MY JUDGEMENTS SHALL YE DO AND MY STATUTES SHALL YE KEEP. R. Abba said: Happy are Israel in that God has chosen them above all peoples, and for the sake of His love has given them true laws, planted in them the tree of life, and made His divine Presence abide with them. Why? Because Israel are stamped with the holy impress on their flesh, and they are marked as being His and belonging to His temple.
Therefore all who are not stamped with the holy sign on their flesh are not His, and they are marked as coming from the side of uncleanness, and it is forbidden to associate with them or to converse with them on matters of the Holy One, blessed be He. It is also forbidden to impart to them knowledge of the Torah, because the Torah consists wholly of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and every letter of it is bound up with that Name.’
(ויקרא י״ח:ד׳) אֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תַּעֲשׂוּ וְאֶת חֻקֹּתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ לָלֶכֶת בָּהֶם וְגוֹ', רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּהוּ מִכָּל עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וּבְגִין רְחִימוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ עָלַיְיהוּ, יָהִיב לוֹן נִימוּסִין דִּקְשׁוֹט, נָטַע בְּהוּ אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי, אַשְׁרֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל רְשִׁימִין בִּרְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּבְשָׂרֵיהוֹן. וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן דְּאִינְהוּ דִּילֵיהּ, (אשתמודען) מִבְּנֵי הֵיכָלֵיהּ.
MY JUDGEMENTS SHALL YE DO AND MY STATUTES SHALL YE KEEP. R. Abba said: Happy are Israel in that God has chosen them above all peoples, and for the sake of His love has given them true laws, planted in them the tree of life, and made His divine Presence abide with them. Why? Because Israel are stamped with the holy impress on their flesh, and they are marked as being His and belonging to His temple.
וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ, כָּל אִינּוּן דְּלָא רְשִׁימִין בִּרְשִׁימוּ קַדִּישָׁא בִּבְשָׂרֵיהוֹן לָאו אִינּוּן דִּילֵיהּ, וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן דְּכֻלְּהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא אַתְיָין, וְאָסִיר לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּהוּ, וּלְאִשְׁתָּעֵי בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, בְּמִלּוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאָסִיר לְאוֹדָעָא לְהוּ מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כֻּלָּא שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְכָל אָת דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, מִתְקַשְּׁרָא בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְכָל מַאן דְּלָא אִתְרְשִׁים בִּרְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּבְשָׂרֵיהּ, אָסִיר לְאוֹדָעָא לֵיהּ מִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא (נ"א לאסתכלא) בֵּיהּ.
Therefore all who are not stamped with the holy sign on their flesh are not His, and they are marked as coming from the side of uncleanness, and it is forbidden to associate with them or to converse with them on matters of the Holy One, blessed be He. It is also forbidden to impart to them knowledge of the Torah, because the Torah consists wholly of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and every letter of it is bound up with that Name.’