Daf 47a (דַּף מ״ז ע״א)

“Was stirred with afflictions of defilement” (נֶעְכָּר בְּמַכְתְּשִׁין דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא), and this is what King David said concerning this, that he turned away from it (וְדָא הוּא דְּאָמַר דָּוִד מַלְכָּא אַלְקֵי בְּהַאי, וְאִתְפְּנֵי מִנֵּיהּ), as it is written: “Turn to me and be gracious to me” (Psalms 25) (דִּכְתִיב: פְּנֵה אֵלַי וְחָנֵּנִי). What is “Turn to me”? (מַהוּ פְּנֵה אֵלַי). As you say: “And Aharon turned” (Numbers 12) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: וַיִּפֶן אַהֲרֹן). Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Yosei descended and kissed him (נַחְתוּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, וּנְשָּׁקוּהוּ). They joined together all that way as one (אִזְדָּוָּוגוּ כַּחֲדָא כָּל הַהוּא אוֹרְחָא). Rabbi Ḥiyya called upon them the verse: “And the path of the righteous is as the shining light, that grows brighter and brighter until the established day” (Proverbs 4) (קָרָא רִבִּי חִיָּיא עָלַיְיהוּ: וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וָאוֹר עַד נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם). “A plague of tzara‘at, when it shall be in a person, then he shall be brought to the Kohen” (Leviticus 13) (נֶגַע צָרָעַת כִּי תִהְיֶה בְּאָדָם וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן).

Rabbi Yosei said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): This plague — all its kinds my companions have already aroused themselves about (הַאי נֶגַע, כָּל גַּוְונִין דִּילֵיהּ אִתְּעֲרוּ בְּהוּ חַבְרַיָּיא). And the Kohen would know among them which were pure and which were defiled (וְכַהֲנָא הֲוָה יָדַע בְּהוּ לְדַכְיָא וּלְמְסָאֲבָא); he would know whether they were sufferings of love (הֲוָה יָדַע, אִינּוּן דַּהֲווֹ יִסּוּרִין דִּרְחִימוּתָא), or whether they were those found in one whom his Master loathes and distances from him (אוֹ אִינּוּן דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בְּמַאן דְּמָאִיס בֵּיהּ מָארֵיהּ וְרָחִיק בֵּיהּ). For according to the path of a person, so does he cause a plague in the world (דְּהָא לְפוּם אָרְחוֹי דְּבַּר נָשׁ גָּרִים נֶגַע בְּעָלְמָא). It is written: “Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked deeds with men who work iniquity” (Psalms 141) (כְּתִיב: אַל תַּט לִבִּי לְדָבָר רָע לְהִתְעוֹלֵל עֲלִילוֹת בְּרֶשַׁע). From this we learn: in the path that a man wants to go, they lead him (מִכָּאן תָּנֵינָן: בְּאָרְחָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ בָּעֵי לְמֵיהַךְ, מַדְבְּרִין לֵיהּ).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): This verse is difficult (הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא). For does Kudsha Berikh Hu cause a man to go in the path of sin, and to do evil deeds? (וְכִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַסְטֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמֵהַךְ בְּאוֹרַח חַטָּאָה וּלְמֶעְבַּד עוֹבָדִין בִּישִׁין). If so, then there is no judgment in this world nor in the World to Come (אִי הָכִי לֵית דִּינָא בְּעָלְמָא דָּא וְלָא בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), and the Orayta would not be established, for it is written therein: “If you will listen, and if you will not listen” (Deuteronomy 11) (וְאוֹרַיְיתָא לָא אִתְתְּקָנַת, דִּכְתִיב בָּהּ: אִם תִּשְׁמַע וְאִם לֹא תִּשְׁמַע). Rather, David was warning his heart (אֶלָּא דָּוִד אַזְהַר לְלִבֵּיהּ), to speak to it in a straight path (לְדַבְּרָא לֵיהּ בְּאוֹרַח קְשׁוֹט), as you say: “And you shall bring it back to your heart” (Deuteronomy 4) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ). What is “bring it back”? (מַאי וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ).

Rather, once, twice, three times (אֶלָּא זִמְנָא חַד וּתְרֵין וּתְלַת), to turn it back, to speak to it, and to warn it (לְאַהְדָרָא לָקֳבְלֵיהּ וּלְדַבְּרָא וּלְאַזְהָרָא לֵיהּ). And thus he said to it: “Do not incline my heart to a bad thing” (וְהָכִי קָאָמַר לֵיהּ: אַל תַּט לִבִּי לְדָבָר רָע). To his heart David spoke (לְלִבֵּיהּ קָאָמַר דָּוִד), meaning: Do not incline according to the path of man (כְּלוֹמַר: אַל תַּט לְפוּם אוֹרְחוֹי דְּבַּר נָשׁ) — some say: thus he said, “My heart, do not incline to a bad thing” (נ״א: וְהַכִּי קָאָמַר לֵיהּ לִבִּי, אַל תַּט לְדָבָר רָע). For indeed, a bad word causes a plague in the world (דְּהָא דָּבָר רָע גָּרִים נֶגַע בְּעָלְמָא), and judgment rests in the world (וְדִינָא שַׁרְיָא בְּעָלְמָא), and this is the plague of tzara‘at (וְהַיְינוּ נֶגַע צָרָעַת). “A plague of tzara‘at” (נֶגַע צָרַעַת) — behold, my companions have already discussed this (הָא אִתְּעֲרוּ חַבְרַיָּיא). But tzara‘at according to its translation, Rabbi Yehudah said (אֲבָל צָרַעַת כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): What is its translation? (מַאי כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ). It is “closure” (סְגִירוּ) — closed and not open (דְּסָגִיר וְלָא פָּתַח). And when it is closed and not open (וְכַד סָגִיר הוּא וְלָא פָּתַח), then it is a plague that is called by that name (נֶגַע הוּא דְּאִקְּרֵי).

Rabbi Yosei said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר): When the fathers are not spared, how much more so the sons (דְּלָא מִסְתַּפְּקִין אֲבָהָן, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּנִין). And this is what is written: “A plague of tzara‘at, when it shall be in a man” (Leviticus 13) (וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב: נֶגַע צָרַעַת כִּי תִהְיֶה בְּאָדָם) — in the man himself, truly (בָּאָדָם מַמָּשׁ). And from here it descends to whomever it descends (וּמִכָּאן נָחִית לְמַאן דְּנָחִית), and the plague is found for all, from that very closure (אִשְׁתְּכַח נֶגַע לְכֹלָּא מֵהַהוּא סְגִירוּ).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): Indeed, this is the secret of the matter (וַדַּאי דָּא הוּא רָזָא דְּמִלָּה), as it is written: “He has laid waste His Sanctuary” (Lamentations 2) (דִּכְתִּיב: נִאֵר מִקְדָּשׁוֹ). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because the people of the world caused this (מִשּׁוּם דִּבְנֵי עָלְמָא גָּרְמוּ הַאי), as it is written: “He has defiled the Sanctuary of Hashem” (Numbers 19) (דִּכְתִּיב: אֶת מִקְדַּשׁ יְיָ טִמֵּא) — defiled, truly (טִמֵּא מַמָּשׁ).

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): “Defiled” — because the Shekhinta has departed from it (טִמֵּא, מִשּׁוּם דְּאִסְתַּלְקַת [שְׁכִינְתָּא מִנֵּיהּ]) — when She departs, the mighty serpent dwells there (מַאן דְּאִסְתַּלַּק, וְחִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא שַׁרְיָא), and casts its filth (וְאָטִיל זוּהֲמָא), and cleaves to whomever it cleaves (וְסָאִיב לְמַאן דְּסָאִיב), and all of this is because of the sins of the world (וְכֻלְּהוּ בְּגִין חוֹבֵי עָלְמָא).

