Parashat Metzora
Daf 52b (דַּף נ״ב ע״ב)
nd Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying” (וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר). “This shall be the law of the metzora on the day of his purification…” (זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ וְגוֹ׳). Rabbi Abba opened (רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח): “Be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, that you may know there is judgment” (גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּן שַׁדּוּן) (Job 19).
Destruction (Shaddun); 'Demons' (Shaddin) is written (שַׁדּוּן, שַׁדִּין כְּתִיב). How much the sons of man must guard their ways (כַמָּה אִית לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא אָרְחַיְיהוּ), and fear before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּלְדַחֲלָא מִקַּמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), that they not stray from the straight path (דְּלָא יִסְטֵי מֵאָרְחָא דְּכַשְׁרָא), and not transgress the words of the Orayta (וְלָא יַעֲבוֹר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא), and not forget them (וְלָא יִתְנְשֵׁי מִנָּהּ). For whoever does not study Orayta (דְּכָל מַאן דְּלָא לָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and does not labor in it (וְלָא יִשְׁתְּדַל בָּהּ), is rebuked by Kudsha Berikh Hu (נְזִיפָא הוּא מְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), is distant from Him (רְחִיקָא הוּא מִנֵּיהּ), and the Shekhinta does not dwell with him (לָא שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִמֵּיהּ). And those guardians who walk with him depart from him (וְאִינּוּן נְטוּרִין, דְּאַזְלִין עַמֵּיהּ, אִסְתְּלָקוּ מִנֵּיהּ). And not only this, but they proclaim before him and say (וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּמַכְרְזֵי קָמֵיהּ וְאַמְרֵי): “Depart, companions of so-and-so, who did not regard the honor of his Master” (אִסְתְּלָקוּ סוֹחֲרָנֵיהּ דִּפְלַנְיָא, דְּלָא חָשׁ עַל יְקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ).
Woe to him, for the supernal and lower have abandoned him (וַוי לֵיהּ, דְּהָא שַׁבְקוּהוּ עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין). He has no portion in the path of life (לֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּאָרְחָא דְּחַיֵּי). And when he labors in the service of his Master (וְכַד אִיהוּ אִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ), and studies Orayta (וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), how many guardians are prepared for him, to guard him (כַמָּה נְטוּרִין זְמִינִין לָקֳבְלֵיהּ לְנַטְרָא לֵיהּ). And the Shekhinta dwells upon him (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ). And all proclaim before him and say (וְכֹלָּא מַכְרְזֵי קַמֵּיהּ וְאַמְרֵי): “Give honor to the likeness of the King, give honor to the son of the King” (הָבוּ יְקָרָא לְדִיּוּקְנָא דְּמַלְכָּא, הָבוּ יְקָרָא לִבְרֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא). He is guarded in this world and in the world to come (אִתְנְטִיר הוּא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). Blessed is his portion (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ).
Come and see, with the evil tongue that the serpent spoke to the woman, he caused the woman and Adam to be decreed upon with death, and upon all the world (תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא דְּאָמַר נָחָשׁ לְאִתְּתָא, גָּרִים לְאִתְּתָא, וּלְאָדָם, לְמִגְזַר עָלַיְיהוּ מִיתָה, וְעַל כָּל עָלְמָא). With the evil tongue it is written: “And their tongue is a sharp sword” (Psalms 57) (בְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא כְּתִיב, וּלְשׁוֹנָם חֶרֶב חַדָּה). Because of this: “Be afraid of the sword” — from the evil tongue (בְּגִין כָּךְ, גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב, מִפְּנֵי לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא). “For wrath brings the punishments of the sword” — what is this? (כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב. מַאי כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב). This is the sword of Hashem, for we have learned: Kudsha Berikh Hu has a sword by which He judges the guilty (דָּא חֶרֶב לַיְיָ׳, דִּתְנָן, חֶרֶב אִית לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּבֵיהּ דָּאִין לְחַיָּיבַיָּא). This is what is written: “The sword of Hashem is filled with blood” (Isaiah 34) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, חֶרֶב לַיְיָ׳ מָלְאָה דָם). “And My sword shall devour flesh” (Deuteronomy 32) (וְחַרְבִּי תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר). And because of this: “Be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, that you may know there is judgment — Shadin it is written” (Job 19) (וּבְגִין כָּךְ גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּן שַׁדּוּן, שַׁדִּין כְּתִיב). So that you may know that thus is judged, one who has a sword in his tongue, a sword is prepared for him (Some say: it is bound to that sword) that slays all (בְּגִין דְּתֵדְעוּן דְּהָכִי אִתְּדָּן, מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ חֶרֶב בְּלִישָׁנֵיהּ, אִזְדְּמַן לֵיהּ חֶרֶב [ס״א: אֶחְדַּן בְּהַהוּא חֶרֶב] דְּשָׁצֵי כֹּלָּא). This is what is written: “This shall be the law of the metzora” (Leviticus 14) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע).
Rabbi El'azar opened (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח): “As birds that are caught in a snare, so are the sons of man ensnared” (וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחוּזּוֹת בַּפָּח כָּהֵם יוּקָשִׁים בְּנֵי הָאָדָם) (Kohelet 9:12). This verse has already been explained (הַאי קְרָא הָא אִתְּמַר). But come and see (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי): the sons of man neither know, nor hear, nor contemplate the will of their Master (בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לָא יַדְעִין, וְלָא שַׁמְעִין, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בִּרְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן). Every day a herald proclaims before them (וְכָרוֹזָא כָּל יוֹמָא קָארֵי קָמַיְיהוּ), yet there is no one who listens to him (וְלֵית מַאן דְּצָיִית לֵיהּ), and no one who awakens his spirit to the service of his Master (וְלֵית מַאן דְּיִתְּעַר רוּחֵיהּ לְפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ).
At the time when night falls (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּרָמַשׁ לֵילְיָא), and the gates are closed (וְתַרְעִין סְתִימִין), the Nukvah [Female Aspect] of the great Tehom [Deep] is aroused (אִתְּעַר נוּקְבָּא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא), and many bands of destroyers are found in the world (וְכַמָּה חֲבִילֵי טְרִיקִין מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּעָלְמָא). Then Kudsha Berikh Hu casts sleep upon all the children of the world (כְּדֵין אַפִּיל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שֵׁינָתָא עַל כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא), even upon those in whom the stirring of life remains (וַאֲפִילּוּ עַל כָּל דִּי בְּהוֹן אִתְּעָרוּתָא דְּחַיֵּי). They wander through the world (וְאִינּוּן שָׁאטָן בְּעָלְמָא), and make known matters to the sons of man (וּמוֹדְעִין לְהוּ לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא מִלִּין), some of them false (מִנְּהוֹן כְּדִיבָן), and some of them true (וּמִנְּהוֹן קְשׁוֹט), while the sons of man remain bound in sleep (וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא אִתְקְטָרוּ בְּשֵׁינָתָא).