Daf 268b (דַּף רס״ח ע״ב)

Until here are the seven palaces, the palaces of the side of defilement, from the side of the serpent (עַד הָכָא שֶׁבַע הֵיכָלִין, מָדוֹרֵי דְּסִטְרָא מִסְאֲבָא, מִסִּטְרָא דְּנָחָשׁ). Fortunate is his portion who is saved from it, and from its whisperings (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּזִיב מִנֵּיהּ, וּמִלְּחִישׁוּתֵיהּ), that he not be bitten by it, nor that it cast into him its venom by which he would die (דְּלָא יִתְנְשִׁיךְ מִנִּיהּ, וְלָא יָטִיל בֵּיהּ אַרְסָא, דְּיֵּמוּת בֵּיהּ).

From every side one must beware of it, from above and from below (מִכָּל סִטְרִין אִית לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִינֵּיהּ, מֵעֵילָּא וּמִתַּתָּא). Whoever is saved from its head is not saved from its tail (מַאן דְּיִשְׁתְּזִיב מֵרֵישָׁא, לָא יִשְׁתְּזִיב מִזַּנְבָא). When it bends its head, it lifts its tail, strikes and kills (כַּד אָכִיף רֵישָׁא, זָקִיף זַנְבָא, מָחֵי וְקָטִיל). And with all this, “If the serpent bite without enchantment” (וְעִם כָּל דָּא, אִם יִשּׁוֹךְ הַנָּחָשׁ בְּלֹא לָחַשׁ) (Ecclesiastes 10).

As we have learned, it takes permission and extracts the soul (כְּמָה דְּתָנֵינָן, נָטִיל רְשׁוּ וְאַפִיק נִשְׁמְתָא). Therefore a man must beware, that he not sin before the Holy One, blessed be He (בְּגִין כָּךְ אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא, דְּלָא יְחוּב קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), lest they whisper to that serpent to bite and kill (בְּגִין דְּלָא יַלְחִישׁוּ לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא חִוְיָא דְּיִנְשׁוֹךְ וְיִקְטֹל).p1-36 “And Hashem Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground” (וַיִּיצֶר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה) (Bereshit 2). Dust it is, not clay (עָפָר אִיהוּ, וְלָא חוֹמֶר). Dust it is, and he will return to dust (עָפָר אִיהוּ, וְיֵתוּב לְעַפְרָא). As it is said: “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, כִּי עָפָר אַתָּה וְאֶל עָפָר תָּשׁוּב) (Bereshit 3). Some say: After he sinned, he became food for the serpent, and therefore it is written concerning the serpent: “And dust you shall eat all the days of your life” (נ״א: לְבָתַר דְּחָטָא אִתְעֲבִיד מְזוֹנָא לְנָחָשׁ וּבְגִין כָּךְ וְגוֹ׳).

Dust—this is man (עָפָר דָּא הוּא אָדָם), as it is written: “For you are dust” (דִּכְתִיב כִּי עָפָר אַתָּה וְגוֹ׳) (Bereshit 3). And therefore it is written “dust,” and it is not written “adamah,” nor “clay” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב עָפָר, וְלָא כְּתִיב אֲדָמָה, וְלָא חוֹמֶר). And it is written: “And the serpent, dust shall be his food” (וּכְתִיב וְנָחָשׁ עָפָר לַחְמוֹ) (Isaiah 65). Until the Holy One, blessed be He, is aroused, and will destroy that defiled spirit from the world (עַד דְּיִתְעַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וִיבָעַר לְהַהוּא רוּחָא מִסְאֲבָא מֵעָלְמָא), as it is written: “He will swallow up death forever” (דִּכְתִיב בִּלַּע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 25).

And He will raise that dust (וְיָקִים לְהַהוּא עָפָר), and awaken it to rejoice in the world (וְיִתְעַר לֵיהּ לְמֵחְדֵי בְּעָלְמָא), as it is written: “Awake and sing, you that dwell in the dust” (דִּכְתִיב הָקִיצוּ וְרַנְּנוּ שׁוֹכְנֵי עָפָר וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 26). It is written: “Now the serpent was cunning” (כְּתִיב וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם) (Bereshit 3), and behold we have established it (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא).

But the side that rides upon it gives it power to rule, to entice, and to mislead (אֲבָל סִטְרָא דְּרָכִיב עָלֵיהּ, יָהִיב לֵיהּ חֵילָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה, וּלְמִפְתֵּי, וּלְאַסְטָאָה). And this is the secret of the male, for the male rules over the female and gives her power (וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דִּדְכוּרָא, דְּהָא דְּכוּרָא שַׁלִּיט עַל נוּקְבָּא, וְיָהִיב בָּהּ חֵילָא). Sun and moon serve together, and are never separated (שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא מְשַׁמְּשִׁין כַּחֲדָא, וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשִׁין לְעָלְמִין). Darkness and gloom serve together (חֹשֶׁךְ וַאֲפֵילָה מְשַׁמְּשִׁין כַּחֲדָא). He is darkness, and she is gloom (אִיהוּ חֹשֶׁךְ, וְאִיהִי אֲפֵילָה). As it is said: “And there was a darkness, gloom” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיְהִי חֹשֶׁךְ אֲפֵלָה) (Exodus 10). Darkness and thick cloud (חֹשֶׁךְ וַעֲרָפֶל). For there is darkness, and there is darkness (בְּגִין דְּאִית חֹשֶׁךְ, וְאִית חֹשֶׁךְ).

We have learned: whoever sees a camel in his dream, death has been decreed upon him, yet he is saved from it (תְּנָן, מַאן דְּחָמָא גָּמָל בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ, מִיתָה אִתְגְּזָרַת עָלֵיהּ, וְאִשְׁתְּזִיב מִינָּהּ). Because it is the side of defilement, and this is “the end of all flesh” (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ סִטְרָא מִסְאֲבָא, וְהַאי אִיהוּ קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר) (Bereshit 6).

One day Rabbi El'azar was sitting before Rabbi Shimon (יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה יָתִיב רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר קָמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן). Rabbi El'azar said: Did this “end of all flesh” benefit from those sacrifices that Yisrael would offer upon the altar, or not? (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, הַאי קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר אִתְהֲנֵי מֵאִינּוּן קָרְבְּנִין דַּהֲווֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְקָרְבִין עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא, אוֹ לָא). He said to him: All were sustained together, above and below (אָמַר לֵיהּ, כֹּלָּא הֲווֹ מִסְתַּפְּקֵי כַּחֲדָא, לְעֵילָּא וּלְתַתָּא).

And come and see: the Kohanim, the Levi’im, and Yisrael are called Adam (וְתָא חֲזֵי, כַּהֲנֵי וְלֵיוָאֵי וְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אִינּוּן אִקְרוּן אָדָם), in the union of those holy wills that rise up from within them (בְּחִבּוּרָא דְּאִינּוּן רְעוּתִין קַדִּישִׁין, דְּסַלְּקָא מִגַּוַויְיהוּ). And that lamb, or sheep, or that animal that is offered (וְהַהוּא אִמְרָא, אוֹ כִּבְשָׂא, אוֹ הַהוּא בְּהֵמָה, הַאי דְּקָרְבִין), must, before it is offered upon the altar, have laid upon it all the sins, all the debts, and all the evil thoughts that he did (אִצְטְרִיךְ עַד לָא אִתְקְרִיב עַל מַדְבְּחָא, לְפָרְשָׁא עָלָה כָּל חֲטָאִין, וְכָל חוֹבִין, וְכָל הִרְהוּרִין בִּישִׁין דְּעֲבַד). And then it is called “beast” in every sense, containing within it all those sins, evils, and thoughts (וּכְדֵין הַהִיא, אִתְקְרֵי בְּהֵמָה בְּכֹלָּא, בְּגוֹ אִינּוּן חֲטָאִין וּבִישִׁין וְהִרְהוּרִין).

Like the offering of Azazel (כְּגַוְונָא דְּקָרְבְּנָא דַּעֲזָאזֵל), as it is written: “And he shall confess upon it all the iniquities of the children of Yisrael, etc.” (וְהִתְוַדָּה עָלָיו אֶת כָּל עֲוֹנוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ׳) (Leviticus 16), so also here (הָכִי נָמֵי הָכָא). And when it ascends upon the altar, it reaches one of two (וְכַד סַלְּקָא עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא, מָטוּ לָהּ עַל חַד תְּרֵין). Therefore, this ascends to its place, and this ascends to its place (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, דָּא סַלְּקָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ, וְדָא סַלְּקָא לְאַתְרִיהּ). This is in the secret of man, and this is in the secret of beast (דָּא בְּרָזָא דְּאָדָם, וְדָא בְּרָזָא דִּבְהֵמָה), as it is said: “Man and beast You save, Hashem” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה תּוֹשִׁיעַ יְיָ׳) (Psalms 36).

The Chavitin [Baked meal-offerings] and all the other meal offerings (חֲבִיתִין וְכָל שְׁאַר מְנָחוֹת) are to arouse the Ruach of Kedushah [spirit of holiness] (לְאִתְּעָרָא רוּחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא), through the will of the Kohen [priest] (בִּרְעוּתָא דְּכַהֲנָא), the song of the Levites (וְשִׁירָתָא דְּלֵיוָאֵי), and the prayer of Yisrael (וּצְלוֹתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). And in that smoke (וּבְהַהוּא תְּנָנָא), and the oil and flour that ascend (וְשַׁמְנָא וְקִמְחָא דְּסָלִיק), all the other masters of judgments are satisfied and sustained (מִתְרַוָון וּמִסְתַּפְּקֵי כָּל שְׁאַר מָארֵי דְּדִינִין), so that they cannot rule in that judgment given to them (דְּלָא יַכְלֵי לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בְּהַהוּא דִּינָא דְּאִתְּמְסַר לוֹן), all at one time (וְכֹלָּא בְּזִמְנָא חֲדָא). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): all is done in the mystery of faith (כֹּלָּא אִתְעָבִיד בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), for this one to be sustained by that one (לְאִסְתַּפְּקָא דָּא בְּדָא), and that which needs to ascend above ascends until Ein Sof (וּלְאִסְתַּלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא מַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ, עַד אֵין סוֹף).

Rabbi Shimon said: I raise my hands in prayer above (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אֲרֵימִית יְדַי בִּצְלוֹתִין לְעֵילָּא), for when the Supernal Will, above, above, stands upon that Will which is not known and not grasped for all eternity (דְּכַד רְעוּתָא עִלָּאָה, לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, קַיְּימָא עַל הַהוּא רְעוּתָא דְּלָא אִתְיְידַיע, וְלָא אִתְפַּס לְעָלְמִין), the Head most concealed above all (רֵישָׁא דְּסָתִים יַתִּיר לְעֵילָּא), and that Head brought forth what it brought forth, and it is not known (וְהַהוּא רֵישָׁא אַפִּיק מַה דְּאַפִּיק, וְלָא יְדִיעַ). And it shines what it shines, all in concealment (וְנָהִיר מַה דְּנָהִיר, כֹּלָּא בִּסְתִּימוּ).

The desire of the Supernal Thought is to pursue after it and to shine from it (רְעוּ דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה, לְמִרְדַּף אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, וּלְאִתְנַהֲרָא מִנֵּיהּ). One curtain was spread (חַד פְּרִיסוּ אִתְפְּרַס), and from that curtain, in the pursuit of that Supernal Thought, it reaches and does not reach (וּמִגּוֹ הַהוּא פְּרִיסָא בִּרְדִּיפוּ דְּהַהִיא מַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה, מָטֵי וְלָא מָטֵי), until from that curtain shines what it shines (עַד הַהוּא פְּרִיסָא נָהִיר מַה דְּנָהִיר). And then that Supernal Thought shines in a concealed radiance, unknown (וּכְדֵין הַהוּא מַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה, נָהִיר בִּנְהִירוּ סָתִים דְּלָא יְדִיעַ). And this Thought does not know (וְהַאי מַחֲשָׁבָה לָא יָדַע).