Daf 113a (דַּף קי״ג ע״א)

He entered there (עָאל תַּמָּן), until he approached that place (עַד דְּקָרִיב לְהַהוּא אֲתָר). He placed the ring before them (שַׁוֵּי עִזְקָא קָמַיְיהוּ), and came closer (וְקָרִיב). There he learned all he desired from those foreign wise men (וְתַמָּן הֲוָה יָדַע כָּל מַה דְּבָעֵי מֵאִינּוּן חָכְמְתָן נוּכְרָאִין), whatever he wished to know (דְּבָעֵי לְמִנְדַּע). When they told him all that he wished (כֵּיוָן דַּהֲווֹ אַמְרִין לֵיהּ כָּל מַה דְּבָעֵי), then he mounted upon that eagle (כְּדֵין הֲוָה רָכִיב עַל הַהוּא נִשְׁרָא), and returned to his place (וְתָב לְאַתְרֵיהּ). Once he was seated upon his throne (כֵּיוָן דְּהֲוָה יָתִיב עַל כּוּרְסְיֵיהּ), his mind settled (אִתְיָישַּׁב בְּדַעְתֵּיהּ), and he spoke inwardly words of precious wisdom (וַהֲוָה מְמַלֵּל בְּדַעְתֵּיהּ מִלִּין דְּחָכְמְתָא יַקִּירָא). At that very moment he said (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא הֲוָה אָמַר): "And I returned and saw" (וְשַׁבְתִּי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה).

Certainly, I returned from that journey (שַׁבְתִּי וַדַּאי מֵהַהוּא אָרְחָא), I returned from that wisdom (שַׁבְתִּי מֵהַהִיא חָכְמְתָא), and it settled in my heart and mind (וְאִתְיְישָׁבִת בְּלִבָּאי וּבְדַעְתָּאי). Then (וּכְדֵין) "I saw all the oppressed" (וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת כָּל הָעֲשׁוּקִים). But are there only few oppressed in the world (וְכִי זְעִירִין אִינּוּן בְּעָלְמָא), that he said, "all the oppressed"? (דְּאִיהוּ אֲמָר אֶת כָּל הֲעַשׁוּקִים). (Some say: Do you think King Shlomo saw every oppressed person in the world? (נ''א סלקא דעתך דכל עשיקין דהוו בעלמא, הוה חמי שלמה מלכא).

Rather (אֶלָּא), who are these oppressed he mentioned? (מַאי עֲשׁוּקִים אִלֵּין דְּהוּא אָמַר). They are those infants who die in the strength of their mothers (אִינּוּן יְנוֹקִין דְּמֵתִין בְּתּוּקְפָא דְּאִמְּהוֹן), who are oppressed from multiple sides (דְּקָא עֲשׁוּקִים מִכַּמָּה סִטְרִין). They are oppressed from the supernal place above (עֲשׁוּקִים בַּאֲתָר עִלָּאָה דִּלְעֵילָּא), and oppressed below (וַעֲשׁוּקִים לְתַתָּא). Indeed, the Friends have awakened (וְהָא חַבְרַיָּיא אִתְּעָרוּ), and so it truly is (וְהָכִי הוּא), but they are numerous (אֲבָל סַגִּיאִין אִינּוּן). Rise now, Saba, awaken your strength (קוּם סָבָא, אִתְּעַר בְּחֵילָךְ).

Sava, speak your word (סָבָא אֵימָא מִילָךְ), for certainly without fear shall you speak (דְּוַדַּאי בְּלָא דְּחִילוּ תֵּימָא). There are no oppressed like these oppressed (לֵית עָשׁוּק כְּאִינּוּן עֲשׁוּקִים), who were oppressed in the beginning (דְּהֲוָה אִיהוּ עָשִׁיק בְּקַדְמִיתָא), or from the third generation onward (אוֹ מִתְּלָתָא לְאָחֳרָא), as it is written (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב), (Shemot 20) "Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generations" (פּוֹקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְעַל בְּנֵי בָנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים).

