For, as we have learnt, the filth of the nails arouses another filth, and therefore they must be hidden away.1v. T. B. Moed Katan, 18a; Niddah, 17a. He who hides them away completely, as it were, awakens lovingkindness in the world, for they even provide opportunity for sorcerers to exercise their magic on account of the demons attached to them,
and a person stepping on them with his foot or his shoe may come to harm. If this is true of this remnant of a remnant of filth, how much more of the woman who was joined with the Serpent! Alas for the world which inherited that filth from her! Therefore it is written, “To a woman in the separation of her uncleanness thou shalt not draw near”. Happy the generation in which R. Simeon lived! To it the words apply, “Happy art thou O land, when thy king is a free man”. This is R. Simeon, who holds his head erect to expound doctrine and fears not, like a free man who says what he wants to say without fear.’
דְּתָאנָא בְּרָזֵי דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא, זוּהֲמָא דְּטוּפְרִין, יִתְּעַר זוּהֲמָא אָחֳרָא, וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ, בַּעְיָין גְּנִיזָא, וּמַאן דְּאַעְבָּר לוֹן לְגַמְרֵי, כְּאִלּוּ אִתְּעַר חֶסֶד בְּעָלְמָא. דְּתַנְיָא לָא לִבְעֵי לֵיהּ לְאִינִישׁ לְמֵיהַב דּוּכְרָנָא לְזִינִין בִּישִׁין. דְּתָנֵינָן (ע"ז ע"א) אֶלַף וְאַרְבַּע מְאָה וְה' זִינִין בִּישִׁין, מִתְאַחֲדָן בְּהַהוּא זוּהֲמָא, דְּאָטִיל חִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ מִתְעָרִין בְּהַהוּא זוּהֲמָא דְּטוּפְרִין.
For, as we have learnt, the filth of the nails arouses another filth, and therefore they must be hidden away.1v. T. B. Moed Katan, 18a; Niddah, 17a. He who hides them away completely, as it were, awakens lovingkindness in the world, for they even provide opportunity for sorcerers to exercise their magic on account of the demons attached to them,
וַאֲפִילּוּ מַאן דְּבָעֵי, יַעְבִיד בְּהוּ חַרְשִׁין לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, מִשּׁוּם אִינּוּן דְּתַּלְיָין בְּהוּ, וּמַאן דְּאַעְבָּר לוֹן, כְּאִלּוּ אַסְגֵּי חֶסֶד בְּעָלְמָא, וְדִינִין בִּישִׁין לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין. וְיַּעְבַּר הַהוּא זוּהֲמָא וְטוּפְרָהָא דְּרָשִׁים בֵּיהּ. דְּתַנְיָא, מַאן דְּדָרִיךְ בְּרַגְלֵיהּ, אוֹ בִּמְסָאנֵיהּ עָלַיְיהוּ, יָכִיל לְאִתְזְקָא. וּמַה בְּהַאי שִׁיּוּרