Daf 112a (דַּף קי״ב ע״א)

And for this reason Ya'akov pushed him away (וְעַל דָּא דָּחֵי לֵיהּ יַעֲקֹב), and Shemuel pushed him away (וְדָחֵי לֵיהּ שְׁמוּאֵל), so he would have no portion in holiness (דְּלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בִּקְדוּשָׁא). And therefore, all hatred and resentment toward Yisrael (וּבְגִין דָּא, כָּל נְטִירוּ דְּבָבוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), is due to this (עַל דָּא אִיהוּ). It is like a dog that grabbed a pure bird from the market (לְכַלְבָּא דְּחָטִיף עוֹפָא דַּכְיָא מִן שׁוֹקָא), and was carrying it away (וְאַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ), and before he could break it apart (וְעַד לָא אִתְּבַר), a certain man came and snatched it from him (אָטָא חַד בַּר נָשׁ וְחַטְפָא מִנֵּיהּ).

Afterward, he gave him a dry bone without any benefit (לְבָתַר יָהִיב לֵיהּ חַד גַּרְמָא גְּרִירָא בְּלָא תּוֹעַלְתָּא). Thus, with the ministering angel of Esav (כַּךָ לְשָׂרוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו), they removed him from that womb (אַפִּיקוּ לֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא בֶּטֶן), and snatched away from him that thigh (חָטִיפוּ מִנֵּיהּ הַהוּא יָרֵךְ). Afterward, they gave him one bone (לְבָתַר יָהֲבוּ לֵיהּ גַּרְמָא חַד), which is that womb and thigh of the Sotah (הַהוּא בֶּטֶן וְהַהוּא יָרֵךְ דְּסוֹטָה), and no other (וְלָא אָחֳרָא). This is the bone (הָא גַּרְמָא) that was given to him as his portion and inheritance (דְּקָא יָהֲבוּ לֵיהּ לְחוּלָקֵיהּ וְעַדְבֵיהּ), and it was pleasing to him (וְעָרַב לֵיהּ). And therefore (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), all the judgments of Kudsha Berikh Hu (כָּל דִּינִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) are true judgments (דִּינִין דִּקְשׁוֹט אִינּוּן), and people do not know them (וּבְנִי נָשָׁא לָא יַדְעִין), and do not perceive Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Yet, all His ways are just (וְכֻלְּהוּ בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט). She, who diverted herself away from her husband (הִיא אַסְטִיאַת גַּרְמָהּ מִבַּעְלָהּ), as you say (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), (Mishlei 2) "Who forsakes the companion of her youth, etc." (הָעוֹזֶבֶת אַלּוּף נְעוּרֶיהָ וְגוֹ׳), thus also a woman behaves like her (אוּף הָכִי אִתְּתָא), according to her manner on earth (כְּגַוְונָא דִּילָהּ בְּאַרְעָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): one who finds a companion like himself (מַאן דְּאַשְׁכַּח חַבְרָא כְּוָותֵיהּ), who acts as he does in this world (דְּעָבִיד כְּעוֹבָדוֹי בְּעָלְמָא), he loves him (רָחִים לֵיהּ), clings to him (וְאִתְדָּבַּק בַּהֲדֵיהּ), and does good with him (וְעָבִיד עִמֵּיהּ טִיבוּ). But the Sitra achra is not like this (אֲבָל סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא לָאו הָכִי). When it finds someone who abandons the side of holiness of Kudsha Berikh Hu (כֵּיוָן דְּאַשְׁכַּח מַאן דְּשָׁבַק סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָׁה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and acts according to its deeds (וְעָבִיד כְּעוֹבָדוֹי), and cleaves to it (וְאִתְדָּבַּק בָּהּ), then it desires to destroy him and remove him from the world (כְּדֵין בַּעְיָא לְשֵׁיצָאָה וּלְאַפָּקָא לֵיהּ מֵעָלְמָא). This woman, who behaved according to its actions (הַאי אִתְּתָא, עַבְדַת כְּעוֹבָדָהָא), and clung to it (וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בָּהּ), behold what it does to her (חֲזִי מַה דְּעַבְדַת בָּהּ): "her belly swells and her thigh falls" (וְצָבְתָה בִטְנָהּ וְנָפְלָה יְרֵכָהּ). Kudsha Berikh Hu is not like this (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָאו הָכִי).

Whoever abandons the Sitra Achra (מַאן דְּשָׁבִיק לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא), and clings to Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְאִתְדַּבָּק בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), He then loves him (כְּדֵין רָחִים לֵיהּ), and grants him all goodness in the world (וְעָבִיד לֵיהּ כָּל טִיבוּ דְּעָלְמָא). Now, Sava, strengthen yourself (הַשְׁתָּא סָבָא אַתְקִין גַּרְמִיךְ), for behold, the serpent goes away (דְּהָא חִוְיָא אָזִיל לֵיהּ), and desires to wage war with you (וּבָעָא לְאִתְגָּרָא בַּהֲדָךְ), yet he is unable (וְלָא יָכִיל). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): (Kohelet 1) "What profit has a man from all his toil that he toils under the sun?" (מַה יִּתְרוֹן לָאָדָם בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמוֹל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ). And did Shlomo come only to teach this matter? (וְכִי לָא אָתָא שְׁלמֹה אֶלָּא לְאוֹלְפָא מִלָּה דָּא).

If he had said (אִלּוּ אָמַר) (Some say: And indeed, what did King Shlomo come to teach by this? And furthermore, if he had said [ס״א וְכִי מַה אֲתָא שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא לְאַלְפָא בְּמִלָּה דָּא וְתוּ אִלּוּ אָמַר]): "By his toil that he toils," properly (בַּעֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמוֹל יֵאוֹת), then there remains toil (דְּהָא אִשְׁתְּאַר עָמָל), which indeed has profit (דְּאִית בֵּיהּ יִּתְרוֹן). However, since it is written, "all his toil" (אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִיב בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ), this is an inclusive term of everything (הָא כְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא), so that nothing remains which has any profit (דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּאַר כְּלוּם דְּאִית בֵּיהּ יִּתְרוֹן). Rather (אֶלָּא), Shlomo did not speak this statement regarding every person (לָאו לְכָל אָדָם אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה מִלָּה דָּא). Rather, there exists a man in the world (אֶלָּא אָדָם אִית בְּעָלְמָא), who constantly strives for evil and wickedness (דְּאִיהוּ מִשְׁתַּדֵּל תָּדִיר בְּבִישׁ וּלְאַבְאָשָּׁא), and never strives toward good, even for a single moment (וְלָא אִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּטָב אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא חֲדָא). Thus it is written "his toil" (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב עֲמָלוֹ), and not written "his labor" (וְלָא כְּתִיב יְגִיעוֹ). "His toil" (עֲמָלוֹ), as you say (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), (Tehillim 7) "His toil shall return upon his own head" (יָשׁוּב עֲמָלוֹ בְרֹאשׁוֹ), (Bamidbar 23) "And He has seen no toil in Yisrael" (וְלֹא רָאָה עָמָל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). "His labor" (יְגִיעוֹ), as you say (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), (Tehillim 128) "When you eat the labor of your hands…" (יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל וְגוֹ׳), and it is written (וּכְתִיב), (Bereishit 31) "And the labor of my hands God has seen" (וְאֶת יְגִיעַ כַּפַּי רָאָה אֱלֹהִים).

However, "his toil" (אֲבָל עֲמָלוֹ), it is written (כְּתִיב), (Tehillim 10) "Toil and grief" (עָמָל וָכַעַס). His striving is always toward evil (אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתֵיהּ הוּא תָּדִיר לְבִישׁ). Therefore he is "under the sun" (וְעַל דָּא אִיהוּ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ). At the time when this man strives in evil (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהַאי אָדָם אִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּבִישׁ), concerning him it is written (עַל הַאי כְּתִיב), (Job 18) "He shall have neither offspring nor progeny among his people, etc." (לֹא נִין לוֹ וְלֹא נְכֶד בְּעַמּוֹ וְגוֹ׳). For Kudsha Berikh Hu desires (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי) that he not produce offspring (דְּלָא יַעְבִּיד תּוֹלָדִין).

