Daf 169b (דַּף קס״ט ע״ב)

Ya'akov was left alone, etc. (וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ וְגוֹ'). Rabbi Chiya opened and said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): "No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague approach your tent" (לֹא תְאֻנֶּה אֵלֶיךָ רָעָה וְנֶגַע לֹא יִקְרַב בְּאָהֳלֶךָ) (Tehillim 91). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), when Kudsha Berikh Hu created the world (כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא), each day He did the work that was appropriate for it (עֲבַד בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ), and this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). And it was stated (וְאִתְּמָר), on the fourth day He created lights (בְּיוֹמָא רְבִיעָאָה עֲבַד נְהוֹרִין). Then the moon was created deficient (וּכְדֵין אִתְבְּרֵי סִיהֲרָא חָסֵר), a luminary that diminished itself (נְהוֹרָא דְּאַזְעִירַת גַּרְמָהּ). And because it is "lights" lacking a vav (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהִי מְאֹרֹת חָסֵר וָא"ו), a place was given for the dominion of all spirits, demons, tempests, destructive forces, and all impure spirits (אִתְיְהִיב דּוּכְתָּא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה כָּל רוּחִין וְשֵׁדִין וְעִלְעוּלִין וּמַזִּיקִין וְכָל רוּחֵי מְסָאֲבֵי).

All of them ascend and roam in the world to harm (כֻּלְּהוּ סָלְקִין וְשָׁאטִין בְּעַלְמָא לְאַסְטָאָה), and they are appointed in ruined places, harsh fields, and desolate wildernesses (וְאִתְמַנּוּן בְּדוּכְתֵּי דְּאִתְחֲרִיבוּ וּבְחַקְלִין תַּקִּיפִין וּבְמַדְבְּרִין חֲרִיבִין). And all these are from the sides of the impure spirit (וְכֻלְּהוּ מִסִּטְרֵי רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא). And it has been said (וְהָא אִתְּמָר), this impure spirit that derives from the crooked serpent is truly an impure spirit (דְּהָא רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא דְּאַתְיָא מִנָּחָשׁ עֲקִימָאָה אִיהוּ רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא מַמָּשׁ). And it is appointed in the world to lead astray humankind (וְאִיהוּ אִתְמַנָּא בְּעַלְמָא לְאַסְטָאָה בַּר נָשׁ לְגַבֵּיהּ). Thus, the Evil inclination rules in the world (וְעַל דָּא יֵצֶר הָרַע שַׁלִּיט בְּעַלְמָא). And it is appointed over human beings and found among them (וְאִיהוּ אִתְמַנֵּי לְגַבַּיְיהוּ דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא וְאִשְׁתְּכַח עִמְּהוֹן). Through crookedness and provocations, it comes to them, to lead them astray from the paths of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּבַעֲקִימוּ וּבְתַסְקוּפִין אָתֵי לְגַבַּיְיהוּ לְאַסְטָאָה לוֹן מֵאָרְחוֹי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), just as it led astray Adam Kadma'ah, causing death for the entire world (כְּמָה דְּאַסְטֵי לְאָדָם קַדְמָאָה וְגָרִים מוֹתָא לְכָל עַלְמָא). So also it leads astray human beings, causing them to become defiled (הָכִי נָמֵי אַסְטֵי לְהוּ לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא וְגָרִים לוֹן לְאִסְתָּאֲבָא). And whoever comes to defile himself, this impure spirit is drawn upon him and adheres to him (וּמַאן דְּאָתֵי לְאִסְתָּאֲבָא אִיהוּ מָשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ הַהוּא רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא וְאִתְדַּבֵּיק בַּהֲדֵיהּ).

And many are prepared to defile him and do defile him (וְכַמָּה אִינוּן דִּזְמִינִין לְסָאֲבָא לֵיהּ וּמְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ), and he himself becomes impure (וְאִיהוּ מְסָאָב), and they defile him in this world and in the next world, as has been said (וְסָאֳבִין לֵיהּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וּבְהַהוּא עַלְמָא וְהָא אִתְּמָר). And at the moment when a person comes to purify himself (וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָתֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִתְדַּכָּאָה), that impure spirit is subdued before him (הַהוּא רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא אִתְכַּפְיָיא קַמֵּיהּ) and cannot rule over him (וְלָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלוֹי). Then it is written (וּכְדֵין כְּתִיב): "No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague approach your tent" (לא תְאֻנֶּה אֵלֶיךָ רָעָה וְנֶגַע לא יִקְרַב בְּאָהֳלֶךָ) (Tehillim 91). Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי), "No evil shall befall you" (לא תְאֻנֶּה אֵלֶיךָ רָעָה) this is Lilith (דָּא לִילִית), "and no plague shall approach your tent" (וְנְגַע לֹא יִקְרַב בְּאָהֳלֶךָ)—these are the other harmful entities (אִלֵּין שְׁאָר מַזִּיקִין). This has been established and stated (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ וְאִתְּמָר).

Rabbi El'azar said (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר): We have already stated (הָא אֲמָרָן) that a person should not go out alone at night (דְּלָא יִפּוּק בַּר נָשׁ יְחִידָאָה בְּלֵילְיָא), and all the more so at a time when the moon was created and remains deficient (וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בְּזִמְנָא דְסִיהֲרָא אִתְבְּרִיאַת וְהֲוָה חֲסֵרָה), as has been established (וְאוּקְמוּהָ). For then the impure spirit rules (דְּהָא כְּדֵין רוּחָא מְסָאֲבָא שָׁלְטָא), and this is the evil spirit (וְדָא הוּא רוּחַ רָעָה). Who is "evil"? This is the wicked serpent (מַאן רָעָה, דָּא חִוְיָא בִישָׁא). "Plague" is the one who rides upon the serpent (וְנְגַע, דָּא הוּא מַאן דְּרָכִיב עַל חִוְיָא). "Evil" and "plague" are as one (רָעָה וְנֶגַע כְּחֲדָא אִינוּן). And although we have learned (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּתָנִינָן) that "plague" refers to the plagues of humans that emerged from Adam (דְּנְגַע, אִלֵּין נִגְעֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם דְּנַפְקוּ מֵאָדָם). For during all those years when Adam did not approach his wife (דְּהָא כָּל אִינוּן שְׁנִין דְּלָא קָרִיב אָדָם עִם אִתְּתֵיהּ), impure spirits would come, become heated by him, and produce offspring from him (רוּחֵי מְסָאֲבֵי הֲווּ קָא אַתְיָין וּמִתְחַמְמָן מִנֵּיהּ וְאוֹלִידָן מִנֵּיהּ).

These offspring are called "plagues of human beings" (וְהַנֵּי אִקְרוּן נִגְעֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם). It has also been stated (וְהָא אִתְּמָר), when a person dreams and does not have control over his body and the body remains (דְּכַד בַּר נָשׁ בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ וְלָא שַׁלִּיט בְּגוּפֵיהּ וְגוּפָא אִשְׁתַּכַּךְ), the impure spirit comes and rests upon him (רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא אַתְיָיא וְשַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ). Sometimes impure female spirits come close to him (וְאִית זִמְנִין דְּרוּחֵי נוּקְבִין מְסָאֲבִין אַתְיָין וְקָרְבָן בַּהֲדֵיהּ), and draw him near to them, becoming heated by him (וּמָשְׁכִין לֵיהּ בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ וּמִתְחַמְמָן מִנֵּיהּ), and afterward, they produce spirits and destructive entities (וְאוֹלִידוּ לְבָתַר רוּחִין וּמַזִּיקִין). (Plagues of human beings, some say: in the likeness of human beings) (נִגְעֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם נ"א כְּגַוְונָא בְּנֵי נְשָׁא).

And sometimes they appear as the likeness of human beings who have no hair upon their heads (וּלְזִמְנִין אִתְחַזְיָין כְּחֵיזוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא בַּר דְּלֵית לוֹן שַׂעֲרֵי בְּרֵישָׁא). And in all things, a person must guard himself from them (וּבְכֹלָּא אִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִקַּמַּיְיהוּ), so that he will go on the paths of Orayta (בְּגִין דִּיהַךְ בְּאָרְחֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא), and not become defiled with them (וְלָא יִסְתָּאַב בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ). For there is no person who sleeps at night in his bed (דְּהָא לֵית לָךְ מַאן דְּנָאִים בְּלֵילְיָא בְּעַרְסֵיהּ), who does not taste the taste of death (דְּלָא טָעִים טַעְמָא דְמוֹתָא), and his Neshama departs from him (וְנָפְקַת נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ). And since the body remains without the holy Neshama (וְכֵיוָן דְּאִשְׁתָּאַר גּוּפָא בְּלָא נִשְׁמָתָא קַדִּישָׁא), an impure spirit stands ready and rests upon him, and defiles him (רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא זַמִּין וְשַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ וְאִסְתָּאַב). And we have established the matter (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה), that a person should not pass his hands over his eyes in the morning (דְּלֵית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאַעֲבָרָא יְדוֹי עַל עֵינוֹי בְּצַפְרָא), because the impure spirit rests upon them (בְּגִין דְּהָא רוּחָא מְסָאֲבָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ), etc., and this has been stated (וְכוּ' וְהָא אִתְּמָר).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), even though Ya'akov was beloved before Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּהָא יַעֲקֹב אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְרָחִים קַמֵּיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), because he remained alone (בְּגִין דְּאִשְׁתָּאַר בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), another spirit was prepared to come and join him (רוּחָא אָחֳרָא הֲוָה זַמִין לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ).

Rabbi Shim'on said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר), come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), what is written about that wicked one, Bil'am (מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא רָשָׁע דְּבִלְעָם): "And he went 'shefi'" (וַיֵּלֶךְ שֶׁפִי). What does "shefi" mean? Alone (מַהוּ שֶׁפִי, יְחִידָאי). Just as it says, "Shefifon (the serpent) upon the path" (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר שְׁפִיפוֹן עֲלֵי אֹרַח), like that serpent who goes alone and lurks upon paths and roads (כְּהַאי חִוְיָא דְּאָזִיל יְחִידָאי וְכָמִין עֲלֵי אָרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין), so too Bil'am went alone (הָכִי נָמֵי בִּלְעָם הֲוָה אָזִיל יְחִידָאי). Why did he do so? (מַאי טַעְמָא), In order to draw upon himself the impure spirit (בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא עֲלֵיהּ רוּחָא מְסָאֲבָא). For whoever goes alone at certain known times (דְּכָל מַאן דְּאָזִיל יְחִידָאי בִּזְמַנִּין יְדִיעָן), even in a city, in known places (אֲפִילּוּ בְּמָתָא, בְּאַתְרִין יְדִיעָן), draws the impure spirit upon himself (מָשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ רוּחָא מְסָאֲבָא).