Daf 237b (דַּף רל״ז ע״ב)

Behold it is said (הָא אִתְּמַר), as it is written: “Who can bring a pure thing out of an impure? Not one” (דִּכְתִּיב מִי יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא לֹא אֶחָד) (Job 14). “Who can bring a pure out of an impure” (מִי יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא) — this secret (רָזָא דָּא). So it is (הָכִי הוּא): this is the pure that goes forth from the impure (דְּדָא אִיהוּ טָהוֹר דְּנָפַק מִטָּמֵא). For at first it is impure (דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא טָמֵא), and now, when judgment is done upon it (וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּאִתְעָבִיד בֵּיהּ דִּינָא), and it is given to the burning of fire in a flame that blazes (וְאִתְיְיהִיב לִיקֵידַת אֶשָּׁא בְּנוּרָא דְּדָלִיק), and it becomes ashes (וְאִתְעָבִיד עָפָר) — now it is pure from impure (הַשְׁתָּא אִיהוּ טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא), a pure that goes forth from an impure (טָהוֹר דְּנָפִיק מִטָּמֵא).

And because of this (וּבְגִין כַּךְ), all those who engage with it are defiled (כָּל אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בָּהּ כֻּלְּהוּ מִסְתַּאֲבֵי). For so it is indeed (דְּהָא הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי). And when it is made into ashes (וְכֵיוָן דְּאִתְעָבִיד אֵפֶר), then, until it is gathered and removed from there, it defiles all (כְּדֵין עַד דְּיִתְכְּנִישׁ וְיִסְתָּלִיק מִתַּמָּן, מַסְאִיב לְכֻלְּהוּ). As you say: “And he that gathers the ashes shall wash his clothes and be unclean” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר וְכִבֶּס הָאוֹסֵף וְגוֹ׳ וְטָמֵא) (Numbers 19). Ashes — why? (אֵפֶר, מַאי טַעֲמָא). As you say: “And you shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְעַסּוֹתֶם רְשָׁעִים כִּי יִהְיוּ אֵפֶר תַּחַת כַּפּוֹת רַגְלֵיכֶם) (Malachi 3). And when water is given upon those ashes (וְכֵיוָן דְּאִתְיְיהִיב עַל הַהוּא אֵפֶר מַיִם), then it is pure from impure (כְּדֵין אִיהוּ טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא). And the secret of the matter (וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה): it is written: “Water of purification” (דִּכְתִּיב מֵי חַטָּאת) (Numbers 8). As you say: “Sin crouches at the door” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רוֹבֵץ) (Bereshit 4).

And because it is “sin crouches at the door” indeed (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהִי פֶּתַח חַטָּאת רוֹבֵץ וַדַּאי), therefore at first it is written: “And he shall bring her forth outside the camp” (בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּתִיב, וְהוֹצִיא אוֹתָהּ אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה) (Numbers 19). And therefore it was given to the S’gan, the deputy priest, and not to the High Priest (וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִתְיְיהִיבַת לַסְּגָן, וְלָא לְכַהֲנָא רַבָּא). And this is “pure from impure” (וְדָא הוּא טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא) — at first impure, and now pure (בְּקַדְמִיתָא טָמֵא, וְהַשְׁתָּא טָהוֹר). And every side of the impure spirit (וְכָל סְטָר רוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא), when it sees this, flees and does not remain there (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא דָּא, עָרַק, וְלָא יָתִיב בְּהַהוּא דּוּכְתָּא).

“Water of purification” indeed (מֵי חַטָּאת וַדַּאי), “water of separation” (מֵי נִדָּה), all is impurity (כֹּלָּא מְסַאֲבָא). And upon this, the Holy Spirit rules (וְעַל דָּא שַׁלְטָא רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא), and the impure spirit is subdued (וְרוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא אִתְכַּפְיָא), so that it does not rule at all (דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא כְּלָל). And this is the judgment of the impure spirit, outside the camp (וְדָא הוּא דִּינָא דְּרוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא, מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה). Because it is an impure spirit, as it is written: “And your camp shall be holy” (בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי רוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא, דִּכְתִּיב, וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶיךָ קָדוֹשׁ) (Deuteronomy 23). Rabbi Abba came and kissed him (אָתָא רִבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): even though all these words are as we have said (אַף עַל גַּב דְּכָל הָנֵי מִלִּין כִּדְקַאמְרָן), Kudsha Berikh Hu gave it dominion (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב לֵיהּ שׁוּלְטָנוּ). And the impure spirit needs to be subdued in every side (וְרוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא בָּעֵי לְאַכְפְּיָא לֵיהּ בְּכָל סִטְרִין). Come and I will tell you one secret (תָּא וְאִימָא לְךָ רָזָא חֲדָא), which is not given to be revealed except to those supernal holy ones (וְלָא אִתְיְיהִיב לְגַלָּאָה בַּר לְאִינּוּן קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): to this place which is the impure spirit (לְהַאי אֲתָר דְּאִיהוּ רוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu gave dominion (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב לֵיהּ שׁוּלְטָנוּ), to rule in the world in several sides (לְמִשְׁלַט בְּעָלְמָא, בְּכַמָּה סִטְרִין), and it is able to damage (וְיָכִיל לְנַזְקָא). But it has no permission (וְלֵית לֵיהּ [נ״א לַן] רְשׁוּ) to lead into disgrace within our holiness (לְאַנְהָגָא בֵּיהּ קְלָנָא), for we need to guard ourselves from it (דְּבָעֵינָן לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִנֵּיהּ), that it not accuse us within our holiness (דְּלָא יְקַטְרֵג עֲלָן בְּגוֹ קְדוּשָּׁה דִּילָן). And for this we have one secret (וְעַל דָּא רָזָא חֲדָא אִית לָן): that we must give it a small place within our holiness (דְּבָעֵינָן לְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ דּוּכְתָּא זְעֵיר, בְּגוֹ קְדוּשָּׁה דִּילָן), so that an accuser not be found within our holiness (דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח מְקַטְרְגָא בְּגוֹ קְדוּשָּׁא דִּילָן). For from holiness comes forth its dominion (דְּהָא מִגּוֹ קְדוּשָּׁה נָפִיק שׁוּלְטָנוּ דִּילֵיהּ).

