Daf 184b (דַּף קפ״ד ע״ב)

Come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי), from the side of harsh judgment goes forth wrath to two sides (מִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא קַשְׁיָא נָפְקֵי רוּגְזָא לִתְרֵי סִטְרִין): one that is blessed (חַד דְּאִתְבָּרַךְ), and one that is cursed (וְחַד דְּאִתְלַטְיָא), one “Blessed” (חַד בָּרוּךְ), and one “Cursed” (וְחַד אָרוּר). Like this pattern: from the side of Yitzḥak issued two sons (כְּגַוְונָא דָא: מִסִּטְרָא דְיִצְחָק נָפְקוּ תְּרֵין בְּנִין), one blessed (חַד מְבוֹרָךְ), and one that is cursed above and below (וְחַד דְּאִתְלַטְיָא לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא). This one was separated to his side (דָּא אִתְפָּרַשׁ לְסִטְרֵיהּ), and this one to his side (וְדָא אִתְפָּרַשׁ לְסִטְרֵיהּ). This one’s dwelling is in the Holy Land (דָּא דִּיּוּרֵיהּ בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא), and this one’s dwelling is on Mount Se‘ir (וְדָא דִּיּוּרֵיהּ בְּטוּרָא דְשֵׂעִיר), as it is written (Bereshit 25): “a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field” (אִישׁ יוֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה). This one-his place is in the wilderness, desolate and empty (דָּא אַתְרֵיהּ בַּאֲתַר דְּמִדְבָּרָא וְחָרְבָּא וּשְׁמָמָה), and this one dwells in tents (וְדָא יוֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים). And all is as it must be (וְכֹּלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דְאִצְטְרִיךְ). And because of this, there are two levels (וּבְגִין כָּךְ תְּרֵין דַּרְגִּין אִינוּן), “Blessed” and “Cursed” (בָּרוּךְ וְאָרוּר): this one to its side and this one to its side (דָּא לְסִטְרֵיהּ וְדָא לְסִטְרֵיהּ). From this one go forth all blessings of the worlds above and below (מֵהַאי נָפְקִין כָּל בִּרְכָּאן דְּעָלְמִין לְעֵילָא וּלְתַתָּא), and all goodness, all illumination, all redemption, and all deliverance (וְכָל טִיבוּ, וְכָל נְהִירוּ, וְכָל פּוּרְקָן, וְכָל שֵׁזָבוּתָא). And from this one go forth all curses, all swords, all blood, all destruction, and all evils and defilement of the world (וּמֵהַאי נָפְקִין כָּל לְוָטִין, וְכָל חַרְבָּא, וְכָל דָּמָא, וְכָל שְׁמָמָא, וְכָל בִּישִׁין, וְכָל מְסָאֲבוּ דְּעָלְמָא).

Rabbi Shim‘on opened and said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר), (Psalms 26): “I shall wash my hands in innocence and I shall go around Your altar, Hashem” (אֶרְחַץ בְּנִקָּיוֹן כַּפָּי וַאֲסוֹבְבָה אֶת מִזְבַּחֲךָ יְיָ) this verse has been established (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ). But come and see (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי), the secret of the matter here (רָזָא דְּמִלָּה הָכָא), for there is no man in the world who does not taste the taste of death at night (דְּהָא לֵית לָךְ בַּר נָשׁ בְּעָלְמָא דְּלָא טָעִים טַעְמָא דְּמוֹתָא בְּלֵילְיָא), and an impure spirit rests upon that body (וְרוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא שַׁרְיָא עַל הַהוּא גּוּפָא). Why is this? (מַאי טַעְמָא), because the holy Neshamah departs from him (בְּגִין דְּנִשְׁמְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא אִסְתַּלְּקַת מִנֵּיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ), and leaves him (וְנָפְקַת מִנֵּיהּ). And because the holy Neshamah departs and leaves him (וְעַל דְּנִשְׁמְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא נָפְקַת וְאִסְתַּלְּקַת מִנֵּיהּ), an impure spirit rests on that body (שַׁרְיָא רוּחָא מְסָאֲבָא עַל הַהוּא גּוּפָא), and it is defiled (וְאִסְתָּאַב). And when the Neshamah returns to the body (וְכַד נִשְׁמְתָא אִתְהַדְרַת לְגוּפָא), that impurity passes away (אַתְעַבֵּר הַהוּא זוֹהֲמָא).

And behold, it is said (וְהָא אַתָּמָר): the hands of a person grasp the impurity of filth that remains in them (דִּידוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ גְּשׁ זוֹהֲמָא דִּמְמִסְאֲבוּ אַשְׁתָּאַר בְּהוּ). And for this reason, he should not pass his hand over his eyes (וְעַל דָּא לָא יַעַבְר יְדוֹי עַל עֵינָוֹי), because that impure spirit rests upon him (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא שָׁרִיא עֲלוֹי), until he washes them (עַד דְּנְטִיל לוֹן). And when he washes his hands properly (וְכַד נְטִיל יָדוֹי כְּדְקָא חָזִי), then he is sanctified and called holy (כְּדֵין אִתְקַדַּשׁ וְאִקְרֵי קָדוֹשׁ). And how is one to be sanctified? (וְהֵיךְ בְּעַי לַאְתְקַדְּשָׁא). He needs one vessel below and one vessel above (בְּעַי חַד כְּלִי לְתַתָּא וְחַד כְּלִי מִלְּעֵילָא), in order to be sanctified from that which is above (בְּגִין דִּיִתְקַדַּשׁ מֵהַהוּא דִּלְעֵילָא). And that which is below, which sits in the impurity that defiled it (וְהַהוּא דִּלְתַּתָּא דְּיָתֵיב בְּזוֹהֲמָא דִּמְסְאָבוּ בִּיהּ). And this vessel is to receive the impurity (וְדָא כְּלִי לְקַבְּלָא מִסְאֲבוּ), and this one to be sanctified from it (וְדָא לְאִתְקַדְּשָׁא מִנֵּיהּ): this one is “Blessed” and this one is “Cursed” (דָּא בָּרוּךְ וְדָא אָרוּר). And those waters of impurity should not be poured into the house (וְלָא בְּעִייִן אִינוּן מַיָּין הִזְוּהֲמָא לָאוֹשְׁדָא לוֹן בְּבֵיתָא), that no person should come near them (דְּלָא יִקְרֵב בְּהוּ בַּר נָשׁ). For in them gathers their side (דְּהָא בְּהוּ מִתְכַּנְשִׁי סִטְרָא דִּלְהוֹן), and one can receive damage from those defiling waters (יְכִיל לְקַבְּלָא נִזְקָא מֵאִינוּן מַיָּין מִסְאֲבִין).

