FOR ON IT HE RESTED: in it all find rest and contentment, upper and lower, and in it is the Sabbath for rest. WHICH GOD CREATED TO MAKE: As “remembering” finds its fulfilment in “keeping”, so here “creating” is implemented by “making”, to establish firmly the work of the world; “to make” indicates the world’s artificer, through whom the whole is carried on.’
R. Simeon further explained the verse as follows. He said: ‘It is written, Who keepeth the covenant and the kindness (Deut. 5, 10). “Who keepeth” indicates the community of Israel; “the covenant” indicates the Foundation of the world; “kindness” indicates Abraham. The community of Israel is that which keeps the covenant and the kindness, and it is called “keeper of Israel”, and guards the gate of the Whole, and on it depend all the works of the world. This it is which “God created to make”, i.e. to perfect and finish off the whole, and to bring forth spirits and souls and even spirits and demons.
Do not think that these also are not for the good of the world, for they serve for the punishment of the wicked, whom they find out and admonish; for he who proceeds towards the left becomes entangled in the left side, and is set upon by them. Hence they are of use. ‘We read that God said with regard to Solomon, “I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the plagues of the children of men” (II Sam. 7, 14). These “plagues of the children of men” are the demons.
They were created just at the moment when the Sabbath was sanctified.1v. p. 59. and they were left spirit without body. These are the creatures which were not finished; they are from the left, dross of gold, and because they were not finished and remained defective, the holy name is not mentioned in connection with them, and they do not cleave to it, and are in great terror of it. The holy name does not rest upon anything defective.
Hence a man who departs from life defective through not having left a son behind him cannot attach himself to the holy name, and is not admitted within the curtain, because he is defective, and a tree which has been uprooted must be planted over again; for the holy name is perfect on every side, and no defect can attach to it.
Those creatures we have mentioned are rejected both above and below, and therefore they have no sure place either above or below. It is these which are meant by the words” which God created to make”, i.e. they were not made into finished beings either above or below. You may ask, seeing that they are spirits, why were not these beings finished off above? The answer is that they were not finished below on the earth, and therefore they were not finished above. They all have their origin in the side of the left; they are invisible to men and hover round them to do them mischief. They have three features in common with the angels and three in common with human beings, as has been laid down elsewhere.
After they had been created, they were left behind the millstones of the chasm of the great abyss during the night and the day of Sabbath. When the sanctity of the day expired, they came out into the world in their unfinished state and commenced flying about in all directions. They became a great danger to the world, because with them the whole of the left side roused itself and the fire of Gehinnom began to flash, and all the denizens of the left side commenced to roam about the world. They sought to clothe themselves in bodies, but were not able. Hence we require protection against them, and therefore the recital of the “hymn of accidents” (Ps. 91) has been prescribed for every occasion when danger is threatened from them.
כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת. בֵּיהּ נַיְיחָא דְכֹלָּא, (ד"א ביה נייחא) דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין. בֵּיהּ שַׁבַּתָּא (ד"א אתייא) לְנַיְיחָא. אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים מִכְּלָלָא דְּזָכוּר נַפְקָא שָׁמוֹר לְאַתְקָנָא עֲבִידְתָּא דְעָלְמָא. לַעֲשׂוֹת דָּא אוֹמָנָא דְעָלְמָא. לְמֶעְבַּד עֲבִידְתָּא דְּכֹלָּא. (ס"א אשר ברא אומנא אצטריך לעלמא וכל עבידתא דכלא).
FOR ON IT HE RESTED: in it all find rest and contentment, upper and lower, and in it is the Sabbath for rest. WHICH GOD CREATED TO MAKE: As “remembering” finds its fulfilment in “keeping”, so here “creating” is implemented by “making”, to establish firmly the work of the world; “to make” indicates the world’s artificer, through whom the whole is carried on.’
