Daf 49b (דַּף מ״ט ע״ב)

Happy is he who includes the Neshamah and the Ruach together with the Nefesh in the voice of the Orayta (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ דְכָלֵיל נִשְׁמָתָא וְרוּחָא עִם נַפְשָׁא בְקָלָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא), for in the Orayta they are strengthened (דִבְאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְתַּקְּפוּן). For whoever does not engage in the Orayta, his Neshamah, Ruach, and Nefesh, above and below, are weakened (דְּכָל מָאן דְּלָא אִתְעַסַּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא חַלִּישׁ נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ רוּחֵיהּ וְנַפְשֵׁיהּ עִילָא וְתַתָּא). And the appendix of the liver - this is a harlot (וְיוֹתֶרֶת הַכָּבֵד אִיהוּ זוֹנָה). She is leftovers that are strengthened for all other gods (שִׁיּוּרִין אִיהוּ לְכָל אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים מִתְתַּקְפָא). And why is it called the appendix of the liver? (וְאַמַּאי אִתְקְרִיאַת יוֹתֶרֶת הַכָּבֵד) Because after she commits adultery with all, she gives leftovers to her husband (אֶלָּא בָּתַר דְּעָבִיד נִאוּפָא עִם כֻּלְּהוּ, יְהִיבַת שִׁיּוּרִין לְבַעִילָהּ). And about her it is said: “For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a loaf of bread” (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר כִּי בְעַד אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה עַד כִּכַּר לָחֶם) (Proverbs 6:26). For she is heated from the liver (דְּאִיהִי אִתְחַמְמַת מִכָּבֵד). And the spleen is the laughter of the fool (וּטְחוֹל אִיהוּ שְׂחוֹק הַכְּסִיל). And about it is said: “If you see a wicked one to whom the hour is laughing, do not provoke him” (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר אִם רָאִיתָ רָשָׁע שֶׁהַשָּׁעָה מְשַׂחֶקֶת לוֹ אַל תִּתְגָּרֶה בּוֹ). For he is Sheol below, of whom it is said: “The righteous is swallowed up by him” (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ שְׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּית, דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ צַדִּיק מִמֶּנּוּ בּוֹלֵעַ). But a complete Tzaddik he does not swallow (אֲבָל צַדִּיק גָּמוּר אֵינוֹ בּוֹלֵעַ). The liver grows angry and kills (כָּבֵד כּוֹעִס וְקָטִיל). She is in the likeness of the lower Shekhinta, crowned from ten (אִיהִי בְדִיּוֹקְנָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה כְּלִילָא מֵעִשֶׂר). And she is “a candle is a mitzvah” (וְאִיהִי נֵר מִצְוָה). And the Ruach that blows within her is Tiferet Yisrael, which is in the wings of the lungs (וְרוּחָא דְנָשִׁיב בָּהּ תִּפְאֶרֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִיהִי בְּכַנְפֵי רֵיאָה). And this is “and Torah is light” (וְדָא אִיהוּ וְתוֹרָה אוֹר), which shines within her - this is the upper Shekhinta, the Neshmat Chayim (דְּנָהִיר בָּהּ דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים), which descends from the brain to illuminate them in the heart (דְּנָחֲתָא מִן מוֹחָא לְאַנְהָרָא לוֹן בְּלִבָּא).

What is Ner [lamp]? Nefesh–Ruach (מַאי נֵ״ר נַפְשָׁא רוּחָא). The Nefesh - this is the wick (דְּנַפְשָׁא אִיהִי פְּתִילָה). Some say: because she is the partner of the body (נ״א עַל שֵׁם דְּאִיהִי שׁוּתְפָא דְגוּפָא). The Ruach - this is the olive oil (רוּחָא דָא זֵיתָא). The Neshamah: “The candle of Hashem is the soul of man” (נִשְׁמָתָא נֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם) (Proverbs 20:27).