And until the impurity has passed from his hands, he should not bless (וְעַד דִּיתְעַבַּר זוֹהֲמָא מִן יְדוֹי לָא יְבָרֵךְ), and this has been established (וְאוֹקִימְנָא). And because of this, a person-until he sanctifies his hands in the morning-is called impure (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, בַּר נָשׁ עַד דְּלָא יְקַדֵּשׁ יָדוֹי בְּצַפְרָא, אַקְרֵי טָמֵא). Once he is sanctified, he is called pure (כִּיוָן דְּאִתְקַדַּשׁ, אִקְרֵי טָהוֹר). And because of this, one should ask only from a hand that was first purified (וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא יִשְׁאֵל אֶלָּא מִן יְדָא דְּאִדְכַּי בְּקַדְמִיתָא), as it is written (Numbers 19): “And the pure one shall sprinkle upon the impure” (דִּכְתִיב: וְהִזָּה הַטָּהוֹר עַל הַטָּמֵא). This one is called “Pure,” and that one is called “Impure” (דָּא אַקְרֵי טָהוֹר, וְדָא אַקְרֵי טָמֵא).

Therefore, one vessel above and one vessel below (בְּגִין כָּךְ חַד כְּלִי לְעֵילָא וְחַד כְּלִי לְתַתָּא), this one holy and this one defiled (דָּא קַדִּישָׁא וְדָא מְסָאֲבָא). And from those waters it is forbidden to do anything (וּמֵאִינוּן מַיִין אָסִיר לְמֶעְבַּד בְּהוּ מִידִי), except he must pour them in a place where no human being walks (אֶלָּא בָּעֵי לְאוֹשְׁדָא לוֹן בְּאֲתַר דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא לָא עָבְרִין עֲלַיְיהוּ), and he should not keep them in the house (וְלָא יָבִית לוֹן בְּבֵיתָא). For once they are poured on the ground (דְּהָא כֵּיוָן דְּאִתּוֹשְׁדָן בְּאַרְעָא), an impure spirit is found there and can cause harm (רוּחָא מְסָאֲבָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח תַּמָּן וְיָכִיל לְנַזְקָא). And if he digs a drain beneath the ground so that they are not seen, good (וְאִי חָפַר לוֹן מִדְרוֹן תְּחוֹת אַרְעָא דְּלָא יִתְחֲזוּן שַׁפִּיר).

And he should not give them to sorceress women who could perform sorcery through them on people (וְלָא יָהִיב לוֹן לִנְשֵׁי חֳרָשַׁיָא דְּיִכְלוּן לְאַבְאָשָׁא בְּהוּ לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא), because these are waters of curse (בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן מַיִין דְּאִתְלַטְיָין), and Kudsha Berikh Hu desires to purify Yisrael and make them holy (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְדַכָּאָה לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְמֶהֱוֵי קַדִּישִׁין). As it is written (Ezekiel 36): “And I will sprinkle pure waters upon you and you shall be purified from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will purify you” (דִּכְתִיב: וְזָרַקְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם מַיִם טְהוֹרִים וּטְהַרְתֶּם מִכָּל טֻמְאוֹתֵיכֶם וּמִכָּל גִּלּוּלֵיכֶם אֲטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם). “And they took him and threw him into the pit, and the pit was empty, there was no water in it” (וַיִּקָּחוּהוּ וַיַּשְׁלִכוּ אֹתוֹ הַבּוֹרָה, וְהַבּוֹר רֵק אֵין בּוֹ מָיִם).

Rabbi Yehuda opened and said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר), (Psalms 19): “The Torah of Hashem is perfect, restoring the soul” (תּוֹרַת יְיָ תְּמִימָה מְשִׁיבַת נָפֶשׁ) he who nullifies words of Orayta is as if he destroys the whole world (מַאן דְּבָטִיל מִילֵי דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא כְּאִילּוּ חָרִיב עָלְמָא שָׁלִים). How much should people strive in Orayta (כַּמָּה אִית לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), for whoever labors in Orayta has life in this world and in the world to come (דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא לֵהוֵי לֵיהּ חַיֵּי בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי), and he merits in both worlds (וְזָכֵי בִּתְרֵין עָלְמִין). And even one who labors in Orayta but not for its sake as is fitting (וְאֲפִלּוּ מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא וְלָא יִשְׁתַּדַּל בָּהּ לִשְׁמָהּ כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת), he merits good reward in this world (זָכֵי לְאֲגַר טַב בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין), and he will not be judged strictly in that world (וְלָא דָיְינִין לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא).