Daf 53b (דַּף נ״ג ע״ב)

And furthermore, who is Rav HaḤovel [the shipmaster]? (וְעוֹד מָאן רַב הַחוֹבֵל). This is that concerning which it is said (הַהוּא דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ): “If you take as a pledge the garment of your fellow” (אִם חָבוֹל תַּחְבּוֹל שַׂלְמַת רֵעִיךָ) (Exodus 22:25). Ḥavol [taking a pledge]—in the First House (חָבוֹל בְּבַיִת רִאשׁוֹן). Taḥbol [you shall take as a pledge]—in the Second House (תַּחְבּוֹל בְּבַיִת שֵׁנִי). And he is the master over all who guide the ship (וְאִיהוּ רַב דְּכָל מַנְהִיגֵי סְפִינָה). And what did he say to him (וּמָה אָמַר לֵיהּ)? “Arise, call upon your God” (Jonah 1) (קוּם קְרָא אֶל אֱלֹהֶיךָ), for judgments are coming upon you and upon your children (דְּהָא דִינִין קָא אַתְיָין עֲלָךְ וְעַל בְּנָיִךְ).

Behold, the masters of sins are gathered (הָא מָארֵי דְחוֹבִין מִתְכַּנְשִׁין), who are the merchants of your ship, which are evil spirits (דְּאִינוּן סַחֲרִין לִסְפִינָה דִילָךְ דְּאִינוּן רוּחִין בִּישִׁין). Look at your merits (אִסְתַּכַּל בְּזַכְוָון דִּילָךְ), in those limbs that engage in Orayta and good commandments (בְּאִלֵּין אֵבָרִים דְּמִשְׁתַּדְלִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּבְפִקּוּדִין טָבִין), and they will return the supernal Shekhinta, which is repentance, upon you (וְיַחֲזִירוּן שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה דְאִיהִי תְּיוּבְתָּא עֲלָךְ). And she will protect you (וְאִיהִי אֲגִינַת עֲלָךְ). Of her it is said (דַּעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר): “As an eagle stirs up her nest” (Deuteronomy 32) (כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ)-this is Jerusalem (דָּא יְרוּשָׁלֵם); “over her young she hovers” (Deuteronomy 32) (עַל גּוֹזָלָיו יְרַחֵף)-these are Yisrael (דְּאִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל). “She spreads her wings over them” (יִפְרוֹשׂ כְּנָפָיו עֲלַיְיהוּ)-on Shabbat and Yom Tov (בְּשַׁבַּתָּא וְיוֹמִין טָבִין). And because of this, we bless in them: “Blessed are You, YHVH, Who spreads the sukkah of peace” (Berakhot 53b) (וּבְגִינָהּ מְבָרְכִין בְּהוֹן בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהו״ה הַפּוֹרֵס סֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם). And at the time when she spreads her wings over Yisrael, it is said (וּבְזִמְנָא דִפְּרִישַׁת גַּדְפָהָא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְּמַר): “He took him, He bore him upon His pinions” (Deuteronomy 32) (יִקָּחֵהוּ יִשָּׂאֵהוּ עַל אֶבְרָתוֹ). As they established (כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהוּ): “And I bore you on the wings of eagles” (Exodus 19) (וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים וְגוֹ׳). And because of this: “Arise, call upon your God”-this is the supernal Shekhinta (וּבְגִין דָּא קוּם קְרָא אֶל אֱלֹהֶיךָ דְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה), which is your repentance (דְאִיהִי תְיוּבְתָּא דִילָךְ). And return in her to your Master, Who is Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְתוּב בָּהּ לְמָארָךְ דְּאִיהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Look, for the evil maidservant rules over you, which is the foul drop (אִסְתַּכַּל דְּשִׁפְחָה בִּישָׁא שָׁלְטָא עֲלָךְ דְּאִיהִי טִפָּה סְרוּחָה). Of her it is said (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר): “And YHVH said to the Satan: From where do you come?” (Job 1) (וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל הַשָּׂטָן מֵאַיִן תָּבֹא). For all sins are from the limbs of the foul drop (דְּכָל חוֹבִין אִינוּן מֵאֵבָרִין דְּטִפָּה סְרוּחָה). And because of her it is said regarding the guilty ones: “From where do you come?-from a foul drop” (דִּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר לְגַבֵּי חַיָּיבַיָּא מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ מִטִּפָּה סְרוּחָה). “And the men rowed hard to bring it back to the land” (Jonah 1) (וַיַּחְתְּרוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים לְהָשִׁיב אֶל הַיַּבָּשָׁה)-with repentance (בְּתִיּוּבְתָּא). But they could not, for the sea, which is the decree of judgment, went on raging against them (וְלֹא יָכוֹלוּ כִּי הַיָּם, דְּאִיהוּ גְזֵרַת דִּינָא, הוֹלֵךְ וְסוֹעִר עֲלֵיהֶם). At that time: “And YHVH appointed a great fish to swallow Yonah” (Jonah 2) (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא וַיְמַן יְהוָה דָּג גָּדוֹל לִבְלוֹעַ אֶת יוֹנָה). This is the first exile (דָא גָלוּתָא קַדְמָאָה), of which it is said: “And Yonah went down into the innermost parts of the ship” (וְיוֹנָה יָרַד אֶל יַרְכְּתֵי הַסְּפִינָה). And this is: “I will go down with you into Egypt” (Bereshit 46) (אָנֹכִי אֵרֵד עִמְּךָ מִצְרַיְמָה). As they established: in every place that Yisrael went into exile, Shekhinta was with them (כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהוּ בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּגָלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁכִינְתָּא עִמְּהוֹן). When Yisrael corrupted their deeds (קִלְקְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹבְדֵיהוֹן), at that time it is said of them: “And a new king arose over Egypt” (Exodus 1) (וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ עַל מִצְרָיִם). And this is Pharaoh (וְדָא פַּרְעֹה). Of him it is said: “And YHVH appointed a great fish to swallow Yonah” (וַיְמַן יְהוָה דָּג גָּדוֹל לִבְלוֹעַ אֶת יוֹנָה)-for he sought to nullify Yisrael from the world (דְּבָעָא לְבַטְלָא יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעָלְמָא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river” (Exodus 1) (כָּל הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד הַיְאוֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכוּהוּ).

