Daf 102a (דַּף ק״ב ע״א)

He said to him: If so, that his offering was accepted (אָמַר לֵיהּ, אִם כֵּן דְּקָרְבָּנָא דִילֵיהּ אִתְקַבַּל), why was strength given to Kayin to kill him (אַמַּאי אִתְיַיהִיב חֵילָא לְקַיִן לְמִקְטְלֵיהּ)? Because of this it is written: “There is a vanity which is done upon the earth…” (Ecclesiastes 8) (בגין דא יֵשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ׳ אמאי). He said to him: Here surely is a supernal secret (אָמַר לֵיהּ הָכָא וַדַּאי רָזָא עִלָּאָה). For he was the level of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, in which he sinned (דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה דַרְגָּא דְעִץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע דְּחָאב בֵּיהּ). And by that in which he sinned, he received his punishment in this world (וּבַמֶּה דְחָאב בֵּיהּ קַבִּיל עָנְשֵׁיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And by that offering which was accepted from him, he was delivered from the punishment of that world (וּבְהַהוּא קָרְבָּנָא דְאִתְקַבִּיל מִנֵּיהּ אִשְׁתֵּזִיב מֵעָנְשָׁא דְהַהוּא עָלְמָא). For two punishments was he liable, one above and one below (דִתְרֵי עָנְשֵׁי הֲוָה מְחוּיָיב חַד לְעִילָא וְחַד לְתַתָּא). This is what is written (Bereshit 2): “For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת). He said to him: But Adam it was who sinned with this tree (אָמַר לֵיהּ, וְהָא אָדָם הֲוָה דְחָאב בְּהַאי אִילָנָא). He said to him: It was the deed of his father, and he died (אָמַר לֵיהּ עוֹבָדָא דַאֲבוּהָ הֲוָה לֵיהּ וּמֵת). He said to him: It is written “For in the day that you eat of it” (אָמַר לֵיהּ כִּי בְיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ כְּתִיב). He said to him: On that day he sprouted and died (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא יוֹם הִצִּיץ וּמֵת).

Rabbi Shimon said: Because of this it is written (Ecclesiastes 8): “There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked…” (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בְּגִין דָּא כְּתִיב יֵשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ צַדִּיקִים שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים וְגוֹ׳). And here is hinted “a righteous man to whom it is evil, and a wicked man to whom it is good” (וְהָכָא אִתְרְמִיז צַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ רָשָׁע וְטוֹב לוֹ). “A righteous man to whom it is evil” is hinted here (צַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ הָכָא אִתְרְמִיז). “There are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked” (יֵשׁ צַדִּיקִים שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים). And this is the secret: a Tzaddik to whom occurs as the deeds of the wicked, not that he is wicked and not a son of the wicked (וְדָא רָזָא דְצַדִּיק דְּאַעִירַע לֵיהּ כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים, לַאו דְּאִיהוּ רָשָׁע וְלַאו בֶּן רָשָׁע). But as the deeds of the wicked, because he sinned in the deed of the guilty ones, who are Samael and the serpent, their deed occurred to him (אֶלָּא כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים דְּחָב בְּעוֹבָדָא דְחַיָּיבַיָּא, דְּאִינוּן סמא״ל וְנָחָשׁ, אִירַע לֵיהּ עוֹבָדָא דִלְהוֹן). And this is the secret: “visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children” (Exodus 20) (וְהַאי אִיהוּ רָזָא פּוֹקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים). Because the deeds of their fathers are in their hands (בְּגִין דְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם בִּידֵיהֶם). This caused Hevel to die (דָּא גְרִים לְהֶבֶל מִיתָה). And he died without a son (וּמֵת בְּלָא בֵן). And because of this he went in Gilgul (וּבְגִין דָּא אָזִיל בְּגִלְגּוּלָא).

The Shin of Moshe is Shet (שִׁי״ן דְּמֹשֶׁה אִיהוּ שֵׁ״ת). From there expansion, Shin (מִתַּמָּן רָוַוח שִׁי״ן). Some say: Shet (נ״א ש״ת). This is what is written (Bereshit 4): “For Elohim has set for me another seed instead of Hevel, for Kayin killed him” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי שָׁת לִי אֱלֹהִים זֶרַע אַחֵר תַּחַת הֶבֶל כִּי הֲרָגוֹ קָיִן). Instead of Hevel surely (תַּחַת הֶבֶל וַדַּאי). For Hevel rode upon him, and Shet was made into a chariot for him (דְּהֶבֶל רָכִיב עֲלֵיהּ, וְאִתְעֲבִיד שֵׁת הַרְכָּבָה לֵיהּ). And this is the completion of the Alef Beit (וְאִיהִי סִיּוּמָא דְאַלְפָא בֵּיתָא). And because of this “instead of Hevel” (וּבְגִין דָּא תַּחַת הֶבֶל).

Hevel is the heart (הֶבֶל הַלֵּב), and about him it is said: “The heart sees” (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר הַלֵּב רוֹאֶה). And he is the letter Hei from Moshe (וְאִיהוּ ה׳ מִמֹּשֶׁה). And the heart is to the left, which is Elohim (וְהַלֵּב אִיהוּ לִשְׂמָאלָא דְאִיהוּ אלהי״ם). The heart understands (הַלֵּב מֵבִין), and it is hidden in the building and fell because of him (וְאִיהוּ סָתִיר בִּנְיָינָא וְנָפְלַת בְּגִינֵיהּ). And because of this: “And Moshe hid his face, for he was afraid to look toward Elohim” (Exodus 3) (וּבְגִין דָּא וַיַּסְתֵּר מֹשֶׁה פָּנָיו כִּי יָרֵא מֵהַבִּיט אֶל הָאלהי״ם). For there he sinned in Elohim, which is Elohim of the work of Bereshit (בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן הַוָּה דְחָב בֵּאלהי״ם, דְּאִיהוּ אלהי״ם דְּעוֹבָדָא דִבְּרֵאשִׁית). And this is he who sinned in action (וְדָא אִיהוּ דְחָב בְּמַעֲשֶׂה). The daughter of fire, daughter of the King, that he sinned in her (לַבַּת אֵשׁ בְּרַתָּא דְמַלְכָּא דְחָב בֵּיהּ). And he was ashamed, and Shet covered for him in his stead (וְאִתְבַּיַּישׁ כַּסִּי לֵיהּ בְּדִילֵיהּ בְּשֵׁת). And that which was: Shet—the letter Bet joined with it, and it became Boshet [shame] (וּמַה דַּהֲוָה שֵׁת, אִתְחַבֵּר עִמֵּיהּ ב׳ וְאִתְעֲבִיד בֹּשֶׁת). And this is the awe of Boshet [shame] (וְדָא אִיהוּ יִרְאָה בֹּשֶׁת). And further, Shet in A״T B״Sh is Av [father] (וְעוֹד שֵׁת בְּאַ״ת בַּ״שׁ אִינוּן אָב). Shet, after he merited the letter Yod, was Bereshit (שֵׁ״ת לְבָתַר דְּזָכָה בְּאָת יו״ד, בְּרֵאשִׁית). And it is the Yod of which it is said: “Hashem acquired me at the beginning of His way” (Proverbs 8) (וְאִיהִי יו״ד דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ יהו״ה קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ). That is the ten generations, and she returned to her place, and she is called Bereshit (דְּאִיהִי עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת, וְתָב לָהּ לְאַתְרָהּ, אִתְקְרִי בְּרֵאשִׁית). And from there she merited the Orayta, which was given through him (וּמִתַּמָּן זָכָה לְאוֹרַיְיתָא דְאִתְיְיהִיבַת עַל יְדֵיהּ). And this Yod is from Ya'akov, and Yod from Yisrael (וְהַאי יו״ד אִיהִי מִיַּעֲקֹב וְיו״ד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל). Yod from Adonai, Yod from Hashem (יו״ד מֵאדנ״י יו״ד מִיהו״ה). Shin from Moshe is from Shet, from there it expanded to him (שִׁי״ן מִמֹּשֶׁה אִיהִי מִשֵּׁת תַּמָּן רָוַוח לָהּ). And when it went to the name Ravach, there were two letters Shin Mem, Shem (וְכַד אָזַל לְשֵׁם רָוַוח תַּמָּן תְּרֵין אַתְוָון שֵׁ״ם). And when it went ten generations until Avraham, there was added the Hei to him, and he was called Moshe (וְכַד אָזַל עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת עַד אַבְרָהָם תַּמָּן רָוַוח ה׳ דִּילֵיהּ, וְאִתְקְרִי מֹשֶׁ״ה).

And the secret of the matter: “Who led at the right hand of Moshe the arm of His glory, dividing the waters before them, to make Himself an everlasting name” (Isaiah 63) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה מוֹלִיךְ לִימִין מֹשֶׁה זְרוֹעַ תִּפְאַרְתּוֹ בּוֹקֵעַ מַיִם מִפְּנֵיהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ שֵׁם עוֹלָם). And with it He brought out His children from exile (וּבָהּ אַפִּיק לִבְנוֹי מִגָּלוּתָא). And with it He struck the Egyptians (וּבָהּ מָחָא לְמִצְרָאֵי). This is what is written (Exodus 9): “Behold the hand of Hashem is” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב הִנֵּה יַד יהו״ה הוֹיָה). The Hei - five fingers (ה׳ חָמֵשׁ אֶצְבָּעִין). And with it He split the sea (וּבָהּ בָּקַע יַמָּא). And this is “dividing the waters before them” (וְדָא אִיהוּ בּוֹקֵעַ מַיִם מִפְּנֵיהֶם). And with it He is destined to split the sea of Orayta from the right side (וּבָהּ עָתִיד לְמֶהֱוִי בוֹקֵעַ יַמָּא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא מִימִינָא). At that time, that which was to the left in the heart was Hevel, who is the heart (הַהוּא זִמְנָא מַה דַּהֲוָה לִשְׂמָאלָא בְּלִבָּא הֲוָה הֶבֶל דְּאִיהוּ הַלֵּב). Hevel ascended to the right (הֶבֶל אִסְתַּלַּק לִימִינָא). And from there he ascended to the brain, which is Chokhmah (וּמִתַּמָּן סָלִיק לְמוֹחָא דְּאִיהוּ חָכְמָה). For the heart is Imma Ila’ah (דְּהָא לִבָּא אִיהוּ אִמָּא עִלָּאָה). About her it is said: “The heart understands” (עֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר הַלֵּב מֵבִין). And afterward he descended upon the earth, to bring the Orayta down upon the earth (וּלְבָתַר נָחִית עַל אַרְעָא לְנַחְתָא אוֹרַיְיתָא עַל אַרְעָא).