Daf 51a (דַּף נ״א ע״א)

Concerning Esav it is written: “And the first came out red” (Bereshit 25) (בְּעֵשָׂו כְּתִיב, וַיֵצֵא הָרִאשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹנִי), and because of this his kind rested in him (וְעַל דָּא שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ זִינֵיהּ). And if you say: It is written “red” concerning Esav, and it is also written concerning David: “And he was red” (I Samuel 16) (וְאִי תֵּימָא אַדְמוֹנִי כְּתִיב בְּעֵשָׂו. וּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּדָוִד, וַיְבִיאֵהוּ וְהוּא אַדְמוֹנִי). Rather, this one was from the dross of gold (אֶלָּא דָּא מִזּוֹהֲמָא דְּדַהֲבָא אִתְעַבִיד), and this one was attached to the radiance of gold (וְדָא בְּזוֹהֲרָא דְּדַהֲבָא אִתְדְּבַק). Concerning Esav it is written: “Red, all over like a hairy garment” (Bereshit 25) (בְּעֵשָׂו כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, אַדְמוֹנִי כֻּלּוֹ כְּאַדֶּרֶת שֵׂעָר). From the dross of smelting he emerged (בְּזוּהֲמָא דְּהִתוּכָא נָפַק). Concerning David it is written: “With beautiful eyes and goodly appearance” (I Samuel 16) (בֵּיהּ כְּתִיב בְּדָוִד, עִם יְפֵה עֵינַיִם וְטוֹב רֹאִי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): What is the reason? (מַאי טַעֲמָא). A white color is seen, and a red color is seen (גַּוְונָא חִוָּורָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע, וְגַוְונָא סוּמָקָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע). If red appears first, and afterwards white is seen (סוּמָקָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְהָא אִתְחֲזֵי בֵּיהּ חִוָּורָא), behold purity is born in him, and he is ready to be purified (הָא דַּכְיוּתָא אִתְיְילִיד בֵּיהּ, וְשָׁארִי לְאִתְדַכְּאָה). If white appears first, and afterwards red is seen (חִוָּורָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְאִתְחַזֵּי בֵּיהּ סוּמָקָא), behold he is ready to be defiled (הָא שָׁארֵי לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא), and it is written: “And the Kohen shall pronounce him unclean” (Leviticus 13) (וּכְתִיב וְטִמְּאוֹ הַכֹּהֵן), for behold redness is born in him, to be defiled (דְּהָא אִתְיְילִיד בֵּיהּ סוּמָקָא, לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא). And the Kohen would know all of those colors (וְכַהֲנָא הֲוָה יָדַע בְּכָל אִינּוּן גַּוְונִין). And at times when a color of purity is seen in him, he shuts him up to see if another color is born in him (וּלְזִמְנִין דְּאִתְחֲזֵי בֵּיהּ גַּוְונָא דְּדַכְיוּתָא, וְיַסְגִר לֵיהּ לְמֵחֱמֵי אִי אִתְיְילִיד בֵּיהּ גַּוְונָא אָחֳרָא). And if not, he purifies him, as it is written: “And the Kohen shall pronounce him clean” (Leviticus 13) (וְאִי לָא, מַדְכֵּי לֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְטִהֲרוֹ הַכֹּהֵן וְגוֹ׳).

Rabbi Yitzḥak and Rabbi Yehudah were going on the road (רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא). Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): It is written: “And the leprosy of Na‘aman shall cleave to you and to your seed forever” (II Kings 5) (כְּתִיב וְצָרַעַת נַעֲמָן תִּדְבַּק בְּךָ וּבְזַרְעֲךָ לְעוֹלָם וְגוֹ׳). If he sinned, why should his sons be stricken? (אִי הוּא חָטָא, בְּנוֹי אֲמַאי יִלְקוּן). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Elisha saw more than the other prophets (אֱלִישָׁע יַתִּיר מִשְּׁאַר נְבִיאֵי חָמָא). He saw that no good seed would emerge from Gehazi (חָמָא דְּלָא נָפִיק מִגֵחֲזִי בְּרָא דִּמְעַלְיָא), and because of this he cursed all of them (וְעַל דָּא לָיִיט לְכֻלְּהוּ). And not only this, but he said to him (וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא אָמַר לֵיהּ): I served with supernal service to Eliyahu (אֲנָא פּוּלְחָנָא בְּשִׁמוּשָׁא עִלָּאָה לְגַבֵּי אֵלִיָּהוּ), and I merited two portions, for I served him in truth (וְזָכֵינָא בִּתְרֵין חוּלָקִין, דְּהָא פְּלַחְנָא לֵיהּ בִּקְשׁוֹט).

But you, wicked one, damaged me, inclined to falsehood and to greed (וְאַנְתְּ רָשָׁע פְּגִימַת לִי, אוּמֵית לְשִׁקְרָא, וַחֲמִידַת). Behold, you transgressed the whole Orayta (הָא עָבַרְתָּ עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא), and whoever transgresses this dies to the world that is to come (וּמַאן דְּאַעְבָּר עַל דָּא, מִית הוּא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). But since you served me, your service shall not be in vain (אֲבָל בְּגִין דְּפַלְחַת לִי, שִׁמּוּשָׁא דִּילָךְ לָא לִהֱוִי לְמַגָּנָא). Your death shall be in this world, but not in the world to come (תֶּהֱוִי מִיתָה דִּילָךְ בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי לָא). And because of this: “And the leprosy of Na‘aman shall cleave to you and to your seed” (II Kings 5) (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, וְצָרַעַת נַעֲמָן תִּדְבַּק בְּךָ וּבְזַרְעֲךָ). (A white color is seen, and a red color is seen…) (גוונא דְּחִיוּרָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע, וְגוונא דְּסוּמָקָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע).

Rabbi Yosei said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): “A garment of wool or linen” — why? (בֶּגֶד הַצֶּמֶר אוֹ הַפִּשְׁתִּים אֲמַאי). Rabbi Yitzḥak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): In everything it dwells, and over everything it rules (בְּכֹלָּא שַׁרְיָא, וּבְכֹלָּא שַׁלְטָא). And there is such a likeness, as it is written: “She seeks wool and flax” (Proverbs 31) (וְאִית כְּגַוְונָא דָּא דִּכְתִּיב דָּרְשָׁה צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים). And because of this, the dominion of that plague which comes from the supernal side rules over all, in two aspects — in wool and in flax (וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ, שׁוּלְטָנֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא נֶגַע דְּנָפִיק מֵאֲתַר עִלָּאָה, דָּא שַׁלְטָא בְּכֹלָּא, בִּתְרֵי גַּוְונֵי, בְּצֶמֶר וּבְפִשְׁתִּים). And because of this: “This is the law of the plague of tzara‘at, in a garment of wool or linen” (Leviticus 13) (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, זֹאת תּוֹרַת נֶגַע הַצָּרַעַת בֶּגֶד הַצֶּמֶר אוֹ הַפִּשְׁתִּים).

Rabbi Yitzḥak was going to Katporei of his father (רִבִּי יִצְחָק הֲוָה אָזִיל לְקַטְפוּרֵי דַּאֲבוֹי). He saw a certain man who was hidden in a smoke of burning that reached his shoulders (חָמָא חַד בַּר נָשׁ, דְּסַאטֵי בְּקוּטְרָא דְּמָטוּלָא אֲכַתְפוֹי). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Why is a bundle of flax on your shoulder? (שׁוּרְטָא דְּקִישְׁטָא בְּכַתְפָךְ אֲמַאי). He did not answer him anything (לָא אָמַר לֵיהּ מִדִּי). He went after him (אָזַל אֲבַתְרֵיהּ), and he saw that he entered into a certain cave (חָמָא דְּעַיִּיל בִּמְעַרְתָּא חַדָא). He entered after him (עָאל אֲבַתְרֵיהּ), and he saw a column of smoke that was rising from under the earth (חָמָא קְטוּרָא דִּתְנָנָא דְּהֲוָה סָלִיק מִתְּחוֹת אַרְעָא). And that man entered into a certain opening, and was concealed from him (וְעָאל הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ בְּנוּקְבָּא חַד, וְאִתְכַּסְיָא מִנֵּיהּ).