For if he produced offspring (דְּאִלְמָלֵא יַעְבֵּיד תּוֹלָדִין), he would destroy the world (הֲוָה מְטַשְׁטֵשָׁא עָלְמָא). Thus it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב), "What profit has a man from all his toil?" (מַה יִּתְרוֹן לָאָדָם בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ). And whoever does not strive to produce offspring (וּמַאן דְּלָא יִשְׁתָּדַּל לְמֶעְבַּד תּוֹלָדִין), clings to this side of the evil Adam (אִתְדָּבַּק בְּהַאי סִטְרָא דְּאָדָם בִּישָׁא), and comes under his wings (וְעָאל תְּחוֹת גַּדְפּוֹי). Rut said (רוּת אָמְרָה), (Rut 3) "Spread your wing over your handmaid" (וּפָרַשְׂתָּ כְנָפֶיךָ עַל אֲמָתְךָ), in order to join herself to a Tzaddik (בְּגִין לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּצַדִּיק), to produce offspring (לְמֶעְבַּד תּוֹלָדִין). But Kudsha Berikh Hu spreads His wings over a person (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פָּרִישׂ גַּדְפּוֹי עַל בַּר נָשׁ), to increase life in the world (בְּגִין לְאַפָּשָׁא בְּעָלְמָא). However, one who does not desire to produce offspring (לְמַאן דְּלָא בָּעֵי לְמֶעְבַּד תּוֹלָדִין), "he shall enter alone" (בְּגַפּוֹ יָבֹא), alone in that evil (בְּגַפּוֹ דְּהַהוּא בִּישׁ), for he goes childless (דְּאִיהוּ אָזִיל עֲרִירִי), like that serpent (כְּחִוְיָא דָּא), which goes alone (דְּאָזִיל יְחִידָאי). "He shall go out alone" (בְּגַפּוֹ יֵצֵא)—as you say now (כַּמָּה דְּאַת אָמֵר הַשְׁתָּא)—he who does not strive to produce offspring (אִיהוּ דְּלָא אִשְׁתָּדַּל לְמֶעְבַּד תּוֹלָדִין).

Behold, all that is needed has been stated (הָא אִתְּמַר כָּל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ). (Some say: Come and see, it is necessary to return, Sava, to the earlier words [ס״א תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּאִית לְאַהְדָּרָא סָבָא, בְּמִלִּין קַדְמָאִין). Regarding the "dispute" that Kudsha Berikh Hu makes (רִיב דְּעָבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), behold, it is explained thus (הָא אִתְּמַר, רִיב): as it is written (דִּכְתִיב), (Michah 6) "Arise, dispute with the mountains" (קוּם רִיב אֶת הֶהָרִים). What is the meaning of this? (מַאי אִיהוּ). Rather, these are the mountains below (אֶלָּא, אִינּוּן טוּרִין דִּלְתַתָּא). Why this dispute? (אֲמַאי רִיב דָּא). Because upon them depends every sin that Yisrael commits (בְּגִין דִּבְהוּ תַּלְיָא, כָּל חוֹבָא דְּעַבְדִין יִשְׂרָאֵל), against their Father in heaven (לְגַבֵּי אֲבוּהוֹן דְּבִשְׁמַיָּא). Why? (מַאי טַעֲמָא). Because Yisrael knows the usage of all the supernal angels of heaven (בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הֲווֹ יַדְעִין שִׁמּוּשָׁא דְּכָל מַלְאָכִין עִלָּאִין דְּבִשְׁמַיָּא), and it is not hidden from them (וְלָא אָנִיס לְהוּ), even the name of one of them (אֲפִילּוּ שְׁמָא דְּחָד מִנַּיְיהוּ), nor any of their functions (וְכָל שִׁמּוּשָׁא דִּלְהוֹן).