Daf 182a (דַּף קפ״ב ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), when Kudsha Berikh Hu wanted to unite with Yisrael in Egypt (כַּד בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם), the moment was not established (לָא קַיְּימָא שַׁעֲתָא), because the foreskin was covering the light (בְּגִין דְּעָרְלָה חַפְיָא נְהוֹרָא), until the time when the accuser was taking his portion from Job (עַד זִמְנָא דְּהַהוּא מְקַטְרְגָא הֲוָה נָטִיל דִּילֵיהּ מֵאִיּוֹב), and because of this Kudsha Berikh Hu commanded that the Pesach be eaten in haste (וְעַל דָּא פָּקִיד לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֵיכְלֵיהּ לְהַהוּא פֶּסַח בִּבְהִילוּ), until that Sitra achra became engaged with Job (עַד דְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא אִשְׁתָּדַּל בֵּיהּ בְּאִיּוֹב), and it was commanded to remove the foreskin from them (וּפָקִיד לְאִתְעַבְּרָא עָרְלָה מִנַּיְּהוּ), and then Kudsha Berikh Hu united with Yisrael (וּכְדֵין אִתְאַחָד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), and that Sitra achra separated from Kedushah (וְהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִן קֻדְשָׁא), and became engaged with Job (וְאִשְׁתָּדַּל בֵּיהּ בְּאִיּוֹב), and took from his portion (וְנָטִיל מִדִּילֵיהּ). And then (וּכְדֵין), “It is a Pesach to Hashem” (פֶּסַח הוּא לַי־יָ׳) (Exodus 12) — indeed! (וַדַּאי). For until now, it had not been a Pesach to Hashem (דְּעַד הַשְׁתָּא לָא הֲוָה פֶּסַח לַי־יָ׳). Happy are those who know and unify the Union of their Master as is fitting (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן דְּיַדְעֵי וּמְיַחֲדֵי יִחוּדָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת).

It is written (כְּתִיב) (Exodus 34): “Molten gods you shall not make for yourself” (אֱלֹהֵי מַסֵּכָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לָּךְ), and afterward it is written: “You shall observe the festival of Matzot” (וּכְתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ אֶת חַג הַמַּצּוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר). What does one have to do with the other? (מַאי עָבִיד מַאי הַאי לְגַבֵּי הַאי), rather, thus it has been established (אֶלָּא הָכִי אוּקְמוּהָ), whoever eats chametz on Pesach (מַאן דְּאָכִיל חָמֵץ בְּפֶסַח), it is as if he makes stars and constellations to worship for himself (כְּאִילּוּ עָבִיד כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת לְמִפְלַח לְגַרְמֵיהּ), for this is the secret: that chametz on Pesach (דְּהָא רָזָא הָכִי הוּא דְּחָמֵץ בְּפֶסַח), is like one who worships stars and constellations (כְּמַאן דְּפָלַח לְכוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת אִיהוּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), when Yisrael came out of Egypt (כַּד נָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם), they came out from their domain (נָפְקוּ מֵרְשׁוּ דִּלְהוֹן), from another domain (מֵרְשׁוּ אַחֲרָא), from that domain called chametz, the evil bread (מֵהַהוּא רְשׁוּ דְּאִקְרֵי חָמֵץ, נַהֲמָא בִּישָׁא). And this is why it is called “stars and constellations” (וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת הָכִי), and this is the secret of the Evil inclination, foreign worship (וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע, פּוּלְחָנָא נוֹכְרָאָה), which is also called se’or (דְּאִקְרֵי אוּף הָכִי שְׂאוֹר). And this is the Evil inclination (וְדָא אִיהוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע), for thus is the Evil inclination in a person (דְּהָכִי אִיהוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע בְּבַר נָשׁ), like leaven in the dough (כְּחָמִיר בְּעִיסָּה), it enters the innards of a person little by little (עָאַל בִּמְעוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ זְעֵיר זְעֵיר), and afterward swells within him (וּלְבָתַר אַסְגֵּי בֵּיהּ), until the whole body is mingled with it (עַד דְּכָל גּוּפָא אִתְעֲרַב בַּהֲדֵיהּ). And this is what is meant by “stars and constellations” (וְדָא אִיהוּ כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת). And because of this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב) (Psalms 81): “There shall be no strange god within you” (לֹא יִהְיֶה בְּךָ אֵל זָר). A strange god — indeed! (אֵל זָר וַדַּאי).

“You shall observe the festival of Matzot” (אֶת חַג הַמַּצּוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר), Rabbi Yehudah opened (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח), “Cease for yourselves from man, whose soul is in his nostrils, for what is he to be accounted?” (חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ כִּי בַמֶּה נֶחְשָׁב הוּא) (Isaiah 2). This verse has already been established (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ), but what does “Cease for yourselves from man” mean? (אֲבָל מַאי חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן הָאָדָם), is a person warned to separate from other human beings? (וְכִי אַזְהַר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִתְמָנְע מִשְּׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא), would they too be found as men who should never approach one another? (אוּף אִינּוּן נָמֵי לְגַבֵּיהּ יִשְׁתַּכְחוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּלָא יִקְרְבוּן אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין לְעָלְמִין).

Rather, it has already been established in one who rises early to the door of his companion to greet him with peace (אֶלָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּמַאן דְּאֲשְׁכִּים לְפִתְחָא דְּחַבְרֵיהּ לְמֵיהָב לֵיהּ שְׁלָם), and I established it with another verse, as it is written (וַאֲנָא אוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ בִּקְרָא אַחֲרָא דִּכְתִּיב), “He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning—it shall be considered a curse to him” (מְבָרֵךְ רֵעֵהוּ בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל בַּבֹּקֶר הַשְׁכֵּם קְלָלָה תֵּחָשֶׁב לוֹ) (Proverbs 27). And although everything appears proper (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּכֹלָּא שַׁפִּיר), what is “Cease for yourselves from man, whose soul is in his nostrils”? (אֲבָל מַאי חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ). Here, Kudsha Berikh Hu commanded the human being (הָכָא פָּקִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבַר נָשׁ), and warned him to guard himself from those people (וְאַזְהִיר לֵיהּ לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מֵאִינּוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא), who have strayed from the good path to the evil path (דְּסָטוּ אָרְחַיְיהוּ מֵאֹרַח טָב לְאֹרַח בִּישׁ), and defile their souls with that other defilement (וּמְסָאֲבֵי נַפְשַׁיְיהוּ בְּהַהוּא מְסָאֲבוּ אַחֲרָא).

For when Kudsha Berikh Hu created the human being (דְּהָא כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבַר נָשׁ), He made him in the supernal image (עָבֵד לֵיהּ בְּדִיּוּקְנָא עִלָּאָה), and He blew into him a holy spirit (וְנָפַח בֵּיהּ רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא), Some say: a holy soul (נ״א: נְשָׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא), that includes three [levels], as we have established (דְּכָלִיל בִּתְלַת כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא): for it contains Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah (דְּאִית בֵיהּ נֶפֶשׁ רוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה), and highest of all is the Neshamah (וְעֵילָּא מִכֹּלָּא נְשָׁמָה), which is the supernal force to know (דְּאִיהִי חֵילָא עִלָּאָה לְמִנְדַּע), and to guard the commandments of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּלְמֵטַר פִּקּוּדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). But if that holy Neshamah enters into another service (וְאִי הַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא אָעִיל לָהּ בְּפוּלְחָנָא אַחֲרָא), this person defiles her (הַאי אִיהוּ מַסְאִיב לָהּ), and departs from the service of his Master (וְנָפִיק מִפּוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ).

For these three powers are one (בְּגִין דִּתְלַת חֵילִין אִלֵּין, כֻּלְּהוּ חַד), Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah join as one (נֶפֶשׁ רוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה מִשְׁתַּתְּפֵי כַּחֲדָא), and become one (וַהֲווּ חַד), and all is in the likeness of the supernal secret (וְכֹלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה). As it is said (עַל דָּא נֶאֱמַר) (Proverbs 13): “He who walks with the wise…” (הוֹלֵךְ אֶת חֲכָמִים וְגוֹ׳). And if we see this person (וְאִי חָזֵינָן לְהַאי בַּר נָשׁ), that these levels are all within him (דַּהֲווֹ בֵיהּ אִלֵּין דַּרְגִּין כֻּלְּהוּ), before he is established in his station (עַד לָא קַיְּימָא בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ), so that one may know who he is (לְמִנְדַּע מַאן אִיהוּ), how is a person to be known—whether to draw near to him or to avoid him? (בְּמַאי אִתְיְדַע לְקָרְבָא בַּר נָשׁ בַּהֲדֵיהּ, אוֹ לְאִתְמָנְעָא מִנֵּיהּ). Some say: a person who possesses all these levels and stands in his perfection (ס״א: בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִית בֵיהּ דַּרְגִּין אִלֵּין כּוּלְּהוּ וְקַיְּימָא בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ), he is a complete man, a faithful servant of his Master (דָּא אִיהוּ גְּבַר שְׁלִים עַבְדָּא מְהֵימְנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ), and it is fitting to join with him and connect with him, to learn his ways (וּבָעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּתָּפָא בֵיהּ וּלְאִתְחַבְּרָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ לְמִלְּף אוֹרְחֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ). And by what is he known—whether to draw near or to avoid him? (וּבְמַאי אִתְיְדַע בַּר נָשׁ לְמִנְדַּע מַאן אִיהוּ לְקָרְבָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ אוֹ לְאִתְמָנְעָא מִנֵּיהּ).

By his anger precisely (בְּרוּגְזֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ), one will know the person (יְדַע לֵיהּ בַּר נָשׁ), and it will be revealed who he is (וְיִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע מַאן אִיהוּ). If that holy Neshamah guards itself at the time of his anger (אִי הַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא נָטַר בִּשְׁעָתָא דְּרוּגְזֵיהּ), and it does not depart from its place (דְּלָא יֶעְקַר לָהּ מֵאַתְרָהּ), so as not to let that El Zer dwell beneath her (בְּגִין לְמִשְׁרֵי תְּחוֹתָהּ הַהוּא אֵל זָר), then this is truly a proper person (דָּא אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת). This is the servant of his Master (דָּא אִיהוּ עַבְדָּא דְּמָארֵיהּ), this is the complete man (דָּא אִיהוּ גְּבַר שְׁלִים).