Daf 131b (דַּף קל״א ע״ב)

Because of this, one who cleaves to a woman of the other nations, worshippers of stars and constellations, he becomes defiled (בְּגִין כָּךְ מַאן דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בְּאִתְּתָא דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת אִסְתָּאַב אִיהוּ), and the child that is born to him will receive upon him a spirit of impurity (וְהַהוּא בְּרָא דְּאִתְיְלִיד לֵיהּ יְקַבֵּל עֲלֵיהּ רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא). And if you will say: “But from the side of the father, who is from Yisrael, it comes - why should he receive a spirit of impurity?” (וְאִי תֵימָא: הָא בְּסִטְרָא דְּאֲבוֹי מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל קָא אַתְיָא, אַמַּאי יְקַבֵּל עֲלֵיהּ רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא).

Come and see, for at the very beginning the father became defiled at the moment he cleaved to that woman, who is defiled (תָּא חֲזֵי: דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא אִסְתָּאַב אֲבוֹי בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בְּהַהִיא אִתְּתָא דְּאִיהִי מְסָאֲבָא), and since the father was defiled with that woman, who is impure, all the more so that the child who was born from her will receive upon him a spirit of impurity (וְכֵיוָן דְּאָב אִיהוּ אִסְתָּאָב בְּהַהִיא אִתְּתָא דְּאִיהִי מְסָאֲבָא, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָא דְּאִתְיְלִיד מִינָּהּ יְקַבֵּל עֲלֵיהּ רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא). And not only that, but he transgressed the Orayta, as it is written (וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּעֲבַר עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא, דִּכְתִיב): “For you shall not bow to another god, for Hashem - His Name is Jealous…” (Exodus 34) (כִּי לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לְאֵל אַחֵר, כִּי יְיָ קַנָּא שְׁמוֹ), for He is zealous for this holy covenant (בְּגִין דְּקַנֵּי עַל הַאי בְּרִית קַדִּישָׁא).

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): Come and see, for it has been taught (תָּא חֲזֵי: דְּהָא אִתְּמָר), that once Avraham our father knew Chokhmah, he sought to separate from all other nations and not to cleave to them (דְּכֵיוָן דְּיָדַע אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ חָכְמְתָא, בָּעָא לְאִתְפְּרָשָׁא מִכָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין וְלָא לְאִתְדַּבָּקָא בְּהוּ), and because of this it is written (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב): “And I adjure you by Hashem, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites…” (Bereshit 24) (וְאַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ בַּיְיָ אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וֵאלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִקַּח אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי מִבְּנוֹת הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְגו׳). From the daughters of the Canaanites - indeed (מִבְּנוֹת הַכְּנַעֲנִי וַדַּאי). What is the secret? As you say (מַאי רָזָא אִיהוּ כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “He married the daughter of a foreign god” (Malachi 2) (וּבָעַל בַּת אֵל נֵכָר). In whose midst I dwell - it is written precisely I, and it is written there: “I made the earth” (Isaiah 44) (אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּקִרְבּוֹ - אָנֹכִי דַיְיקָא, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: אָנֹכִי עָשִׂיתִי אֶרֶץ), and all this is so that one should not become defiled through them (וְכֹל דָּא בְּגִין דְּלָא לְאִסְתָּאֲבָא בְּהוֹן).

Come and see: this one who brings the holy covenant into that woman of the nations, worshippers of stars and constellations (תָּא חֲזֵי: הַאי מַאן דְּאָעִיל הַאי בְּרִית קַדִּישָׁא בְּהַהִיא אִתְּתָא דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת), he causes another place to become defiled (גָּרִים לְאִסְתָּאֲבָא אֲתַר אָחֳרָא). And concerning this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “Under three things the earth trembles…” (Proverbs 30) (תַּחַת שָׁלֹשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וְגו׳). And even though he declares this covenant (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאוֹמֵי לֵיהּ בְּהַאי בְּרִית), Avraham did not trust him until he prayed his prayer before Kudsha Berikh Hu (לָא אַבְטַח בֵּיהּ אַבְרָהָם עַד דְּצַלֵּי צְלוֹתֵיהּ קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and said: “Hashem, God of the heavens…” etc. He will send His angel - indeed, this is the angel of the covenant (וְאָמַר: יְיָ אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְגו׳, הוּא יִשְׁלַח מַלְאָכוֹ - וַדַּאי דָּא מַלְאַךְ הַבְּרִית), so that this covenant may be guarded and not become defiled among the nations (בְּגִין דְּיִתְנְטִיר הַאי בְּרִית וְלָא יִסְתָּאַב בֵּין אִינוּן עַמִּין). Only my son you shall not return there (רַק אֶת בְּנִי לֹא תָשֵׁב שָׁמָּה). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא), Because Avraham knew that among them there was none who had been revealed to Kudsha Berikh Hu except for himself alone (בְּגִין דְּיָדַע אַבְרָהָם דְּהָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ לָא הֲוָה מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּר אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), and he did not want that the dwelling of Yitzḥak should be among them (וְלָא בָּעָא דְּלֵהֱווּ מְדוֹרֵיהּ דְּיִצְחָק בֵּינַיְיהוּ), but that his dwelling should be with him (אֶלָּא דִּיהֵא מְדוֹרֵיהּ עִמֵּיהּ), and Yitzḥak should constantly learn from him the ways of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְיִצְחָק יוֹלִיף מִנֵּיהּ תָּדִיר אָרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and not stray to the right or to the left (וְלָא יִסְטֵי לִימִינָא וְלִשְׂמָאלָא). And therefore Avraham did not want the dwelling of Yitzḥak to be there (וְעַל דָּא לָא בָּעָא אַבְרָהָם דִּלְהֱוֵי מְדוֹרֵיהּ דְּיִצְחָק תַּמָּן).

Rabbi Yisa said: Surely the merit of Avraham preceded that servant (אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא: וַדַּאי זְכוּתֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם אָעֳרַע קַמֵּיהּ דְּהַהוּא עַבְדָא), that on the same day he went forth and that day he arrived at the spring, as it is written (דְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא נָפַק, וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא מָטָא לְעֵינָא דְמַיָּא, דִּכְתִיב): “And I came today to the spring” (Bereshit 24) (וָאָבֹא הַיּוֹם אֶל הָעָיִן). And this has already been explained (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

Rabbi El'azar opened and said (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “Uncover my eyes that I may behold wonders from Your Torah” (Psalms 119) (גַּל עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ). How many are the foolish sons of men who neither know nor seek to engage in Orayta (כַּמָּה אִינוּן בְּנֵי נְשָׁא טִפְּשִׁין דְּלָא יָדְעִין וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), for Orayta is all life and all freedom and all goodness in this world and in the World to Come (בְּגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כָּל חַיִּין וְכָל חֵירוּ וְכָל טוּב בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי). [That is the freedom of this world and the next] (הַהוּא חֵירוּ דְּעַלְמָא דֵין וְדְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי אִיהוּ) - (Some say: That is the freedom of the World to Come, and the life in this world) (נ״א: הַהוּא חֵירוּ דְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי אִיהוּ חַיִּין בְּעַלְמָא דֵין). Life in this world, that they should merit complete days in this world (חַיִּין אִינוּן בְּעַלְמָא דֵין דְּיִזְכּוּן לְיוֹמִין שְׁלֵמִין בְּהַאי עַלְמָא), as it is written: “The number of your days I shall fill” (Exodus 23) (אֶת מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא), and long days in the World to Come (וּלְיוֹמִין אֲרִיכִין בְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי), for these are complete lives - lives of joy, lives without sorrow, lives that are truly life (בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן חַיִּין שְׁלֵימִין, אִינוּן חַיִּין דְּחֵידוּ, חַיֵּי בְּלָא עֲצִיבוּ, חַיִּין דְּאִינוּן חַיִּין).

Freedom in this world is the true freedom (חֵירוּ בְּעַלְמָא דֵין חֵירוּ דְּכֹלָּא), for whoever engages in Orayta, none of the nations of the world can dominate him (דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לָא יָכְלִין לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלוֹי כָּל עַמִּין דְּעַלְמָא). And if you say: what of those who died as martyrs? (וְאִי תֵימָא: אִינוּן בְּנֵי שְׁמַד), it was a decree from above, like Rabbi Akiva and his Friends - thus it arose in the Thought (גְּזֵרָה הִיא מִלְּעֵילָא, כְּגוֹן רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְחֲבֵרוֹי, וְכָךְ סָלִיק בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה). Freedom from the Angel of Death, who could not dominate him (חֵירוּ דְּמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת דְּלָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלוֹי), and so it truly is: if a person were to cleave to the Tree of Life, which is Orayta (וְהָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי: דְּאִי אָדָם הֲוָה אִתְדָּבַּק בְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי דְּאִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא), he would not cause death to himself or to the world (לָא גָרִים מוֹתָא לֵיהּ וּלְכָל עַלְמָא). Therefore, when Kudsha Berikh Hu gave the Orayta to Yisrael, what is written about it? “Engraved on the tablets” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כַּד יָהַב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מַה כְּתִיב בָּהּ: חָרוּת עַל הַלּוּחוֹת), and this has already been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). And had they not sinned and forsaken the Tree of Life, they would not have caused death to the world as at first (וְאִלְמָלֵא אִינוּן לָא חָטוּ וְשָׁבְקוּ אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי, לָא גָרְמוּ מוֹתָא לְעַלְמָא כְּמִלְקַדְּמִין). And Kudsha Berikh Hu said (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר): “I said: you are Elohim, and all of you sons of the Most High” (Psalms 82) (אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי: אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם, וּבְנֵי עֶלְיוֹן כֻּלְּכֶם). You have ruined yourselves - but like men you shall die, etc. (חֲבַלְתּוּן גַּרְמֵיכוֹן: אָכֵן כְּאָדָם תְּמוּתוּן וְגו׳). Therefore, whoever engages in Orayta - the evil serpent that darkened the world cannot dominate him (וְעַל דָּא: כָּל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלוֹי הַהוּא חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא דְּאַחְשִׁיךְ עָלְמָא).