Daf 49a (דַּף מ״ט ע״א)

And this Ish is included in Adam (וְהַאי אִישׁ בִּכְלָלָא דְּאָדָם הוּא). And when Kudsha Berikh Hu desires to wage war (וְכַד בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַגָּחָא קְרָבָא), in this Ish He wages war (בְּהַאי אִישׁ אֲגַח בְּהוּ קְרָבָא), as it is written: “Hashem is a man of war” (Exodus 15) (דִּכְתִיב יְיָ אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה), in this Ish [Man] literally (בְּהַאי אִישׁ מַמָּשׁ). And He does not wage war until the hair of the head passes away from him (וְלָא אֲגַח בְּהוּ קְרָבָא עַד דְּאַעְבָּר לֵיהּ שַׂעֲרָא דְּרֵישָׁא), so that they be drawn down from their roots, and all those crowns that are united in the hairs be broken (בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּן מִשִּׁלְשׁוּלֵיהוֹן, וְיִתָּבְּרוּן כָּל אִינּוּן כִּתְרִין דְּמִתְאַחֲדָן בְּשַׂעֲרֵי). This is what is written: “In that day Hashem will shave with a razor, with those across the river, with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the legs, and also the beard it shall sweep away” (Isaiah 7) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב בַּיוֹם הַהוּא יְגַלַּח יְיָ וְגוֹ׳, בְּעֶבְרֵי נָהָר בְּמֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר אֶת הָרֹאשׁ וְשַׂעַר הָרַגְלַיִם וְגַם אֶת הַזָּקָן תִּסְפֶּה).

It was taught (תָּאנָא): “And thus shall you do to them to purify them” (Numbers 8) (וְכֹה תַעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם לְטַהֲרָם). What is “and thus”? (מַאי וְכֹה). In the likeness above (כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא): “Sprinkle upon them the water of purification” (Numbers 8) (הַזֵּה עֲלֵיהֶם מֵי חַטָּאת) — the remainder of the dew of crystal; here it is the water of purification (שִׁיּוּרֵי טַלָּא דִּבְדוֹלְחָא, הָכָא מֵי חַטָּאת), for they are the remainder of the dew (דְּאִינּוּן שִׁיּוּרֵי טַלָּא). At the time to come it is written: “And I shall sprinkle upon you pure water” (Ezekiel 36) (לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי כְּתִיב וְזָרַקְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם מַיִם טְהוֹרִים). “And they shall wash their clothes” (Numbers 8) (וְכִבְּסוּ בִגְדֵיהֶם), in the likeness above (כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), for the rectifications of this Ish are washed in supernal Chesed and purified from all (דְּתִקוּנוֹי דְּהַאי אִישׁ אִתְסָחָן בְּחֶסֶד עִלָּאָה וְאִתְדַכֵּי מִכֹּלָּא). And we have learned (וְתָנֵינָן): Why is it written “with a razor” and not “with scissors”? (אֲמַאי כְּתִיב בְּתַעַר וְלֹא בְּמִסְפְּרַיִם). But because the hair must pass away at its roots, and the lower judgments pass away from their connections (אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דְּיִתְעַבָּר שַׂעֲרָא בְּשָׁרְשׁוֹי, וְיִתְעֲבְּרוּן מִנֵּיהּ דִּינִין תַּתָּאִין מִשּׁוּלְשׁוּלֵיהוֹן). And at the time when deeds are strengthened below, Kudsha Berikh Hu prepares this hair to pass from him and to be shaved, so that it not grow and multiply (וּלְזִמְנָא דְּיִתְכַּשְׁרוּן עוֹבָדִין לְתַתָּא, זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׂעֲרָא דָּא לְאַעְבְּרָא לֵיהּ, וּלְמִגְלְשֵׁיהּ בְּגִין דְּלָא יִצְמַח וְיִרְבֶּה), as it is written: “If his head is bald” (Leviticus 13) (דִּכְתִיב כִּי יִמָּרֵט רֹאשׁוֹ).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): The greatest among all the Levites was Korach (רַב מִכָּל לֵיוָאֵי, קֹרַח הֲוָא), for Kudsha Berikh Hu made him below in the likeness above (דְּעַבְדֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְתַתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), and he was called Korach (וְקַרְיֵיהּ קֹרַח). When? (אֵימָתַי). At the time when this Ish was shaved because of him (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּגָלִישׁ בְּגִינֵיהּ לְהַאי אִישׁ), as it is written: “He is bald” (Leviticus 13) (דִּכְתִיב קֵרֵחַ הוּא). And when Korach saw his head without hair (וְכַד חָמָא קֹרַח רֵישֵׁיהּ בְּלָא שַׂעֲרָא), and he saw Aharon adorned with the adornments of kings (וְחָמָא לְאַהֲרֹן מִתְקַשֵּׁט בְּקִשׁוּטֵי מַלְכִין), it was degraded in his eyes and he was jealous of Aharon (אִתְזַלְזָל בְּעֵינֵיהּ וְקִנֵּא לְאַהֲרֹן). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): I made you in the likeness above (אֲנָא עֲבָדִית לָךְ כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). You did not want to ascend among the supernal ones (לָא בָּעָאת לְאַעְלָאָה בְּעִלָּאִין) — fall below and be among the lower ones (חוּת לְתַתָּא וַהֲוִי בְּתַתָּאִין). As it is written: “And they went down alive into She’ol” (Numbers 16) (דִּכְתִיב וְיָרְדוּ חַיִּים שְׁאוֹלָה). What is She’ol? Gehinnom (מַאי אִיהוּ שְׁאוֹל. גֵּיהִנָּם), where the guilty cry out and there is none to have mercy on them (דְּתַמָּן צַוְוחִין חַיָּיבִין, וְלֵית מַאן דִּמְרַחֲמֵי עָלַיְיהוּ).

But they are destined to live again and ascend, when Kudsha Berikh Hu arouses Himself for His people and to revive them (וּזְמִינִין אִינּוּן לְאַחֲיָיא וּלְאַעֲלָא, כַּד יִתְּעַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעַמֵּיהּ, וּלְאַחֲיָיא לְהוּ). As it is written: “Hashem kills and makes alive; He brings down to She’ol and raises up” (I Samuel 2) (דִּכְתִיב יְיָ מֵמִית וּמְחַיֶּה, מוֹרִיד שְׁאוֹל וַיָּעַל). “And if from the side of his face his head is made bald” (Leviticus 13) (וְאִם מִפְּאַת פָּנָיו יִמָּרֵט רֹאשׁוֹ). It was taught (תָּאנָא): There are faces and there are faces (אִית פָּנִים וְאִית פָּנִים). And what are these faces? (וּמַאן פָּנִים הַלָּלוּ). These are the ones called the faces of wrath (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּאִקְרוּן פָּנִים שֶׁל זַעַם). And all those that hang from those insolent faces are mighty (וְכָל אִלֵּין דְּתַּלְיָין מֵאִינּוּן פָּנִים חֲצִיפִין, כֻּלְּהוּ תַּקִּיפִין). All of them do not have mercy (כֻּלְּהוּ דְּלָא מֵרַחֲמֵי). And when the hair passes away from the side of those faces, all of them pass away and are broken (וְכַד אִתְעַבָּר שַׂעֲרָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּאִינּוּן פָּנִים, מִתְעַבְּרָן כֻּלְּהוּ וְאִתְּבָּרוּ).

For it was taught (דְּתַנְיָא): All those that hang from the hair of the head (כָּל אִינּוּן דְּתַּלְיָין מִשַּׂעֲרָא דְּרֵישָׁא), these are supernal over the others, and not insolent like them (אִינּוּן עִלָּאִין עַל אָחֳרָנִין, וְלָא חֲצִיפִין כְּוָותַיְיהוּ). But all those that hang from the side of the hair of the faces (וְכָל אִינּוּן דְּתַּלְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דְּשַׂעֲרָא דְּאִינּוּן פָּנִים), all are insolent and mighty (כֻּלְּהוּ חֲצִיפִין וְתַקִיפִין). And because of this, his face blazes like fire (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אַנְפּוֹי מִתְלַהֲטָן כְּאֶשָּׁא), because of the spark of The Hard Spark (מִשּׁוּם נִיצוֹצָא דְּבוּצִינָא דְּקַרְדִּינוּתָא). And in this it is written: “The face of Hashem has scattered them” (Lamentations 4) (וּבְהַאי כְּתִיב פְּנֵי יְיָ חִלְּקָם). “The face of Hashem is against the evildoers” (Psalms 34) (פְּנֵי יְיָ בְּעוֹשֵׂי רָע).