Daf 124b (דַּף קכ״ד ע״ב)

Rabbi El'azar said, Father, is it then sin that is in man, that his soul depends from that place, and does he have sins? (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אַבָּא וְכִי חוֹבָא אִיהוּ בְּבַר נַשׁ דְּתַלְיָא נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר, וְכִי אִית לֵיהּ חוֹבִין) But behold it is written No evil shall befall the righteous (Proverbs 12) (וְהָא כְּתִיב לֹא יְאֻנֶּה לַצַּדִּיק כָּל אָוֶן). He said to him, Yes, this is that which is written But your iniquities have separated between you and between your Elohim (Isaiah 59) (אָמַר לֵיהּ אִין הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי אִם עֲוֹנוֹתֵיכֶם הָיוּ מַבְדִּילִים בֵּינֵיכֶם לְבֵין אֱלֹהֵיכֶם). What is separated? Rather, that the soul of Atzilut ascends from him and is parted from him (מַאי מַבְדִּילִים אֶלָּא דְסָלִיק הַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא דַאֲצִילוּתָא מִנֵּיהּ וְאִתְפָּרַשׁ מִנֵּיהּ). And the secret of the matter, And Elohim said Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together to one place and let the dry land appear (Bereshit 1) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם אֶל מָקוֹם אֶחָד וְתֵרָאֶה הַיַּבָּשָׁה וְגוֹמֵר). His soul is removed from him and remains a dry body (אִסְתַּלַּק נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ וְאִשְׁתָּאַר גּוּפָא יְבֵשָׁא). Who is the body here? This is the soul of the Throne of Glory (Some say: of Kudsha Berikh Hu, Hashem), which remains dry מָאן גּוּפָא הָכָא דָא נִשְׁמָתָא דְכָרְסַיָּא יְקָרָא (נ''א דקב''ה יהו''ה) דְּאִשְׁתְּאָרַת יְבֵשָׁה), because the soul of Atzilut has departed from it (בְּגִין דְּאִסְתַּלְקַת מִנֵּיהּ נִשְׁמָתָא בְּאֹרַח אֲצִילוּת). For this soul is a body for the higher soul, and if it seeks to return to that soul, it has no permission to return until that sin is removed from him (דְּהַאי נִשְׁמָתָא אִיהִי גוּפָא לְנִשְׁמָתָא עִלָּאָה וְאִי בָּעִי דְתַחֲזוֹר לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא נִשְׁמָתָא לֵית לָהּ רְשׁוּ לְאַחֲזָרָא לְגַבֵּיהּ עַד דְּהַהוּא חוֹבָא אִתְעַבְרַת מִנֵּיהּ). And the secret of the matter Return to Me and I will return to you (Malachi 3) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה שׁוּבוּ אֵלַי וְאָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם).

Rabbi El'azar said to Rabbi Shimon his father, Father, these movements of the raven, what is the need for a man to know them, to return in repentance? (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוֹי אַבָּא אִלֵּין תְּנוּעִין דְּעוֹרְבָא מַאי לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדָע בְּהוּ בַּר נַשׁ בְּגִין דְּיַחֲזוֹר בִּתְיוּבְתָּא). He said to him, My son, surely it is forbidden for the holy people to look upon them (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי וַדַּאי אֲסִיר לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהוֹן לְעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא). This is that which is written, For there is no divination (Nachash) in Ya'akov and no sorcery (Kesem) in Yisrael (Numbers 23) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי לֹא נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב וְלֹא קֶסֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). But if it happens to a man, at the moment, and he knows of them, let him look upon them in order to return from his sins in repentance (אֲבָל אִם יִזְדַּמַּן לְבַר נַשׁ לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא וְיֵדַע בְּהוֹן יִסְתַּכַּל בְּהוֹן בְּגִין דְּיַחֲזוֹר מֵחוֹבוֹי בִּתְיוּבְתָּא). And this is for the man whose deeds are all like Ya'akov and Yisrael, a man who acts like the deeds of Ya'akov, of whom it is said Ya'akov was a simple man (Bereshit 25) (וְהַאי לְבַר נַשׁ דְּכָל נ״א דְּלָא עוֹבָדוֹי כְּיַעֲקֹב וּכְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּבַר נַשׁ דְּיַעֲבִיד עֹבְדֵי דְּיַעֲקֹב דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם). What is written of him? Not like these is the portion of Ya'akov (Jeremiah 10) (מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ לֹא כְאֵלֶּה חֵלֶק יַעֲקֹב). From the side of Ya'akov and Yisrael the guilty Bilaam sought to gaze in his enchantments and divinations, but he did not find a place to enter upon them. And because of this he said, For there is no divination (Nachash) in Ya'akov and no sorcery (Kesem) in Yisrael (דְּמִסִּטְרָא דְיַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעָא בִּלְעָם חַיָּיבָא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּנַחֲשׁוֹי וּבְקִסְמוֹי וְלָא אַשְׁכַּח אֲתַר לְאַעָלָא לְגַבֵּיהּ וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר כִּי לֹא נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב וְלֹא קֶסֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל).

Rabbi El'azar said, But behold, with Lavan it is written, I have divined and Hashem blessed me for your sake (Bereshit 30) (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְהָא בְּלָבָן כְּתִיב נִחַשְׁתִּי וַיְבָרַכֵנִי יהו״ה בִּגְלָלֶךָ). If so, why was it permitted for him? He said, My son, here is a supernal secret: for at times a rose is found among thorns (אָמַר בְּרִי הָכָא רָזָא עִלָּאָה דִלְזִמְנִין שׁוֹשַׁנָּה אִשְׁתַּכְּחַת בֵּין קוֹצִים). And here is the secret of gilgul (וְהָכָא רָזָא דְגִלְגּוּלָא). He said to him, I know (אָמַר לֵיהּ יְדַעִינָא). Yet, my son, even though it is said For there is no divination (Nachash) in Ya'akov and no sorcery (Kesem) in Yisrael, a man must know everything, even sorceries (וְעִם כָּל דָּא בְּרִי אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְּמַר כִּי לֹא נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב וְלֹא קֶסֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בַּר נַשׁ צָרִיךְ לְמִנְדַּע כֹּלָּא וַאֲפִילוּ חָרָשִׁין).

As the masters of the Mishnah established: You shall not learn to do (Deuteronomy 18) (כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין לֹא תִלְמַד לַעֲשׂוֹת). But you shall learn to understand and to teach (אֲבָל אַתָּה לָמֵד לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת) (Sanhedrin 68a/Shabbat 75a). And because of this the movements of the raven, there is a movement that ascends in a great sound, and it shows that his sin is suspended above in the World to Come (וּבְגִין דָּא תְּנוּעִין דְּעוֹרְבָא אִית תְּנוּעָה דְסָלִיק בְּרָבִי״עַ וְאַחֲזֵי דְחוֹבָא דִילֵיהּ תַּלְיָא לְעִילָא בְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי). And there is a movement that descends in breaking, in shevarim, and it shows that his sin descends below in this world, to bring upon him brokenness (וְאִית תְּנוּעָה דְנָחִית לָהּ בַּתְּבִי״ר בַּשְּׁבָרִים וְאַחֲזֵי דְחוֹבָא דִילֵיהּ נָחִית לְתַתָּא בְעָלְמָא דֵין לְמֶהֱוִי לֵיהּ תְּבִירוּ בְּגִינֵיהּ). And all these signs it shows on the way (וְכָל אִלֵּין סִימָנִין אִיהִי אַחֲזֵי בְּאָרְחָא), in the likeness of Amalek, of whom it is said, who met you on the way (Deuteronomy 25) (כְּגַוְונָא דַעֲמָלֵק דְּאָמַר בְּגִינֵיהּ אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ). For the other sides are like robbers that go out on the roads, and because of this the ravens have their strength on the roads (דְּסִטְרִין אָחֳרָנִין אִינוּן כְּלִסְטִים דְּנָפְקִין בְּאָרְחִין וּבְגִין דָּא עוֹרְבִין חֵילָא דִלְהוֹן בְּאוֹרְחִין). And those whose constellation is dependent on Shabbeta’i (Saturn), they are sad (וְאִינוּן דְּמַזָּלְהוֹן תַּלְיָא בְּשַׁבְּתַ״י אִינוּן עֲצִיבִין), and they press down the feet of the Shekhinta in exile (וְאִינוּן דּוֹחֲקִין רַגְלֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּגָלוּתָא). For at the time that these spread out in the world, it is said of the feet of the Shekhinta, and he gathered up his feet into the bed (Bereshit 49) (דִּבְזִמְנָא דְאִלֵּין אִתְפַּשְׁטוּ בְעָלְמָא אִתְּמַר בְּרַגְלֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא וַיֶּאֱסוֹף רַגְלָיו אֶל הַמִּטָּה).

She is gathered to the seed of Ya'akov, a complete bed (אִתְכְּנִישַׁת לְגַבֵּי זַרְעִיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב מִטָּה שְׁלֵמָה). And because of this it is written And Yisrael dwelt safely alone, the eye of Ya'akov (Deuteronomy 33) (וּבְגִין דָּא וַיִּשְׁכּוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל בֶּטַח בָּדָד עֵין יַעֲקֹב), for the Shekhinta did not depart from them in exile, because there was no blemish among them (דְּלָא זָזַת שְׁכִינְתָּא מִינַיְיהוּ בְּגָלוּתָא בְּגִין דְּלֵית בְּהוּ פִסּוּלָא). And Shabbeta’i (Saturn) has two houses (וְשַׁבְּתַא״י אִית לֵיהּ תְּרֵין בָּתִּין): one is lowliness (חַד שְׁפַל רֹאשׁ), and the second is the prison house, where the prisoners of the King are imprisoned in exile (וְתִנְיָינָא בֵּית הַסֹּהַר דַּאֲסִירֵי מַלְכָּא אֲסִירִין תַּמָּן בְּגָלוּתָא). And they press the Shekhinta and Yisrael in exile (וְאִינוּן דָּחֲקִין שְׁכִינְתָּא וְיִשְׂרָאֵל נ״א שַׁעֲתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא). And in lowliness, Yisrael are lowered below (וּבִשְׁפַל רֹאשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל אִינוּן שְׁפֵלִין לְתַתָּא). And from this star come famine and poverty to Yisrael (וּמֵהַאי כֹּכָבָא יֵיתֵי כַּפְנָא וַעֲנִיּוּתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). And whoever wishes to be guarded from it must change his name, and change his place, and change his deeds (וּמָאן דְּבָעִי לְאִסְתַּמְרָא מִנֵּיהּ צָרִיךְ לְשַׁנּוּיֵי שְׁמֵיהּ וּלְשַׁנּוּיֵי אַתְרֵיהּ וּלְשַׁנּוּיֵי עוֹבָדוֹי). And this is change of place, change of name, and change of deed (וְדָא אִיהוּ שִׁנּוּי מָקוֹם שִׁנּוּי הַשֵּׁם וְשִׁנּוּי מַעֲשֶׂה). And this has already been established Behold, all these things does El, twice, three times with a man (Job 33) (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהוּ הֶן כָּל אֵלֶּה יִפְעַל אֵ״ל פַּעֲמַיִם שָׁלֹשׁ עִם גָּבֶר).