Daf 196b (דַּף קצ״ו ע״ב)

What is the remedy? (מַאי תַּקָנְתֵּיהּ) At the time when the dead is taken to the cemetery (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַטְלֵי מֵיתָא לְבֵי קִבְרֵי), let a man turn his face away (יֶהְדַּר בַּר נָשׁ אַנְפּוֹי), and leave the women behind his shoulders (וְיִּשְׁבּוֹק לְנָשֵׁי בָּתַר כַּתְפּוֹי). And if they walk in front (וְאִי אִינּוּן מְקַדְּמֵי), let him go behind (יְהַךְ לַאֲחוֹרָא), so that he will not be seen face to face with them (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְחָזֵי עִמְּהוֹן אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין). And after returning from the cemetery (וּלְבָתַר דִּמְהֲדְרֵי מִבֵּי קִבְרֵי), let him not return by that same path where the women stand (לָא יֶהְדַּר בְּהַהוּא אָרְחָא דְּנָשֵׁי קַיְימָן), and let him not gaze upon them at all (וְלָא יִסְתָּכַּל בְּהוּ כְּלַל), but go by another path (אֶלָּא יִסְטֵי בְּאָרְחָא אַחֲרָא). And because people do not know (וּבְגִין דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא לָא יַדְעֵי), and the majority of the world do not pay attention (וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִן דָּא רוּבָּא דְּעָלְמָא), they are judged with judgment (אִתְדָּנוּ בְּדִינָא), and they are taken before their time (וְאִסְתַּלָּקוּ עַד לָא מָטָא זִמְנַיְיהוּ).

Rabbi El‘azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), if so, it is better for a person not to escort the dead (אִי הָכִי טָב לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ דְּלָא יוֹזִיף לְמִיתָא). He said to him: No (אָמַר לֵיהּ לָא). For the person who guards himself in this manner (דְּהָא בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִסְתָּמַר כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא), it is seen that his days will be lengthened (אִתְחָזֵי לְאַרְכָּא דְּיוֹמִין), and certainly for the World to Come (וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), it was not in vain that the ancients instituted the shofar (לָאו לְמַגָּנָא אַתְקִינוּ קַדְמָאֵי שׁוֹפָר), to escort the dead from the house to the cemetery (לְאַמְשָׁכָא מִיתָא מִן בֵּיתָא לְבֵי קִבְרֵי). If you say it is only for the sake of the dead and his honor (אִי תֵּימָא דְּעַל מֵיתָא וִיקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ לְחוּד אִיהוּ), it is not so (לָא). Rather, it is to protect the living (אֶלָּא בְּגִין לְאַגָּנָא עַל חַיָּיא), that the Angel of Death should not have dominion over them (דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט עָלַיְיהוּ מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת), to accuse above, and they will be guarded from him (לְאַסְטָאָה לְעֵילָּא וְיִסְתַּמְרוּן מִנֵּיהּ). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): When you come into battle in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, etc. (וְכִי תָבֹאוּ מִלְחָמָה בְּאַרְצְכֶם עַל הַצָּר הַצּוֹרֵר אֶתְכֶם וְגוֹ') (Numbers 10). Pay attention to “the enemy” (וְדָּיִּיקְנָא עַל הַצָּר), this is the Angel of Death (דָּא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת), who constantly oppresses you (הַצּוֹרֵר אֶתְכֶם תָּדִיר), and kills people (וְקָטִיל לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא), and distresses their lives (וְאַעִיק לוֹן לְחַיֵּי), and seeks to kill others (וּבָעֵי לְקָטְלָא אַחֲרָנִין).

What is the remedy? (מַאי תַּקָנְתֵּיהּ) And you shall sound the alarm (וַהֲרֵעוֹתֶם) (Numbers 10). If on Rosh HaShanah (אִם בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה), which is the Day of Judgment above (דְּהוּא יוֹמָא דְּדִינָא לְעֵילָּא), the Angel of Death descends below (הַאי מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת נָחִית לְתַתָּא), to observe the deeds of human beings (בְּגִין לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בְּעוֹבָדִין דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), and to ascend above to accuse them (וּלְסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא לְאַסְטָאָה לוֹן), and Yisrael, who know that the Angel of Death descends below and ascends above to become their accuser (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּיַדְעֵי דְּהָא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת נָחִית לְתַתָּא וְסָלִיק לְעֵילָּא בְּגִין לְמֶהוֵי קַטֵיגוֹרָא עָלַיְיהוּ), sound the shofar early (מְקַדְּמֵי בַּשּׁוֹפָר לְיַבְּבָא עָלֵיהּ), so that he cannot prevail over them (דְּלָא יָכִיל לוֹן), and to protect them from him (וּלְאַגָּנָא עָלַיְיהוּ).

All the more so at the time when judgment is carried out and people are killed (וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעָבִיד דִּינָא וְקָטִיל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא), and he is found below (וְאִשְׁתְּכַח לְתַתָּא). And all the more so at the time when they go to the cemetery and return from the cemetery (וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַזְלֵי לְבֵי קִבְרֵי וְאָהַדְרוּ מִבֵּי קִבְרֵי), for at the time when women move their feet together with the dead (דְּהָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָשֵׁי נַטְלֵי רַגְלַיְיהוּ עִם מִיתָא), he descends and is found among them (אִיהוּ נָחִית וְאִשְׁתְּכַח קָמַיְיהוּ), as it is written: Her feet go down to death (דִּכְתִיב רַגְלֶיהָ יוֹרְדוֹת מָוֶת) (Proverbs 5). Go down to where? To that place which is called Death (יוֹרְדוֹת לְמַאן לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי מָוֶת). And because of this, Ḥavah caused death to the entire world (וְעַל דָּא חַוָּה גַּרְמַת מוֹתָא לְכָל עָלְמָא). May the Merciful One save us (רַחֲמָנָא לִשֵׁזְבִינָן).