This is needed within the secret of Tefillin (דְּבָעֵינָן גּוֹ רָזָא דִּתְפִלִּין), to conceal (לְאַצְנְעָא) — the secret of the gate in the Tefillin (סוֹד שַׁעַר שֶׁבַּתְּפִלִּין) — one hair of a calf (חַד שַׂעֲרָא דְּעֶגְלָא), that goes outwards and is seen (דְּיִפּוּק לְבַר וְיִתְחָזֵי). For this strand of hair does not defile (דְּהָא חוּטָא דְּשַׂעֲרָא דָּא לָא מַסְאִיב), except if this hair is bound and measured to its measure (בַּר דְּאִי אִתְחַבַּר הַאי שַׂעֲרָא, וְאִתְעָבִיד כַּשְּׁעוּרָא). But less than this does not defile (אֲבָל פָּחוּת מִן דָּא לָא מַסְאִיב). And this hair must be brought into our supernal holiness (וְהַהוּא שַׂעֲרָא בָּעֵי לְאַעֲלָא לֵיהּ בְּגוֹ קְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה דִּילָן), and to give it a place (וּלְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ דּוּכְתָּא), so that it not accuse us in our sanctities (בְּגִין דְּלָא יְקַטְרֵג לָן בְּקִדוּשָּׁן). And that hair goes outward and is seen (וְיִפּוּק מִן הַהוּא שַׂעֲרָא לְבַר, דְּיִתְחָזֵי). And when that one sees the man in supernal holiness (דְּכַד חָמֵי לְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ בִּקְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה), then its portion is joined there (וְחוּלָקָא דִּילֵיהּ מִשְׁתַּתֵּף לְתַמָן). Then it does not accuse him (כְּדֵין לָא יְקַטְרֵג לֵיהּ), and cannot harm him above and below (וְלָא יָכִיל לְאַבְאָשָׁא לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא), for he was given a place (דְּהָא דּוּכְתָּא יְהַב לֵיהּ). But if that portion is not given a place in our holiness (וְאִי הַהוּא חוּלָקָא לָא יָהֲבִין לֵיהּ דּוּכְתָּא בְּהַאי קְדוּשָּׁה), then it can harm him below (יָכִיל לְאַבְאָשָׁא לֵיהּ לְתַתָּא), and the accuser rises above against him (וְסָלִיק מְקַטְרְגָא לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא), and says: “So-and-so who now sanctifies himself — such-and-such he did on that day, and these are his sins” (וְאָמַר פְּלוֹנִי דְּקָא מְקַדֵּשׁ הַשְׁתָּא, כַּךְ וְכַךְ עֲבַד יוֹמָא פְּלוֹנִי, וְכַךְ אִינּוּן חוֹבוֹי), until judgment comes upon that man and he is punished by its hand (עַד דְּיִמְטֵי דִּינָא עַל הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, וְיִתְעֲנֵשׁ עַל יְדוֹי). And so it is with the scapegoat (וכן שָׂעִיר הַמִּשְׁתַּלֵּחַ). And so Yisrael would do (וְכַךָ הֲווֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדֵי), for they knew this secret (דַּהֲווֹ יַדְעֵי רָזָא דָּא). When they began to sanctify themselves in the supernal holiness on Yom Kippur (כַּד שָׁרָאן לְאִתְקַדְּשָׁא בִּקְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה בְּיוֹמָא דְּכִפּוּרֵי), they would immediately look to give its portion to that place (הֲווֹ מִסְתַּכְּלֵי מִיַּד לְמֵיהַב חוּלָקֵיהּ לְהַאי אֲתָר), and to give it a portion among them (וּלְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ), so that no accuser would be found against them (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח מְקַטְרְגָא עָלַיְיהוּ), and their sins of Yisrael would not be brought to remembrance (וְלָא יֵיתוּן לְאַדְכְּרָא חוֹבֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). For how many guilty ones and how many camps are those that are ready to take a word from him when he comes to accuse (דְּכַמָּה חֲבִילִין, וְכַמָּה מַשִׁרְיָין, אִינּוּן דְּאִזְדַמְּנָן לְנַטְלָא מִלָּה מִנֵּיהּ, כַּד אָתֵי לְקַטְרְגָא).

Happy is his portion who can guard himself (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ, מַאן דְּיָכִיל לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא), that his sins are not remembered above (דְּלָא יִדְכְּרוּן חוֹבוֹי לְעֵילָּא), and that evil do not look upon him (וְלָא יַשְׁגִחוּן עָלֵיהּ לְבִישׁ). Meanwhile the eyes of Rabbi Abba were flowing with tears (אַדְּהָכִי הֲווֹ זַלְגִין עֵינוֹי דְּרִבִּי אַבָּא). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): “Abba, Abba, go and cleanse your incense, and guard your censer (אַבָּא אַבָּא, זִיל טַנְפִיר קְטוּרָךְ, וְאַקְפִּיד בְּקוּלְטָךְ). For the mysteries of Orayta are given to the meritorious (דְּהָא רָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לְזַכָּאֵי אִתְיְיהִיבוּ), as it is written: ‘The secret of Hashem is for those who fear Him’” (דִּכְתִּיב סוֹד יְיָ׳ לִירֵאָיו) (Psalms 25).