Rabbi Yitzḥak was afraid and went out to the mouth of the cave (דָּחִיל רִבִּי יִצְחָק, וְנָפַק לְפוּם מְעַרְתָּא). While he was sitting (עַד דְּהֲוָה יָתִיב), Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Ḥizkiyah passed by (אַעְבְּרוּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה). He saw them, and drew near to them (חָמָא לוֹן, וְקָרִיב גַּבֵּיהוֹן). He told them the story (סַח לוֹן עוֹבָדָא).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): Blessed is the Merciful One who saved you (בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּשֵׁזְבָךְ). This cave that is sealed is a place of sorcery (הַאי מְעַרְתָּא דְּסָגִיר, דִּסְרוֹנְיָא הִיא). And all those who dwell in that city are sorcerers (וְכָל יַתְבֵי הַהִיא קַרְתָּא, חַרְשִׁין אִינּוּן). And they go to the wilderness to black serpents, which are of ten years or more, to perform sorceries (וְאַתְיָין לְמַדְבְּרָא לְחִוְויָין אוּכָמִין, דְּאִינּוּן בְּנֵי עֶשֶׂר שְׁנִין, אוֹ יַתִּיר, לְמֶעְבַּד חַרְשִׁין). And there is none to guard them, and they are made sealed, and all the implements of their sorceries are in that cave (וְלָא מְנַטְרָא מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְאִתְעָבִידוּ סְגִירִין, וְכָל זַיְינֵי חַרְשִׁין דִּלְהוֹן בְּהַאי מְעַרְתָּא אִינּוּן). They went on, and as they were going (אָזְלוּ, עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי), they encountered a certain man who was coming, and his son, who was sick, was tied on a donkey (אִעְרָעְרוּ בְּחַד בַּר נָשׁ דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי, וּבְרֵיהּ דְּהֲוָה מְרַע, קָטִיר עַל חֲמָרָא). They said to him: Who are you? (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ מַאן אַתְּ). He said to them: A Jew am I, and this is my son who is tied on the donkey (אָמַר לְהוֹ יוּדָאי, וְדָא הוּא בְּרִי דְּאִיהוּ קָטִיר עַל חֲמָרָא).

They said to him: Why is he tied? (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, אֲמַאי הוּא קָטִיר). He said to them: My dwelling is in a certain village, which belongs to the Romans, and this my son was studying Orayta every day (אָמַר לוֹן, דִּיוּרִי הוּא בְּחַד כְּפַר, דְּאִיהוּ מִבְּנֵי רוֹמָאֵי, וְהַאי בְּרִי הֲוָה אוֹלִיף אוֹרַיְיתָא בְּכָל יוֹמָא). And he would return to the house and repeat to them those words (וַהֲוָה אַהְדָּר לְבֵיתָא, וְלָעֵי לוֹן לְאִינּוּן מִלִּין). And for three years I have dwelled in that house, and I saw nothing (וְג׳ שְׁנִין הֲוָה דִּיוּרִי בְּהַהוּא בֵּיתָא, וְלָא חֲמֵינָא מִדִי).

But now, one day, my son entered the house to repeat words, and a certain spirit passed before him, and harmed him (וְהַשְׁתָּא יוֹמָא חַד עָאל בְּרִי לְבֵיתָא לְאָהַדְּרָא מִלִּין, אַעְבָּר חַד רוּחָא קָמֵיהּ, וְנָזִיק לֵיהּ). It distorted his mouth and his eyes, and his hands were twisted, and he was unable to speak (אַעֲקָם פּוּמֵיהּ וְעֵינוֹי, וִידוֹי אִתְעַקָמוּ, וְלָא יָכִיל לְמַלְּלָא). And I have come to this cave of the sealed sorcery, perhaps they will teach me a word of healing (וַאֲתֵינָא לְגַבֵּי מְעַרְתָּא דִּסְגִירוּ דִּסְרוֹנְיָא, דִּלְמָא יִלְּפוּן לִי מִלָּה דְּאַסוּותָא).