How was he oppressed? (הֵיךָ הֲוָה עָשִׁיק). King Shlomo cried out and said (שְׁלמֹה מַלְכָּא צָוַוח וְאָמַר): (Mishlei 28) "A man oppressed by the blood of a soul shall flee unto the pit, let no one support him" (אָדָם עָשׁוּק בְּדָם נָפֶשׁ עַד בּוֹר יָנוּס אַל יִתְמְכוּ בוֹ). Since he is oppressed by bloodshed (כֵּיוָן דְּהוּא עָשׁוּק בְּדַם נֶפֶשׁ), he, or his son, or his grandson (הוּא, אוֹ בְּנוֹ, אוֹ בֶּן בְּנוֹ), shall be oppressed on the scales of judgment (יְהוֹן עֲשׁוּקִין בְּטִיקְלָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִיב): "unto the pit he shall flee, let no one support him" (עַד בּוֹר יָנוּס אַל יִתְמְכוּ בוֹ). Unto that empty pit he flees from the holy place (עַד הַהוּא בּוֹר רַק יָנוּס מֵאֲתָר קַדִּישָׁא), and no one supports him in this world (וְאַל יִתְמְכוּ בּוֹ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). Since he oppressed by bloodshed (כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ עָשׁוּק בְּדַם נֶפֶשׁ), he or his descendants (אִיהוּ, אוֹ זַרְעֵיהּ), shall be oppressed by the Sitra achra (לֶהֱווֹ עֲשׁוּקִים מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא).

There is one oppressed (אִית עָשׁוּק), distinct from the other oppressed (מִשְּׁאָר עֲשׁוּקִים), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), "Do not oppress your neighbor" (לֹא תַעֲשׁוֹק אֶת רֵעֲךָ). He transgressed and oppressed (אִיהוּ עָבַר וְעָשַׁק); he himself becomes oppressed through his children (אִיהוּ עָשׁוּק בִּבְנוֹי), from the Sitra achra (מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא). Therefore he said (וּבְּגִין כָּךְ אָמַר), "all the oppressed" (אֶת כָּל הָעֲשׁוּקִים). Shlomo said (אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה), I stand among all those oppressed (קָאִימְנָא בְּכָל אִינּוּן עֲשׁוּקִים), from every side of oppression (בְּכָל סִטְרִין דַּעֲשָׁק). Why are they oppressed? (וַאֲמַאי אִינּוּן עֲשׁוּקִים). It is because they were made "under the sun" (אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ). The verse should have said "who dwelt under the sun" (אֲשֶׁר גָּרוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Why does it say "who were made"? (מַאי אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ). If being made is praiseworthy (אִי עֲשִׂיָּיה אִיהִי לִשְׁבָחָא), then their making is certainly not "under the sun" (לָאו עֲשִׂיָּיה דִּלְהוֹן אֶלָּא לְעֵילָּא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא).

But indeed they were "made" (אֲבָל וַדַּאי נַעֲשׂוּ). How were they "made"? (הֵיךְ נַעֲשׂוּ). Because since their spirits were oppressed there above (אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן דְּעֲשׁוּקִים מֵרוּחֵיהוֹן תַּמָּן), why do they come into this world? (אֲמַאי אַתְיָין לְהַאי עָלְמָא). Rather, these spirits were surely "made" (אֶלָּא רוּחִין וַדַּאי נַעֲשׂוּ), they were formed as spirits into bodies in this world (אִתְעָבִידוּ בְּרוּחִין וּבְגוּפָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). Once their bodies were perfected (כֵּיוָן דְּאִשְׁתָּכְלַל גּוּפָא דִּלְהוֹן), and the spirit was formed into a pure and clean body (וְאִתְעָבִיד הַהוּא רוּחָא בְּגוּפָא זַךְ וְנָקִי), free from the stain of sin in this world (בְּלָא לִכְלוּכָא דְּחוֹבִין בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), then the body itself became oppressed (כְּדֵין אִתְעֲשָׁק גּוּפָא), just as the spirit had been oppressed (כְּמָה דְּאִתְעֲשָׁק רוּחָא).

