It may be asked, why is a goat brought as an offering (in this case), seeing that R. Simeon has said that a goat is an evil species, as its name indicates (‘ez = ‘az =impudent)? However, R. Simeon answered that there is a reason, because if a spirit of uncleanness passes over a man or he occupies himself with it, then a goat is his appropriate offering, as being akin to his sin.
R. Simeon said further: ‘Some are gifted with a supersoul (neshamah), some with the impulse of the spirit (ruah), and some only with an ordinary soul (nefesh). Those who attain no higher than the ordinary soul cling to the side of uncleanness, and when they sleep unclean sides (spirits) come and cling to them and show them things in dreams, partly true and partly false. Hence heathens also see true things sometimes in their dreams.
Now those evil species are of three grades. The highest are suspended in the air. The lowest mock men in their dreams. The intermediate grade tell men things partly true and partly false, but if true, only relating to the immediate future.
As for the higher grade of those who are suspended in the air, when the soul (nefesh) of a man seeks to prepare itself for the reception of the spirit (ruah), something issues from it and seeks to rise, and in so doing meets those spirits which tell it things that will happen both in the near and the more distant future, and it cleaves to that grade until it acquires spirit.
When it has done so, the spirit issues forth and cleaves its way through rocks and mountains until it ascends among the holy angels, and there it learns many things before returning to its place. This is as far as man can attain in holiness until he is endowed with a super-soul (neshamah).
When he acquires that super-soul, it ascends among the righteous who are bound up in the bundle of the living, and there it sees the delight of the King and regales itself with the supernal splendour.
And when the holy Hind (Shekinah) awakes with the north wind, the soul comes down and that righteous one who has acquired it arises and strengthens himself like a lion in the study of the Torah till morning, and then he goes with that holy Hind to appear before the King to receive a thread of grace,
Blessed’, said R. Simeon, ‘are those who possess a super-soul, who study the Torah, who worship the Holy King. Woe to the sinners who do not cleave to their Master and have no portion in the Torah. For he who has no portion in the Torah has no portion either in the spirit or the super-soul, but he cleaves to the side of the evil species, having no portion in the holy King or in holiness. Woe to him when he shall leave this world, for he is a marked man to those evil species, pitiless dogs, emissaries of the fires of Gehenna.
See now the difference between Israel and the nations. Even though an Israelite possess only an ordinary soul, yet a higher grade stands over him, and if he tries to acquire a spirit or super-soul, he can do so. But the heathen can never do so unless he becomes circumcised, when he acquires a soul from another place.
For there are men who cleave to that evil side because they are not endowed with more than this ordinary soul, and when this unclean spirit passes by them it rests upon them and they cleave to it. Thus their sin is from the side of that unclean spirit and their offering is a goat, a beast which comes from that side, and so is a fitting atonement.’
Said R. Eleazar: ‘It is written, “His body shall not remain all night on the tree… that thou defile not thy land” (Deut. 21, 23). The reason is that the land is holy, and the unclean spirit must find no place in the holy land on which to rest. This being so, seeing that the spirit of uncleanness rests on this animal and it comes from the side of uncleanness, how can it be brought as an offering to the side of holiness?’
R. Simeon replied: ‘You have asked well, my son. The answer is as follows. It is written, “The Lord thy God is a devouring fire” (Deut. 4, 24). The fire of the Holy One, blessed be He, feeds on another fire. There are angels which chant praises before the Holy One, and as soon as they finish are consumed in the flames of a devouring fire. Below, too, God has empowered the fire of the altar to consume all that side in its flames so that naught of it should be left in the world, and the man who brings the offering prevails over it, and through the savour of the sacrifice the side of the evil spirit departs from him and he obtains atonement.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, עֵז לְקָרְבְּנָא, אֲמַאי. וְהָא אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, עֵז שְׁמָא דִּילֵיהּ גָּרִים, לְאוֹלִיף מִן שְׁמֵיהּ, דְּהָא סִטְרָא בִּישָׁא זִינָא בִּישָׁא הוּא. אֶלָּא הָכִי אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, דָּא בָּעֵי לְקָרְבָא, דְּהָא אִי אַעְבָּר עָלֵיהּ רוּחָא דִּמְסַאֲבָא, אוֹ אִתְעֲסַּק בֵּיהּ, הַאי עֵז קָרְבָּנֵיהּ, בְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא דְּאִיהוּ חָטֵי בֵּיהּ.
