Daf 75b (דַּף ע״ה ע״ב)

For it was taught: the enemies of Yisrael are not able to dominate them (דְּתַנְיָא, לָא יַכְלִין שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַבְאָשָׁא לְהוּ), until Yisrael themselves weaken the strength of the Shekhinta before the great appointed powers of the other nations (עַד דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מַחֲלִישִׁין חֵילָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא מִקַּמֵּי רַבְרְבֵי מְמָנָן דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין). Then their enemies gain power over them (כְּדֵין יַכְלִין לְהוֹן שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), and they rule over them (וְשַׁלְטִין עָלַיְיהוּ), and decree upon them many evil decrees (וְגַזְרִין עָלַיְיהוּ כַּמָה גְּזֵירִין בִּישִׁין).

But when they repent before her (וְכַד אִינּוּן תַּיְיבִין לָקֳבְלָה), she breaks the power and might of all those great ministers (הִיא מְתָבָּרַת חֵילָא וְתּוּקְפָּא דְּכָל אִינּוּן מְמָנָן רַבְרְבִין), and breaks the strength and might of the enemies of Yisrael (וְתַבְרַת חֵילָא וְתּוּקְפָּא דְּשַׂנְאֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), and exacts retribution from them all (וְאִתְפָּרְעָא לְהוּ מִכֹּלָּא). And concerning this it is written: “And your camp shall be holy” (וְעַל דָּא וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶיךָ קָדוֹשׁ), that a person must not defile himself with sin (דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא יִסְתְּאָב בְּחוֹבוֹי), and transgress the words of the Orayta (וַיַּעֲבָר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא).

For if he does so, they defile him (דְּאִי עָבִיד הָכֵי, מְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ), as it is written: “and you shall become impure through them” — without an Alef (כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב: וְנִטְמֵתֶם בָּם, בְּלֹא א׳). And it was taught: two hundred and forty-eight limbs in the body (וְתָאנָא, מָאתָן וּתְמַנְיָא וְאַרְבְּעִין שַׁיְיפִין בְּגוּפָא), and all of them become defiled when he is defiled (וְכֻלְּהוּ אִסְתַּאֲבָן, כַּד אִיהוּ אִסְתְּאַב), meaning: when he desires to become impure (כְּלוֹמַר, כַּד בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא). And concerning this it is written: “And your camp shall be holy” (וְעַל דָּא, וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶיךָ קָדוֹשׁ). What is “your camp”? These are the limbs of the body (מַאי מַחֲנֶיךָ, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן שַׁיְיפֵי גּוּפָא). “And He shall not see in you a shameful thing” — what is a shameful thing? (וְלֹא יִרְאֶה בְךָ עֶרְוַת דָּבָר, מַאי עֶרְוַת דָּבָר). A foreign nakedness toward that matter is hinted here (עֶרְיָיתָא נוּכְרָאָה לְהַאי דָּבָר רָמָז) — some say this is the reading (ס״א דְּהַוֵי) — as we have established (כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא).

For if it were so, then “He shall turn away from you” — indeed (דְּאִי הָכִי, וְשָׁב מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ וַדַּאי). And concerning this: “The nakedness of the wife of your father you shall not uncover” (וְעַל דָּא: עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה). Why? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because it is your father's nakedness (בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב: עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ הוּא), as we have already established (כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא).

It was taught: for three things Yisrael remain in exile (תָּאנָא, עַל ג׳ מִלִּין מִתְעַכְּבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא): because they bring disgrace to the Shekhinta in exile (עַל דְּעַבְדִין קְלָנָא בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא בְּגָלוּתָא), and they turn their faces away from the Shekhinta (וּמְהַדְּרֵי אַנְפַּיְיהוּ מִן שְׁכִינְתָּא), and because they defile their bodies before the Shekhinta (וְעַל דִּמְסָאֲבֵי גַּרְמַיְיהוּ קָמֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא). And all of these have already been established in our teaching (וְכֻלְּהוּ אוֹקִימְנָא בְּמַתְנִיתָא דִּילָן).

Rabbi Abba was going to Kaputkiya, and Rabbi Yosi was with him (רִבִּי אַבָּא, הֲוָה אָזִיל לְקַפּוּטְקִיָּא, וַהֲוָה עִמֵּיהּ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי). As they were going, they saw one man coming, with a certain mark upon his face (עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי, חָמוּ חַד בַּר נָשׁ, דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי, וּרְשִׁימָא חַד בְּאַנְפּוֹי). Rabbi Abba said: Let us turn away from this path, for the face of this one bears witness against him—that he transgressed in a matter of ‘the nakedness of the Orayta (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, נִסְטֵי מֵהַאי אוֹרְחָא, דְּהָא אַנְפּוֹי דְּדֵין אַסְהִידוּ עָלֵיהּ, דְּעָבַר בְּעֶרְיָיתָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and because of that, this mark came upon his face (בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ אִתְרְשִׁים בְּאַנְפּוֹי). Rabbi Yosi said to him: But what if he had that mark when he was a child—what transgression could be found in him? (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִי הַאי רְשִׁימָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ כַּד הֲוָה יַנוּקָא, מַאי עֶרְיָיתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ). He said to him: I see upon his face testimony of transgression in ‘the nakedness of the Orayta (אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֲנָא חֲמֵינָא בְּאַנְפּוֹי, דְּאַסְהִידוּ בְּעֶרְיָיתָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).

Rabbi Abba called to him and said: Tell us something—this mark upon your face, what is it? (קָרָא לֵיהּ רִבִּי אַבָּא, אָמַר לֵיהּ: אֵימָא מִלָּה, הַאי רְשִׁימָא דְּאַנְפָּךְ, מַה הוּא). He said to them: I beg you, do not punish that man further—for his sins caused this (אָמַר לוֹן, בְּמָטוֹתָא מִנַּיְיכוּ, לָא תַּעֲנְשׁוּ יַתִּיר לְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּהָא חוֹבוֹי קָא גָּרְמוּ לֵיהּ). Rabbi Abba said: What was it? (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא: מַהוּ). He said to him: One day I was walking on the road with my sister (אָמַר לֵיהּ: יוֹמָא חַד הֲוִינָא אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא, אֲנִי וַאֲחֹתִי), we lodged at one inn (שָׁרֵינָא בְּחַד אוֹשְׁפִּיזָא), we drank wine (וְרָוִינָא חַמְרָא), and that entire night I lay with my sister (וְכָל הַהוּא לֵילְיָא אֲחִידְנָא בַּאֲחֹתִי). In the morning I rose (בְּצַפְרָא קַמְנָא), and the innkeeper was fighting with a certain man (וְאוּשְׁפִּיזָאִי קָטַט בְּחַד גַּבְרָא), I stepped in between them (עָיֵילְנָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ), and they struck me—one from this side, and one from that side (וְקַטְרוּ לִי דָּא מֵהַאי גִּיסָא, וְדָא מֵהַאי גִּיסָא). This mark entered into my brain (וּרְשִׁימָא דָּא הֲוָה עָיֵיל לְבֵי מוֹחָא), and I was healed through the hand of a certain physician who was among the people (וְאִשְׁתְּזַבְנָא עַל יְדָא דְּחַד אַסְיָיא דְּאִית בְּגַוָון).

