Daf 133a (דַּף קל״ג ע״א)

In him are engraved the forms of evil creatures (בֵּיהּ רְשׁוּמִין דִּיּוֹקְנִין דְּחֵיוָון בִּישִׁין), which are the constellation of lion (דְּאִינוּן מַזָּל אַרְיֵה), the constellation of the goring ox (מַזָּל שׁוֹר מוּעָד), the constellation of eagle (מַזָּל נֶשֶׁר), the constellation of man (מַזָּל אָדָם). All the defiled fish of the sea are portrayed in him (כָּל נוּנֵי יַמָּא מְסָאֲבִין בֵּיהּ מְצוּיָירִין), and birds and beasts of the defiled side are engraved and depicted in him (וְעוֹפִין וְחֵיוָון דְּסִטְרָא דִמְסָאֲבוּ בֵּיהּ רְשִׁימִין וּמְצוּיָירִין), all of them ready to corrupt (דְּכֻלְּהוּ מוּעָדִין לְקַלְקֵל). How many rods and sparks were cast from him upon mankind (כַּמָּה שַׁרְבִיטִין וְנִצּוֹצִין אִזְדְּרִיקוּ מִנֵּיהּ עַל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא), and these are the souls of the guilty (וְאִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא) who ride upon human beings (דְּקָא מַרְכִּיבִין עַל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא): some are male (מִנְּהוֹן דְּכוּרִין), some are female (מִנְּהוֹן נוּקְבִין). Sometimes the females ride upon the males (לְזִמְנִין מַרְכִּיבִין נוּקְבִין עַל דְּכוּרִין), sometimes the males upon the females (לְזִמְנִין דְּכוּרִין עַל נוּקְבִין). When they are cast, they are not cast to a known place (כַּד אִזְדְּרִיקוּ לָא אִזְדְּרִיקוּ לַאֲתַר יְדִיעָא), but each one to a place not its own (אֶלָּא כָל חַד בַּאֲתַר דְּלָא מִינֵיהּ). Woe to those drops (וַי לוֹן לְאִינוּן טִיפִּין), which are the sparks and rods that were stirred among them (דְּאִינוּן נִצּוֹצִין וְשַׁרְבִיטִין אַעֲרַעוּ בֵּינַיְיהוּ). These fools who do not guard themselves in their Zivug (אִלֵּין שַׁטְיָין דְּלָא מִסְתַּמְּרִין גַּרְמַיְיהוּ בְּזִוּוּגָא דִלְהוֹן), they cause them to ride upon them (מַרְכִּיבִין לוֹן בְּהוֹן), and it becomes the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (וְאִתְעֲבִיד אִילָנָא דְעִץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע).

He has a female that is called “the flaming sword that turns” (נוּקְבָא אִית לֵיהּ דְּאִתְקְרִיאַת לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת), in which all the Gilgulim of souls are overturned (דְּכָל גִּלְגּוּלִין דְּנִשְׁמָתִין בֵּיהּ מִתְהַפְּכִין): sometimes the staff becomes a serpent (לְזִמְנִין מַטֶּה לְנָחָשׁ), sometimes the serpent to the staff (לְזִמְנִין נָחָשׁ לַמַּטֶּה). And so the male turns to female, and the female to male (וְהָכִי מִתְהַפְּכָא דְּכוּרָא לְנוּקְבָא, נוּקְבָא לִדְכוּרָא). And those who have turned their table cause these to be overturned (וְאִלֵּין דְּהָפְכִין לְשֻׁלְחָנָם גָּרְמִין הֲפוּכִין אִלֵּין). The overturning of all of them is the flaming sword that turns from evil to good and from good to evil (הֲפַכְפַּךְ דְּכֻלְּהוּ לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת מֵרָע