Daf 191b (דַּף קצ״א ע״ב)

Those upper ones among them (אִינּוּן עִלָּאִין דִּבְהוּ), they gazed when the sun inclined (הֲווֹ מִסְתַּכְּלֵי מִכִּי נָטֵי שִׁמְשָׁא). For then nine hundred and ninety-five degrees spread to roam on the mountains of darkness (דְּהָא כְּדֵין שָׁרָאן תְּשַׁע מְאָה וְתִשְׁעִין וַחֲמֵשׁ דַּרְגִּין, לִמְשַׁטְּטָא עַל טוּרֵי חָשׁוּךְ). And their spirit roamed on all those sorcerers in their sorceries (וְרוּחָא דִלְהוֹן, הֲוָה מְשַׁטְּטָא עַל כָּל אִינּוּן חֲרָשִׁין בְּחַרְשַׁיְיהוּ). Some say: degrees (נ״א דַּרְגִּין). And these did whatever they desired (וְאִלֵּין הֲווֹ עַבְדֵי כָּל מַה דְּאִינּוּן בָּעָאן).

Until all Egypt’s sorceries were with them (עַד דְּכָל מִצְרָאֵי רָחְצָנוּ דִלְהוֹן בְּאִלֵּין הֲוָה). And they were called “mixed multitude” (Erev rav) (וְקָרָאן לוֹן עֵרֶב רַב). Because there is a small mixture (בְּגִין דְּאִית עֵרֶב זְעֵירָא), from nine and a half hours and below (מִתְּשַׁע שָׁעוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה וּלְתַתָּא) — this is the small mixture (דָּא עֵרֶב זְעֵירָא). And two mixtures they are (וּתְרֵי עַרְבֵי אִינּוּן). And therefore: “And also a mixed multitude went up with them” (וְעַל דָּא וְגַם עֵרֶב רַב עָלָה אִתָּם). And their wisdom was great (וְחָכְמְתָא דִלְהוֹן הֲוָה סַגִּי). And they gazed in the hours of the day (וְאִינּוּן אִסְתָּכָּלוּ בְּשַׁעְתֵּי דְּיוֹמָא). And they gazed in the level of Moshe (וְאִסְתָּכָּלוּ בְּדַרְגָּא דְּמֹשֶׁה). And they saw, that in all sides were six Moshes (וְחָמוּ דְּהָא בְּכָל סִטְרִין בְּשֵׁשׁ מֹשֶׁה). In the first six hours of the day (בְּשֵׁשׁ שַׁעְתֵּי קַדְמָאִין דְּיוֹמָא), which they could not rule over (דְּאִינּוּן לָא יַכְלִין לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בְּהוּ). Some say: because of six (נ״א בְּגִין שִׁית). Six upper degrees held in him (בְּשִׁית דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין דְאַחְדִינָן בֵּיהּ). Some read: held in them (נ״א דַּאֲחִיד בְּהוּ). And in all sides he was six (וּבְכָל סִטְרִין בְּשִׁית הֲוָה). And in the crowns of those six he was prepared to descend from the mountain (וּבְעִטְרִין דְּאִלֵּין שִׁית, הֲוָה זַמִּין לָרֶדֶת מִן הָהָר). As it is written: “For Moshe delayed to come down from the mountain” (דִּכְתִּיב כִּי בֹשֵׁשׁ מֹשֶׁה לָרֶדֶת מִן הָהָר) (Exodus 32).

Immediately the people gathered upon Aharon (מִיַּד וַיִּקָּהֵל הָעָם עַל אַהֲרוֹן). Why upon Aharon (אֲמַאי עַל אַהֲרוֹן)? To be included in the right side (בְּגִין לְאִתְכַּלְּלָא בְּסִטְרָא דִימִינָא). For they were left, and sought from him (דְּהָא אִינּוּן שְׂמָאלָא בָּעוּ מִנֵּיהּ). And in order that they be included in the right (וּבְגִין דְּלִהֱוֵי כָּלִיל בִּימִינָא), they gathered on Aharon (אִתְכְּנָשׁוּ עַל אַהֲרוֹן). And they said: Rise, make for us gods (וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו קוּם עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים). Elohim surely — they sought the left side (אֱלֹהִים וַדַּאי בָּעוּ סִטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא). “That they shall go” — it should have been written “that he shall go” (אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ — אֲשֶׁר יֵלֵךְ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). What is “that they shall go” (מַאי אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ)? Rather Elohim — six degrees they are (אֶלָּא אֱלֹהִים שִׁית דַּרְגִּין אִינּוּן). Another explanation: the six days of creation (ד״א שֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה). All are in the left side of Elohim (כָּלְּהוּ בְּסִטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא דְּאֱלֹהִים שִׁית אִינּוּן). For if you say they are seven, that higher Elohim is not included (דְּאִי תֵּימָא דְּהָא שֶׁבַע אִינּוּן, הַהוּא אֱלֹהִים עִילָּאָה לָא עָאַל בְּכְלָלָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): All the time Moshe was in Egypt (כָּל זִמְנָא דְּהֲוָה מֹשֶׁה בְּמִצְרַיִם), the name Elohim was not remembered (שְׁמָא דֶאֱלֹהִים לָא דָּכִיר), only the name Hashem (אֶלָּא שְׁמָא דַּיְיָ). And concerning this it was hard for Pharaoh (וְעַל דָּא קַשְׁיָא לֵיהּ לְפַרְעֹה), so that there would be no strength for the Sitra achra (בְּגִין דְּלָא יְהֵא תּוּקְפָּא לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and it not be strengthened in the world (וְלָא יִתְתָּקַף בְּעָלְמָא). Now they sought that word (הַשְׁתָּא בָּעוּ הַהִיא מִלָּה): “Rise, make for us Elohim” (וְהַיְינוּ קוּם עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים). “For us” precisely (לָנוּ דַּיְיקָא) — for we need this word (דְּאֲנָן צְרִיכִין לְהַאי מִלָּה), to strengthen our side, which until now was cast down (לְתַקְּפָא סִטְרָא דִילָן, דְּהֲוָה אִתְדַּחְיָא עַד הַשְׁתָּא). “Which shall go before us” (אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ). What did they say (מַאי אָמְרוּ)?

Rather thus they said (אֶלָּא הָכִי אָמְרוּ): We see that you, Yisrael, have all the good and all the glory of the world (חֲמֵינָן דְּאַתּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, כָּל טוּב וְכָל יְקָר דְּעָלְמָא לְכוּ), and we dwell outside (וַאֲנָן דַּחְיָין לְבַר). Yours is, as it is written: “And Hashem went before them by day” (דִּלְכוּ, וַיְיָ הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם) (Exodus 13). So too: “God which shall go before us” (אוּף הָכִי אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ), as Hashem went before you (כְּמָה דְּאָזִיל קָמַיְיכוּ יְיָ). For indeed, permission is given to our side also to go before us, if we prepare worship for it (דְּהָא רְשׁוּ אִית לְסִטְרָא דִּילָן לְמֵהַךְ אוּף הָכִי לְקָמָנָא, אִי נַזְמִין לֵיהּ עוֹבָדָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): All the clouds of glory that went in the wilderness (כָּל עֲנָנֵי יְקָר דְּאָזְלוּ בְּמַדְבְּרָא) covered only the children of Yisrael alone (לָא הֲווֹ חַפְיָין אֶלָּא לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְחוֹדַיְיהוּ). And that cloud of glory, as it is written: “And Hashem went before them by day” (וְהַהוּא עֲנָנָא דִּיקָר, דִּכְתִּיב וַיְיָ הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם), went before them (אַזְלָא לְקָמַיְיהוּ). But those of the Erev rav, and all those donkeys and cattle (וְאִלֵּין עֵרֶב רַב, וְכָל אִינּוּן בְּעִירֵי עָאנִין וְתוֹרִין), went outside of the camp, behind (הֲווֹ אַזְלוּ לְבַר מִמַשִׁרְיָּיתָא, לְבַתְרַיְיתָא). And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): All those forty years that Yisrael went in the wilderness (כָּל אִינּוּן אַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין דְּקָא אָזְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַדְבְּרָא), there was no dirt or impurity inside the clouds (שׁוּם לִכְלוּכָא וְטִנּוּפָא לָא הֲוָה גּוֹ עֲנָנִי לְגוֹ). And for this reason the donkeys and cattle that ate grass were outside (וְעַל דָּא עָאנֵי וְתוֹרֵי דַּהֲווֹ אָכְלֵי עֵשֶׂב לְבַר הֲווֹ), and all those who kept them (וְכָל אִינּוּן דְּנַטְרֵי לוֹן).

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): Father, if so, then the Erev rav did not eat from the manna (אַבָּא, אִי הָכִי אִינּוּן עֵרֶב רַב לָא הֲווֹ אַכְלֵי מִן מַנָּא). He said to him: Surely so it is (אֲמַר לֵיהּ וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא). But what Yisrael gave them, like a man gives to his servant (אֶלָּא מָה דְּיָהֲבִין לוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמַאן דְּיָהִיב לְעַבְדֵיהּ). And from what did they eat (וּמִמַּה הֲווֹ אַכְלֵי)? From the residue, what was left after grinding — refuse (מִתַּמְצִית, מָה דְּאִשְׁתְּאַר מִבָּתַר רֵיחַיָא, פְּסוֹלֶת). And the Scripture proclaimed and said: “And the children of Yisrael ate the manna forty years” (וּקְרָא אַכְרִיז וְאָמַר, וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָכְלוּ אֶת הַמָּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה) (Exodus 16). The children of Yisrael, and not another (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלָא אַחֲרָא). “And the children of Yisrael saw and said: It is manna” (וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמְרוּ מָן הוּא), and not the rest of the Erev rav, donkeys and cattle that were among them (וְלָא שְׁאַר עֵרֶב רַב, עָאנִי וְתוֹרֵי, דַּהֲווֹ בֵּינַיְיהוּ).

Until now, the Erev rav were subdued (עַד הַשְׁתָּא, הֲווֹ אִתְכַּפְיָין אִינּוּן עֵרֶב רַב), but now they arose and desired an act, to strengthen the Sitra achra (וְהַשְׁתָּא קָמוּ וּבָעוּ עוֹבָדָא, לְאַתָּקְפָא לְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא). They said (אָמְרוּ): Either we shall all be one people, and be included with you (אוֹ נְהֵא כֻּלָּנָא עַמָּא חֲדָא, וְנֶהֱוֵי בִּכְלָלָא עִמְּכוֹן), or let us have one who will go before us, as your God goes before you (אוֹ יְהֵא לָן מַאן דְּיֵּהַךְ קָמָנָא, כְּמָה דְּיֵּהַךְ אֱלָהֲכוֹן קָמֵיכוֹן). Aharon said (אָמַר אַהֲרֹן): Heaven forbid that these should be joined with the holy people, to be all one inclusion (חַס וְשָׁלוֹם דְּאִלֵּין יִשְׁתַּתְּפוּן בְּעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, לְמֶהוֵי כֹּלָּא כְּלָלָא חֲדָא), and that the holy people be mingled with this people as one (וְלָא יִתְעָרְבוּן עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא בְּעַמָּא דָּא, כְּלָלָא חֲדָא). Rather it is good to separate them from the holy people until Moshe comes (אֶלָּא טָב אִיהוּ לְאַפְרְשָׁא לוֹן מִגּוֹ עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, עַד דְּיֵיתֵי מֹשֶׁה).