Daf 127a (דַּף קכ״ז ע״א)

He said to him: This one who gazes at the chirping of birds-why is he called a “diviner” (Naḥash)? (אָמַר לֵיהּ הַאי מַאן דְּאִסְתַּכַּל בְּצִפְצוּפוֹי דְּעוֹפֵי אַמַּאי אִקְרֵי נָחָשׁ). He said to him: Because from that side it comes, from which the impure spirit rests upon that bird (אָמַר לוֹ דְּהָא מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא קָאָתֵי דְּרוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא שַׁרְיָא עַל הַהוּא עוֹפָא), and reveals matters in the world (וְאוֹדַע מִלִּין בְּעַלְמָא). And every impure spirit is attached to the serpent and they come into the world (וְכָל רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא בְּנָחָשׁ אִתְדַּבָּקוּ וְאַתְיָין לְעַלְמָא), and there is no one in the world who can be saved from it (וְלֵית מַאן דְּיִשְׁתְּזִיב מִנֵּיהּ בְּעַלְמָא), for it is found with all until the time when Kudsha Berikh Hu is destined to remove it from the world (דְּהָא אִיהוּ אִשְׁתַּכַּח עִם כֹּלָּא, עַד זִמְנָא דְּזָמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַעֲבָרָא לֵיהּ מֵעַלְמָא), as it is said, “He will swallow up death forever, and Hashem Elohim will wipe away tears from every face…” (Isaiah 25) (כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר דִּכְתִיב: בִּלַע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח וּמָחָה יְיָ אֱלֹהִים דִּמְעָה מֵעַל כָּל פָּנִים וְגו׳). And it is written, “And the spirit of impurity I will remove from the land…” (Zechariah 13) (וּכְתִיב: וְאֶת רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה אַעֲבִיר מִן הָאָרֶץ וְגו׳).

Rabbi Yehuda said: Avraham knew by that cave the sign, and his heart and Desire were there (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, אַבְרָהָם יָדַע בְּהַהִיא מְעַרְתָּא סִימָנָא, וְלִבֵּיהּ וּרְעוּתֵיהּ תַּמָּן הֲוָה), because previously he entered there and saw Adam and Chavah hidden there (בְּגִין דְּמִקַדְּמַת דְּנָא עָאל לְתַמָּן וְחָמָא לְאָדָם וְחַוָּה טְמִירִין תַּמָּן). And how did he know that they were the ones? (וּמְנָא הֲוָה יָדַע דְּאִינוּן הֲווּ). Rather, he saw his image and gazed, and one opening of Gan Eden opened to him there (אֶלָּא חָמָא דִּיוּקְנֵיהּ, וְאִסְתַּכַּל וְאִתְפַּתַּח לֵיהּ חַד פִּתְחָא דְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן תַּמָּן), and that image of Adam was standing beside him (וְהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא דְאָדָם הֲוָה קָאִים לְגַבֵּיהּ). And come and see: whoever gazes upon the image of Adam is never saved from death (וְתָא חֲזֵי כָּל מַאן דְּאִסְתַּכַּל בְּדִיוּקְנָא דְּאָדָם לָא אִשְׁתְּזִיב לְעָלְמִין מִמִּיתָה), because at the time when a son of man departs from the world, he sees Adam, and at that moment he dies (בְּגִין דְּהָא בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּבַר נָשׁ אִסְתַּלַּק מֵעַלְמָא חָמֵי לֵיהּ לְאָדָם וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא מִית). But Avraham gazed upon him and saw his image and endured (אֲבָל אַבְרָהָם אִסְתַּכַּל בֵּיהּ וְחָמָא דִיוּקְנֵיהּ וְאִתְקְיַּים), and he saw a light that illuminated in the cave, and a single lamp that was lit (וְחָמָא נְהוֹרָא דְּנָהִיר בִּמְעַרְתָּא וְחַד שְׁרַגָּא דָּלִיק), then Avraham desired his dwelling to be in that place (כְּדֵין תָּאִיב אַבְרָהָם דִּיּוּרֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר), and his heart and Desire were continually in the cave (וְלִבֵּיהּ וּרְעוּתֵיהּ הֲוָה תָּדִיר בִּמְעַרְתָּא).

Come and see: now Avraham acted with wisdom at the time when he sought a grave for Sarah (תָּא חֲזֵי, הַשְׁתָּא אַבְרָהָם בְּחָכְמְתָא עֲבַד בְּזִמְנָא דְּתָבַע קִבְרָא לְשָׂרָה), for when he requested, he did not request the cave at that moment (דְּהָא כַּד תָּבַע לָא תָבַע לִמְעַרְתָּא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא), and he did not say that he wished to separate her from them (וְלָא אָמַר דְּבָעֵי לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנַּיְיהוּ). Rather he said: “Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead from before me” (אֶלָּא אָמַר, תְּנוּ לִי אֲחוּזַת קֶבֶר עִמָּכֶם וְאֶקְבְּרָה מֵתִי מִלְּפָנַי). And if you say that Efron was not there-he was there, as it is written: “And Efron was sitting among the children of Chet” (וְאִי תֵימָא דְלָא הֲוָה עֶפְרוֹן תַּמָּן. תַּמָּן הֲוָה, דִּכְתִיב: וְעֶפְרוֹן יוֹשֵׁב בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי חֵת), and Avraham said nothing to him at that moment (וְאַבְרָהָם לָא אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא כְּלוּם).

Rather, what he said to them was as it is written: “And he spoke to the children of Chet…” (אֶלָּא מַה דְּאָמַר לוֹן, אָמַר כְּמָה דִכְתִיב: וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי חֵת וְגו׳). And would it enter your mind that Avraham desired to be buried among them, among the impure? Or that his desire was with them? (וְכִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ דְּאַבְרָהָם בָּעָא לְאִתְקְבְרָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ בֵּין מְסָאֳבִין אוֹ דְּתִאוּבְתֵּיהּ הֲוָה עִמְּהוֹן), rather, he acted with Chokhmah (אֶלָּא בְּחָכְמָה עֲבַד).