Daf 265a (דַּף רס״ה ע״א)

Beneath these there is one spirit (תְּחוֹת אִלֵּין, אִית רוּחָא חֲדָא), who stands over all those who are masters of an evil tongue (דְּקַיְּימָא עַל כָּל אִינּוּן מָארֵי דְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא). For when men are aroused with an evil tongue (דְּכַד מִתְעָרֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא בְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא), or when that man is aroused with an evil tongue (אוֹ הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִתְעֲרִי בְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא), then this evil defiled spirit above is aroused (כְּדֵין אִתְעַר הַאי רוּחָא בִּישָׁא מִסְאֲבָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), who is called Saksesikha (דְּאִקְרֵי סַכְסִיכָ״א). And he rests upon that arousal of the evil tongue (וְאִיהוּ שָׁאֲרִי עַל הַהוּא אִתְעֲרוּתָא דְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא), that men arouse in it (דְּשָׁאֲרִי בֵּיהּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא). And he ascends above (וְאִיהוּ עָאל לְעֵילָּא), and causes through that arousal of the evil tongue (וְגָרִים בְּהַהוּא אִתְעֲרוּ דְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא), death and sword and slaughter in the world (מוֹתָא וְחַרְבָּא וְקָטוֹלָא בְּעָלְמָא).

Woe to those who are aroused to this evil side (וַוי לְאִינּוּן דְּמִתְעָרֵי לְהַאי סִטְרָא בִּישָׁא), and do not guard their mouths and their tongues (וְלָא נַטְרֵי פּוּמַיְיהוּ וְלִישָׁנֵהוֹן), and do not take heed of this (וְלָא חַשְׁשֵׁי עַל דָּא), and do not know (וְלָא יַדְעֵי), that in the arousal below depends the arousal above (דְּהָא בְּאִתְעֲרוּ דִּלְתַתָּא, תַּלְיָא אִתְעֲרוּ דִּלְעֵילָּא), whether for good or for evil (בֵּין לְטָב בֵּין לְבִישׁ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): when this arousal of the evil tongue is aroused below (כַּד הַאי אִתְעֲרוּ דְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא אִתְעַר לְתַתָא), then that crooked serpent (כְּדֵין הַאי נָחָשׁ עֲקָלָּתוֹן), raises his scales (סָלִיק קַשְׂקְשׂוֹי), and sets them upward (וְאוֹקִים לוֹן בִּסְלִיקוּ), and is aroused from head to foot (וְאִתְעַר מֵרִישָׁא עַד רַגְלוֹי). And when his scales are raised and aroused (וְכַד קַשְׂקְשׂוֹי סְלִיקוּ וּמִתְעָרֵי), then the whole body is aroused (כְּדֵין כָּל גּוּפָא אִתְעַר).

His scales are all the officers of judgment outside (קַשְׂקְשׂוֹי, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן כָּל גַּרְדִּינֵי נִימוּסִין דִּלְבַר). And all of them are aroused and seize upon that evil word (וְכֻלְּהוּ מִתְעָרֵי וְאַחֲדִין בְּהַהוּא מִלָּה בִּישָׁא), and it is aroused toward that “fleeing serpent” (וּמִתְעָרֵי לְגַבֵי הַהוּא נָחָשׁ בָּרִיחַ) (Isaiah 27). Then the whole evil body is aroused (כְּדֵין כָּל גּוּפָא בִּישָׁא), from his head to his feet (אִתְעַר מֵרֵישֵׁיהּ וְעַד רַגְלוֹי), in all those palaces of which we spoke (בְּכָל הָנֵי הֵיכָלִין דְּקַאמְרָן). And all those scales in that skin descend below (וְכָל אִינּוּן קַשְׂקְשִׂין בְּהַהוּא גִּלְדָּא, נַחְתִּין לְתַתָּא), and that skin is stripped from him and goes down (וְהַהוּא גִּלְדָא אִתְפְּשַּׁט מִנֵּיהּ וְנָחִית לְתַתָּא). And the body ascends (וְגוּפָא סָלִיק), and is aroused to be an accuser above (וְאִתְעַר לְמֶהֱוִי דַּלְטּוֹרָא לְעֵילָּא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): even though there is a fixed time (אַף עַל גַּב דְּזִמְנָא קְבִיעָא אִיהוּ), for all serpents of the world to shed their skins (לְכָל חִוְיָין דְּעָלְמָא, לְאִתְפַּשְּׁטָא מִשְׁכָא דִלְהוֹן), they do not shed except at the time when the evil tongue is aroused below (לָא מִתְפַּשְּׁטֵי, אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דְּמִתְעָרֵי בְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא לְתַתָּא). And then that evil spirit above is aroused (וּכְדֵין אִתְעַר הַהוּא רוּחָא בִּישָׁא לְעֵילָּא, נ״א חוִויא), and he sheds his skin and his scales from him (וּפָשַׁט מַשְׁכֵּיהּ וְקַשְׂקְשׂוֹי מִנֵּיהּ). This one ascends, and that one descends (דָּא סָלִיק, וְדָא נָחִית). And hard upon him is that shedding of his scales and skin more than anything (וְקַשְׁיָא עָלֵיהּ הַהוּא אִתְפַּשְּׁטוּתָא דְּקַשְׂקְשׂוֹי בְּמִשְׁכֵּיהּ מִכֹּלָּא). What is the reason (מַאי טַעֲמָא)? Because he is separated from his Zivug (בְּגִין דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מִזִוּוּגֵיהּ).

For if it were not so, and all was in one union (דְּאִלְמָלֵא הֲוָה כֹּלָּא בְּחִבּוּרָא חֲדָא), the worlds could not endure them (לָא יַכְלִין עָלְמִין לְמִסְבַּל לוֹן). And all of this is on account of the arousal of the evil tongue below (וְכֹלָּא בְּגִין אִתְעֲרוּתָא דְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא דִּלְתַתָּא). And when the serpents below shed from that skin (וְכַד חִוְיָין דִּלְתַתָּא מִתְפַּשְּׁטֵי מֵהַהוּא מִשְׁכָא), then each one gives a voice (כְּדֵין כָּל חַד וְחַד יָהִיב קָלָא), and arouses many serpents that stand in that place which is called Pit (וְאַתְעַר לְכַמָּה חִוְיָין דְּקַיְימֵי בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר, דְּאִקְרֵי בּוֹר), for there many serpents stand (דְּתַמָּן כַּמָה נְחָשִׁין קַיְימִין). And all of them are accusers (וְכֻלְּהוּ דַּלְטוֹרִין), to arouse this great serpent (לְאַתְעֲרָא לְהַאי חִוְיָא רַבָּא), to be an accuser over the world (לְמֶהֱוֵי דַּלְטּוֹרָא עַל עָלְמָא). And all of this is on account of the arousal of the evil tongue (וְכֹלָּא בְּגִין הַאי אִתְעֲרוּ דְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא), when its arousal stands below (כַּד קַיְּימָא אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ לְתַתָּא).

In this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא), when one labors in Orayta (מַאן דְּלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), many are called the Holy Tongue (כַּמָה אִינּוּן דְּאִקְרוּן לְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ), who join and arouse an arousal (דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן וְאַתְעֲרֵי אַתְעֲרוּתָא), to that place which is called the Holy Tongue (לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי לָשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ) — a tongue from that supernal holiness (לָשׁוֹן מֵהַהוּא קֹדֶשׁ דִּלְעֵילָּא). And many sanctities and holinesses are aroused from every side (וְכַמָּה קְדוּשׁוֹת וְקִדּוּשִׁין מִתְעֲרִין מִכָל סִטְרִין).

Fortunate is the portion of the Righteous (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא), those who cause sanctifications to be aroused above and below (אִינּוּן דְּגַרְמֵי לְאַתְעֲרָא קִדּוּשִׁין לְעֵילָּא וּלְתַתָּא), holiness above and holiness below (קְדוּשָׁה דִּלְעֵילָּא וּקְדוּשָּׁה דִּלְתַתָּא). And concerning this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “Sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy” (וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדוֹשִׁים) (Leviticus 11). “Sanctify yourselves” — these are the first waters (וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם: אֵלּוּ מַיִם רִאשׁוֹנִים), and they are called supernal waters (וְאִינּוּן אִתְקְרוּן מַיִין עִלָּאִין). “And you shall be holy” — these are the latter waters (וִהְיִיתֶם קְדוֹשִׁים: אִלֵּין מַיִין תַּתָּאִין), and they are called the final waters (וְאִקְרוּן מַיִם אַחֲרוֹנִים). And food is in the middle (וּמָזוֹן בְּאֶמְצַע), between the first waters and the final waters (בֵּין מַיִם רִאשׁוֹנִים לְמַיִם אַחֲרוֹנִים).

And concerning this food (וְעַל דָּא מָזוֹן), it is not in the final waters (לָאו אִיהוּ בְּמַיִם אַחֲרוֹנִים), but in the first waters (אֶלָּא בְּמַיִם רִאשׁוֹנִים). The first waters are from above (מַיִם רִאשׁוֹנִים מֵעֵילָּא), for food depends upon them (דִּמְזוֹנָא תַּלְיָא בֵּיהּ), and not upon the final waters (וְלָא בְּמַיִם אַחֲרוֹנִים). And this is a secret that is given to the supernal holy ones (וְרָזָא לְקַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין אִתְיְיהִיב). Fortunate is their portion in this world and in the World to Come (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

The fourth palace (הֵיכָלָא רְבִיעָאָה), this palace is that which is called Obligation (הֵיכָלָא דָּא, אִיהוּ דְּאִקְרֵי חוֹבָ״ה). And this is “the miry clay” (וְדָא אִיהוּ טִיט הַיּוֵן) (Psalms 40), corresponding to the other name that is called Stumbling Stone (לָקֳבֵל שְׁמָא אַחֲרָא דְּאִקְרֵי אֶבֶן מִכְשׁוֹל), and all is one (וְכֹלָּא חַד). It is called Obligation (אִיהוּ חוֹבָ״ה), because there stand all the debts of the world (בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן קַיְימֵי כָּל חוֹבֵי דְּעָלְמָא), the balancing of obligations (אַכְרָעוּתָא דְּחוֹבִין).

For when the children of men sin (בְּגִין דְּכַד חָבָאן בְּנִי נָשָׁא), all those officers of judgment (כָּל אִינּוּן גַּרְדִּינֵי נִימוּסִין), take those debts (נַטְלִין אִינּוּן חוֹבִין), and place them in this palace which is called Obligation (וּמַנְחֵי לוֹן בְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא דְּאִקְרֵי חוֹבָה). And all the merits of the world (וְכָל זַכְיָין דְּעָלְמָא), all of them are holy angels appointed over the merits of the world (כֻּלְּהוּ מַלְאֲכִין קַדִישִׁין דִּמְמָנָן עַל זַכְוָון דְּעָלְמָא), all of them take those merits (כֻּלְּהוּ נַטְלֵי לְאִינּוּן זַכְוָון), and set them in the fourth palace which is called Merit (וְאוֹקְמֵי לוֹן בְּהֵיכָלָא רְבִיעָאָה דְּאִקְרֵי זְכוּת).

And there stand the merits of the children of men (וְתַמָּן קַיְימֵי זַכְוָון דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא). And the debts stand in the other palace, which is called Obligation (וְחוֹבִין קַיְימֵי בְּהֵיכָלָא אַחֲרָא, דְּאִקְרֵי חוֹבָה). And they are weighed together on the day of Rosh Hashanah (וְאַתְקָלוּ כַּחֲדָא בְּיוֹמָא דְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה), as it is written: “God has made one opposite the other” (כִּי גַם אֶת זֶה לְעֻמַּת זֶה עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים) (Ecclesiastes 7). And afterwards, when the merits or the debts are weighed, to this side or to that side, so is the victory (וּלְבָתַר דְּאַכְרָעוּ זַכְיָין אוֹ חוֹבִין לְסִטְרָא דָּא אוֹ לְסִטְרָא דָּא, הָכִי נָצַח).