Yet this body benefits more than all others (וְהַאי אִיהוּ גּוּפָא, דְּאִתְהֲנֵי בֵּיהּ יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא). There are other oppressed beings (וַעֲשׁוּקִין אַחֲרָנִין אִית), who remain as spirits there above many times (בְּכַמָּה זִינִין מֵרוּחִין תַּמָּן), and are not "made" into bodies (וְלָא נַעֲשׂוּ בְּגוּפִין). But these (אֲבָל אִלֵּין), these are indeed "the oppressed who were made" (אִינּוּן עֲשׁוּקִים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ). There are others (אִית אַחֲרָנִין), who were made (אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ), and who burdened people before their Master (וְאַטְרָחוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לְמָארֵיהוֹן).

And who is this? (וּמַאן אִיהוּ). One who secretly oppresses his fellow’s wife (מַאן דְּעָשִׁיק אִתְּתָא דְּחַבְרֵיהּ בִּטְמִירוּ), or openly (אוֹ בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָיא). And that child born from them (וְהַהוּא וַלְדָּא דְּאִתְיְלִיד מִנַּיְיהוּ), he is oppressed (עָשׁוּק אִיהוּ), without the will of their Master (בְּלָא רְעוּתָא דְּמָארִיהוֹן), and the woman’s husband does not know (וְלָא יָדַע בַּעְלָהּ דְּאִתְּתָא). These deeds are indeed oppression (אִינּוּן עוֹבָדִין עֲשׁוּקִין אִינּוּן), and they burden Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְאַטְרָחוּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), forcing Him to make them bodies (לְמֶעְבַּד לוֹן גּוּפָא), and to form their image (וּלְצַיְּירָא לוֹן צוּרָה). These are the oppressed who were made (אִלֵּין עֲשׁוּקִים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ). They were certainly made (אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ וַדַּאי), their bodies created unwillingly (גּוּפִין דִּלְהוֹן, עַל כָּרְחָא). Thus, King Shlomo said (בְּגִין כָּךְ, שְׁלמֹה מַלְכָּא אָמַר), "and I saw all the oppressed" (וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת כָּל הָעֲשׁוּקִים).

Among all types of oppressed I stand (בְּכָל זִינֵי עֲשׁוּקִים קָאִימְנָא), those who were made and created forcefully (אִינּוּן אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ וְאִתְעָבִידוּ בַּעֲשִׂיָּיה). Just as these others (כְּמָה דְּהָנֵי), (Another matter, it refers to the foreskin) (דבר אחר אִיהוּ בְּעָרְלָה), who were already created in foreskin (דְּכְבָר נַעֲשׂוּ בְּעָרְלָה), they grew up and were raised (רַבֵּי וְנָטִיל וְגָדִיל גּוּפָא), and formed (וְעָבִיד לֵיהּ), and afterwards they were oppressed from it (וּלְבָתַר עַשְׁקִין לוֹן מִנֵּיהּ), and removed from it (וְנַטְלִין לוֹן). Behold, these oppressed who were already made (הֲרֵי עֲשׁוּקִים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ).

Upon all these King Shlomo stood and said (וְעַל כֹּלָּא קָאִים שְׁלמֹה מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר), I stand over all the oppressed who were made (קָאִימְנָא עַל כָּל הָעֲשׁוּקִים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ). "And behold, the tears of the oppressed" (וְהִנֵּה דִּמְעַת הָעֲשֻׁקִים). All shed tears (כֹּלָּא אוֹשְׁדִין דִּמְעִין), with complaint before Kudsha Berikh Hu (עִם טַעֲנָה קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). These shed tears (הָנֵי אוֹשְׁדִין דִּמְעִין), because foreskin raised them (דְּהָא עָרְלָה רַבֵּי לוֹן), and nurtured them (וְגָדִיל לוֹן), until thirteen years (עַד י"ג שְׁנִין), and afterwards they are oppressed from the foreskin (וּלְבָתַר עַשְׁקִין לוֹן מֵעָרְלָה). Kudsha Berikh Hu removes them (וְנָטִיל לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Behold for you the oppressed who were already made (הָא לָךְ עֲשׁוּקִין אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ כְּבָר).