Daf 118a (דַּף קי״ח ע״א)

And further see, this I found (עוֹד רְאֵה זֶה מָצָאתִי). “And she again bore his brother Hevel” (וַתּוֹסֶף לָלֶדֶת אֶת אָחִיו אֶת הָבֶל) (Bereshit 4). Come and see, Hevel is the heart (תָּא חֲזִי הֶבֶל אִיהוּ הַלֵּב). And there are two chambers in the heart (וְאִית ב׳ בָּתִּים בְּלִבָּא). “The heart of the wise is at his right” - this is Hevel (לֵב חָכָם לִימִינוֹ הֶבֶל) (Ecclesiastes 10). “The heart of the fool is at his left” - this is Hevel (לֵב כְּסִיל לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ דָא הֶבֶל). Kayin is nourished from both of them (קַיִן אִיהוּ יָנִיק מִתַּרְוַיְיהוּ). And he is the tree of good and evil (וְאִיהוּ עֵץ טוֹב וָרָע). And Kayin is the pollution of the serpent that cast into Chavah (וְקַיִן אִיהוּ זוּהֲמָא דְנָחָשׁ דְּאַטִּיל בְּחַוָּה). And concerning him it is said: “For out of the root of a snake shall come forth a viper” (כִּי מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ נָחָשׁ יֵצֵא צֶפַע) (Isaiah 14). Just as the way of the serpent is to kill, so did this one kill (מָה אָרְחֵיהּ דְּחִוְיָא לְמִקְטַל, כַּךְ דָּא קָטַל). And afterwards he regretted (וּלְבָתַר אִתְחַרַט). And because of this: “And Hashem set a sign for Kayin” (וַיָּשֶׂם יְהו״ה לְקַיִן אוֹת) (Bereshit 4) - a sign of the covenant of circumcision (אוֹת בְּרִית מִילָה).

And because of this she said: “I have acquired a man with Hashem” (קָנִיתִי אִישׁ אֶת יְהו״ה) (Bereshit 4). And even though Kayin is pollution, he can become clean, like Yitro, of whom it is said: “And the children of Keni, father-in-law of Moshe” (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּקַיִ״ן אִיהוּ זוּהֲמָא, יָכִיל לְמֶעֱבַד נָקִ״י, כְּגוֹן יִתְרוֹ דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וּבְנֵי קֵנִי חוֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה) (Judges 1). And the secret of the matter: “Vanity of vanities, said Kohelet” (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת). And the ancients said: there is Hevel and there is Hevel (וְאָמְרוּ קַדְמָאִין אִית הֶבֶל וְאִית הֶבֶל). There are righteous to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, etc. (יֵשׁ צַדִּיקִים שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים וְכוּ׳). “I said that this also is vanity” (אָמַרְתִּי שֶׁגַּם זֶה הָבֶל) (Ecclesiastes 8). The Hevel of the right: five of the throne (הֶבֶל דִימִינָא ה׳ כָּרְסַיָּא). Six are the six steps to the throne (ו׳ שֵׁשׁ מַעֲלוֹת לַכִּסֵּא). Four are the four living creatures (ד׳ אַרְבַּע חֵיוָון). These vanities are the garment for Tiferet and Malkhut, which are Vav and Heh (אִלֵּין הֲבָלִים אִינוּן לְבוּשָׁא לְתִפְאֶרֶת וּמַלְכוּת דְּאִינוּן ו״ה). Yod Heh are included (י״ה כְּלִילָן). The Yod in the air (י׳ בְּאַוִּיר). The lower Heh is speech that rises in Hevel (ה׳ תַּתָּאָה דִבּוּר דְּסָלִיק בַּהֶבֶל). And all is included in the Name of the man who prays prayer or engages in Orayta (וְכֹלָּא אִתְכְּלִיל בִּשְׁמָא דְבַר נַשׁ דְּצַלִּי צְלוֹתָא אוֹ דְעָסִיק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).