תּוּ פָּרִישׁ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מִלָּה וְאָמַר, כְּתִיב, (דברים ז׳:ט׳) שׁוֹמֵר הַבְּרִית וְהַחֶסֶד. שׁוֹמֵר דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. הַבְּרִית דָּא יְסוֹדָא דְעָלְמָא. וְהַחֶסֶד דָּא אַבְרָהָם, דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא שׁוֹמֵר הַבְּרִית וְהַחֶסֶד, וְאִקְרֵי שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל, דָּא הוּא נָטִיר פִּתְחָא דְכֹלָּא, בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין כָּל עֲבִידָן דְּעָלְמָא וַדַּאי, אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת, לְשַׁכְלְלָא לְאַתְקָנָא כֹּלָּא כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא וּלְאַפָּקָא רוּחִין וְנִשְׁמָתִין (קדישין לעלמא), וְאֲפִילּוּ רוּחִין וְשֵׁדִין.
R. Simeon further explained the verse as follows. He said: ‘It is written, Who keepeth the covenant and the kindness (Deut. 5, 10). “Who keepeth” indicates the community of Israel; “the covenant” indicates the Foundation of the world; “kindness” indicates Abraham. The community of Israel is that which keeps the covenant and the kindness, and it is called “keeper of Israel”, and guards the gate of the Whole, and on it depend all the works of the world. This it is which “God created to make”, i.e. to perfect and finish off the whole, and to bring forth spirits and souls and even spirits and demons.
וְאִי תֵימָא דְּלָאו אִנּוּן תִּקּוּנָא דְעָלְמָא. לָאו הָכִי. דְּהָא אִנּוּן לְתִקּוּנָא דְּעָלְמָא הֲווּ וּלְאַלְקָאָה בְּהוּ לְחַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא דְּאִנּוּן אָזְלִין לְקִבְלַיְיהוּ לְאוֹכָחָא לְהוּ. וּמַאי דְּאֲזִיל לִשְׂמָאלָא אִתְאַחִיד בְּסִטְרָא שְׂמָאלָא לְקִבְלַיְיהוּ (ס"א לקי בהו) בְּגִינֵי כָךְ לְתִקּוּנָא הֲווּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב בִּשְׁלֹמֹה (שמואל ב ז׳:י״ד) וְהוֹכַחְתִּיו בְּשֵׁבֶט אֲנָשִׁים וּבְנִגְעֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם. מַאן (קסט ע"ב) נִגְעֵי בְּנִי אָדָם. אִלֵּין אִנּוּן מַזִּיקִין.
Do not think that these also are not for the good of the world, for they serve for the punishment of the wicked, whom they find out and admonish; for he who proceeds towards the left becomes entangled in the left side, and is set upon by them. Hence they are of use. ‘We read that God said with regard to Solomon, “I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the plagues of the children of men” (II Sam. 7, 14). These “plagues of the children of men” are the demons.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בִּשְׁעָתָא דְּאִתְבְּרִיאָן אִתְקַדַּשׁ יוֹמָא וְאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ רוּחָא בְּלָא גוּפָא. וְאִלֵּין אִנּוּן בָּרְיָין דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּכְלָלוּ (ד"א ל"ג) (ולא אתייסדו) וּמִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא אִנּוּן זוּהֲמָא דְּדַהֲבָא, וְעַל דָּא בְּגִין דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּכְלְלוּ וְאִנּוּן פְּגִימִין, שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא שַׁרְיָא בְּהוּ וְלָא אִתְדַּבְּקוּ בֵּיהּ, וּדְחִילוּ דִּלְהוֹן מִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִיהוּ וְזָעִין וְדַחֲלִין מִנֵּיהּ, וּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא שַׁרְיָא בְּאֲתַר פָּגִים.
They were created just at the moment when the Sabbath was sanctified.1v. p. 59. and they were left spirit without body. These are the creatures which were not finished; they are from the left, dross of gold, and because they were not finished and remained defective, the holy name is not mentioned in connection with them, and they do not cleave to it, and are in great terror of it. The holy name does not rest upon anything defective.
