Daf 96b (דַּף צ״ו ע״ב)

What does He do? (מַה עָבִיד). He allows them to be oppressed by the hand of that maidservant (שָׁבִיק לוֹן לְאִתְעַשְּׁקָא בִּידָא דְּהַהִיא אָמָה), and this is Lilith (וְדָא אִיהִי לִילִית). For once they are placed in her authority (דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִתְיְיהִיבוּ בִּרְשׁוּתָהּ), she rejoices (some say: unites) in that child (חַדָּאת (נ"א אחדא) בְּהַהוּא יְנוֹקָא), oppresses him, and removes him from the world (וַעֲשִׁיקַת לֵיהּ, וְאַפִּיקַת לֵיהּ מֵעָלְמָא), while he still nurses from the strength of his mother (כַּד אִיהוּ יָנִיק בְּתוּקְפָּא דְּאִמֵּיהּ).

And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא), "Are these Neshamot not capable of doing good in the world?" (אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּיַעַבְדוּן טַב לְעָלְמָא), it is not so (לָאו הָכִי). For it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): "If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master" (אִם רָעָה בְּעֵינֵי אֲדֹנֶיהָ), meaning that this person would later sour (דְּיַחֲמִיץ הַהוּא גַּבְרָא בָּהּ לְבָתַר יוֹמִין), if allowed to remain (אִי אִתְקַיַּים בָּהּ). Thus, this one was oppressed (דָּא אִתְעַשְׁקַת), and another was not oppressed (וְאַחֲרָא לָא אִתְעַשְּׁקַת). Concerning these it is written (וְעַל אִלֵּין כְּתִיב): "And I saw all the oppressed, etc." (וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת כָּל הָעֲשׁוּקִים וְגוֹ') (Ecclesiastes 4). This is precisely: "If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master" (וְהַיְינוּ אִם רָעָה בְּעֵינֵי אֲדֹנֶיהָ).

"Who did not designate her" (אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְעָדָהּ), is not written with an Aleph (לֹא בְּאָלֶף כְּתִיב). If you say (אִי תֵּימָא), that Kudsha Berikh Hu appointed her to the Sitra achra from the very day she existed (דְּהָא בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, אַזְמִין לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִיּוֹמָא דַּהֲוַת), it is not so (לָא). Rather, now, in this cycle of the scale (וְהַשְׁתָּא בְּגִלְגּוּלֵי טִיקְלָא), it is written "lo" (for him), designated with a Vav (לוֹ יְעָדָהּ בְּוָא״ו), something that had not existed previously (מַה דְּלָא הֲוַת מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא).

"And he shall redeem her" (וְהֶפְדָּהּ), what is "and he shall redeem her"? (מַאי וְהֶפְדָּהּ). Kudsha Berikh Hu redeems her now (פָּרִיק לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הַשְׁתָּא), while her fragrance is still ascending (דְּסַלְּקָא רֵיחָא), before she sours (עַד לָא תַּחֲמִיץ), and raises her to the heights above (וְסָלִיק לָהּ לְרוּמֵי מְרוֹמִים), to His Academy p6-37(בִּמְתִיבְתָּא דִּילֵיהּ). And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא), since she was oppressed by that Sitra achra (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעַשְּׁקָת מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), He gives her over, as was said regarding the righteous among the nations (יָהִיב לָהּ, כְּמָה דְּאָמְרוּ לַחֲסִידֵי שְׁאַר עַמִּין), and those Bastards, Come and see (וּלְאִינּוּן מַמְזְרֵי תָּא חֲזֵי). The verse explicitly corrects this (אָתָא קְרָא וְאוֹכַח): "He shall have no power to sell her to a foreign people" (לְעַם נָכְרִי לֹא יִמְשׁוֹל לְמָכְרָהּ), certainly, "because he betrayed her" (וַדַּאי, בְּבִגְדוֹ בָהּ), by oppressing her through the oppressive cycle of the scale (דְּעָשִׁיק לָהּ בַּעֲשִׁיקוּ דְּגִלְגּוּלָא דְּטִיקְלָא).

Rather, she belongs certainly to Yisrael (אֶלָּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וַדַּאי), and not to another (וְלָא לְאַחֲרָא). And when she emerges from the scale (וְכַד נַפְקַת מִן טִיקְלָא), "she shall not go out as the male servants do" (לֹא תֵצֵא כְּצֵאת הָעֲבָדִים), but instead she is crowned with a crown, elevated upon her head (אֶלָּא מִתְעַטְּרָא בְּעִטְּרָהָא בַּאֲרָמָא עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ). And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא), that this side enters into that child (דְּהַאי סִטְרָא עָאלַת לָהּ בְּהַהוּא יַנּוּקָא), it is not so (לָאו הָכִי). Rather, she takes it (אֶלָּא נַטְלַת לָהּ), rejoices with it (וְחַדָּאת בַּהֲדָהּ), and it flies from her hand (וּפַרְחַת מִן יְדָהָא), and enters that supernal place (וְעָאלַת בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר). And she attends to that child (וְאִיהִי פְּקִידַת לְהַהוּא יְנוֹקָא), rejoices in him (וְחַדָּאת בֵּיהּ), smiles at him (וְחַיְּיכַת בֵּיהּ), and desires that flesh p6-38(וְתָאִיבַת לְהַהוּא בָּשָׂר), until afterward, Kudsha Berikh Hu takes his Neshama (עַד דִּלְבָתַר נָטִיל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ), and she takes the body (וְהִיא לְגוּפָא). Afterwards, everything is under the authority of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּלְבָתַר כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בִּרְשׁוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): "She shall not go out as the male servants do" (לא תֵצֵא כְּצֵאת הָעֲבָדִים), what is this? (מַאי הוּא). Rather, at the moment she emerges from the scale (אֶלָּא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַפְקַת מִן טִיקְלָא), while that other side is rejoicing (וְהַהוּא סִטְרָא בְּחֵדוּ), Kudsha Berikh Hu marks her (רָשִׁים לָהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and seals her with one signet (וְחָתִים לָהּ בְּחַד גּוּשְׁפַּנְקָא), and spreads over her His precious garment (וּפָרִישׂ עָלָהּ לְבוּשׁ יְקָר דִּילֵיהּ). And what is this garment? (וּמַאן אִיהוּ). It is the holy Name called "Eloah (God)" (שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִקְרֵי אֱלוֹהַּ). This is "because he betrayed her" (וְדָא הוּא בְּבִגְדוֹ בָהּ): that He spread upon her the precious garment of the King (לְבוּשָׁא יַקִּירָא דְּמַלְכָּא פָּרִישׂ עָלָהּ). Thus she is protected (וּכְדֵין אִיהִי נְטִירָא), that she shall not be handed over to a foreign nation (דְּלָא אִתְמַסְּרַת לְעַם נָכְרִי), but only to Yisrael alone (אֶלָּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְחוּד). This is what is written (וְדָא אִיהוּ דִּכְתִּיב): "As in the days when God protected me" (כִּימֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵנִי) (Job 29). Regarding this mystery it is written here (וְעַל רָזָא דָּא כְּתִיב הָכָא): "He shall have no power to sell her to a foreign nation, because he betrayed her" (לְעַם נָכְרִי לֹא יִמְשֹׁל לְמָכְרָהּ בְּבִגְדוֹ בָהּ), as long as the precious garment of the King is upon her (בְּעוֹד דִּלְבוּשׁ יְקָר דְּמַלְכָּא בָּהּ). Since (כֵּיוָן) "he betrayed her" p6-39(דְּבִגְדוֹ בָהּ), it is explicitly written (כְּתִיב): "He shall have no power to sell her to a foreign nation" (לְעַם נָכְרִי לֹא יִמְשֹׂל לְמָכְרָהּ). What authority does that other side have over her? (מַה רְשׁוּ אִית לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא בָּהּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): All people of the world (כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא כֻּלְּהוּ) are under the authority of the Holy King (בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא). They all have an appointed time in this world (וְכֻלְּהוּ אִית לוֹן זִמְנָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), until He desires to remove them from the world (עַד דְּאִיהוּ בָּעֵי לְסַלְּקָא לוֹן מִן עָלְמָא). But this one has no appointed time (וְדָא לֵית לֵיהּ זִמְנָא). Therefore she smiles at them (וְעַל דָּא אִיהִי חַיְיכָת בְּהוּ), and rejoices in them (וְחַדָּאת בְּהוּ).

