Daf 252a (דַּף רנ״ב ע״א)

In this manner, on the Sitra achra (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא בְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), the impure side (סִטְרָא מְסַאֲבָא), levels are separated from those palaces downward (מִתְפָּרְשִׁין דַּרְגִּין מֵאִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין לְתַתָּא), all of them levels to arouse and accuse the world (כֻּלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין לְאַבְאָשָׁא וּלְאַסְטָאָה עָלְמָא). Some of them stand to accuse human beings (מִנְּהוֹן קַיְּימֵי לְאַסְטָאָה בְּנֵי נָשָׁא), to turn them from the good path to an evil path (מֵאֹרַח טַב לְאֹרַח בִּישָׁא). And some stand to defile human beings (וּמִנְּהוֹן קַיְּימֵי לְסָאֲבָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא), for those who come to be defiled (לְאִינּוּן דְּאָתוּ לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא).

As we have learned (כְּמָה דְּתָנֵינָן): When a person comes to be defiled (אָתָא בַּר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא), they defile him in this world (מְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and they defile him in the World to Come (וּמְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא), and they are called “boiling excrement” (וְאִינּוּן אִקְרוּ צוֹאָה רוֹתַחַת). As it is said: “Go out, say to him…” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: צֵא תֹּאמַר לוֹ) (Isaiah 30). And those levels that stand to defile even more (וְאִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין דְּקַיְּימָן לְסָאֲבָא יַתִּיר), and therefore these constantly oppose those (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, אִלֵּין תָּדִיר לָקֳבֵל אִלֵּין), and all is in known levels, as is fitting (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בְּדַרְגִּין יְדִיעָאן כַּדְקָא חֲזֵי).

Second Gate (פִּתְחָא תִּנְיָינָא). At this gate there is an appointed being, whose name is Dahariel (בְּהַאי פִּתְחָא אִית מְמָנָא, דַּהֲרִיאֵ״ל שְׁמֵיהּ). And he is on the right side (וְאִיהוּ לִסְטַר יְמִינָא), and this appointed one is for elevating all the merits with which human beings have merited (וְהַאי אִיהוּ מְמָנָא, לְאַעֲלָא כָּל זְכוּתִין דְּזָכוּ בְּהוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא), so that a person may be judged favorably when judged for good (בְּגִין דְּיִתְדָּן בַּר נָשׁ לְטָב עָלַיְיהוּ כַּד אִתְּדָּן לְטָב). And those merits stand in abundance over the transgressions of human beings (וְאִינּוּן זַכְיָין קַיְּימָן סַגִּיאִין עַל חוֹבֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא). Then this appointed one is charged with the reward and portion of those merits, and to grant good reward (כְּדֵין הַאי מְמָנָא, פָּקִיד עַל אַגְרָא וְחוּלָקָא דְּאִינּוּן זַכְיָין וְאַגְרָן לְטָב). And he sends out that judgment (וְאַפִּיק הַהוּא דִּינָא), and gives it over to that appointed one called Pedah’el (וּמָנֵי לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא מְמָנָא, דְּאִקְרֵי פְּדָאֵ״ל), who is in the third palace (דִּי בְּהֵיכָלָא תְּלִיתָאָה). Then it says: “Deliver him from going down to the pit” (וּכְדֵין אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פְּדָעֵהוּ מֵרֶדֶת שַׁחַת) (Job 33). Because when a person stands before his Master (בְּגִין דְּכַד בַּר נָשׁ קָאֵים בְּבֵי מַרְעֵיהּ), and is seized in the grasp of the King (וְאִתְפַּס בִּתְפִיסוּ דְּמַלְכָּא), then the person is judged (כְּדֵין אִתְדָּן בַּר נָשׁ). And every merit and every guilt that he committed in this world (וְכָל זְכוּ וְכָל חוֹבָה דְּעֲבַד בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), all enters into this palace to be judged (כֹּלָּא עָאל בְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא לְאִתְדְּנָא). And when he is judged for good (וְכַד אִתְדָּן לְטָב), through this gate his judgment goes forth for good (בְּהַאי פִּתְחָא נָפַק דִּינֵיהּ לְטָב), to the right of this appointed one Dahariel who stands in it (לִימִינָא דְּהַאי מְמָנָא דַּהֲרִיאֵ״ל, דְּקַיֵּימָא בֵּיהּ), and his judgment for good is made known (וְאוֹדְעִין דִּינֵיהּ לְטָב), until he is delivered (עַד דְּאִשְׁתְּזִיב). And that judgment descends through all the appointed ones (וְנַחְתָּא הַהוּא דִּינָא, בְּכָל אִינּוּן מְמָנָן), levels that are revealed for good below (דַּרְגִּין דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדָעוּ לְטָב לְתַתָּא), all level after level (כֻּלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין עַל דַּרְגִּין). And all — whether for good or for evil — the person is judged from the palace of the King (וְכֹלָּא, בֵּין לְטָב בֵּין לְבִישׁ, מִבֵּי מַלְכָּא אִתְדָּן הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ).

Third Gate (פִּתְחָא תְּלִיתָאָה). At this gate there is one appointed being, whose name is Gadiel (בְּהַאי פִּתְחָא אִית מְמָנָא חַד, גַּדִיאֵ״ל שְׁמֵיהּ). And he is on the left side (וְאִיהוּ לִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא). And this is the appointed one to elevate (or, some say: to weigh) all transgressions and all evils that a person has pursued after in this world (וְהַאי אִיהוּ מְמָנָא, לְאַעֲלָא — ס״א לְאַטְקְלָא — כָּל חוֹבִין וְכָל בִּישִׁין, דְּבַר נָשׁ אַסְטֵי אֲבַתְרַיְיהוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And he brings them down into the balance to be weighed against the merits that entered into the hand of that other appointed one we mentioned earlier (וְנָחִית לוֹן גּוֹ מַתְקְלָא לְאַטְקְלָא, בְּאִינּוּן זַכְיָין דְּעָאלוּ בִּידָא דְּהַהוּא מְמָנָא אַחֲרָא דְּקָאָמַרָן). And that scale stands in the fourth gate (וְהַהוּא מַתְקְלָא קַיְּימָא גּוֹ פִּתְחָא רְבִיעָאָה), and there merits and transgressions are weighed together (וְתַמָּן אִתְקָלוּ זַכְיָין וְחוֹבִין כַּחֲדָא). Whoever overcomes among them (מַאן דְּנָצַח מִנַּיְיהוּ), thus it is — he has appointees on that side (הָכִי אִית לֵיהּ מְמָנָן בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא). If the merits prevail (אִי נַצְחָן זַכְיָין), then as many appointed ones as are on the right side take up that judgment (כַּמָּה מְמָנָן אִית בִּסְטַר דִּימִינָא, וְנַטְלֵי הַהוּא דִּינָא), and they remove evil and suffering from that person (וּמַעֲבִרִין בִּישִׁין וּמַרְעִין מֵהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ), until he is delivered (עַד דְּאִשְׁתְּזִיב). But if the transgressions prevail (אִי נַצְחָן חוֹבִין), then as many appointed ones as are on the left side (כַּמָּה מְמָנָן אִית לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא), until that word is taken by the Sitra achra (עַד דְּנַטְלֵי מִלָּה הַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and all those masters of planetary decrees (וְכָל אִינּוּן גַּרְדִּינֵי נִמּוּסִין), until his mazal is damaged (עַד דְּאִתְרַע מַזָּלֵיהּ). And then that Sitra achra descends and takes the soul (וּכְדֵין נַחְתָּא הַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְנָטִיל נִשְׁמְתָא). Fortunate is the portion of the Righteous in this world and in the World to Come (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקִיָּיא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

Fourth Gate (פִּתְחָא רְבִיעָאָה). At this gate stands one appointed being (בְּהַאי פִּתְחָא קַיְּימָא חַד מְמָנָא), and his name is Mozna’eh — Some say: Meozna’eh (וְאַזְנִיֵ״הּ — ס״א מְאזְנִיֵ״הּ שְׁמֵיהּ). And this is the scale (וְהַאי אִיהוּ מַתְקְלָא), which receives — or some say: weighs — merits and transgressions (דְּנַטְלָא — ס״א דְּתַקִּיל — זַכְיָין וְחוֹבִין), and within it all are weighed together (וּבֵיהּ אִתְּקָלוּ כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא). And this is called “righteous balances” (וְדָא אִקְרֵי: מֹאזְנֵי צֶדֶק), as it is written: “Righteous balances” (כְּדִכְתִיב: מֹאזְנֵי צֶדֶק) (Leviticus 19). In this scale, all are weighed to be judged (בְּהַאי אִתְּקָלוּ כֻּלְּהוּ לְאִתְדְּנָא). Beneath this appointed one (תְּחוֹת הַאי מְמָנָא), there are two appointed ones (אִית תְּרֵין מְמָנָן), one to the right and one to the left (חַד לִימִינָא וְחַד לִשְׂמָאלָא). The one to the right—his name is Hari’el (חַד לִימִינָא, הֲרִיאֵ״ל שְׁמֵיהּ). The one to the left—his name is Gedudi’el (חַד לִשְׂמָאלָא, גְּדוּדִיאֵ״ל שְׁמֵיהּ). And when merits and transgressions are weighed (וְכַד אִתְּקָלוּ זַכְיָין וְחוֹבִין), this one tilts to the side of the right (דָּא אַכְרַע לִסְטַר יְמִינָא), and this one tilts to the side of the left (וְדָא אַכְרַע לִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא). And all are encompassed in this spirit that is called merit of El (וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְּכְּלִילוּ בְּהַאי רוּחָא דְּאִקְרֵי זְכוּ״ת אֵל).

And when all are encompassed in it (וְכַד אִתְּכְּלִילָן כֻּלְּהוּ בֵּיהּ), it brings forth (some say: one) a sacred beast (אַפִּיק — ס״א חַד — חֵיוָתָא קַדִּישָׁא), and this beast is fiery (וְהַאי חֵיוָתָא מְלַהֲטָא), and its name is Tumi’el (וְאִקְרֵי שְׁמֵיהּ: תּוּמִיאֵ״ל). This beast is the one that stands to oversee the world (הַאי חֵיוָתָא, אִיהִי חֵיוָתָא דְּקַיְּימָא לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בְּעָלְמָא), through the “eyes of Hashem” that go and roam in the world (בְּאִינּוּן עֵינֵי יְיָ׳, דְּאַזְלָן וְשָׁטָאן בְּעָלְמָא). And those eyes of Hashem—all of them take up supervision (וְאִינּוּן עֵינֵי יְיָ׳, כֻּלְּהוּ נַטְלוּ אַשְׁגָּחוּתָא), from those good deeds that are done in secret (מֵאִינּוּן עוֹבָדִין טָבִין דְּאִתְעָבֵידוּ בִּטְמִירוּ), and to oversee those deeds that are in wholeness of heart (וּלְאַשְׁגָּחָא בְּאִינּוּן עוֹבָדִין דְּאִינּוּן בִּשְׁלִימוּ דְּלִבָּא), even though they were not performed properly as they should be (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא אִתְעָבִידוּ כַּדְּקָא יֵאוֹת).

This beast stands over the supervision of prayers (הַאי חֵיוָתָא אִיהִי קַיְּימָא בְּאַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דִּצְלוֹתִין), because all the requests that human beings ask in their prayers (בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן שְׁאֶלְתִּין דְּשָׁאֲלֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא בִּצְלוֹתֵיהוֹן), all are held in the hand of this beast (כֻּלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי בִּידָא דְּהַאי חֵיוָתָא), and it places them in this palace (וְאָנַח לְהוּ בְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא). And those requests remain in this palace (וְקַיְימִין אִינּוּן שְׁאֶלְתִּין בְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא), for forty days (עַד אַרְבְּעִין יוֹמִין), to be observed over them (לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בְּהוּ).