Daf 63b (דַּף ס״ג ע״ב)

It was taught (תָּאנָא), “And he shall send it by the hand of a designated man into the wilderness” (וְשִׁלַּח בְּיַד אִישׁ עִתִּי הַמִּדְבָּרָה) (Leviticus 16). What is “a designated man”? (מַהוּ אִישׁ עִתִּי). Rather, the secret of the matter is thus (אֶלָּא רָזָא דְּמִלָּה הָכִי הוּא): in all that is done, a person is required who is appointed for that matter (בְּכָל מַה דְּאִתְעָבִיד, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ זַמִּין לְהַהִיא מִלָּה). There is a person by whose hand blessing is established more than by another (אִית בַּר נָשׁ דְּבִרְכְתָא אִתְקַיָּים עַל יְדֵיהּ יַתִּיר מֵאָחֳרָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), what is written concerning the Kohen (מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּכַהֲנָא): “He that has a good eye, he shall be blessed” (טוֹב עַיִן הוּא יְבוֹרָךְ) (Proverbs 22). Do not read “shall be blessed” (אַל תִּקְרֵי יְבוֹרָךְ), but rather “shall bless” (אֶלָּא יְבָרֵךְ), because he is designated that blessing shall be fulfilled through him in this (בְּגִין דְּהוּא זַמִּין דְּיִתְקַיָּים בִּרְכָתָא עַל יְדֵיהּ בְּהַאי). Some say: “And blessing rests through his providence” (ס״א: וְשָׁארִי בִּרְכָתָא בְּאַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ). And there is a person who is designated that curses be fulfilled through him (וְאִית בַּר נָשׁ דְּהוּא זַמִּין לְאִתְקַיְּימָא לְוָוטִין עַל יְדֵיהּ), and in all that he oversees there comes curses, misfortune, and dread (וּבְכָל מַה דְּיַשְׁגַח לֵיתֵי לְוָוטַיָיא וּמְאֵרָה וּבְעִיתָא). Such as Bil‘am (כְּגוֹן בִּלְעָם), who is called “an evil eye” (דְּאִקְרֵי רַע עַיִן), for he was designated for every evil (דְּהֲוָה זַמִּין בְּכָל בִּישׁ), and was not designated for good (וְלָא הֲוָה זַמִּין לְטָב). And even though he blessed (וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּבְרָךְ), his blessing was not a blessing (בִּרְכָתֵיהּ לָא בִּרְכָתָא), and it did not endure (וְלָא אִתְקְיָּים). And when he cursed (וְכַד הֲוָה לָיִיט), whoever he cursed was established (כָּל מַאן דְּלָיִיט אִתְקְיָּים), even in a single moment (וְאַפִילּוּ בְּרִגְעָא חֲדָא). And upon this it is written, “He who has the eye closed” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן) (Numbers 24). Wherever his eye ruled, curses took effect (בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּעֵינֵיהּ שַׁלְטָא אִתְלַטְּיָיא).

Come and see what is written (תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִיב): “And he set his face toward the wilderness” (וַיָּשֶׁת אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר פָּנָיו) (Numbers 24), in order that he be aroused from that side, that one who rules there (בְּגִין דְּיִתְעַר מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא הַהוּא דְּשַׁלְטָא תַּמָּן), and bring slander against Yisrael (וְיֵיתֵי בְּדַלְטוֹרְיָא עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). What is written concerning the Kohanim? (מַה כְּתִיב בְּהוּ בְּכַהֲנֵי). “He that has a good eye, he shall be blessed” (טוֹב עַיִן הוּא יְבוֹרָךְ) (Proverbs 22), for he is designated in this (דְּהוּא הֲוָה זַמִּין בְּהַאי), and blessing rests through his providence (וְשָׁארִי בִּרְכָתָא בְּאַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ). And upon this we have learned (וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן): a man should turn aside even from one hundred paths (יִסְטֵי בַּר נָשׁ אֲפִילּוּ מִמֵּאָה אָרְחִין), and not encounter a man who has an evil eye (וְלָא יִאְרַע בְּבַּר נָשׁ דְּאִית לֵיהּ עֵינָא בִּישָׁא). So too here (אוּף הָכָא), “And he shall send it by the hand of a designated man” (וְשִׁלַּח בְּיַד אִישׁ עִתִּי), for he is appointed for this (דְּהוּא זַמִּין לְהַאי). And he is marked for this (וְרָשִׁים לְהַאי), and the Kohen was recognizing him (וְכַהֲנָא הֲוָה אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע בֵּיהּ), one eye a little more than the other (חַד עֵינָא יַתִיר מֵאָחֳרָא פּוּרְתָא). A trace upon the eye was covered with many hairs (סוּרְטָא דְּעַל עֵינָא אִתְחַפְּיָא בְּשַׂעֲרִין סַגִיאִין). The eye was blackened (מְכַּחֲלָא עֵינָא), and did not look straight (וְלָא מִסְתָּכַּל בְּמֵישָׁר). This was the man designated for this (הַאי הוּא בַּר נָשׁ זַמִּין לְהַאי), and when the Kohen saw him (וְכַדְקָא חֲזֵי לֵיהּ). And upon this it is written, “by the hand of a designated man” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב בְּיַד אִישׁ עִתִּי).

In Gush Ḥalav there was a man (בְּגוּשׁ חֲלָבָא הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ), that wherever he struck with his hand, it would kill (דִּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּמָחֵי בִּידוֹי, הֲוָה מִית), and men would not come near him (וְלָא הֲווֹ בְּנֵי נָשָׂא מְקָרְבִין בַּהֲדֵיהּ). In Surya there was a man (בְּסוּרְיָּא הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ), that wherever he looked, even for good, all was turned to evil (דִּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּאִסְתָּכַּל אֲפִילּוּ לְטָב, כֹּלָּא אִתְהַפָּךְ לְבִישׁ). One day there was a man walking in the marketplace (יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה חַד בַּר נָשׁ אָזִיל בְּשׁוּקָא), and his face was radiant (וַהֲווּ אַנְפּוֹי נְהִירִין). That man came and looked at him (אָתָא הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ וְאִסְתָּכַּל בֵּיהּ), and his eyes burst (וְאִתְבָּקַע עֵינֵיהּ). Because of this, in all things there is a man designated for this and for that (בְּגִין כָּךְ, בְּכֹלָּא הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ זַמִּין, לְהַאי וּלְהַאי). And upon this it is written, “He that has a good eye, he shall be blessed” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב טוֹב עַיִן הוּא יְבוֹרָךְ) (Proverbs 22).

Do not read “shall be blessed,” but “shall bless” (אַל תִּקְרֵי יְבוֹרָךְ אֶלָּא יְבָרֵךְ). And it was taught (וְתָאנָא), that man who would go to the wilderness (הַאי בַּר נָשׁ דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל לְמַדְבְּרָא), when he reached there with that goat (כַּד מָטָא בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא שְׂעִירָא), he would ascend the mountain (הֲוָה סָלִיק לְטוּרָא), and push it with both his hands (וְדָחֵי לֵיהּ בִּתְרֵין יְדוֹי).

And it would not descend halfway down the mountain (וְלָא הֲוָה נָחִית לְפַלְגוּת טוּרָא), until it became shattered limb by limb (עַד דְּאִתְעָבִיד שַׁיְיפִין שַׁיְיפִין). And that man would say (וְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ הֲוָה אָמַר), “Thus may the iniquities of Your people be erased, etc.” (כַּךְ יִמָּחוּ עֲוֹנוֹת עַמְּךָ וְגוֹ׳). And because that accuser ascended and became an advocate for Yisrael (וּבְגִין דְּסָלִיק הַהוּא קַטֵיגוֹרְיָא וְאִתְעָבִיד סַנֵיגוֹרְיָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), then Kudsha Berikh Hu — all the sins of Yisrael (כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כָּל חוֹבַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), and all that is written in those supernal decrees to recall the sins of mankind (וְכָל מַה דִּכְתִיב בְּאִינּוּן פִּתְקִין דִּלְעֵילָּא, לְאַדְכְּרָא חוֹבַיְיהוּ דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), He takes them and casts them in this manner (נָטִיל לוֹן וּרְמֵי לוֹן כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא), to the place called the depths of the sea (לַאֲתַר דְּאִתְקְרֵי מְצוּלוֹת יָם). This is what is written, “And You shall cast into the depths of the sea all their sins” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְתַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצוּלוֹת יָם כָּל חַטֹּאתָם) (Micah 7).