Furthermore, a warning for a human being (in this world) (תּוּ, אַזְהָרוּתָא לְבַר נָשׁ (בהאי עלמא)) is contained within these verses (אִית בְּהָנֵי קְרָאֵי), along with many elevated, good counsels (וְכַמָּה עֵיטִין טָבִין עִלָּאִין אִינּוּן), regarding all matters of Orayta (בְּכָל מִילֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).

All are true (וְכֻלְּהוּ קְשׁוֹט), upon a true path (בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט), and made known only to the wise (וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן לְגַבֵּי חַכִּימִין), who recognize and follow the true way (דְּיַדְעֵי וְאַזְלֵי בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט). When Kudsha Berikh Hu desired to create the world (בְּזִמְנָא דְּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִבְרֵי עָלְמָא), there ascended before Him His will (סָלִיק בִּרְעוּתָא קָמֵיהּ), and He formed all the Neshamot that would later be given to human beings (וְצִיֵּיר כָּל נִשְׁמָתִין דְּאִינּוּן זְמִינִין לְמֵיהָב בִּבְנִי נָשָׁא לְבָתַר).

All were formed before Him exactly as they would later be within human beings (וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְצְיָּירוּ קָמֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא צִיּוּרָא מַמָּשׁ, דִּזְמִינִין לְמֶהֱוֵי בִּבְנִי נָשָׁא לְבָתַר), and He saw each one individually (וְחָמָא כָּל חַד וְחַד). And there are among them those destined to corrupt their paths in this world (וְאִית מִנְּהוֹן דִּזְמִינִין לְאַבְאָשָׁא אָרְחַיְיהוּ בְּעָלְמָא). When their time arrives (וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּמָטָא זִמְנַיְיהוּ), Kudsha Berikh Hu calls that Neshama (קָרֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְהַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא) and says to her (אָמַר לָהּ): "Go, enter into that place, into that specific body" (זִילִי עוּלִי בְּדוֹךְ פְּלָן. בְּגוּף פְּלָן).

She responds before Him (אָתִיבַת קָמֵיהּ): "Master of the World, it is sufficient for me in this world where I dwell now (מָארֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, דַּי לִי בְּעָלְמָא דָּא דַּאֲנָא יָתְבָא בֵּיהּ), and I do not wish to go to another world (וְלָא אֵיהָךְ לְעָלְמָא אַחֲרָא), where they will enslave me (דְּיִשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּן בִּי), and I will become defiled among them" (וְאֵהֶא מְלוּכְלְכָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ). Kudsha Berikh Hu says to her (אָמַר לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): "From the day you were created, you were created precisely for this, to exist in that world" (מִן יוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרִיאַת, עַל דָּא אִתְבְּרִיאַת לְמֶהוֵי בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא). Once the Neshama sees this (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָאת נִשְׁמְתָא כַּךְ), she descends unwillingly and enters there (בְּעַל כָּרְחָהּ נַחְתַּת וְעָאלַת תַּמָּן).

The Orayta, which gives counsel to the entire world (אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּיָהִבַת עֵיטָא לְכָל עָלְמָא), saw this (חָמָאת הָכִי), and warned the people of the world (אַזְהִירַת לִבְנֵי עָלְמָא), saying (וְאַמְרַת): "See how much compassion Kudsha Berikh Hu has for you! (חָמוּ כַּמָּה חָס קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלַיְיכוּ). A precious pearl He had (מַרְגָּלִיתָא טָבָא דַּהֲוַת לֵיהּ), and He sold it to you freely (זַבִּין לְכוּ לְמַגָּנָא), that you might serve with it in this world" (דְּתִשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּן בָּהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא).