Daf 173a (דַּף קע״ג ע״א)

“Who gives songs in the night” (Job 35) (נוֹתֵן זְמִירוֹת בַּלַּיְלָה), because this is the one that (בְּגִין דְּדָא אִיהוּ דְּקָא), constantly praises before the King whose peace is His (מְשָׁבַּחַת תָּדִיר לְגַבֵּי מַלְכָּא דִּשְׁלָמָא דִּילֵיהּ), like a lamp that never goes out (כְּגַוְונָא דְּבוּצִינָא דְּלָא שָׁכִיךְ תָּדִיר), in order to receive supernal radiant joy (בְּגִין לְקַבְּלָא נְהוֹרָא חֶדְוָה עִלָּאָה), from the abundance of His joy (מִסְּגִיאוּת חֶדְוָה דִּילֵיהּ). And about this it is written: “Who gives songs in the night” (וְעַל דָּא נוֹתֵן זְמִירוֹת בַּלַּיְלָה).

All those stars that shine in the firmament (כָּל אִינּוּן כֹּכָבַיָּא דְּקָא מְנָהֲרָן בִּרְקִיעָא), all of them give thanks and praise to Kudsha Berikh Hu (כֻּלְּהוּ אוֹדָאן וּמְשַׁבְּחָן לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), during all the time that they are visible in the firmament (בְּכָל הַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאִתְחָזוּן בִּרְקִיעָא), because the supernal angels (בְּגִין דְּמַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי), all of them give thanks and praise (כֻּלְּהוּ אוֹדָאן וּמְשַׁבְּחָן), watch by watch (אַשְׁמוּרוֹת אַשְׁמוּרוֹת), in the three divisions that form the night (בִּתְלַת פַּלְגֵּי דְּהַוְי לֵילְיָא).

At night, there are many divisions (בְּלֵילְיָא אִתְפַּלְגָּן כַּמָּה סִטְרִין). At the beginning of the night (בְּרֵאשִׁיתָא דְּלֵילְיָא), when night spreads and darkness sets in (כַּד רָמַשׁ לֵילְיָא וְאִתְחֲשָׁךְ), all those evil spirits and evil kinds (כֹּל אִינּוּן רוּחִין בִּישִׁין וּזִינִין בִּישִׁין), all of them scatter and roam throughout the world (כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְבַּדְּרָן וּמְשַׁטְטֵי בְּכָל עָלְמָא). And the Sitra achra spreads (וְאִתְפַּרְשַׁת סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and seeks the paths of the palace of the King (וְתָבְעֵי אָרְחֵי דְּבֵי מַלְכָּא), from all those holy sides (מִכָּל אִינּוּן סִטְרִין קַדִּישִׁין).

Once The Sitra achra is awakened (כֵּיוָן דְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא אִתְּעַר), all people of the world taste the taste of death (כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא טַעֲמֵי טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא), Some say: of sleep (נ״א: דְּשֵׁינָה), which is one sixtieth of death (חַד מִשִׁתִּין בְּמוֹתָא), and it rules over them (וְשַׁלְטָא עָלַיְיהוּ). Then, once defilement has been separated from above (כְּדֵין כֵּיוָן דִּמְסָאֳבוּ אִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִלְּעֵילָּא), and it rules and descends below (וְשַׁלְטָא וְנַחְתָּא לְתַתָּא), then three camps are separated to give praise to Kudsha Berikh Hu (כְּדֵין אִתְפָּרְשָׁן תְּלַת מַשִּׁרְיָין לְשַׁבְּחָא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), in the three watches (Some say: rains) of the night (בִּתְלַת סִטְרִין, נ״א: מַטְרִין, דְּלֵילְיָא), as these Friends are aroused in this manner (כְּמָה דְּאִתְעֲרוּ בְּהַאי חַבְרַיָא).

While they are praising Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּעוֹד דְּאִינּוּן מְשַׁבְּחִין לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), the Sitra achra goes and wanders below (סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא אַזְלָא וּמְשַׁטְּטָא לְתַתָּא), through all sides of the world (בְּכָל סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא), and until The Sitra achra is removed from there (וְעַד דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לָא אִתְעַבָּר מִתַּמָּן), they are not able to unite with their Master (לָא יַכְלִין אִינּוּן לְאִתְיַיחֲדָא בְּמָארֵיהוֹן).

A secret for the wise (רָזָא לְחַכִּימִין), the supernal angels (מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיוֹנִין), and Yisrael below (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא)—all of them are pressed by The Sitra achra (כֻּלְּהוּ דָּחֲקֵי בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא). The supernal angels, when they wish to unite with their Master (מַלְאָכִין עִלָּאִין כַּד בָּעָאן לְאִתְיַיחֲדָא בְּמָארֵיהוֹן), they are not able until they drive it out (לָא יַכְלִין עַד דְּדַחְיָין לָהּ לְבַר). What do they do? (מָה עַבְדִּין) They send down six hundred thousand holy angels (נַחְתִּין שִׁיתִּין רִבּוֹא דְּמַלְאֲכֵי קַדִּישֵׁי), and cast sleep upon all the people of the world (וַאֲפִילּוּ שֵׁינָתָא עַל כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). Once it descends (כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהִי נַחְתָּא), that they may drive it outside (דְּקָא דַּחְיָּין לָהּ לְבַר), and the whole world is given over to that sleep (וְיָהֲבֵי לָהּ כָּל עָלְמָא דָּא בְּהַהִיא שֵׁינָתָא), then it rules over them (כְּדֵין אִיהִי שַׁלְטָא עָלַיְיהוּ), and they receive defilement from it (וּמְקַבְּלִין מִסְאֲבוּ מִינָּהּ)—except in the Land of Yisrael alone (בַּר בְּאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְחוֹדָהָא), where it does not rule (דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא תַּמָּן). Once it is separated from them (כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהִי אִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנַּיְיהוּ), they ascend before their Master (עָאלִין לְקָמֵי מָארִיהוֹן), and praise and give thanks before Him (וּמְשַׁבְּחָן וְאוֹדָאן קָמֵיהּ).

In this manner, Yisrael below (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא), are not able to unite with their Master (לָא יַכְלִין לְאִתְיַיחֲדָא בְּמָארֵיהוֹן), until they drive away The Sitra achra from among them (עַד דְּדַחְיָין לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא מִנַּיְיהוּ), and they give it a portion in that which it is involved with (וְיָהֲבֵי לָהּ חוּלָקָא בְּמָּה דְּאִתְעַסְקַת), and afterwards, they may draw near to their Master (וּלְבָתַר, אִינּוּן מִתְקָרְבֵי לְגַבֵּי מָארֵיהוֹן), and there is found no accuser above or below (וְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח מְקַטְרְגָא עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). And if you say: it makes sense below, but above—what accusation is there? (וְאִי תֵּימָא תִּינַח לְתַתָּא, אֲבָל לְעֵילָּא מַאי קִטְרוּגָא תַּמָּן) Rather, above, because it is a defiling spirit (אֶלָּא לְעֵילָּא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ רוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא), and they are holy spirits (וְאִינּוּן רוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין), until that defiling spirit is cast out from among them (עַד דִּמְשַׁדְּרֵי רוּחָא מְסַאֲבָא מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ), they cannot draw near to their Master (לָא יַכְלִין לְקָרְבָא לְגַבֵּי מָארֵיהוֹן).

For holiness within defilement is never joined (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא גּוֹ מְסַאֲבָא, לָא מִתְעָרֵב לְעָלְמִין). And so too in this manner, Yisrael below (וְכֵן כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא), do not mix with the nations who worship stars and constellations of the world (לָא מִתְעָרְבִין בְּאוּמִין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת דְּעָלְמָא). And the two sides, above and below (וּתְרֵין סִטְרִין, עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין), when they wish to approach the Holy King (כַּד בַּעְיָין לְקָרְבָא לְגַבֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), must drive it out first (דַּחְיָּין לָהּ לְבַר). And because of this, when night enters (וְעַל דָּא, כַּד עָיִיִל לֵילְיָא), and the supernal holy angels (וּמַלְאָכִין קַדִּישִׁין עִלָּאִין), when they arrange themselves in ranks upon ranks (כַּד מִסְתַּדְּרָן שׁוּרִין שׁוּרִין), to approach (Some say: to praise) their Master (לְקָרְבָא [נ״א: לְשַׁבְּחָא] לְגַבֵּי מָארֵיהוֹן), they must first drive The Sitra achra outside (דַּחְיָּין לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא לְבַר בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and afterward they enter into the realm of holiness (וּלְבָתַר עָאלִין בְּקוּדְשָׁא). Some say: And because of this, when night enters, all evil spirits and evil species and defiling spirits are driven out to the outside, and the attendants of the King enter into the inner holiness (נ״א: וְעַל דָּא, כַּד עָיֵיל לֵילְיָא, כָּל רוּחִין בִּישִׁין וְזִינִין בִּישִׁין וְרוּחִי מְסַאֲבִי אִתְדַּחְיֵין לְבַר, וּשְׁמָשֵׁי מַלְכָּא עָיְלִין לְגוֹ קֻדְשָׁא).

There was a king (לְמַלְכָּא), who had precious stones in a single chamber (דַּהֲווֹ לֵיהּ אֲבָנִין יַקִּירִין בְּחַד תֵּיבוּתָא), carved finely in his treasury (מִתְגַּלְּפָא בְּקוּסְטְרוֹי). And that king was wise (וְהַהוּא מַלְכָּא הֲוָה חַכִּים). In order that no one who wished could approach that chamber of precious stones and pearls (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְקָרֵב כָּל מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא תֵּיבוּתָא דַּאֲבָנִין יַקִּירָן וּמַרְגְּלָן דְּתַמָּן), he took in his wisdom a fierce serpent (נָטַל בְּחָכְמָתֵיהּ, חַד חִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא), and wrapped it around that chamber (וְכָרִיךְ לֵיהּ סָחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא תֵּיבוּתָא). Anyone who would extend his hand to touch that chamber (כָּל מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְאוֹשָׁטָא יְדֵיהּ לְגַבֵּי תֵּיבוּתָא), behold, the serpent would leap upon him and kill him (הָא חִוְיָא דָּלִיג עָלֵיהּ, וְקָטִיל לֵיהּ).

Now the king had one beloved (חַד רְחִימָא הֲוָה לְמַלְכָּא), and the king said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ מַלְכָּא): “Whenever you desire to enter and use the chamber (כָּל זִמְנָא דְּאַתְּ בָּעֵי לְאָעֲלָא וּלְאִשְׁתַּמְּשָׁא בְּתֵיבוּתָא), do such and such to the serpent (תַּעֲבִיד כַּךְ וְכַךְ לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא חִוְיָא), and the chamber will be opened (וְתִפְתַּח תֵּיבוּתָא), and you may use My treasures” (וּתְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּגְנִיזִין דִּילִי). So too is Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): He wrapped a serpent around the holiness (כָּרִיךְ חִוְיָא סָחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּקֻדְשָׁא). When the supernal angels come to enter into the holiness (אָתָאן מַלְאָכִין עִלָּאִין לְאָעָלָא גּוֹ קֻדְשָׁא), behold—the serpent is there (הָא חִוְיָא תַּמָּן), and they are afraid to become defiled by it (וְדַחֲלֵי לְאִסְתָּאֲבָא בֵּיהּ). And if you say: this applies to everything that is fire, and fire does not receive defilement (וְאִי תֵּימָא: זֶה עַל כָּל הוּא אֵשָׁא, וְאֵשָׁא לָא מְקַבְּלָא מִסְּאָבָא)