It was taught (תָּאנֵי): When the serpent (mighty) is prepared to be revealed (כַּד שָׁאֲרִי חִוְיָא [תַקִּיפָא] לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה), then supports and structures withdraw and depart (מִסְתַּלְּקִין סַמְכִין וּבִנְיָינִין וּמִתְעַבְּרִין), and the mighty serpent comes and casts filth (וְאָתֵי חִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא וְאָטִיל זוּהֲמָא).

Then the Sanctuary is found defiled (וּכְדֵין אִשְׁתְּכַח מַקְדְּשָׁא מִסְאָב). Which Sanctuary? (מַאן מַקְדְּשָׁא). As it is said: “And I will place a plague of tzara‘at in a house of the land of your possession” (Leviticus 14) (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר: וְנָתַתִּי נֶגַע צָרָעַת בְּבֵית אֶרֶץ אֲחוּזָּתְכֶם). And it is written: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Hashem Elohim had made, and he said to the woman” (Bereshit 3) (וּכְתִיב: וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְיָ אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל הָאִשָּׁה). To the woman, literally (אֶל הָאִשָּׁה מַמָּשׁ) — for the place of the Sanctuary was joined within her (דְּאֲתַר מַקְדְּשָׁא אִתְאֲחִיד בְּגַוָּוהּ). And this is [the meaning of]: “He has defiled the Sanctuary of Hashem” (Numbers 19) (וְהַיְינוּ: אֶת מִקְדַּשׁ יְיָ טִמֵּא), on account of his sins (בְּגִין חוֹבוֹי), because the mighty serpent was revealed (מִשּׁוּם דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא חִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא). What are his sins? (מַאן חוֹבוֹי). This is evil speech (דָּא לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא).

For because of evil speech, the serpent is summoned (דִּבְגִין לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא חִוְיָא אִזְדָּמַן), both above and below (בֵּין לְעֵילָּא בֵּין לְתַתָּא), as it is written: “And Hashem sent among the people the fiery serpents” (Numbers 21) (דִּכְתִיב: וַיְשַׁלַּח יְיָ בָּעָם אֵת הַנְּחָשִׁים הַשְּׂרָפִים). “The burning” (hasorefim) or “the burned” (haserufim) is not written (הַשּׂוֹרְפִים אוֹ הַשְּׂרוּפִים לָא כְּתִיב), but “the seraphim” (אֶלָּא הַשְּׂרָפִים). Who are the seraphim? (מַאן שְׂרָפִים). As it is written: “The heads of the Dragons” (Psalms 74) (דִּכְתִיב: רָאשֵׁי תַנִּינִים) — two: one joined above and one below (תְּרֵי, חַד אִתְאַחִיד לְעֵילָּא וְחַד לְתַתָּא) — some say: two, one that returns at times (ס״א תְּרֵי, חַד אִתְחַזְּרוּ לְזִמְנִין). And it is written: “Seraphim stood above Him” (Isaiah 6) (וּכְתִיב: שְׂרָפִים עוֹמְדִים מִמַּעַל לוֹ) — surely “above Him” (מִמַּעַל לוֹ וַדַּאי), as you say: “To present themselves before Hashem” (Job 1) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל יְיָ). And then there is closure in everything (וּכְדֵין סְגִירוּ בְּכֹלָּא), and none to open (וְלֵית מַאן דְּפָתַח). And concerning this it is written: “So is the way of an adulterous woman; she eats and wipes her mouth and says, I have done no wrong” (Proverbs 30) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: כֵּן דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה מְנָאָפֶת אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ וְגוֹ׳). What is “adulterous”? (מַאי מְנָאָפֶת). Adulterous in truth, surely (מְנָאָפֶת מַמָּשׁ וַדַּאי). “She eats and wipes her mouth and says: I have done no wrong” (אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ וְאָמְרָה לֹא פָעַלְתִּי אָוֶן).