לְטוֹב וּמִטָּב לְבִישׁ). And here is the secret of “a righteous one who has evil” and “a wicked one who has good” (וְהָכָא רָזָא דְצַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ רָשָׁע וְטוֹב לוֹ). And this is: He rolls light before darkness and darkness before light (וְדָא אִיהוּ גוֹלֵל אוֹר מִפְּנֵי חֹשֶׁךְ וְחֹשֶׁךְ מִפְּנֵי אוֹר). Whoever prevails, prevails (מָאן דְּאַלִּים גָּבַר). When the female prevails over the male in his Gilgul (כַּד אַלִּים נוּקְבָא עַל דְּכוּרָא בְגִלְגּוּלָא דִילֵיהּ), he has no beard (לֵית לֵיהּ דִּיקְנָא), he is barren (עָקָר הוּא), his deeds are like a beast (עוֹבָדוֹי כִּבְעִירָא), he is an abomination (תוֹעֵבָה אִיהוּ). And so are the overturnings of levels from judgment to mercy and from mercy to judgment (וְהָכִי אִינוּן מִתְהַפְּכִין דַּרְגִּין מִדִּינָא לְרַחֲמֵי וּמֵרַחֲמֵי לְדִינָא). In the likeness of the side of purity so do they overturn from the side of defilement (כְּגַוְונָא דְסִטְרָא דְּדַכְיוּ הָכִי מִתְהַפְּכִין מִסִּטְרָא דִמְסָאֲבוּ). If the strong prevails, he will be a wild man, his hand against all (Bereshit 16) (אִם אַלִּים גָּבַר, וְהוּא יִהְיֶה פֶּרֶא אָדָם יָדוֹ בַכֹּל). And if the female prevails, the hand of all is against him (וְאִם אַלִּימָא נוּקְבָא יַד כֹּל בּוֹ). There is dominion for evil and dominion for good (אִית שָׁלְטָנוּתָא לְבִישׁ וְאִית שָׁלְטָנוּתָא לְטָב), there is dominion one over another (אִית שָׁלְטָנוּתָא דְשַׁלִּיט דָּא עַל דָּא), and there is dominion of adulterers when a harlot rules over him (וְאִית שָׁלְטָנוּתָא דְנִיאוּפִין, כַּד שַׁלִּיט זוֹנָה עֲלֵיהּ). All of them in a city come upon him (כֻּלְּהוּ בְעִירָן אַתְיָין עֲלֵיהּ). As we have found in Nebuchadnezzar, of whom it is said (Daniel 4) (כְּמָה דְאַשְׁכַּחְנָא בִּנְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר, דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וּמִבְּנֵי אֲנָשָׁא טְרִיד וְעִשְׂבָּא כְתוֹרִין לֵיהּ יְטַעֲמוּן עַד דְּשִׁבְעָה עִדָּנִין יַחְלְפוּן עֲלוֹהִי), that these are his seven stars, they are changed over him from males to females (דְּאִינוּן שִׁבְעָה כּוֹכְבֵי דִילֵיהּ, יִתְחַלְפוּן עֲלוֹהִי מִדְּכוּרִין לְנוּקְבִין). And because of this, when the Gilgul of the female rides upon him (וּבְגִין דָּא כַּד גִּלְגּוּלָא דְנוּקְבָא קָא רְכִיבַת עֲלֵיהּ), his deeds are like a woman (עוֹבָדוֹי אִיהוּ כְּאִתְּתָא). When he speaks, he speaks with the opening of judgment (כַּד מַלִּיל מַלִּיל בִּפְתִיחוּ דִיְדִין), and his voice and his speech and all his deeds are like a woman (וְקָלֵיהּ וְדִבּוּרֵיהּ וְכָל עוֹבָדוֹי כְּאִתְּתָא), he is an abomination (תוֹעֵבָה אִיהוּ). And because of this Yisrael, the holy people, bless: “Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the Universe, Who has not made me a woman” (וּבְגִין דָּא מְבָרְכִין יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁלֹּא עָשַׂנִי אִשָּׁה).

Rabbi El'azar said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), Abba, I have heard that there is a soul that they cause to ride in a dog (אַבָּא, שְׁמַעִינָא דְאִית נַפְשָׁא דְמַרְכִּיבִין לָהּ בְּכַלְבָּא). And because of this David said: “Deliver my soul from the sword, my only one from the hand of the dog” (Psalms 22) (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר דָּוִד הַצִּילָה מֵחֶרֶב נַפְשִׁי מִיַּד כֶּלֶב יְחִידָתִי). What is “my only one”? This is the Neshama (מַאי יְחִידָתִי דָא נִשְׁמָתָא). And is the Neshama ridden in a dog (וְכִי נִשְׁמָתָא אִתְרְכִיבַת בְּכֶלֶב)? He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ), My son, yes (בְּרִי אִין), in that uncircumcised primordial serpent who deceived Chavah and mankind (בְּהַהוּא עָרֵל נָחָשׁ הַקַּדְמוֹנִי דְפַתִּי לְחַוָּה וְלִבְנֵי נָשָׁא). This is the dog (דָא אִיהוּ כֶּלֶב), and this is the evil inclination that came into this world (וְדָא יֵצֶר הָרָע דְּאָתָא בְהַהוּא עָלְמָא), riding upon him to receive his punishment (מוּרְכָּב עֲלֵיהּ לְקַבְּלָא עוֹנְשֵׁיהּ). And there are other souls that come in Gilgul in many creatures (וְאִית נִשְׁמָתִין אָחֳרָנִין דְּקָא אַתְיָין בְּגִלְגּוּלָא בְכַמָּה חֵיוָן), which are called constellation of lion (דְּאִתְקְרִיאוּ מַזָּל אַרְיֵה), constellation of ox (מַזָּל שׁוֹר), constellation of eagle (מַזָּל נֶשֶׁר), constellation of virgin (מַזָּל בְּתוּלָה), constellation of scorpion (מַזָּל עַקְרָב), constellation of ram (מַזָּל טָלֶה), constellation of Mars (מַזָּל מַאֲדִים), constellation of serpent (מַזָּל נָחָשׁ), constellation of fish (מַזָּל דָּגִים). As we have found with the twelve tribes that were likened to animals (כְּמָה דְאַשְׁכַּחְנָא בִתְרֵין עֲשַׂר שִׁבְטִין דְּאִתְמְתִילוּ לְחֵיוָון): this one to a lion, “A lion’s whelp is Yehudah” (Bereshit 49) (דָּא לְאַרְיֵה גּוּר אַרְיֵה יְהוּדָה); Yosef, “the firstborn of his ox” (יוֹסֵף בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ); Yissakhar, “a strong-boned donkey” (יִשָּׂשכָר חֲמוֹר גָּרֶם); Dan, “a serpent upon the road” (יְהִי דָן נָחָשׁ עֲלֵי דֶרֶךְ); Benjamin is a ravenous wolf (בִּנְיָמִין זְאֵב יִטְרָף).

And, my son, all this is the secret of Gilgul of the evil inclination (וּבְרִי כָּל דָּא רָזָא דְגִלְגּוּלָא דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע): there are some who are like a lion (אִית לְמָאן דְּאִיהוּ דַמְיָא לְאַרְיֵה), and there are some who are like a serpent (וְאִית לְמָאן דְּאִיהוּ דַמְיָא לְחִוְיָא), and there are some who are like a donkey (וְאִית לְמָאן דְּאִיהוּ דַמְיָא כַּחֲמוֹר). To every creature he changes according to their deeds (לְכָל בִּרְיָין אִשְׁתַּנִּי כְּפוּם עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן), and according to the time that they acted in it (וּכְפוּם שַׁעִתָּא דְאִתְעֲבִידוּ בָהּ). And with all this, fortunate is the soul that rules over it and rides upon it (וְעִם כָּל דָּא זַכָּאָה נִשְׁמָתָא דְשַׁלִּיט עֲלֵיהּ וְרָכִיב עֲלֵיהּ), like a man who rides on his horse or his donkey (כְּבַר נַשׁ דְּרָכִיב עַל סוּסְיָא אוֹ עַל חֲמָרֵיהּ). Woe to him over whom the serpent rules (וַי לֵיהּ לְמָאן דְּחִוְיָא שַׁלִּיט עֲלֵיהּ). This one is called a complete wicked one (הַאי אִתְקְרֵי רָשָׁע גָּמוּר). And whoever rules over it, he is called a complete righteous one (וּמָאן דְּאִיהוּ שַׁלִּיט עֲלֵיהּ אִיהוּ אִתְקְרֵי צַדִּיק גָּמוּר). And about him it is said: “I have given men in your stead, and people for your soul” (Isaiah 43) (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וְאֶתֵּן אָדָם תַּחְתֶּךָ, אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל אִישׁ אָוֶן, וּלְאֻמִּים תַּחַת נַפְשֶׁךָ). For when a man rules over his inclination (דְּכַד בַּר נַשׁ אִיהוּ שַׁלִּיט עַל יִצְרֵיהּ), so he rules over all his enemies (הָכִי אִיהוּ שַׁלִּיט עַל כָּל שָׂנְאוֹי). But if his inclination rules over him (וְאִם יִצְרֵיהּ שַׁלִּיט עֲלֵיהּ), his enemies rule over him (שָׂנְאוֹי שָׁלְטִין עֲלֵיהּ).