Adam - this is light of the candle, in which shines the Written Torah (אָדָם דָּא אִיהִי אוֹר נֵר, נְהִיר בֵּיהּ אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּבְכְתָב). And the Neshamah - this is the candle, which shines in her the mitzvah (וְנִשְׁמְתָּא דָּא אִיהִי נֵר נְהִיר בָּהּ מִצְוָה). And at a time when neither light nor candle shine within her, it is said regarding the Neshamah: “Do not look upon me because I am blackened” (וּבִזְמַנָּא דְּלָא נְהִירִין בָּהּ אוֹר וְנֵר אִתְּמַר בְּנִשְׁמְתָּא אַל תִּרְאוּנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחוֹרְחָרֶת) (Song of Songs 1:6). And it is said about man: “I clothe the heavens with blackness” (וְאִתְּמַר בְּאָדָם אֲלַבִּישׁ שָׁמַיִם קַדְרוּת) (Isaiah 50:3). And what is Ner, Nefesh–Ruach? Nun stands for Nefesh, Reish stands for Ruach (וּמַאי נֵ״ר נַפְשָׁא רוּחָא, נ׳ נַפְשָׁא ר׳ רוּחָא). Corresponding to these three crowns, which are the three colors: black fire, white fire, and blue fire (לָקֳבֵל תְּלַת קִטְרִין אִלֵּין, אִינוּן תְּלַת גַּוָּונִין, אֶשָּׁא אוּכְמָא חִוְורָא וּתְכֵלְתָּא). Whoever guards the candle of Hashem, the soul of man, in the Orayta, in the positive and negative commandments, the fire of Gehinnom does not rule over him (מָאן דְּנָטִיר נֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּפִקּוּדִין דַּעֲשֵׂה וְלֹא תַעֲשֵׂה, לָא שַׁלִּיט עֲלֵיהּ נוּרָא דְגֵיהִנָּם). And this is the liver, gall, and spleen (וְדָא אִיהוּ כָּבֵד וּמָרָה וּטְחוֹל). The liver - red fire (כָּבֵד אֶשָּׁא סוּמְקָא). The gall - green fire (מָרָה אֶשָּׁא יְרוֹקָא). The spleen - black fire (טְחוֹל אֶשָּׁא אוּכְמָא). The appendix of the liver crowns them all (יוֹתֶרֶת הַכָּבֵד כְּלָלָא דְכֻלְּהוּ). And this is dark blue (תְּכֵלֶת חָשׁוּךְ). And the blue thread of the tzitzit is a mitzvah (וּתְכֵלֶת דְּצִיצִית מִצְוָה), and blue does not exist in the Sitra achra (וּתְכֵלֶת לֵית בְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא), because it resembles the precious Throne (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ דוֹמֶה לְכָרְסַיָּא יַקִּירָא). The colors of the lamp are garments for “the candle of Hashem is the soul of man” (גַּוָּונִין דִּשְׁרַגָּא אִינוּן לְבוּשִׁין לְנֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם). The black color - this is the spleen (גַּוָּון אוּכַם דְּאִיהוּ טְחוֹל). When the Nefesh is clothed there with sins, she says: “Do not look upon me because I am blackened” (כַּד מִתְלַבְּשַׁת תַּמָּן נַפְשָׁא בְּחוֹבִין, אִיהִי אָמְרַת אַל תִּרְאוּנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחֹרֶת) (Song of Songs 1:6). Blackened - in the gloom of my children, in their oppression and in their poverty (שְׁחַרְחֹרֶת בְּקַדְרוּתָא דְבָנַי, בְּדוֹחֲקָא דִלְהוֹן בַּעֲנִיּוּתָא דִלְהוֹן). Darkness, mockery, and poverty come forth from the spleen (קַדְרוּתָא וְלַיְצָנוּתָא וַעֲנִיּוּתָא מִטְּחוֹל נַפְקָא), when the Neshamah is imprisoned in it in exile (כַּד נִשְׁמָתָא אֲסִירָא בָּהּ בְּגָלוּתָא). And this is: “And a maidservant that inherits her mistress” (וְדָא אִיהוּ וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ) (Proverbs 30:23). At that time the spleen laughs (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא טְחוֹל שׂוֹחֵק). And when the King Mashiach comes to take vengeance upon the spleen, which is the maidservant (וּלְזִמְנָא דְיֵיתֵי מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא לְנַטְלָא נוּקְמָא מִטְּחוֹל דְּאִיהִי שִׁפְחָה): “He that sits in heaven shall laugh” (יוֹשֵׁב בַּשָּׁמַיִם יִשְׂחָק) (Psalms 2:4). He shall laugh at their destruction (יִשְׂחָק אִיהוּ בְאִבּוּדָא דִלְהוֹן), as it is said: “And when the wicked perish, there is song” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר וּבַאֲבֹד רְשָׁעִים רִנָּה) (Proverbs 11:6).

