Daf 76a (דַּף ע״ו ע״א)

“And a fool does not understand this” (וּכְסִיל לֹא יָבִין אֶת זֹאת), for he does not look nor know the order of “Zot [this]” in the world (דְּלָא מִסְתָּכַל וְלָא יָדַע נִימוּסֵי דְּזֹאת בְּעָלְמָא). Even though the world is judged by its judgments (דְּדָאִין עָלְמָא בְּדִינוֹי), and we see the judgments of this “Zot [this]” (וְחַמָאן לְדִינוֹי דְּהַאי זֹאת), that they reach men who are innocent (דְּמָטָאן עַל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּאִינּוּן זַכָּאִין), and they do not reach the wicked guilty ones (וְלָא מָטָאן עַל רַשִׁיעֲיָיא חַיָּיבִין), who transgress the words of the Orayta (דְּעַבְרִין עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא), as it is written: “When the wicked sprout like grass, etc.” (דִּכְתִּיב: בִּפְרוֹחַ רְשָׁעִים כְּמוֹ עֵשֶׂב וְגוֹ׳) (Psalms 92). For this world they inherit in all its aspects (דְּהַאי עָלְמָא יָרְתִין לֵיהּ בְּכָל סִטְרוֹי), and judgments do not come upon them in this world (וְדִינִין לָא מָטוּן עָלוֹי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא).

Were it not that King David revealed to us at the end of that verse, we would not know (וְאִלְמָלֵא דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא אוֹדְעֵיהּ בְּסוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא, לָא יַדְעֵינָן), as it is written: “for them to be destroyed forever” (דִּכְתִּיב: לְהִשָּׁמְדָם עֲדֵי עַד), meaning: to cast them out from that world (לְשֵׁיצָאָה לְהוֹן מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא), and to make them dust beneath the feet of the Righteous (וּלְמֶהֱוִי עַפְרָא תְּחוֹת רַגְלֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא), as it is written: “And you shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet” (דִּכְתִּיב: וְעַסּוֹתֶם רְשָׁעִים כִּי יִהְיוּ אֵפֶר תַּחַת כַּפּוֹת רַגְלֵיכֶם) (Malachi 3). Again he opened and said: “My mockers rise up against me, they answer me to my face” (תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר: וַיָּקָם בִּי כַחֲשִׁי בְּפָנַי יַעֲנֶה) (Job 16). To what does this refer? (בְּמַאי קָא מַיְירֵי). Rather, fortunate is the portion of the man who engages in Orayta to know the ways of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְמִנְדַע אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). For whoever engages in Orayta, it is as if he engages in His very Name (דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּאִלּוּ אִשְׁתָּדַּל בִּשְׁמֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ). Just as the Name of Kudsha Berikh Hu creates orders and statutes (מַה שְׁמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד נִימוּסִין), so too the Orayta (אוּף אוֹרַיְיתָא הָכִי נָמֵי).

Come and see: whoever transgresses the words of the Orayta (תָּא חֲזֵי, הַאי מַאן דְּעָבַר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא), the Orayta ascends and descends and imprints upon that man marks upon his face (אוֹרַיְיתָא סַלְּקָא וְנַחְתָּא וְעַבְדָא בֵּיהּ בְּבַּר נָשׁ רְשִׁימִין בְּאַנְפּוֹי), so that the supernal and the lower beings look upon him (בְּגִין דְּיִסְתַּכְּלוּן בֵּיהּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי), and all denounce him with curses upon his head (וְכֻלְּהוּ אוֹשְׁדָן לְוָוטִין עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ). And it was taught: all those “eyes of Hashem” that go and roam throughout the world to know the ways of men (וְתָאנָא, כָּל אִינּוּן עֵינֵי יְיָ, דְּאַזְלִין וְשָׁאטִין בְּעָלְמָא לְמִנְדַּע אוֹרְחוֹי דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), all of them lift their eyes and gaze upon the face of that man (כֻלְּהוֹן זַקְפִין עַיְינִין, וּמִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּאַנְפּוֹי דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ), and they see him (וְחָמָאן לְהוּ), and all of them open against him, “Woe, woe” (וְכֻלְּהוּ פַּתְחִין עָלֵיהּ וַוי וַוי). Woe to him in this world (וַוי לֵיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), woe to him in the world that is to come (וַוי לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). They are removed from the companionship of that man (אִסְתְּלָקוּ מִסּוֹחֲרָנֵיהּ דִּפְלַנְיָא), for the testimony is on his face (דְּהָא סַהֲדוּתָא בְּאַנְפּוֹי), and a defiled spirit rests upon him (וְרוּחָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי). And all the days that the mark is found upon his face as testimony (וְכָל אִינּוּן יוֹמִין דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח רְשִׁימוּ בְּאַנְפּוֹי לְסַהֲדוּתָא), if he fathers a son, he draws upon him a spirit from the side of defilement (אִי אוֹלִיד בַּר, אַשְׁלִיף לֵיהּ רוּחָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא). And these are the guilty ones of the generation, fierce of countenance (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן חַיָּיבֵי דָּרָא, תַּקִיפֵי אַנְפִּין), whom their Master leaves to this world (דְּמָארֵיהוֹן שָׁבִיק לְהוֹן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), to cast them away from the world that is to come (לְשֵׁיצָאָה לְהוּ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

It was taught: this righteous one, fortunate in his portion, who engages in Orayta day and night (תָּנֵינָן, הַאי צַדִּיקָא זַכָּאָה דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילְיָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu draws upon him a thread of Chesed (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מָשִׁיךְ עָלֵיהּ חַד חוּטָא דְּחֶסֶד), and it is marked upon his face (וְאִתְרְשִׁים לֵיהּ בְּאַנְפּוֹי), and from that mark the supernal and lower beings tremble (וּמֵהַהוּא רְשִׁימָא דַּחֲלֵי עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי). Likewise, whoever transgresses the words of the Orayta (הָכִי נָמֵי מַאן דְּעָבַר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא), they draw upon him a spirit of defilement (מַשְׁכָאן עָלֵיהּ רוּחָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא), and it is marked upon his face (וְאִתְרְשִׁים לֵיהּ בְּאַנְפּוֹי), and from him both the supernal and the lower beings flee (וּמִנֵּיהּ עַרְקִין עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי).

And all proclaim against him: “Remove from the company of that man, who transgressed the words of the Orayta and the commandments of his Master” (וְכֹלָּא מַכְרְזֵי עָלֵיהּ: אִסְתְּלָקוּ מִסָּחֲרָנֵיהּ דִּפְלַנְיָא, דְּעָבַר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְעַל פִּקּוּדֵי דְּמָארֵיהּ). Woe to him, woe to his soul (וַוי לֵיהּ, וַוי לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ). This one draws upon himself a spirit of defilement (הַאי אַשְׁלִיף רוּחָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא), which is found with him (דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח עִמֵּיהּ), and bequeaths it to his son (וְאוֹרִית לֵיהּ לִבְרֵיהּ). And this is one in whom Kudsha Berikh Hu has no portion, and He leaves him (וְהַאי הוּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לֵית לֵיהּ בֵּיהּ חוּלָקָא, וְשָׁבִיק לֵיהּ), to be cast away to the world to come (לְשֵׁיצָאָה לֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

Rabbi Abba said to him: You have spoken well—but from where do you know this? (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אַבָּא, שַׁפִּיר קָאַמְרַת, מְנָא לָךְ הַאי). He said to him: Thus I have learned (אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא). And I have learned that this evil inheritance, they all bequeath to their sons if they do not repent (וְאוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּהַאי יְרוּתָא בִּישָׁא, אַחֲסִינוּן כֻּלְּהוּ בְּנוֹי, אִי לָא יְתוּבוּן), for there is nothing that can stand before Teshuvah (דְּהָא לֵית מִלָּה קַיְּימָא קָמֵי תְּשׁוּבָה).

And thus I have learned, that this cure was given to me one time, when I was marked in my face (וַאֲנָא הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּאַסוּותָא דָּא יָהֲבוּ לִי זִמְנָא חֲדָא, דַּהֲוִינָא רְשִׁים בְּאַנְפָּאי), and one day I was going on the road and I encountered a certain righteous one, and through his hand that mark passed away from me (וְיוֹמָא חַד הֲוִינָא אָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחָא, וְאִעַרְעָנָא בְּחַד זַכָּאָה, וְעַל יְדוֹי אִתְעַבָּר מִנַּאי הַהוּא רְשִׁימָא).

He said to me: What is your name? (אָמַר לִי, מַה שְׁמָךְ). I said to him: El‘azar (אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֶלְעָזָר), and he called me: another El‘azar (וְקָרֵי עָלַי אֶלְעָזָר אָחֳרָא). He said to me: Blessed is the Merciful One, that I have seen you, and I have merited to see you in this world (אָמַר לֵיהּ, בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא, דַּחֲמֵינָא לָךְ, וְזָכֵינָא לְמֵחֱמֵי לָךְ בְּהַאי). Fortunate is your portion in this world and in the world to come (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָךְ בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). He said to him: I am he who encountered you (אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֲנָא הוּא דְּאִעְרַעְנָא לָךְ).