַד עָבְדוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יַת עֶגְלָא בְּגִין לְאִסְתָּאֲבָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּאִיהוּ תַּתָּאָה), and through all of this he performed his sorceries to try to uproot Yisrael, but he could not (וּבְכֹלָּא עֲבַד חֳרָשׁוֹי בְּגִין דְּיֵכוּל לְאַעֲקָרָא לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְלָא יָכִיל).

Rabbi Yosei said: That which you said previously, that when the serpent came upon Chavah it cast into her pollution, is correct (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי הַאי דְאָמַרְתְּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא דְּכַד נָחָשׁ אֲתָא עַל חַוָּה אַטִיל בָּהּ זוּהֲמָא שַׁפִּיר), but we have learned that when Yisrael stood at Mount Sinai, the pollution ceased from them (אֲבָל הָא תָּנִינָן דְּכַד קָאִימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל טוּרָא דְסִינַי פָּסַק מִנַּיְיהוּ זוּהֲמָא). Yisrael, who received the Orayta, had the pollution cease from them (יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּקַבִּילוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא פָּסַק מִנַּיְיהוּ זוּהֲמָא), but the other nations, worshippers of stars and constellations, who did not receive the Orayta, the pollution did not cease from them (אֲבָל שְׁאָר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת דְּלָא קַבִּילוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא לָא פָּסְקָא זוּהֲמָא מִנַּיְיהוּ). He said to him: You have spoken well (אָמַר לֵיהּ שַׁפִּיר קָאֲמַרְתְּ), but come and see: the Orayta was not given except to males, as it is written, “And this is the Torah which Moshe placed before the children of Yisrael” (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, אוֹרַיְיתָא לָא אִתְיְיהִיבַת אֶלָּא לִדְכוּרֵי דִּכְתִיב: וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂם משֶׁה לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. For women are exempt from the commandments of the Orayta (דְּהָא נַשֵּׁי פְּטִירִין מִפִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא). And further: they all returned to their pollution as before after they sinned (וְעוֹד דְּאַהֲדָרוּ כֻּלְּהוּ לְזוּהֲמָתָן כְּקַדְמִיתָא בָּתַר דְּחָטוּ), and a woman is more difficult to separate from pollution than a man (וְאִתְּתָא קַשְׁיָא לְאִתְפְּרָשָׁא זוּהֲמָא מִנָּהּ יַתִּיר מִגַּבְרָא). And for this reason, women are found more among sorcery and in this pollution than men (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ נָשִׁין בַּחֲרָשַׁיָא וּבְזוּהֲמָא דָא יַתִּיר מִגּוּבְרִין). For women come from the side of the left and are attached to harsh judgment (דְּהָא נְשַׁיָא מִסִּטְרָא דִשְׂמָאלָא קָא אַתְיָין וְאִתְדַּבָּקוּ בְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא), and this side adheres in them more than in men (וְסִטְרָא דָא אִתְדָּבַּק בְּהוּ יַתִּיר מִגּוּבְרִין), as it is said: because it comes from the side of harsh judgment (כְּמָה דְאִתְּמַר בְּגִין דְּאַתְיָא מִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא קַשְׁיָא), and everything is attached and follows its kind (וְכֹלָּא אִתְדָּבַּק וְאָזִיל בָּתַר זִינֵיהּ).

Come and see, for thus it is as I have said: that Bil‘am was defiled initially in order to draw upon himself the impure spirit (תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָכִי הוּא כְּמָה דַאֲמִינָא, דְּבִלְעָם הֲוָה אִסְתָּאַב בְּקַדְמִיתָא בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא עֲלֵיהּ רוּחָא מְסָאֲבָא). In this manner, a woman in the days of her impurity, a man must keep away from her (כְּגַוְונָא דָא אִתְּתָא בְּיוֹמֵי דִּמְסָאֲבוּ דִילָהּ אִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִנָּהּ), because an impure spirit is attached to her (בְּגִין דִּבְרוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא אִתְדַּבְּקַת), and at that time, if she performs sorcery, it is more successful in her hands than at another time (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִי אִיהִי תַּעֲבִיד חֳרָשִׁין אַצְלָחוּ בִּידָהָא יַתִּיר מִזִּמְנָא אָחֳרָא), for the impure spirit resides with her (דְּהָא רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא שַׁרְיָא עִמַּהּ). And therefore, by all who approach her, they are defiled (וְעַל דָּא בְּכָל מַה דְּקָרִיבַת אִסְתָּאַב), all the more so one who joins with her (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן מַאן דְּקָרִיב בַּהֲדָהּ). Fortunate are Yisrael, that Kudsha Berikh Hu gave them the Orayta and said to them: “And to a woman in the impurity of her separation, you shall not draw near to uncover her nakedness; I am Hashem” (Leviticus 18) (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא וְאָמַר לוֹן: וְאֶל אִשָּׁה בְּנִדַּת טֻמְאָתָהּ לֹא תִקְרַב לְגַלּוֹת עֶרְוָתָהּ אֲנִי יְיָ).