It may be asked, why is a goat brought as an offering (in this case), seeing that R. Simeon has said that a goat is an evil species, as its name indicates (‘ez = ‘az =impudent)? However, R. Simeon answered that there is a reason, because if a spirit of uncleanness passes over a man or he occupies himself with it, then a goat is his appropriate offering, as being akin to his sin.
ואָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הָא תָּנֵינָן אִית מַאן (בראשית ס"ט ע"א, שמות כ"ד ע"ב ועיין צ"א) דְּזָכָה בִּנְּשָׁמָה, וְאִית מַאן דְּזָכָה בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דְּרוּחַ, וְאִית מַאן דְּלָא זָכֵי אֶלָּא בְּנֶפֶשׁ. הַאי מַאן דְּלָא זָכֵי אֶלָּא בְּנֶפֶשׁ, וְלָא סָלִיק יַתִיר, הָא אִתְדְּבַּק בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא מִסְאֲבָא, וְכַד אִיהוּ נָאִים, אִינּוּן סִטְרִין בִּישִׁין אַתְיָין וּמִתְדַּבְּקָן בֵּיהּ, וּמוֹדְעִין לֵיהּ בְּחֶלְמָא מִלִּין דְּעָלְמָא. מִנְּהוֹן כְּדִיבִין, וּמִנְּהוֹן קְשׁוֹט. וּלְזִמְנִין דְּחַיְיכָן בֵּיהּ, וְאַחְזִיאוּ לֵיהּ מִלֵי שְׁקָר, וְצַעְרִין לֵיהּ בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא אוּמִין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, מִנְּהוֹן דְּחָמָאן בְּחֶלְמַיְיהוּ מִלֵי קְשׁוֹט, בְּגִין הַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּמִתְדַּבְּקָן בֵּיהּ. וְכֻלְּהוּ מִלִּין לִזְמַן קָרִיב.
R. Simeon said further: ‘Some are gifted with a supersoul (neshamah), some with the impulse of the spirit (ruah), and some only with an ordinary soul (nefesh). Those who attain no higher than the ordinary soul cling to the side of uncleanness, and when they sleep unclean sides (spirits) come and cling to them and show them things in dreams, partly true and partly false. Hence heathens also see true things sometimes in their dreams.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּאִלֵין זִינִין בִּישִׁין, אִית תְּלַת דַּרְגִּין, אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין. דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה דִּלְהוֹן הַנְהוּ דְּתַלְיָאָן (ע"ו ע"ב שמות רס"ז ע"א, רס"א ע"א, צ"א ע"ב) בַּאֲוִירָא. דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה דִּלְהוֹן אִינּוּן דְּחַיְיכָן בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, וְצַעֲרָן לְהוּ בְּחֶלְמַיְיהוּ, בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ חֲצִיפִין כְּכַלְבֵי. וְאִית דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה עָלַיְיהוּ, דְּאִינּוּן מֵעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, ואִלֵּין מוֹדָעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ מִלִּין, מִנְּהוֹן כְּדִיבִין, וּמִנְהוֹן קְשׁוֹט. וְאִינּוּן מִלֵי דִּקְשׁוֹט כֻּלְּהוּ לִזְמַן קָרִיב.
Now those evil species are of three grades. The highest are suspended in the air. The lowest mock men in their dreams. The intermediate grade tell men things partly true and partly false, but if true, only relating to the immediate future.
וְהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא מֵאִינּוּן דְּתַלְיָין בַּאֲוִירָא, דְּאִינּוּן עִלָּאִין יַתִּיר. הַהוּא דְּלָא זָכֵי יַתִּיר אֶלָּא בְּנֶפֶשׁ, וְהַהוּא נֶפֶשׁ בָּעֵי לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא לְקַבְּלָא רוּחָא, עַד לָא רָוַוח לֵיהּ, נָפְקָא מַה דְּנָפְקָא מֵהַהוּא נֶפֶשׁ, וְאִתְפְּשַּׁט בְּעָלְמָא, וּבָעָא לְסַלְּקָא, וְלָא בָּעֵי, עַד דְּאַעְרַע בְּהוּ בְּאִינּוּן דַּאֲוִירָא, וְאִינּוּן מוֹדִעִין לֵיהּ מִלִּין, מִנְּהוֹן קְרִיבִין, וּמִנְהוֹן רְחִיקִין יַתִיר, וּבְהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא אָזִיל וְאִתְקְשַׁר בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ, עַד דְּקָנִי רוּחַ.
As for the higher grade of those who are suspended in the air, when the soul (nefesh) of a man seeks to prepare itself for the reception of the spirit (ruah), something issues from it and seeks to rise, and in so doing meets those spirits which tell it things that will happen both in the near and the more distant future, and it cleaves to that grade until it acquires spirit.
כֵּיוָן דְּקָנָה רוּחָא, הַהוּא רוּחָא נָפִיק, מְתָּבַר טוּרִין וְטִנָרִין, סָלִיק וְאִתְפָּשַּׁט וְאָעִיל בֵּין מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי קַדִישֵׁי, וְתַמָּן יָדַע מַה דְּיָדַע, וְאוֹלִיף מִלִּין, וְאִתְהַדָּר לְאַתְרֵיהּ. כְּדֵין הוּא קִשּׁוּרָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, עַד דְּזָכֵי בַּנְּשָׁמָה וְקָנֵי לָהּ.
When it has done so, the spirit issues forth and cleaves its way through rocks and mountains until it ascends among the holy angels, and there it learns many things before returning to its place. This is as far as man can attain in holiness until he is endowed with a super-soul (neshamah).
כֵּיון דְּקָנָה נְשָׁמָה, הִיא סַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, וּנְטוּרֵי פִּתְחִין לָא מְעַכְּבֵי לָהּ, וְאַזְלָא וּמִתְפַּשְּׁטָא וְעַיְילָא בֵּין אִינּוּן צַדִיקַיָּא דִּצְרִירָן בִּצְרוֹרָא דְּחַיֵּי, וְתַמָּן חָמֵי עִנּוּגָא דְּמַלְכָּא וּמִתְהַנְיָא מִן זִיוָא עִלָּאָה.
When he acquires that super-soul, it ascends among the righteous who are bound up in the bundle of the living, and there it sees the delight of the King and regales itself with the supernal splendour.
וכַד אִתְעַר אַיַּילְתָא קַדִישָׁא, בְּרוּחַ צָפוֹן, נַחְתָּא, וְקָם הַהוּא זַכָּאָה דְּקָנֵי לָהּ, וְאִתְגַּבָּר כְּאַרְיֵה תַּקִּיפָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, עַד דְּאָתֵי צַפְרָא, וְאָזִיל בְּהַהִיא אַיַּילְתָּא קַדִישָׁא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קָמֵי מַלְכָּא, לְקַבְּלָא חַד חוּטָא דְּחֶסֶד, וּמַאי אִיהוּ דָּא חוּטָא דְּאַבְרָהָם, דְּהוּא קָנֵי לֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית י״ד:כ״ג) אִם מִחוּט וְעַד שְׂרוֹךְ נַעַל, הוּא לָא אִתְהֲנֵי מֵאָחֳרָא כְּלוּם, וְאָמַר אִם מִחוּט, זָכָה לְהַאי חוּטָא, וְדָא אִקְרֵי חוּטָא דְּאַבְרָהָם.
And when the holy Hind (Shekinah) awakes with the north wind, the soul comes down and that righteous one who has acquired it arises and strengthens himself like a lion in the study of the Torah till morning, and then he goes with that holy Hind to appear before the King to receive a thread of grace,
וְכַד אָתֵי הַהוּא זַכָּאָה בְּהַאי אַיַּילְתָּא, כְּדֵין אִתְעֲטָּר עִמָּהּ קָמֵי מַלְכָּא, וְדָוִד קָאָמַר, (תהילים כ״ב:א׳) לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר שִׁירָתָא דִּכְנְסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקָאַמְרֵי בְּגָלוּתָא אֵלִי אֵלִי לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי וגוֹ'.
1the first seven lines of the Hebrew text are not translated.and he is crowned with her before the King.
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן מָארֵי דְּנִשְׁמְתָא, מָארֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּנֵי פּוּלְחָנָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִישָׁא. וַוי לְאִינּוּן חַיָּיבַיָּא, דְּלָא זַכָּאן לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּמָארִיהוֹן, וְלָא זַכָּאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּלָא זָכֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לָא זָכֵי לָא בְּרוּחַ, וְלָא בִּנְּשָׁמָה. וְאִתְדַּבְּקוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן, בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּזִינִין בִּישִׁין. וְהַאי לֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּמַלְכָּא קַדִישָׁא, לֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה. וַוי לֵיהּ כַּד יִפּוּק מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, דְּהָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע הוּא לְגַבֵּי אִינּוּן זִינִין בִּישִׁין, מָארֵי חֲצִיפוּתָא, תַּקִיפֵי כְּכַלְבָּא, שְׁלוּחֵי דְּנוּרָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם, דְּלָא מֵרַחֲמֵי עָלַיְיהוּ.
Blessed’, said R. Simeon, ‘are those who possess a super-soul, who study the Torah, who worship the Holy King. Woe to the sinners who do not cleave to their Master and have no portion in the Torah. For he who has no portion in the Torah has no portion either in the spirit or the super-soul, but he cleaves to the side of the evil species, having no portion in the holy King or in holiness. Woe to him when he shall leave this world, for he is a marked man to those evil species, pitiless dogs, emissaries of the fires of Gehenna.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא זָכֵי בַּר נָשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶלָּא בְּנֶפֶשׁ, דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה קָאִים עָלֵיהּ, וְאִי אִיהוּ בָּעֵי לְמִקְנִי רוּחַ, וְאִי אִיהוּ בָּעֵי לְמִקְנִי נְשָׁמָה, קָנֵי וְזָכֵי בָּהּ. אֲבָל עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, לָא קַנְיָין לְעָלְמִין, בַּר אִי אִתְגְּזַר, דְּקַנֵי נֶפֶשׁ (תחת נפש) מֵאֲתַר אָחֳרָא.
See now the difference between Israel and the nations. Even though an Israelite possess only an ordinary soul, yet a higher grade stands over him, and if he tries to acquire a spirit or super-soul, he can do so. But the heathen can never do so unless he becomes circumcised, when he acquires a soul from another place.
וישְׂרָאֵל דְּקַיְימֵי בְּדַרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה בְּנֶפֶשׁ, אִי אִיהוּ לָא בָּעֵי לְמִזְכֵּי יַתִּיר, עוֹנְשֵׁיהּ סַגְיָא. וַוי לְהַהוּא חַיָּיבָא, דְּאַנְשֵׁי פִּקּוּדֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אַנְשֵׁי לְמָארֵיהּ, עָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב (תהילים ק״ד:ל״ה) יִתַּמּוּ חַטָּאִים מִן הָאָרֶץ.
If, however, an Israelite who is only in the grade of ordinary soul does not aspire to rise higher, his punishment is great.
ותָּא חֲזֵי אִית בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּאִתְדַּבְּקָן בְּהַאי סִטְרָא, בְּגִין הַהוּא (נ"א בהאי) נֶפֶשׁ דְּלָא זַכָּאן יַתִּיר, וְכַד אַעְבַּר עָלַיְיהוּ הַהוּא רוּחָא מִסְאֲבָא, אַשְׁרֵי עָלַיְיהוּ וְאִתְדְּבָּקוּ בֵּיהּ. כְּדֵין הַהוּא חַטָּאָה דְּחָטֵי בַּר נָשׁ, הוּא מִסִּטְרָא דְּהַהוּא רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא, וְקָרְבָּנִיהּ אִיהוּ חַד עֵז, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ בְּעִירָא דְּאָתֵי מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא, לְכַפְּרָא עַל חוֹבֵיהּ.