He said to him: Who was that physician? (אָמַר לֵיהּ: מַאן הוּא אַסְיָיא). He said to him: It was Rabbi Samlai (אָמַר לֵיהּ: רִבִּי שַׂמְלָאי הוּא). He said: What cure did he give you? (אָמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי אַסוּותָא יָהַב לְךָ). He said: A cure of the soul (אָמַר לֵיהּ: אַסוּותָא דְּנַפְשָׁא). And from that day I returned in Teshuvah (וּמֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא אַהֲדַרְנָא בִּתְשׁוּבָה), and every day I see my face in a single vision (וּבְכָל יוֹמָא חֲזֵינָא אַנְפָּאִי בְּחַד חֵיזוּ), and I weep before Kudsha Berikh Hu, Master of the Worlds, over that sin (וּבָכֵינָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּהוּא רִבּוֹן עָלְמִין עַל הַהוּא חוֹבָה). And from those tears my face has been etched (וּמֵאִינּוּן דִּמְעִין אַסְחֵינָא אַנְפָּאִי). Rabbi Abba said: Were it not that Teshuvah had been accepted from you, I would have erased that mark from your face (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא: אִי לָאו דְּאִתְמְנַע מִנָךְ תְּשׁוּבָה, אַעְבַרְנָא מֵאַנְפָּךְ הַהוּא רְשִׁימָא). But I call upon you this verse: “Your iniquity has departed, and your sin is atoned” (אָבָל קָרֵינָא עָלָיךְ: וְסָר עֲוֹנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ תְּכוּפָּר) (Isaiah 6). He said to him: Say it three times (אָמַר לֵיהּ: ג׳ זִמְנִין אֵימָא). He said it three times (אָמַר לֵיהּ ג׳ זִמְנִין), and the mark passed away (וְאִתְעֲבָר רְשִׁימָא).

Rabbi Abba said: surely, Master of yours—He desired to remove this from you, for indeed Teshuvah is found in you (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, וַדַּאי מָארָךְ הָא בָּעָא לְאַעְבְּרָא מִנָךְ, דְּוַדַּאי בִּתְשׁוּבָה אִשְׁתְּכַחַת). He said to him: I have vowed from this day to occupy myself with Orayta day and night (אָמַר לֵיהּ, נָדַרְנָא מֵהַאי יוֹמָא לְאִתְעַסְּקָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילְיָא). He said to him: What is your name? (אָמַר לֵיהּ, מַה שְׁמָךְ). He said to him: El‘azar (אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֶלְעָזָר). He said to him: El Azar—indeed the name causes it, for your God helped you and stood by you (אָמַר לֵיהּ: אֵל עָזַר, וַדַּאי שְׁמָא גָּרִים, דֶּאֱלָהָךְ סִיְּיעָךְ, וַהֲוָה בְּסָעֲדָךְ).

Rabbi Abba sent him off and blessed him (שַׁדְרֵיהּ רִבִּי אַבָּא וּבַרְכֵיהּ).

At another time, Rabbi Abba was going to Rabbi Shim‘on (לְזִמְנָא אָחֳרָא, הֲוָה רִבִּי אַבָּא אָזִיל לְגַבֵּי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), he entered his place (עָאל בְּמָאתֵיהּ), he found him sitting and expounding: “A brutish man does not know, and a fool does not understand this” (אַשְׁכָּחֵיהּ דְּהֲוָה יָתִיב וְדָרִישׁ: אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא יֵדָע וּכְסִיל לֹא יָבִין אֶת זֹאת) (Psalms 92). “A brutish man does not know,” etc. (אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא יֵדָע וְגוֹ׳), how many fools are there among the people of the world (כַּמָה טִפְּשִׁין אִינּוּן בְּנֵי עָלְמָא), who neither observe, nor know, nor look to understand the ways of Kudsha Berikh Hu, upon what they stand in the world (דְּלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין וְלָא יַדְעִין וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין לְמִנְדַּע אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַל מַה קַיְימִין בְּעָלְמָא). Who holds them back from knowing? Their own foolishness (מַאן מְעַכֵּב לְהוּ לְמִנְדַּע, טִפְּשׁוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן). Because they do not engage in Orayta (בְּגִין דְּלָא מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), for if they were engaged in Orayta, they would know the ways of Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּאִילּוּ הֲווֹ מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, יִנְדְּעוּן אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).