Daf 179a (דַּף קע״ט ע״א)

Rabbi Yosei opened and said (פָּתַח רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר): (Psalms 32) “You are a hiding place for me; from distress You guard me; songs of deliverance surround me—Selah” (אַתָּה סֵתֶר לִי, מִצַּר תִּצְּרֵנִי, רָנֵּי פַלֵּט תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי סֶלָה). “You are a hiding place for me”—this is Kudsha Berikh Hu, who is a covering and a shield for one who walks in the paths of the Orayta (דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִיהוּ סִתְרָא וּמָגֵן לְבַר נָשׁ דְּאָזִיל בְּאָרְחֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and he is sheltered in the shadow of His wings so that no harm can reach him (וְאִיהוּ אִסְתַּתַּר בְּצִלָּא דְּגַדְפוֹי, דְּלָא יָכְלִין לְאַבְּאָשָׁא לֵיהּ). “From distress You guard me” (מִצַּר תִּצְּרֵנִי)—from above and below (מֵעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא).

Above, one has the Master of dispute (לְעֵילָא אִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ מָארֵי דְּבָבוּ), and below, likewise it is so (לְתַּתָּא אוּף הָכִי נָמֵי). And who is this? The Evil inclination (וּמַאן אִיהוּ דָּא יֵצֶר הָרָע), who is an adversary above and an adversary below (דְּאִיהוּ צַר לְעֵילָא וְצַר לְתַּתָּא). For if not for the Evil inclination, there would be no master of dispute found in the world (וְאִלְמָלֵא יֵצֶר הָרָע, לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח מָארֵי דְּבָבוּ לְבַר נָשׁ בְּעָלְמָא). Therefore: “From distress You guard me” (בְּגִין כָּךְ: מִצַּר תִּצְּרֵנִי). “Songs of deliverance surround me—Selah” (רָנֵּי פַלֵּט תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי סֶלָה)—it should have said: “will surround me” (יְסוֹבְבֵנִי), It was necessary for him: what is “You shall surround me”? (מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ: מַאי תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי). These are songs that contain levels of salvation (אִלֵּין אִינוּן שִׁירִין דְּאִית בְּהוֹן דַּרְגִּין לְהַצָּלָה), surround me through them to save me on the path (תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי בְּהוּ לְשֵׁזָבָא לִי בְּאָרְחָא). And this verse is both in order and reversed, from this side and from that side (וְהַאי קְרָא אִיהוּ כְּסִדְרָא וְאִיהוּ לְמַפְרֵעַ, מֵהַאי גִּיסָא וּמֵהַאי גִּיסָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): in these songs and praises that David said, there are hidden secrets and supernal words in the mysteries of wisdom (בְּאִלֵּין שִׁירִין וּתְשְׁבְּחָן דְּקָאָמַר דָּוִד, אִית בְּהוֹן רָזִין וּמִלִּין עִלָּאִין בְּרָזֵי דְּחָכְמְתָא), because all of them were spoken through the spirit of holiness (בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ בְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא אִתְּאָמָרוּ). For the Holy Spirit rested upon David, and he would say songs (דְּהֲוָה שָׁרָא רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא עֲלֵיהּ דְּדָוִד, וְהֲוָה אָמַר שִׁירָתָא). And therefore, all were said in the mysteries of wisdom (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרָזֵי דְּחָכְמְתָא אִתְּאָמָרוּ).

Rabbi El‘azar opened and said (פָּתַח רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר): (Psalms 118) “Pushing, you pushed me to fall, but Hashem helped me” (דָּחֹה דְּחִיתַנִי לִנְפֹּל, וַייָ עֲזָרָנִי). “Pushing, you pushed me”—it should have said, “they pushed me” (דָּחֹה דָּחוּנִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ), why “you pushed me”? (מַאי דָּחֹה דְּחִיתַנִי) Rather, this is the Sitra Achra that constantly pushes a person (אֶלָּא דָּא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, דְּדַחְיָיא לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ תָּדִיר), and seeks to push him and estrange him from Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּבָעֵי לְדַחְיָיא לֵיהּ וּלְאַסְטָאָה לֵיהּ מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And this is the Evil inclination that is constantly found with a person (וְדָא הוּא יֵצֶר הָרָע, דְּאִשְׁתַּכַּח לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ תָּדִיר). And against him David responded and said (וּלְקוּבְלֵיהּ אַהֲדַר דָּוִד וְאָמַר): “Pushing, you pushed me to fall” (דָּחֹה דְּחִיתַנִי לִנְפֹּל)—because he sought in all manners to estrange him from Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה אִשְׁתַּדַּל לְגַבֵּיהּ בְּכָל אִינוּן עַקְתִּין לְאַסְטָאָה לֵיהּ מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

And about him David said: “Pushing, you pushed me to fall into Gehinom” (וְעֲלֵיהּ אָמַר דָּוִד: דָּחֹה דְּחִיתַנִי לִנְפֹּל בַּגֵּיהִנָּם), but Hashem helped me, that I was not delivered into your hand (וַייָ עֲזָרָנִי, דְּלָא אִתְמַסַּרְנָא בִּידָךְ). And for this reason (וְעַל דָּא), a person must be careful from him (אִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא מִנֵּיהּ), so that he will not rule over him (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט עֲלֵיהּ). And Kudsha Berikh Hu then guards him in all his ways (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּדֵין נָטִיר לֵיהּ בְּכָל אָרְחוֹי), as it is written: (Proverbs 3) “Then you shall walk in your way safely, and your foot shall not stumble” (דִּכְתִּיב: אָז תֵּלֵךְ לָבֶטַח דַּרְכֶּךָ, וְרַגְלְךָ לֹא תִּגּוֹף). And also: (Proverbs 4) “When you walk, your steps shall not be hindered; and if you run, you shall not stumble” (בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לֹא יֵצַר צַעֲדֶךָ, וְאִם תָּרוּץ לֹא תִכָּשֵׁל). And it is written: (Proverbs 4) “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining ever brighter until the day is set” (וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ, הוֹלֵךְ וְאוֹר עַד נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם). Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה): Fortunate are Yisra’el (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל), for Kudsha Berikh Hu guards them in this world and in the World to Come (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיר לוֹן בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי), as it is written: (Isaiah 60) “And your people are all Tzaddikim; forever they shall inherit the land” (דִּכְתִּיב: וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים, לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ).

Blessed is Hashem forever—Amen and Amen (בָּרוּךְ ייָ לְעוֹלָם, אָמֵן וְאָמֵן)