Against this it is said again: “And YHVH appointed a great fish to swallow Yonah” (לְקִבְּלֵיהּ וַיְמַן יְהוָה דָּג גָּדוֹל לִבְלוֹעַ אֶת יוֹנָה)-to kill him (לְקַטְלֵיהּ). It does not say “to swallow Yonah,” but “to swallow et Yonah” (לִבְלוֹעַ יוֹנָה לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא לִבְלוֹעַ אֶת יוֹנָה). “Et” comes to include Ra‘aya Meheimna (אֶת אָתָא לְרַבּוֹת רַעִיָא מְהֵימְנָא), through whom the Orayta would in the future be given (דְעָתִיד לְאִתְיַיהֲבָא אוֹרַיְיתָא עַל יְדֵיהּ). For she is from Alef until Tav (דְּאִיהִי מֵאַלֶּף וְעַד תָּי״ו). All these gilgulim were by his hand (כָּל אִלֵּין גִּלְגּוּלִין עַל יְדֵיהּ הֲווֹ). And this is the “Great Fish” (וְדָא אִיהוּ דָּג גָּדוֹל), of which it is said: “The Great Dragon” (Ezekiel 29) (הַתַּנִּין הַגָּדוֹל)-this is the fish of Egypt (אִיהוּ דָּג מִצְרָיִם). And his mate is the female fish (וּבַת זוּגֵיהּ דָּגָה). Of her it is written: “And Yonah prayed to YHVH his God from the belly of the fish” (Jonah 2) (וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל יוֹנָה אֶל יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו מִמְּעֵי הַדָּגָה). What is “the belly of the fish”? These are the Egyptians (מָאן מְעִי הַדָּגָה אִלֵּין מִצְרָאֵי). And furthermore: “And YHVH appointed a great fish” (וְעוֹד וַיְמַן יְהוָה דָּג גָּדוֹל)-this is the spleen, Lilith, who is the Erev rav from that shipmaster (דָא טְחוֹל לִילִית דְּאִיהִי עִרֶב רַב מֵהַהוּא רַב הַחוֹבֵל). Some say: this is Samael, female fish, serpent, Lilith, his mate, from that shipmaster, the spleen, which is the Erev rav (נ״א דָא סמא״ל, דָּגָה דָא נָחָשׁ לִילִית בַּת זוּגֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא רַב הַחוֹבֵל, טְחוֹל דָּא עִרֶב רַב). Of them it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ): “And also a Erev rav went up with them” (Exodus 12) (וְגַם עֵרֶב רַב וְגוֹ׳). And the spleen is the laughter of the fool (וּטְחוֹל אִיהוּ שְׂחוֹק הַכְּסִיל). Of it, it is said (עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר): “For anger rests in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7) (כִּי הַכַּעַס בְּחֵיק כְּסִילִים יָנוּחַ). To swallow Yonah-this is the Nefesh (לִבְלוֹעַ אֶת יוֹנָה דָא נַפְשָׁא), from its side (מִסִּטְרָא דִילֵיהּ): “And they did not listen to Moshe, because of shortness of Ruach” (Exodus 6) (וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶל מֹשֶׁה מִקֹּצֶר רוּחַ). And from the hard labor, from the side of the liver (וּמֵעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה מִסִּטְרָא דְכָבֵד), of which it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ): “The heart of Pharaoh was hardened” (Exodus 7) (כָּבֵד לֵב פַּרְעֹה), and: “Let the work be heavier upon the men” (Exodus 5) (תִּכְבַּד הָעֲבוֹדָה). From the side of the gall (מִסִּטְרָא דְמָרָה): “And they made their lives bitter” (Exodus 1) (וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם).