For there are men who cleave to that evil side because they are not endowed with more than this ordinary soul, and when this unclean spirit passes by them it rests upon them and they cleave to it. Thus their sin is from the side of that unclean spirit and their offering is a goat, a beast which comes from that side, and so is a fitting atonement.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרִיהּ, והָא כְּתִיב (דברים כ״א:כ״ג) לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל הָעֵץ וְגוֹ', וְלא תְטַמֵּא אֶת אַדְמָתְךָ. בְּגִין דְּאַרְעָא הִיא קַדִישָׁא, (ובאתרא דשארי) וְרוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא לָא יִשְׁתְּכַח אַתְרָא בְּאַרְעָא קַדִישָׁא לְמִשְׁרֵי עֲלוֹי, אִי הָכִי, כֵּיוָן דְּהַהוּא בְּעִירָא שָׁארֵי עָלֵיהּ רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא וְאָתֵי מִסִּטְרָהָא, אֲמַאי מַקְרִיבִין לֵיהּ לִסְטַר קוּדְשָׁא. אָמַר לֵיהּ יָאוּת שָׁאַלְתָּ.
Said R. Eleazar: ‘It is written, “His body shall not remain all night on the tree… that thou defile not thy land” (Deut. 21, 23). The reason is that the land is holy, and the unclean spirit must find no place in the holy land on which to rest. This being so, seeing that the spirit of uncleanness rests on this animal and it comes from the side of uncleanness, how can it be brought as an offering to the side of holiness?’
אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי בְּרִי, כְּתִיב (דברים ד׳:כ״ד) כִּי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵשׁ אוֹכְלָה הוּא, אִית אֶשָּׁא אָכִיל אֶשָּׁא. אֶשָּׁתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אָכִיל אֶשָּׁא אָחֳרָא. וְתָּא חֲזֵי אִית מַלְאֲכִין דְּאַמְרִין שִׁירָתָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאִינּוּן מִתְבַּטְלֵי כַּד מְסַיְּימֵי הַהִיא שִׁירָתָא, בְּנִיצוֹצָא דְּאֶשָּׁא אַכְלָא. לְתַתָּא זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶשָּׁא דְּמַדְבְּחָא, וְהַאי אֶשָּׁא אַכְלָא וְשֵׁצֵי לְכָל הַהוּא סִטְרָא, וְאִתְבַּטָּל הַהוּא סִטְרָא, בְּהַהוּא שַׁלְהוֹבָא דְּאֶשָׁא, וְלָא אַשְׁאָר מִנֵּיהּ בְּעָלְמָא. וְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דִּמְקָרֵב קָרְבָּנֵיהּ, קָאִים עָלֵיהּ, וּבְהַהוּא רֵיחָא דְּקָרְבְּנָא דְּסָלִיק, אִתְעַבָּר מִנֵּיהּ סִטְרָא דְּרוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא דְּשַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי, וְיִתְכַּפֵּר. בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ כֹּלָּא אִתְבְּטִיל ויִשְׁתְּצֵי, ולֵית מַאן דְּקָאִים לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא אֶשָּׁא.
R. Simeon replied: ‘You have asked well, my son. The answer is as follows. It is written, “The Lord thy God is a devouring fire” (Deut. 4, 24). The fire of the Holy One, blessed be He, feeds on another fire. There are angels which chant praises before the Holy One, and as soon as they finish are consumed in the flames of a devouring fire. Below, too, God has empowered the fire of the altar to consume all that side in its flames so that naught of it should be left in the world, and the man who brings the offering prevails over it, and through the savour of the sacrifice the side of the evil spirit departs from him and he obtains atonement.’