Rinnah [song] is the Ner [lamp] (רִנָּ״ה אִיהוּ הַנֵּ״ר). It is the river that goes forth from Eden (אִיהוּ נָהָ״ר יוֹצֵא מֵעִדֶן). And what is it? The positive and negative commandments, in the count of “Nahar [river]” (וּמַאי נִיהוּ מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה וּמִצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כְּחוּשְׁבַּן נָהָ״ר). Nun–Heh–Resh (נוּ״ן הֵ״א רֵי״שׁ). And it is the Ner that gives light to man (וְאִיהִי הַנֵּר הַמֵּאִיר לְאָדָם). And because of this: “And when the wicked perish, there is song” (וְעַל דָּא בַּאֲבֹד רְשָׁעִים רִנָּ״ה) (Proverbs 11:6). And at that time the spleen that laughs shall be destroyed (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא הַטְּחוֹל דְּשׂוֹחֵק אִתְאֲבִיד). And then shall be fulfilled: “Then our mouth shall be filled with laughter, and our tongue with song” (וְאָז יִתְקַיַּים אָז יִמָּלֵא שְׂחוֹק פִּינוּ וּלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ רִנָּה וַדַּאי) (Psalms 126:2). And then: “Her candle shall not go out at night” (וְאָז לֹא יִכְבֶּה בַּלַּיְלָה נֵרָהּ) (Proverbs 31:18), because: “She tastes that her merchandise is good” (בְּגִין דְּטָעֲמָה כִּי טוֹב סַחְרָהּ) (Proverbs 31:18). And at that time Jerusalem, which is the heart, shall be repaired (וּבְהַהִיא זִמְנָא מִתְתַּקְנָא יְרוּשָׁלַםִ דְּאִיהִי לִבָּא). The heart - this is the flame of the altar (לִבָּא אִיהוּ לַהַ״ב הַמִּזְבֵּחַ). It shall be strengthened with the calculation of the heart (יִכְבֶּ״ה בְּחוּשְׁבַּן הַלֵּ״ב).

The flame - Hevel - shall not be extinguished in the exile, which is the night (לַהַ״ב הֶבֶ״ל, לֹא יִכְבֶּה בְגָלוּתָא דְאִיהִי לַיְלָה). And she shall be built by the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He (וְאִתְבְּנִיאַת עַל יְדָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is said: “Hashem builds Jerusalem” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר בּוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַם יְהוָה) (Psalms 147:2). (Whoever guards the candle of Hashem, the soul of man, with the positive and negative commandments, the fire of Gehinnom does not rule over him - this is the liver, gall, and spleen) (מָאן דְּנָטִיר נֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם בְּפִקּוּדִין דַּעֲשֵׂה וְלֹא תַעֲשֵׂה, לָא שַׁלִּיט עֲלֵיהּ נוּרָא דְגֵיהִנָּם, דָּא אִיהִי כָּבֵד מָרָה טְחוֹל).