Daf 43b (דַּף מ״ג ע״ב)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), at the time when the Neshama descends to be raised up in this world (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנִשְׁמְתָא נַחְתָּא לְאַעֲלָא לֵיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), it descends to the Garden of Eden on earth (נַחְתָּא בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן דְּאַרְעָא), and sees the glory of the spirits of the Tzaddikim standing in rows upon rows (וְחָמָאת יְקָרָא דְּרוּחֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא קַיְימִין שׁוּרִין שׁוּרִין). Afterwards it goes to Gehinnom (לְבָתַר אַזְלַא לַגֵּיהִנָּם), and sees the wicked crying “woe, woe” (וְחָמָאת לְהוּ לְרַשִׁיעַיָּיא דְּצַוְוחִין וַוי וַוי), and she has no mercy upon them (וְלָא מֵרַחֲמֵי עָלַיְיהוּ). And over all this testimony is borne concerning her (וּבְכֹלָּא אַסְהִידוּ בָּהּ סַהֲדוּתָא), and that holy image stands over her until she goes forth into the world (וְהַהוּא צוּלְמָא קַדִּישָׁא קַיְּימָא עָלֵיהּ, עַד דְּנָפִיק לְעָלְמָא).

When she goes forth into the world (כַּד נָפִיק לְעָלְמָא), that image is prepared for her (אִזְדְּמַן הַהוּא צוּלְמָא לְגַבֵּיהּ), and joins with her and grows with her (וְאִשְׁתְּתַף בַּהֲדֵּיהּ, וְאִתְרַבֵּי עִמֵּיהּ). As it is said: Surely in an image does man walk (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר: אַךְ בְּצֶלֶם יִתְהַלֶּךְ אִישׁ) (Psalms 39). And in that image the days of man are joined (Some say: found) and they depend on it (וּבְהַהוּא צֶלֶם אִשְׁתָּתָּפוּ (נ״א: אִשְׁתְּכַחוּ יוֹמוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ, וְתַּלְיָין בֵּיהּ). This is what is written: For we are of yesterday and know not, for our days upon earth are a shadow (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: כִּי תְמוֹל אֲנַחְנוּ וְלֹא נֵדָע כִּי צֵל יָמֵינוּ עֲלֵי אָרֶץ) (Job 8). For surely our days are a shadow (כִּי צֵל יָמֵינוּ וַדַּאי). And from the day that a woman conceives until the day she gives birth (וּמִן יוֹמָא דְּמִתְעַבְּרָא אִתְּתָא עַד יוֹמָא דְּאוֹלִידַת), human beings do not know the deeds of Kudsha Berikh Hu (לָא יַדְעִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא עוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), how great they are and how exalted they are (כַּמָּה אִינּוּן רַבְרְבִין, וְכַמָּה אִינּוּן עִלָּאִין). This is what is written: How manifold are Your works, Hashem (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: מַה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְיָ') (Psalms 104).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), all the spirits of the world are inclusive of male and female (כָּל רוּחִין דְּעָלְמָא כְּלִילָן דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא), and when they go forth, male and female go forth (וְכַד נָפְקִין, דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא נָפְקִין). And afterwards they separate on their paths (וּלְבָתַר מִתְפָּרְשָׁן בְּאָרְחַיְיהוּ). If a man merits, afterwards they are joined together as one (אִי זָכֵי בַּר נָשׁ, לְבָתַר מִזְדַּוְּוגֵי כַּחֲדָא). And this is his mate (וְהַיְינוּ בַּת זוּגוֹ), and they unite in Zivug—Some say: in one form—in all, spirit and body (וּמִתְחַבְּרָן בְּזִוּוּגָא – ס״א בְּגוּונָא – חַד בְּכֹלָּא, רוּחָא וְגוּפָא). As it is written: Let the earth bring forth a living soul after its kind (דִּכְתִיב: תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ) (Bereshit 1). What is after its kind? (מַאי לְמִינָהּ). That spirit of man, whose mate goes out resembling him (הַהוּא רוּחָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, דְּנָפִיק זוּגֵיהּ דְּדָמֵי לֵיהּ).

And what is the earth? As you say: I was woven in the lowest parts of the earth (וּמַאי הָאָרֶץ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: רֻקַּמְתִּי בְּתַחְתִּיּוֹת אָרֶץ) (Psalms 139). And we have already established it (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). Let the earth bring forth indeed—for from her go forth living souls (תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ וַדַּאי, דְּהָא מִנָּהּ נָפְקִין נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה), as we have established (כְּמָה דְאוֹקִימְנָא). This is the spirit of Adam Kadma’ah (דָּא רוּחֵיהּ דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה). As it is written: And of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden (הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: וּמִפְּרִי הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן) (Bereshit 3). And of the fruit of the tree—this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּמִפְּרִי הָעֵץ, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Which is in the midst of the garden—this is in the midst of the woman (אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן, אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הָאִשָּׁה). We have learned: this is A woman, when she conceives and gives birth to a male (תָּנֵינָן, הַיְינוּ, אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר).

And not all male and female are joined together, according to the way of the world (וְלָא כָּלִיל דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא, כְּפוּם אוֹרְחוֹי דְּעָלְמָא). For they caused that they not be joined, as they went out above as pairs (דְּאִינּוּן, גָּרְמוּ לֵיהּ, דְּלָא מִתְחַבְּרָן, כַּמָה דְּנַפְקָן מִלְּעֵילָּא זוּגוֹת). Because Adam Kadma’ah and his Zivug sinned before Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּגִין דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה, וְזִוּוג דִּילֵיהּ, חָבוּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And because of this they are separated when they go out from above (וְעַל דָּא מִתְפָּרְשִׁין, כַּד נָפְקִין מִלְּעֵילָּא). Until there is favor before Kudsha Berikh Hu: if the man merits, his mate is given to him (עַד דְּהֲוָה רַעֲוָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִי זָכָה בַּר נָשׁ, יָהֲבִין לֵיהּ זוּגָתוֹ).