But other vanities that are done in the earth ascend in the air of this world in the voice and speech of the profane (אֲבָל הֲבָלִים אָחֳרָנִין דְּאִתְעֲבִידָן בְּאַרְעָא, סָלְקִין בְּאַוִּיר דְּהַאי עָלְמָא בְּקוֹל וְדִבּוּר דְּחוֹל). And Yisrael pray with them “the one who separates between holy and profane” (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְצַלִּין בְּהוֹן הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל). And there are others of whom it is said: “They are vanity, a work of delusion” (וְאִית אָחֳרָנִין דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן הֶבֶל הֵמָּה מַעֲשֵׂה תַּעְתּוּעִים) (Jeremiah 10). And these vanities, voice, and speech of foulness of the mouth are from the side of other Elohim, the ministers of the rest of the nations, which are Samael and the serpent (וְאִינוּן הֲבָלִים וְקוֹל וְדִבּוּר דְּנִבְלוּת הַפֶּה, אִינוּן מִסִּטְרָא דֶאֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים מְמַנָּן דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין דְּאִינוּן סַמָא״ל וְנָחָשׁ). Concerning them it is said in the Havdalah, “between Yisrael and the nations” (עֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר בְּהַבְדָּלָה וּבֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְגוֹיִם). Each one according to his deeds, so are the builders (כָּל חַד כְּפוּם עוֹבָדוֹי כַּךְ בָּנֵי בִנְיָנָא). “This opposite that Elohim made” (דְּזֶה לְעִמַּת זֶה עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִי״ם) (Ecclesiastes 7). And come and see, whoever builds his structure above on the side of purity, with all these vanities of Orayta and prayer (וְתָא חֲזִי מָאן דְּבִנְיָינָא דִילֵיהּ לְעִילָא בְסִטְרָא דְּדַכְיוּ, בְכָל אִלֵּין הֲבָלִים דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּצְלוֹתָא).

Concerning him the verse said: “And I have put My words in your mouth… and to say to Zion: you are My people” (עֲלֵיהּ אָמַר קְרָא וָאָשִׂים דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ וְגוֹ׳ וְלֵאמֹר לְצִיּוֹן עַמִּי אָתָּה) (Isaiah 37). And behold, they have already explained: do not read “My people” (עַמִּי), but “with Me” (עִמִּי) (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהוּ אַל תִּקְרֵי עַמִּי, אֶלָּא עִמִּי). Just as I, with My utterance, made the heavens and the earth, as it is said: “By the word of Hashem were the heavens made” (מָה אֲנָא בְמִלּוּלָא דִילִי עֲבָדִית שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר בִּדְבַר יְהו״ה שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ) (Psalms 33), so you, in partnership with Me, shall make with utterance (כַּךְ אַנְתְּ בְּשׁוּתָּפוּ עִמִּי תַעֲבֵיד בְּמִלּוּלָא). But others, who bring forth from their mouths vanities of oaths, concerning them it is said: “For she has cast down many wounded” (אֲבָל אָחֳרָנִין דְּמַפְּקִין מִפּוּמַיְיהוּ הֲבָלִים דִּשְׁבוּעָה, עֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר כִּי רַבִּים חֲלָלִים הִפִּילָה) (Proverbs 7). And these are called slain, for they desecrate the Name of Hashem (וְאִלֵּין אִתְקְרִיאוּ חֲלָלִים, דִּמְחַלְּלִין שֵׁם יְהו״ה). And vanities go out from their mouths, voice and speech of falsehood, and utterance of falsehood (וְנָפְקִין הֲבָלִים מִפּוּמַיְיהוּ וְקָלָא וְדִבּוּרָא לְשִׁקְרָא וְאוֹמָאָה לְשִׁקְרָא). And they mention His Name for vanity and for falsehood (וְדָכְרִין שְׁמֵיהּ לְמַגָּנָא וּלְשִׁקְרָא). In that Name which goes out in vain and in falsehood, they build for themselves structures that are nullified from the world (בְּהַהוּא שְׁמָא דְנָפְקִין לְבַטָּלָא וּלְשִׁקְרָא בָּנִין לוֹן בִּנְיָנִין דְּבַטְלִין לוֹן מֵעָלְמָא). This is what is written: “In vain have I smitten your children” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב לַשָּׁוְא הִכֵּיתִי אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם) (Jeremiah 2). Woe to those among mankind from whose mouths go forth utterances and sayings of falsehood (וַוי לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא דְנָפְקִין מִפּוּמַיְיהוּ מִלּוּלִין וְאוֹמָאִין דְּשִׁקְרָא). Better for them that they had not come into the world (טַב לוֹן דְּלָא יֵתוּן לְעָלְמָא). All my companions rose and said: The Merciful One save them, the Merciful One save them (קָמוּ חַבְרַיָּא כֻּלְּהוּ וְאָמְרוּ רַחֲמָנָא לְשֵׁזְבָן רַחֲמָנָא לְשֵׁזְבָן).