Daf 266b (דַּף רס״ו ע״ב)

And beneath these spirits stand all those who are called Orlah [uncircumcision] (וּתְחוֹת אִלֵּין רוּחִין, קַיְימִין כָּל אִינּוּן דְּאִקְרוּן עָרְלָה)—shoots of Orlah [uncircumcision], branches of Orlah [uncircumcision] (זְמוֹרֵי עָרְלָה, עַנְפֵי עָרְלָה). And above them is one appointed one (וְעֵילָּא מִנְּהוֹן חַד מְמָנָא), who is called Gezar Dinayya [Decree of Judgment] (דְּאִקְרֵי גְּזַר דִּינַיָּ״א). And this one stands over all those who do not observe the years of Orlah [uncircumcision] of the tree (וְהַאי אִיהוּ קַיְּימָא עַל כָּל אִינּוּן דְּלָא נַטְרֵי שְׁנֵי עָרְלָה דְּאִילָנָא), and over all those who delay the covenant for their sons (וְעַל כָּל אִינּוּן, דִּמְעַכְּבֵי אֶת קַיָּימָא לִבְרַיְיהוּ). And because of this, the serpent sought to kill the son of Moshe (וְעַל דָּא, בָּעָא חִוְיָא לְקָטְלָא לִבְרֵיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה), until Tzipporah circumcised him, as it is written (עַד דְּגַזְרַת לֵיהּ צִפוֹרָה, דִּכְתִיב): “And Tzipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, etc.” (וַתִּקַּח צִפוֹרָה צֹר וַתִּכְרֹת אֶת עָרְלַת בְּנָהּ וְגוֹ׳) (Shemot 4:25). And this spirit is appointed over those men who corrupt their ways (וְהַאי רוּחָא, מְמָנָא עַל בְּנִי נָשָׁא דִּמְחַבְּלֵי אָרְחַיְיהוּ), and do not care for the honor of their Master (וְלָא חַיְישֵׁי לִיקָרָא דְּמָארִיהוֹן), to guard the sign of the holy covenant (לְמֵיטַר אָת קַיָּימָא קַדִישָׁא). And this one brings them into Gehinom [Hell] (וְהַאי אָעִיל לוֹן לַגֵיהִנָּם), to that place which is called She’ol vaAvadon [the Grave and Destruction] (לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי שְׁאוֹל וַאֲבַדוֹן), and he is judged there, as we have established here (וְאִתְדָּן תַּמָּן, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא הָכָא).

In this palace, inside, in the middle (בְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא לְגוֹ בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא), there stands one spirit (קַיְימָא חַד רוּחָא), who stands and lurks upon paths and ways (דְּאִיהוּ קַיְּימָא וְכָמִין עַל אוֹרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין), to watch all those who transgress the words of Orayta (לְמֵחמֵי לְכָל אִינּוּן דְּעַבְרִין עַל פִּתְגָמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא), in order to bring enmity between below and above (כְּדֵי לְמֵיעַל דְּבָבוּ, בֵּין תַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא). Because this whole palace is Eyvah (בְּגִין דְּכָל הַאי הֵיכָלָא אֵיבָה אִיהוּ).

This one and all the others (הַאי וְכָל אִינּוּן אַחֲרָנִין), all of them stand to show radiant faces to men (כֻלְּהוּ קַיְימִין לְאַחֲזָאָה אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא), and to entice them (וּלְמִפְתֵּי לְהוּ), in order that they turn from the path of truth (בְּגִין דְּיִסְטוּן מֵאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט), and to draw them after themselves (וּלְאַמְשָׁכָא לוֹן אֲבַתְרַיְיהוּ). And afterwards they slay them (וּלְבָתַר אִינּוּן קַטְלֵי לוֹן), and they die in both worlds (וִימוּתוּן בִּתְרֵין עָלְמִין). As it is written: “Her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword” (דִּכְתִיב וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָה כַלַּעֲנָה חַדָּה כְּחֶרֶב פִּיּוֹת) (Proverbs 5).

This spirit is called Afrira (הַאי רוּחָא, אִיהוּ אִקְרֵי אַפְרִירָ״א), the dust of ashes (עַפְרָא דְּקִיטְמָא). It does not produce offspring and generations forever (דְּלָא עָבִיד תּוֹלָדִין וְאֵיבִין לְעָלְמִין), because this is the dust of ashes (בְּגִין דְּהַאי אִיהוּ עַפְרָא דְּקִיטְמָא). And although it is called dust (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִקְרֵי עָפָר), it is not the holy dust that produces offspring (לָאו אִיהוּ עַפְרָא קַדִישָׁא, דְּעָבִיד אֵיבִין), and is called “dust of gold” (וְאִקְרֵי עַפְרוֹת זָהָב) (Job 28). But rather as you say (אֶלָּא כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר): “From the dust of the burnt offering of the sin” (מֵעֲפַר שְׂרֵפַת הַחַטָּאת) (Numbers 19). And this is the dust of the burnt offering of the sin (וְדָא הוּא עֲפַר שְׂרֵפַת הַחַטָּאת).

And this sign comes in two aspects (וְסִימָנָא דָּא אַתְיָא בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין): one, because it is included in that sin (חַד, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ כָּלִיל בְּהַאי חַטָּאת), the secret of that strong serpent (רָזָא דְּהַהוּא חִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא). And one, that when a man sins (וְחַד, דְּכַד בַּר נָשׁ עָבִיד חַטָּאת), he strengthens this dust (אִיהוּ אַתְקִיף לְהַאי עָפָר), and it rules in the world (וְשַׁלְטָא בְּעָלְמָא). And this one is included in “the bitter waters that cause the curse” (וְהַאי אִיהוּ כָּלִיל בְּמֵי הַמָּרִים הַמְאָרַרִים) (Numbers 5). And because of this, it is necessary for a woman who has strayed beneath her husband (וְעַל דָּא, אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִנְתּוּ דְּאַסְטִיאַת תְּחוֹת בַּעְלָהּ), and committed the deed of a harlot (וְעַבְדַת עוֹבָדָא דְּאֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים), to be given to drink water mixed with dust (לְאַשְׁקָאָה לָהּ מַיָּא כְּלִילָן בְּעַפְרָא), which is from the ground of the Mishkan (דְּאִיהוּ מִקַּרְקַע הַמִּשְׁכָּן). And this dust is from that place which is called ground (וְהַאי עָפָר אִיהוּ מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי קַרְקַע), and that is called the ground of that Mishkan (וְהַהוּא אִקְרֵי קַרְקַע דְּהַהוּא מִשְׁכָּן). And this dust is from that ground (וְהַאי עָפָר מֵהַהוּא קַרְקַע אִיהוּ). And therefore, the priest must give this woman to drink (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, אִצְטְרִיךְ כַּהֲנָא לְאַשְׁקָאָה לְהַאי אִתְּתָא), in this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא). And all of this is in a supernal hint (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בִּרְמִיזָא עִלָּאָה).

Fortunate is the portion of Yisrael (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), that Kudsha Berikh Hu purifies them with supernal pure waters (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מַדְכֵּי לוֹן בְּמַיִין דַּכְיָין עִלָּאִין), as it is written: “And I will sprinkle upon you pure water, and you shall be purified” (דִּכְתִיב וְזָרַקְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם מַיִם טְהוֹרִים וּטְהַרְתֶּם) (Ezekiel 36). Pure waters — these we have said, between the first waters and the latter waters (מַיִם טְהוֹרִים הָא אַמָרָן, בֵּין מַיִם רִאשׁוֹנִים לְמַיִם אַחֲרוֹנִים). And although we have established that the first waters are a mitzvah (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, מַיִם רִאשׁוֹנִים מִצְוָה), so they are called (הָכִי אִתְקְרוּן). And the latter waters are an obligation (וּמַיִם אַחֲרוֹנִים חוֹבָה), so also they are called (הָכִי נָמֵי אִתְקְרוּן). And we have established that these two sides — this one, the side of holiness, is called Mitzvah (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא עַל תְּרֵין סִטְרִין אִלֵּין, דָּא סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה אִתְקְרֵי מִצְוָה), and this Sitra achra is called Obligation (וְדָא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, אִתְקְרֵי חוֹבָה). And therefore his portion is taken in that water (וּבְגִין כָּךְ חוּלָקֵיהּ נָטַל בְּהַהוּא מַיָּא). And concerning this it is written: “And I will sprinkle upon you pure water, and you shall be purified” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, וְזָרַקְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם מַיִם טְהוֹרִים וּטְהַרְתֶּם).

The sixth palace (הֵיכָלָא שְׁתִיתָאָה): this palace stands above (הֵיכָלָא דָּא, קַיְּימָא עִלָּאָה), over all those other palaces below (עַל כָּל אִינּוּן שְׁאַר הֵיכָלִין תַּתָּאִין). Four gates this palace has (אַרְבַּע פִּתְחִין, אִית לְהֵיכָלָא דָּא). One is called Death (חַד, אִקְרֵי מָוֶת). And one is called Evil (וְחַד, אִקְרֵי רָע). And one is called Shadow of Death (וְחַד, אִקְרֵי צַלְמָוֶ״ת). And one is called Darkness (וְחַד, אִקְרֵי אֹפֶ״ל). These four gates stand constantly to corrupt (אִלֵּין אַרְבַּע פִּתְחִין, קַיְימִין תָּדִיר לְאַבְאָשָׁא). These are the totality of all (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן כְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא).