Daf 76b (דַּף ע״ו ע״ב)

He prostrated himself before him (אִשְׁתָּטַּח קָמֵיהּ), he brought him to his house (אַיְיתֵיהּ לְבֵיתֵיהּ), he prepared before him a loaf (קוּרְטִיסָא), some say: a tray ([ס״א טְרָכוּסָא]), some say: a platter ([טַרְטִיסַאי]), of bread (דְּנַהֲמָא), and the flesh of a third-grown calf (וּבִשְׂרָא דְּעֶגְלָא תְּלִיתָאָה).

After they ate (בָּתַר דְּאָכְלוּ), that man said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ הַהוּא גַּבְרָא): Rabbi, tell me one word (רִבִּי, אֵימָא לִי חַד מִלָּה). I have one red heifer (חָדָּא תּוֹרָתָא סוּמָקָא אִית לִי), the mother of this calf whose flesh we have eaten (אִימָּא דְּעֶגְלָא דְּבִישְׂרָא דָּא דַּאֲכִילְנָא). And one day, before she became pregnant and gave birth (וְיוֹמָא חַד עַד לָא אִתְעַבְּרַת וְאוֹלִידַת), I was leading her to pasture in the wilderness (אֲזִילְנָא בַּתְרָאָה לְמַרְעָא לְמַדְבְּרָא), until, while I was driving her (עַד דְּדָבַּרְנָא לָהּ), a certain man passed before me (אַעְבָּר קָמַאי חַד גַּבְרָא). He said to me (אָמַר לֵיהּ): What is the name of this cow? (מַה שְׁמָהּ דְּתוֹרָתָא דָּא). I said to him (אֲמֵינָא): From the day she was born I have never called her by a name (מִן יוֹמָא דְּאִתְיְילִידַת לָא קָרֵינָּא לָהּ בִּשְׁמָא). He said to me (אָמַר לֵיהּ): She is called Bat-Sheva, the mother of Shlomo, if you will merit atonement (בַּת שֶׁבַע אֵם שְׁלֹמֹה אִתְקְרֵי, אִי תִּזְכֶּה לְכַפָּרָה). And while I turned my head (וַאֲנָא בְּעוֹד דְּאָהָדַרְנָא רֵישָׁאי), I did not see him (לָא חֲמֵינָא לֵיהּ), and I lived by that word (וְחָיִיכְנָא מֵהַהוּא מִלָּה).

And now that I have merited in Orayta (וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּזָכִינָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), I have been aroused concerning that word (אִתְּעַרְנָא עַל הַהִיא מִלָּה). And from the day that Rabbi Samlai departed from here (וּמִן יוֹמָא דְּאִתְפְּטָר רִבִּי שַׂמְלָאי מֵהָכָא), there has not been anyone to enlighten us in Orayta as he did (לָא הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ דְּיַנְהִיר לָן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כְּוָותֵיהּ). And I fear to speak a word of Orayta that I have not learned (וַאֲנָא דָּחִילְנָא לְמֵימַר מִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּלָא אוֹלִיפְנָא). And this word upon which I reflected (וּמִלָּה דָּא דְּאִסְתַּכַּלְנָא), I saw that it is a word of wisdom (דְּמִלָּה דְּחָכְמְתָא הִיא), but I do not know its meaning (וְלָא יְדַעְנָא). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Certainly it is a word of wisdom (וַדַּאי מִלָּה דְּחָכְמְתָא הִיא), and it is a supernal allusion above and below (וּרְמִיזָא עִלָּאָה הִיא לְעֵילָּא וּלְתַתָּא).

But come and see (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי): Bat-Sheva is truly called so in the secret of wisdom (בַּת שֶׁבַע אִתְקְרֵי מַמָּשׁ בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא). Because of this (בְּגִין כָּךְ), everything concerning her is written with seven (כְּתִיב בָּהּ כֹּלָּא בְּשֶׁבַע): seven cows (ז׳ פָּרוֹת), seven burnings (ז׳ שְׂרֵפוֹת), seven sprinklings (ז׳ הֲזָאוֹת), seven washings (ז׳ כִּבּוּסִים), seven impure ones (ז׳ טְמֵאִים), seven pure ones (ז׳ טְהוֹרִים), seven priests (ז׳ כֹּהֲנִים). And Moshe and Aharon are included in this count (וּמֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן בְּחוּשְׁבְּנָא), for it is written (דְּהָא כְּתִיב): “And Hashem spoke to Moshe and to Aharon...” (וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וְגוֹ׳). And that man certainly spoke well (וְשַׁפִּיר קָאָמַר הַהוּא גַּבְרָא), when he said, “Bat-Sheva” (דְּאָמַר בַּת שֶׁבַע), for it is all the secret of wisdom (וְכֹלָּא רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא הִיא).

He said to him: Blessed is the Merciful One, that I have heard this word! (אָמַר לֵיהּ, בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּשָׁמַעְנָא מִלָּה דָּא). Blessed is He, that He prepared peace for me at the beginning, to merit this (בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּהָא אַקְדִּים לִי שְׁלָם בְּקַדְמִיתָא, לְמִזְכֵּי לְהַאי). As it is written: “Peace, peace, to him that is far and to him that is near, says Hashem” (דִּכְתִּיב: שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לָרָחוֹק וְלַקָּרוֹב אָמַר יְיָ) (Isaiah 57). I—when I was far, Kudsha Berikh Hu prepared peace for me to be near (אֲנָא כַּד הֲוִינָא רָחוֹק, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַקְדִּים לִי שְׁלָם לְמֶהֱוִי קָרוֹב). Rabbi Abba called upon him the verse: “Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have” (קָרָא עָלֵיהּ רִבִּי אַבָּא: אַתָּה שָׁלוֹם וּבֵיתְךָ שָׁלוֹם וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לְךָ שָׁלוֹם) (I Samuel 25). “The nakedness of your father’s sister you shall not uncover” (עֶרְוַת אֲחוֹת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה) (Leviticus 18).

Rabbi Ḥiyya opened: “And if a man takes his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, etc.” (רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח: וְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִקַּח אֶת אֲחוֹתוֹ בַּת אָבִיו אוֹ בַת אִמּוֹ וְרָאָה אֶת עֶרְוָתָהּ וְגוֹ׳) (Leviticus 18). There we learned: for one hundred and thirty years Adam separated from his wife and did not give birth (תַּמָּן תָּנֵינָן, מְאָה וּתְלָתִין שְׁנִין, אִתְפְּרַשׁ אָדָם מֵאִתְּתֵיהּ, וְלָא הֲוָה אוֹלִיד). From the time that Kayin killed Hevel, Adam did not desire to be joined with his wife (מִדְּקָטַל קַיִן לְהֶבֶל, לָא בָּעָא אָדָם לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בְּאִתְּתֵיהּ). Rabbi Yosi said: From the moment that death was decreed upon him and upon the whole world, he said, “Why should I give birth for destruction?” (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, מִשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְגְּזַר עָלֵיהּ וְעַל כָּל עָלְמָא מִיתָה, אָמַר: אֲמַאי אֲנָא אוֹלִיד לִבְעַתּוּתָא).

Immediately he separated from his wife (מִיַּד אִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאִתְּתֵיהּ). And two female spirits came and joined with him, and they bore offspring (וּתְרֵין רוּחִין נוּקְבִין הֲווֹ אַתְיָין וְאִזְדַּוְּוגָן עִמֵּיהּ, וְאוֹלִידוּ). And those that they bore were the destructive spirits of the world, and they are called “plagues of the sons of men” (וְאִינּוּן דְּאוֹלִידוּ הֲווֹ מַזִּיקִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְאִקְרוּן נִגְעֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם). And these are those who incite the sons of men, and they dwell at the door of the house, in the wells, and in privies (וְאִלֵּין סָאטָן לִבְנֵי אָדָם, וְשַׁרְיָין בְּפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתָא, וּבְבִירָאֵי, וּבְבָתֵּי כִּסְאֵי). And because of this, a man who places at the entrance of his house the holy Name Shaddai in supernal crowns—all of them flee and are removed from him (וְעַל דָּא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בְּפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתֵיהּ שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא שַׁדַּי בְּכִתְרִין עִלָּאִין, כֻּלְּהוּ עַרְקָאן וְאִתְרַחֲקָן מִנֵּיהּ). This is what is written: “And no plague shall come near your tent” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וְנֶגַע לֹא יִקְרַב בְּאָהֳלֶךָ) (Psalms 91). What is “no plague shall come near”? These are the plagues of the sons of men (מַאי וְנֶגַע לֹא יִקְרַב — אִלֵּין נִגְעֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם). And it was taught: at the time when Adam descended in the supernal image, in the holy image (וְתָאנָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָחַת אָדָם בְּדִיּוּקְנָא עִלָּאָה, בְּדִיּוּקְנָא קַדִּישָׁא), and the supernal and lower beings beheld him (וְחָמוּ לֵיהּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי), all of them drew near to him (כֻּלְּהוּ קְרִיבוּ גַּבֵּיהּ), and made him king over this world (וְאַמְלְכוּהוּ עַל הַאי עָלְמָא). After the serpent came upon Ḥavah and cast into her defilement (בָּתַר דְּאָתָא חִוְיָא עַל חַוָּה, וְאָטִיל בָּהּ זוּהֲמָא), afterwards she bore Kayin p1-19(לְבָתַר אוֹלִידַת קַיִן).

From there, some say, all the guilty generations of the world became obligated (מִתַּמָּן (ס״א נִתְיַחֲסוּ) נִתְחַיְיבוּ כָּל דָּרִין חַיָּיבִין דְּעָלְמָא). And the dwelling place of demons and spirits was found from there, and from its side (וּמָדוֹרָא דְּשֵׁדִין וְרוּחִין, מִתַּמָּן אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ, וּמִסִּטְרוֹי). And because of this, all spirits and shedin have in them a portion from the sons of men below, and a portion from the supernal angels above (וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ כָּל רוּחִין וְשֵׁדִין, פַּלְגּוּתָא אִית בְּהוּ מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא דִּלְתַתָּא, וּפַלְגּוּתָא מִמַּלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי דִּלְעֵילָּא). And likewise, when those others were born from Adam, all of them were found in this manner: part from below, and part from above (וְכֵן כַּד אִתְיְילִידוּ מֵאָדָם אִינּוּן אָחֳרָנִין, כֻּלְּהוּ אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא, פַּלְגוּ מִתַּתָּאֵי, וּפַלְגּוּ מֵעִלָּאֵי).

After those were born from Adam—some say, they returned to him, some of those spirits that had gone out from his corruption, in a dream (בָּתַר דְּאִתְיְילִידוּ מֵאָדָם, (ס״א אַהֲדְרוּ לֵיהּ קִצַּת מֵאִינּוּן רוּחִין דְּנָפְקוּ מִתִּיאוּבְתֵּיהּ בַּחֲלֵמָא))—he begot from those feminine spirits, who resembled the beauty of above and the beauty of below (אוֹלִיד מֵאִינּוּן רוּחֵי בְּנָתָן, דְּדַמְיָן לִשְׁפִּירוּ דְּעִלָּאֵי, וּלִשְׁפִּירוּ דְּתַתָּאֵי). And because of this it is written: “And the sons of the Elohim saw the daughters of men that they were good…” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם כִּי טוֹבוֹת הֵנָּה וְגוֹ׳) (Bereshit 6), and all was taken after them (וְטָעָן כֹּלָּא בַּתְרַיְיהוּ). And there was found one male, who came into the world from the spirit of the side of Kayin, and they called him Tuval Kayin (וְחַד דְּכוּרָא אִשְׁתְּכַח, דְּאָתָא לְעָלְמָא מִרוּחֵיהּ דְּסִטְרָא דְּקַיִן, וְקָרוּן לֵיהּ תּוּבַל קַיִן). And one female came out with him, and they were created beings, and clung afterward, and she was called Na‘amah (וַחֲדָא נוּקְבָּא נָפְקַת עִמֵּיהּ, וַהֲווּ בִּרְיָין וְטָעָאן בַּתְרָאָה, וְאִתְקְרֵי נַעֲמָ״ה). From her went out other spirits and shedin (מִינָּהּ נַפְקוּ רוּחִין וְשֵׁדִין אָחֳרָנִין). And these dwell in the air, and they make known matters to others who are found below p1-20(וְאִינּוּן תַּלְיָין בַּאֲוִירָא, וְאוֹדְעִין מִלִּין לְאִינּוּן אָחֳרָנִין דִּשְׁכִיחִין לְתַתָּא). And this Tuval Kayin brought forth weapons of killing into the world (וְדָא תּוּבַל קַיִן, אַפִּיק זַיְינֵי קִטּוּלָא לְעָלְמָא). And this Na‘amah was stirred in lust, and clung to her side (וְדָא נַעֲמָה אִתְרְגִישַׁת בְּרִיגְשָׁהָא, וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּסִטְרָהָא). And until now she exists, and her dwelling is among the raging waves of the great sea (וְעַד כְּעַן הִיא קַיְּימָא, וּמָדוֹרָהָא בֵּין רִיגְשֵׁי יַמָּא רַבָּא). And she goes forth and makes sport with the sons of men, and warms herself from them in a dream, through the lust of a man, and clings to him (וְנַפְקַת וְחַיְּיכַת בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, וְאִתְחַמְּמַת מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּחֶלְמָא, בְּהַהוּא תִּיאוּבְתָּא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בֵּיהּ). Lust she takes, and no more (תִּיאוּבְתָּא נַטְלַת וְלָא יַתִּיר). And from that lust she becomes pregnant, and brings forth other destructive beings into the world (וּמֵהַהוּא תִּיאוּבְתָּא אִתְעַבְּרַת, וְאַפִּיקַת זַיְנִין אָחֳרָנִין לְעָלְמָא).