Come and see, it is written: So is the way of an adulterous woman, etc. (תָּא חֲזֵי כְּתִיב כֵּן דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה מְנָאָפֶת וְגוֹ') (Proverbs 30), and this has been established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא). But “So is the way of an adulterous woman”—this is the Angel of Death (אֲבָל כֵּן דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה מְנָאָפֶת דָּא הוּא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת), and so it is, and so he is called (וְהָכִי הוּא וְהָכִי אִקְרֵי). She eats and wipes her mouth (אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ), she sets the world ablaze with her flame (אוֹקִידַת עָלְמָא בְּשַׁלְהוֹבוֹי), and she kills people before their time (וְקַטְלַת בְּנֵי נָשָׁא עַד לָא מָטָא זִמְנַיְיהוּ), and she says: I have done no wrong (וְאָמְרָה לֹא פָעַלְתִּי אָוֶן), for judgment came upon them, and they were found guilty, and they died in true judgment (דְּהָא דִּינָא בָּעָא עָלַיְיהוּ וְאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בְּחוֹבִין וּבְדִינָא קְשׁוֹט מִיתוּ). At the time when Yisrael made the calf, and all those multitudes died (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעָבְדוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל יַת עֶגְלָא וּמִיתוּ כָּל אִינּוּן אוּכְלוֹסִין), the Angel of Death was found among the women (הֲוָה מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּינֵי נְשֵׁי), within the encampment of Yisrael (בְּגוֹ מַשִׁרְיָּיתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). When Moshe saw that the Angel of Death was found among the women and the encampment of Yisrael among them (כֵּיוָן דְּאִסְתָּכַּל מֹשֶׁה דְּהָא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּינִי נְשֵׁי וּמַשִׁרְיָּיתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּינַיְיהוּ), he immediately gathered all the men by themselves (מִיַּד כָּנִישׁ לְכָל גּוּבְרִין לְחוֹדַיְיהוּ). This is what is written: And Moshe assembled all the congregation of the children of Yisrael (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Exodus 35).

These were the men, whom he gathered and separated by themselves (אִלֵּין גּוּבְרִין דְּכָנִישׁ לוֹן וְאַפְרִישׁ לוֹן לְחוֹדַיְיהוּ). And the Angel of Death did not separate from among the women (וּמַלְאַךָ הַמָּוֶת לָא הֲוָה מִתְפְּרַשׁ מִגּוֹ נָשִׁין), until the Mishkan was erected (עַד דְּאִתּוֹקָם מַשְׁכְּנָא), as it is written: And Moshe erected the Mishkan (דִּכְתִּיב וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן) (Exodus 40). And even at the time when the women were bringing donations for the Mishkan (וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָשִׁין הָווֹ מַיְיתִין נְדָבָה לְמַשְׁכְּנָא), he would not remove himself from among them (לָא הֲוָה מִתְעֲדֵי מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ), until Moshe saw it (עַד דְּחָמָא מֹשֶׁה) and gave counsel to the men (וְיָהַב לְגוּבְרִין עֵיטָא), that they should not give together with the women (דְּלָא יִיִתוּן בְּחִבּוּרָא חֲדָא עִמְּהוֹן), and that they should not appear face to face with them (וְלָא יִתְחֲזוּן אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין), but rather from behind their shoulders (אֶלָּא לְבָתַר כִּתְפַּיְיהוּ).

This is what is written: And the men came upon the women (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיָּבֹאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים עַל הַנָּשִׁים), some say: it does not say "and the men came with the women" but "upon" (נ״א וַיָּבֹאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים עַל הַנָּשִׁים לֹא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא וַיָּבֹאוּ עַל). And it does not say “and they brought” (וַיָּבִיאוּ לָא כְּתִיב), but “and they came,” meaning they did not go together on one path (אֶלָּא וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּאָרְחָא חֲדָא לָא הָווֹ אַזְלִין), but from behind their shoulders (אֶלָּא לְבָתַר כַּתְפַּיְיהוּ), because the Angel of Death did not separate from among them until the Mishkan was erected (בְּגִין דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת לָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ עַד דְּאִתּוֹקָם מַשְׁכְּנָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): he is not found among women less than seven women (לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּינֵי נְשֵׁי פָּחוּת מִשֶּׁבַע נָשִׁים), and not less than ten (וְלָא פָּחוּת מֵעֶשֶׂר). In a public path, when there are seven, he is found and seeks judgment (וּבְאָרְחָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא בְּשֶׁבַע אִשְׁתְּכַח וּבָעֵי דִּינָא); when there are ten, he ascends to kill (בְּעֶשֶׂר אַסְטֵי לְקָטְלָא). And because he is found among them on the road openly (וּבְגִין דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּינַיְיהוּ בְּאָרְחָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא), it is written: And the men came upon the women (כְּתִיב וַיָּבֹאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים עַל הַנָּשִׁים). And that whole day all the Friends guarded themselves (וְאִסְתְּמָרוּ כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא כֻּלְּהוּ חַבְרַיָּיא), and they were engaged in the Orayta (וְאִשְׁתָּדָּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).