‘AND SHALL SEND HIM AWAY BY THE HAND OF A MAN THAT IS IN READINESS. The words “in readiness” contain a hint that for every kind of action there are men specially fitted.
There are others, again, who are specially fitted for the transmission of curses, and curses light wherever they cast their eyes. Such was Balaam, who was the fitting instrument of evil and not of good, and even when he blessed his blessing was not confirmed, but all his curses were confirmed, because he had an evil eye.
Hence, as we have learnt, a man should turn aside a hundred times in order to avoid a man with an evil eye. So here, “a man that is in readiness” means a man who is marked out by nature for this service.
The priest was able to tell such a man because he had one eye slightly larger than the other, shaggy eyebrows, bluish eyes and a crooked glance. This was the kind of man fitted for such a task.
In Gush Halba1=Gischala, in Galilee. there was a man whose hands brought death to whatever they touched, and none would come near him. In Syria there was a man whose look always brought ill hap, even though he meant it for good. One day a man was walking in the street with a beaming countenance when this man looked at him and his eye was knocked out. Thus different men are fitted either for one thing or the other. Hence it is written, “He that hath a good eye shall be blessed” (Prov. 22, 9), or, as we should rather read by a change in the vowelling (yebarech for yeborach), “shall bless”.
We have learnt that the man who took the goat to the wilderness used to go up on a mountain and push it down with both his hands, and before it was half way down all its bones were broken,1v. T. B. Yoma, 67a. and the man used to say: “So may the iniquities of thy people be wiped out”, etc. And when the accuser of Israel was thus made into its advocate, the Holy One, blessed be He, took all the sins of Israel and all the records of them above and threw them into the place called “depths of the sea”, as it is written: “Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Mic. 7, 19).
תָּאנָא, וְשִׁלַּח בְּיַד אִישׁ עִתִּי הַמִּדְבָּרָה. מַהוּ אִישׁ עִתִּי. אֶלָּא רָזָא דְּמִלָּה הָכִי הוּא בְּכָל מַה דְּאִתְעָבִיד, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ זַמִּין לְהַהִיא מִלָּה. אִית בַּר נָשׁ דְּבִרְכְתָא אִתְקַיָּים עַל יְדֵיהּ יַתִּיר מֵאָחֳרָא. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּכַהֲנָא, (משלי כ״ב:ט׳) טוֹב עַיִן הוּא יְבוֹרָךְ, אַל תִּקְרֵי יְבוֹרָךְ, אֶלָּא יְבָרֵךְ, בְּגִין דְּהוּא זַמִּין דְּיִתְקַיָּים בִּרְכָתָא עַל יְדֵיהּ בְּהַאי. (ס"א ושארי ברכתא באשגחותא דיליה).
‘AND SHALL SEND HIM AWAY BY THE HAND OF A MAN THAT IS IN READINESS. The words “in readiness” contain a hint that for every kind of action there are men specially fitted.
וְאִית בַּר נָשׁ דְּהוּא זַמִּין לְאִתְקַיְּימָא לְוָוטִין עַל יְדֵיהּ, וּבְכָל מַה דְּיַשְׁגַח לֵיתֵי לְוָוטַיָיא וּמְאֵרָה וּבְעִיתָא כְּגוֹן בִּלְעָם, דְּאִקְרֵי רַע עַיִן, דְּהֲוָה זַמִּין בְּכָל בִּישׁ, וְלָא הֲוָה זַמִּין לְטָב. וְאַף עַל גַּב דִבְרָךְ, בִּרְכָתֵיהּ לָא בִּרְכָתָא, וְלָא אִתְקְיָּים. וְכַד הֲוָה לָיִיט, כָּל מַאן דְּלָיִיט אִתְקְיָּים, וְאַפִילּוּ בְּרִגְעָא חֲדָא, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (במדבר כ״ד:ג׳) שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן. בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּעֵינֵיהּ שַׁלְטָא אִתְלַטְּיָיא.
There are others, again, who are specially fitted for the transmission of curses, and curses light wherever they cast their eyes. Such was Balaam, who was the fitting instrument of evil and not of good, and even when he blessed his blessing was not confirmed, but all his curses were confirmed, because he had an evil eye.
תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִיב. (במדבר כ״ד:א׳) וַיָּשֶׁת אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר פָּנָיו, בְּגִין דְּיִתְעַר מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא הַהוּא דְּשַׁלְטָא תַּמָּן, וְיֵיתֵי בְּדַלְטוֹרְיָא עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. מַה כְּתִיב בְּהוּ בְּכַהֲנֵי, (משלי כ״ב:ט׳) טוֹב עַיִן הוּא יְבוֹרָךְ, דְּהוּא הֲוָה זַמִּין בְּהַאי, וְשָׁארִי בִּרְכָתָא בְּאַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן, יִסְטֵי בַּר נָשׁ אֲפִילּוּ מִמֵּאָה אָרְחִין, וְלָא יִאְרַע בְּבַּר נָשׁ דְּאִית לֵיהּ עֵינָא בִּישָׁא.
Hence, as we have learnt, a man should turn aside a hundred times in order to avoid a man with an evil eye. So here, “a man that is in readiness” means a man who is marked out by nature for this service.
אוּף הָכָא וְשִׁלַּח בְּיַד אִישׁ עִתִּי, דְּהוּא זַמִּין לְהַאי. וְרָשִׁים לְהַאי, וְכַהֲנָא הֲוָה אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע בֵּיהּ, חַד עֵינָא יַתִיר מֵאָחֳרָא פּוּרְתָא. סוּרְטָא דְּעַל עֵינָא אִתְחַפְּיָא בְּשַׂעֲרִין סַגִיאִין. מְכַּחֲלָא עֵינָא, וְלָא מִסְתָּכַּל בְּמֵישָׁר. הַאי הוּא בַּר נָשׁ זַמִּין לְהַאי, וְכַדְקָא חֲזֵי לֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב בְּיַד אִישׁ עִתִּי.
The priest was able to tell such a man because he had one eye slightly larger than the other, shaggy eyebrows, bluish eyes and a crooked glance. This was the kind of man fitted for such a task.
בְּגוּשׁ חֲלָבָא הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ, דִּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּמָחֵי בִּידוֹי, הֲוָה מִית, וְלָא הֲווֹ בְּנֵי נָשָׂא מְקָרְבִין בַּהֲדֵיהּ. בְּסוּרְיָּא הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ, דִּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּאִסְתָּכַּל אֲפִילּוּ לְטָב, כֹּלָּא אִתְהַפָּךְ לְבִישׁ. יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה חַד בַּר נָשׁ אָזִיל בְּשׁוּקָא, וַהֲווּ אַנְפּוֹי נְהִירִין. אָתָא הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ וְאִסְתָּכַּל בֵּיהּ, וְאִתְבָּקַע עֵינֵיהּ. בְּגִין כָּךְ, בְּכֹלָּא הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ זַמִּין, לְהַאי וּלְהַאי. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב טוֹב עַיִן הוּא יְבוֹרָךְ, אַל תִּקְרֵי יְבוֹרָךְ אֶלָּא יְבָרֵךְ.
In Gush Halba1=Gischala, in Galilee. there was a man whose hands brought death to whatever they touched, and none would come near him. In Syria there was a man whose look always brought ill hap, even though he meant it for good. One day a man was walking in the street with a beaming countenance when this man looked at him and his eye was knocked out. Thus different men are fitted either for one thing or the other. Hence it is written, “He that hath a good eye shall be blessed” (Prov. 22, 9), or, as we should rather read by a change in the vowelling (yebarech for yeborach), “shall bless”.
וְתָאנָא, הַאי בַּר נָשׁ דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל לְמַדְבְּרָא, כַּד מָטָא בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא שְׂעִירָא הֲוָה סָלִיק לְטוּרָא, וְדָחֵי לֵיהּ בִּתְרֵין יְדוֹי. וְלָא הֲוָה נָחִית לְפַלְגוּת טוּרָא, עַד דְּאִתְעָבִיד שַׁיְיפִין שַׁיְיפִין. וְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ הֲוָה אָמַר, כַּךְ יִמָּחוּ עֲוֹנוֹת עַמְּךָ וְגוֹ'. וּבְגִין דְּסָלִיק הַהוּא קַטֵיגוֹרְיָא וְאִתְעָבִיד סַנֵיגוֹרְיָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כָּל חוֹבַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכָל מַה דִּכְתִיב בְּאִינּוּן פִּתְקִין דִּלְעֵילָּא, לְאַדְכְּרָא חוֹבַיְיהוּ דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, נָטִיל לוֹן וּרְמֵי לוֹן כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא, לַאֲתַר דְּאִתְקְרֵי מְצוּלוֹת יָם. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (מיכה ז׳:י״ט) וְתַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצוּלוֹת יָם כָּל חַטֹּאתָם.
We have learnt that the man who took the goat to the wilderness used to go up on a mountain and push it down with both his hands, and before it was half way down all its bones were broken,1v. T. B. Yoma, 67a. and the man used to say: “So may the iniquities of thy people be wiped out”, etc. And when the accuser of Israel was thus made into its advocate, the Holy One, blessed be He, took all the sins of Israel and all the records of them above and threw them into the place called “depths of the sea”, as it is written: “Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Mic. 7, 19).