וְתָא חֲזֵי הַאי בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִתְפְּגִים דְּלָא שָׁבַק בַּר בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, כַּד נָפַק מִנֵּיהּ לָא אִתְדַּבָּק בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא (לעיל יג א) וְלָא עָאלִין לֵיהּ בְּפַרְגּוֹדָא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ פָּגִים וְלָא אִשְׁתְּלִים, וְאִילָנָא דְּאִתְעַקֵּר בָּעְיָא נְטִיעָא זִמְנָא אָחֳרָא, בְּגִין דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִשְׁתְּלִים בְּכָל סִטְרִין. וּפְגִימוֹ לָא אִתְדַּבָּק בֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין.
Hence a man who departs from life defective through not having left a son behind him cannot attach himself to the holy name, and is not admitted within the curtain, because he is defective, and a tree which has been uprooted must be planted over again; for the holy name is perfect on every side, and no defect can attach to it.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי הָנֵי בָּרְיָין פְּגִימִין אִנּוּן מֵעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא, וּבְגִינִי כָךְ לָא מִתְדַּבְּקָן לְעֵילָא וְלָא מִתְדַּבְּקָן לְתַתָּא. וְאִלֵּין דִּכְתִיב בְּהוּ אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ עֵילָא וְתַתָּא. וְאִי תֵימָא הָא רוּחִין אִנּוּן אַמַּאי לָאו (ד"א אשתלימו) לְעֵילָא, אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ לְתַתָּא בְּאַרְעָא לָא אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ לְעֵילָא. וְכֻלְהוּ מִסְּטַר שְׂמָאלָא קָא אַתְיָין וּמִתְכַּסְיָין מֵעֵינָא דִּבְנֵי נְשָׁא וְקָיְימֵי לְקִבְלַיְיהוּ לְאַבְאָשָׁא לוֹן. תְּלַת לוֹן כְּמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת. וּתְלַת לוֹן כִּבְנֵי נְשָׁא. (לעיל כה א) וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ.
Those creatures we have mentioned are rejected both above and below, and therefore they have no sure place either above or below. It is these which are meant by the words” which God created to make”, i.e. they were not made into finished beings either above or below. You may ask, seeing that they are spirits, why were not these beings finished off above? The answer is that they were not finished below on the earth, and therefore they were not finished above. They all have their origin in the side of the left; they are invisible to men and hover round them to do them mischief. They have three features in common with the angels and three in common with human beings, as has been laid down elsewhere.
בָּתַר דְּאִתְבְּרִיאוּ רוּחִין (ד"א ל"ג אטמרו) אִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ אִנּוּן רוּחִין בָּתַר רֵחַיָּיא דְנוּקְבָא דִתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא לֵילְיָא דְשַׁבַּתָּא וְיוֹמָא דְשַׁבַּתָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּנָפַק קְדוּשָׁתָא דְיוֹמָא וְלָא אִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ, נָפְקוּ לְעָלְמָא וְשָׁטָאן לְכָל סִטְרִין, וּבָעְיָא עָלְמָא לְאִתְנַטְּרָא מִנַּיְיהוּ. דְּהָא כְּדֵין כָּל סְטַר שְׂמָאלָא אִתְעָר, וְאֶשָּׁא דְּגֵיהִנֹּם מְלַהֲטָא, וְכָל אִנּוּן דְּבִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא אָזְלִין וְשָׁטָאן בְּעָלְמָא. וּבָעָאן לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בְּגוּפָא וְלָא יָכְלִין. כְּדֵין בָּעֵינָא לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְאַתְקִינוּ שִׁיר דִּפְגָעִים בְּכָל שַׁעֲתָא דִּדְחִילוּ דִלְהוֹן שַׁרְיָא בְּעָלְמָא.
After they had been created, they were left behind the millstones of the chasm of the great abyss during the night and the day of Sabbath. When the sanctity of the day expired, they came out into the world in their unfinished state and commenced flying about in all directions. They became a great danger to the world, because with them the whole of the left side roused itself and the fire of Gehinnom began to flash, and all the denizens of the left side commenced to roam about the world. They sought to clothe themselves in bodies, but were not able. Hence we require protection against them, and therefore the recital of the “hymn of accidents” (Ps. 91) has been prescribed for every occasion when danger is threatened from them.