And if not, they separate him from her, and give her to another, and they bear children not as is fitting (וְאִי לָא, מַפְרִישִׁין לֵהּ מִנֵּיהּ, וְיָהֲבִין לָהּ לְאָחֳרָא, מוֹלִידִין בְּנִין דְּלָא כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת). And because of this it is written: My spirit shall not abide in man (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָאָדָם) (Bereshit 6). What is My spirit? It should have said his spirit (מַאי רוּחִי, רוּחוֹ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). These are the two spirits that go forth as pairs (אִינּוּן תְּרֵין רוּחֵי, דְּנַפְקֵי זוּגוֹת). They do not abide together as one (לָא יְדוּנוּן כַּחֲדָא). And because of this it is written: And she gave birth to a male (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: וְיָלְדָה זָכָר). And not all male and female are joined together, according to the way of the world (וְלָא כָּלִיל דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא, כְּפוּם אוֹרְחוֹי דְּעָלְמָא). For they caused it (דְּאִינּוּן גָּרְמוּ).

Rabbi El'azar said (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר): Not so (לָאו הָכִי). For behold, all—male and female are included together (דְּהָא כֹּלָּא, דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא כְּלִילָן כַּחֲדָא), and afterwards they separate (וּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן לְבָתַר). But and she gives birth to a male—they are included together from the side of the right (אֲבָל וְיָלְדָה זָכָר, כְּלִילָן כַּחֲדָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא). And if she gives birth to a female—then they are included in one female and male from the side of the left (וְאִם נְקֵבָה תֵלֵד, כְּלִילָן בְּחַד נוּקְבָּא וּדְכַר מִסִּטְרָא שְׂמָאלָא). For then the left side rules over the right side more strongly (דְּשַׁלְטָא סְטָר שְׂמָאלָא עַל סְטָר יְמִינָא יַתִּיר), and the male is subdued in the right which does not rule (וּדְכוּרָא אִתְכַּפְיָא בִּימִינָא דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא). And then that male who goes forth from within the female, from the left side, all his ways are like a female and he is not called male (וּכְדֵין הַהוּא דְּכַר דְּנָפִיק מִגּוֹ נוּקְבָּא, מִסְּטַר שְׂמָאלָא, כָּל אוֹרְחוֹי כְּנוּקְבָּא, וְלֹא אִקְרֵי דְּכַר).

But the male who goes forth from the right, he rules, and the female that comes from him is subdued, for the left side does not rule (אֲבָל דְּכַר דְּנָפִיק מִגּוֹ יְמִינָא, הוּא שַׁלְטָא, וְנוּקְבָּא דְּנָפְקָא מִנֵּיהּ אִתְכַּפְיָא, דְּהָא סְטָר שְׂמָאלָא לָא שַׁלְטָא). And because of this it is written: And she gives birth to a male (וְעַל דָּא וְיָלְדָה זָכָר כְּתִיב). And how many thousands and myriads go forth at one time into the world (וְכַמָּה אֶלֶף וְרִבְבָן נַפְקֵי בְּזִמְנָא חֲדָא לְעָלְמָא). And from the day they go forth they are not called souls until they are settled in a body (וּמִן יוֹמָא דְּאַפְקַת לוֹן, לָא אִקְרוּן נַפְשָׁן, עַד דְּאִתְיַישְּׁבָן בְּגוּפָא).

And how much is that? Thirty-three days (וְכַמָּה הוּא, ל״ג יָמִים). This is what is written: And thirty days and three days, etc. (הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: וּשְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים וְגוֹ') (Leviticus 12). And she shall be impure seven days—for during all seven days the spirits do not come near her to be bound in her (וְטָמְאָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, דְּהָא כָּל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים לָא עָאלִין רוּחִין לְגַבָּהּ, לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בָּהּ). And all these seven days the spirit goes into the body to find its place (וְכָל אִלֵּין שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, רוּחָא אָזְלָא בְּגוּפָא, לְאַשְׁכְּחָא אַתְרֵיהּ). And then it is written: And seven days shall it be under its mother (וּכְדֵין כְּתִיב: וְהָיָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תַּחַת אִמּוֹ) (Leviticus 22). And on the eighth day the spirit and body are brought together to be seen before the Matronita and to be bound within her (וּבְיוֹמָא תְּמִינָאָה, אִתְהֲדָרוּ רוּחָא וְגוּפָא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קָמֵי מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וּלְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בָּהּ). And in the case of a male—in body and in spirit (וּבִדְכוּרָא, בְּגוּפָא וּבְרוּחָא). And thirty days and three days she shall remain in the blood of purity—to settle the spirit in the body (וּשְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים תֵּשֵׁב עַל דְּמֵי טָהֳרָה, לְאִתְיַישְּׁבָא רוּחָא בְּגוּפָא). And the three days—what is their function? (וְג' יָמִים מַאי עֲבִידְתַּיְיהוּ).

Rather, these are the three days of circumcision, when the child suffers pain, and the spirit does not dwell in its abode in the body as on the other days (אֶלָּא שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים דְּמִילָה, דְּרַבְיָא כָּאִיב, וְרוּחָא לָא שַׁרְיָא מָדוֹרֵיהּ בְּגוּפָא כִּשְׁאָר יוֹמִין). And because of this: And thirty days and three days she shall remain in the blood of purity (וְעַל דָּא וּשְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים תֵּשֵׁב בִּדְמֵי טָהֳרָה).