The Great fish is the Erev rav (דָּג גָּדוֹל אִיהוּ עִרֶב רַב), some say: this is the shipmaster (נ״א דָּא אִיהוּ רַב הַחוֹבֵל). Who is “chovel” (חוֹבֵל)? None other than the master over all the angels of destruction (מָאן חוֹבֵל אֶלָּא רַב מִכָּל מַלְאֲכֵי חַבָּלָה). He is the destroyer (אִיהוּ חוֹבֵל), and she is destruction (וְאִיהִי חַבָּלָה). The Erev rav are the children of Lilith the guilty (עִרֶב רַב בְּנִין דְּלִילִית חַיָּיבָא). Through them Yisrael were bound, and they bound them in their flesh at the letter of the covenant (דִבְהוֹן חָאבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַחֲבִילוּ יָת בִּשְׂרַיְיהוּ בְּאָת בְּרִית). They are the master over them in exile (אִינוּן רַב עֲלַיְיהוּ בְגָלוּתָא). And they are the fish for Yisrael (וְאִינוּן דָּגָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). And because of this they said (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמְרוּ): “We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt freely” (Numbers 11) (זָכַרְנוּ אֶת הַדָּגָה וְגוֹ׳). And at the time when Yisrael went out from Egypt, many of them were killed (וּבְזִמְנָא דְנָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם קְטִיל מִנַּיְיהוּ סַגִּיאִין). And in the final exile, the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to kill them (וּבְגָלוּתָא בַתְרָאָה עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְקָטְלָא לוֹן). And this is what is written (וְדָא אִיהוּ דִכְתִיב): “And the fish that is in the river shall die” (Exodus 7) (וְהַדָּגָה אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאוֹר מֵתָה). “And the river stank”-this is Orayta (וַיִּבְאַשׁ הַיְאוֹר דָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא), of which it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ): “And Torah is light” (Proverbs 6) (וְתוֹרָה אוֹר). It had become corrupted in relation to them (סָרְחַת לְגַבַּיְיהוּ). And it is said of Yisrael (וְאִתְּמַר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל): “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river” (Exodus 1) (כָּל הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד הַיְאוֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכוּהוּ).

“Light” is Raz (Mysteries) (אוֹר אִיהוּ רָ״ז). “Ha-Ye’orah” (the river) is the mate of that light (הַיְאוֹרָה בַּת זוּגֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא אוֹר), of which it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ): “And for all the children of Yisrael there was light in their dwellings” (Exodus 10) (וּלְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה אוֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבוֹתָם). In this likeness, in the final exile, the river is the Zohar (כְּגַוְונָא דָא בְגָלוּתָא בַתְרָאָה הַיְאוֹרָה הַזּוֹהַר), within it is Raz (Mysteries) (בֵּיהּ הָוָה רָ״ז), which is the light of the final redemption (דְּאִיהוּ אוֹר דְּפוּרְקָנָא בַתְרַיְיתָא), to fulfill (לְקַיֵּים): “As in the days of your going out from Egypt I will show him wonders” (Micah 7) (כִּימֵי צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אַרְאֶנּוּ נִפְלָאוֹת). And this is: “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river” (וְדָא אִיהוּ כָּל הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד הַיְאוֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכוּהוּ). “And every daughter you shall keep alive” (וְכָל הַבַּת תְּחַיּוּן)-these are those who engage in the Oral Orayta (אִלֵּין דְּמִשְׁתַּדְלִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דִבְעַל פֶּה).