Daf 43a (דַּף מ״ג ע״א)

A woman, when she conceives (אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ). Rabbi Ḥizkiyah opened and said (רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח): How manifold are Your works, Hashem (מַה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְיָ') (Psalms 104). How numerous are the deeds of the Holy King in the world (כַּמָה סַגִּיאִין עוֹבָדוֹהִי דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא בְּעָלְמָא). It is like a man who takes in his hand many seeds together (מְתַל לְבַּר נָשׁ דְּנָטִיל בִּידוֹהִי כַּמָה מַקְטוּרִין כַּחֲדָא), and sows them at one time (וְזָרַע לוֹן בְּזִמְנָא חֲדָא), and afterwards each one grows by itself (וּלְבָתַר נָפִיק כָּל חַד וְחַד בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). So too Kudsha Berikh Hu does His deeds with wisdom (כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֲבִיד עוֹבָדוֹהִי בְּחָכְמָה). And with wisdom He gathers all together and sows them (וּבְחָכְמָה נָטִיל כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא וְזָרַע לוֹן), and afterwards each one emerges in its own time (וּלְבָתַר נָפְקוּ כָּל חַד וְחַד בְּזִמְנֵיהּ). This is what is written: You made them all with wisdom (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ) (Psalms 104).

Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא): How manifold are Your works, Hashem (מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְיָ'). How numerous are the deeds of the Holy King (כַּמָה סַגִּיאִין אִינּוּן עוֹבָדוֹהִי דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא). And they are all concealed in wisdom (וְכֻלְּהוּ סְתִימִין בְּחָכְמָה). This is what is written: You made them all with wisdom (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ). All are included in wisdom (כֻּלְּהוּ בְּחָכְמָה כְּלִילָן), and they do not go forth except by known paths towards Binah (וְלָא נָפְקֵי לְבַר אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִילִין יְדִיעָן לְגַבֵּי בִּינָה). And from there all is made and established (וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְעָבִידוּ כֹּלָּא וְאִתְתְּקָנוּ). This is what is written: And by understanding it is established (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וּבִתְבוּנָה יִתְכּוֹנָן) (Proverbs 24). And therefore: You made them all with wisdom—in Binah (וְעַל דָּא: כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ, בְּבִינָה).

The earth is full (מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ). The earth—this is Knesset Yisrael (הָאָרֶץ: דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), which from there is filled with all (דְּמִתַּמָּן אִתְמַלְּיָא מִכֹּלָּא), as you say: All the rivers go to the sea, etc. (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: כָּל הַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם וְגוֹ') (Ecclesiastes 1). Your possessions (קִנְיָנֶיךָ)—she brings them forth afterwards (דְּהִיא אַפִּיקַת לוֹן לְבָתַר). This is what is written: These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם) (Bereshit 2). By the letter Heh He created them (בְּה' בְּרָאָם). Because of this: The earth is full of Your possessions (בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ: מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ קִנְיָנֶיךָ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), at the time when a man comes to sanctify himself to be joined with his mate (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ אָתֵי לְאִתְקַדְשָׁא לְאִזְדַוְּוגָא בְּנוּקְבֵיהּ), with intention in his holy desire (בְּכַוָּנָה בִּרְעוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּילֵיהּ), there is aroused upon him another holy spirit (אִתְּעַר עָלֵיהּ רוּחָא אַחֲרָא קַדִּישָׁא), inclusive of male and female (כָּלִיל דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא). And Kudsha Berikh Hu appoints one messenger set over the witnesses of human beings (וְרָמִיז קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְחַד שְׁלוּחָא מְמָנָא עַל עִדּוּיֵיהוֹן דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), and places in his hand that spirit (וּמָנֵי בִּידֵיהּ הַהוּא רוּחָא), and informs him to what place he shall appoint it (וְאוֹדַע לֵיהּ, לְאָן אֲתַר יִפְקוֹד לֵיהּ). This is what is written: And the night said, “A man is conceived” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וְהַלַּיְלָה אָמַר הוֹרָה גָּבֶר) (Job 3). The night said—to that appointed one (הַלַּיְלָה אָמַר, לְהַהוּא מְמָנָא): A man is conceived by so-and-so (הוֹרָה גָּבֶר מִפְּלַנְיָא). And Kudsha Berikh Hu entrusts to that spirit all that He commands (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַפְקִיד לֵיהּ, לְהַהוּא רוּחָא, כָּל מַה דְּאַפְקִיד). And this has already been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

Then the spirit descends (כְּדֵין רוּחָא נַחְתָּא), and one image with it (וְחַד צוּלְמָא עִמֵּיהּ), that which stands in its likeness above (הַהוּא דְּקָאִים בְּדִיוּקְנֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא). In that image it is created (Some say: increased (בְּהַהוּא צוּלְמָא אִתְבְּרֵי (ס״א אַתְרַבֵּי), and in that image it goes in this world (בְּהַהוּא צוּלְמָא אָזִיל בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). This is what is written: Surely in an image does man walk (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: אַךְ בְּצֶלֶם יִתְהַלֶּךְ אִישׁ) (Psalms 39). As long as this image is found with the man (בְּעוֹד דְּהַאי צוּלְמָא אִשְׁתְּכַח עִמֵּיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ), in his image he stands in this world, being joined as one (בְּצוּלְמָא דִילֵיהּ קָאִים בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, דְּמִתְחֲבְּרָאן כַּחֲדָא – ס״א אִשְׁתְּכַח עִמֵּיהּ בַּר נָשׁ קָאִים בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּתְרֵין אִינוּן דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן כַּחֲדָא). And King Shlomo warned mankind and said: Until the day breathes and the shadows flee—two (וּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא אַזְהַר לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא וְאָמַר: עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים, תְּרֵי) (Song of Songs 2). And in the book of the sorcerers of Ashmedai we found (וּבְסִפְרָא דְּחָרָשִׁין דְּאַשְׁמְדַאי, אַשְׁכַּחְנָא) that those who know—Some say: who seek—to do sorceries (דְּאִינּוּן דְּיַדְעֵי – ס״א דְּבָעוּ – לְחַרְשָׁא חָרָשִׁין) are from the side of the left (מִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא), and to cleave to them they stand by the light of a candle (וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּהוּ, יְקוּם לִנְהוֹרָא דִּשְׁרָגָא), or in the place where those images of his appear (אוֹ בַּאֲתַר דְּיִתְחֲזוּן אִינּוּן צוּלְמִין דִילֵיהּ). And he will say those words prepared for the sorcerers (וְיֵימָא אִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּמִתַתְּקְנֵי לְאִינּוּן חָרָשִׁין). And he will call them, to those defiled sides (וְיִקְרֵי לוֹן, לְאִינּוּן סִטְרִין מִסְאֲבִין), in their own defiled names (בִּשְׁמָהָן מִסְאֲבִין דִּילְהוֹן). And he will summon—Some say: and appoint—his images to those he calls (וְיַזְמִּין – וְיוֹמֵי – צוּלְמִין דִילֵיהּ לְאִינּוּן דְּקָארֵי).

And he will say that he is prepared in his desire for them to their commands (וְיֵימָא דְּהוּא אִתְתָּקַּן בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ לְהוּ לְפִקּוּדַיְיהוּ). And that man departs from the domain of his Master and His deposit, and gives it to the side of defilement (וְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ נָפַק מֵרְשׁוּ דְּמָארֵיהּ וּפִקְדוֹנָא דִילֵיהּ, יָהַב לִסְטַר מִסְאֲבָא). And with those words of sorcery that he speaks (וּבְאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּחָרָשִׁין דְּאִיהוּ יֵימָא), and summons them to his images—Some say: and appoints them (וְיַזְמִין – נ״א וְיוֹמֵי – לוֹן לְצוּלְמֵי), there appear two spirits (אִתְחָזוּן תְּרֵין רוּחִין), and they are fixed in those images of his (וּמִתְתַּקְּנִין בְּאִינּוּן צוּלְמִין דִּילֵיהּ), in the form of human beings (בְּחֵיזוּ דִּבְנֵי אֱנָשָׁא).

And they inform him words for evil and words for good, sometimes known matters (וּמוֹדְעִין לֵיהּ מִלִּין לְאַבְאָשָׁא, וּמִלִּין לְאוֹטָבָא, לְזִמְנִין יְדִיעָן). And these two spirits, that were not included in the totality of the body (וְאִלֵּין תְּרֵי רוּחִין, דְּלָא אִתְכְּלִילוּ בִּכְלָלָא דְּגוּפָא), now are included in these images (הַשְׁתָּא אִתְכְּלִילָן בְּאִלֵּין צוּלְמִין), and are fixed in them, and they inform the man words for evil (וּמִתְתַּקְּנָן בְּהוּ וּמוֹדְעִין לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ מִלִּין לְאַבְאָשָׁא). And this is the one who has departed from the domain of his Master, and His deposit he has given to the side of defilement (וְדָא הוּא דְּנָפִיק מֵרְשׁוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, וּפִקְדוֹנָא דִּילֵיהּ, יָהִיב לִסְטַר מִסְאֲבָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): It is forbidden for a man to cast out the vessels of his house, and to entrust them to another side, which is unnecessary, or any other similar matter (אָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאַשְׁדָאָה מָאנֵי דְּבֵיתָא, וּלְאַפְקְדָא לֵיהּ לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ, אוֹ מִלָּה אָחֳרָא דִּכְוָותֵיהּ). Some say: from his house, to receive it for him (נ״א: דְּבֵיתֵיהּ לְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ).

For behold, many destructive spirits are prepared for that thing to receive it (דְּהָא כַּמָה גַּרְדִּינֵי נִימוּסִין זְמִינִין לְהַהוּא מִלָּה לְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ). And from that moment blessings do not rest upon him, for it is from another side (וּמֵהַהוּא זִמְנָא, לָא שָׁארוּ עָלֵיהּ בִּרְכָאן, דְּהָא מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא הוּא). How much more so one who appoints, by his desire, his supernal good portion to another, to the other side (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן מַאן דְּאַזְמִין בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ עַל הַהוּא טִיבוּ עִלָּאָה דִּילֵיהּ, לְאָחֳרָא וּלְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא).

For indeed, from that which he has summoned, he becomes (דְּהָא, מֵהַהוּא דְּאַזְמִין לֵיהּ, הֲוִי). And when the days of a man draw near to depart from this world (וְכַד קְרִיבוּ יוֹמִין דְּבַּר נָשׁ לְנָפְקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא), that supernal image that was given to him (הַהוּא צוּלְמָא עִלָּאָה דְּיָהֲבֵי לֵיהּ), then comes that evil spirit which had cleaved to him every day (אַתְיָא הַהוּא רוּחָא בִּישָׁא דְּהֲוָה מִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא), and takes that image (וְנָטִיל לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא צוּלְמָא), and is fixed in it, and goes with it (וְאִתְתַּקַּן בֵּיהּ וְאָזִיל לֵיהּ). And it never again returns to be in that man (וְלָא אִתְחֲזָר בֵּיהּ בְּבַּר נָשׁ לְעָלְמִין). Then it is known that he has been cast away from all (כְּדֵין יִנְדַּע דְּהָא אִתְדַּחְיָא הוּא מִכֹּלָּא).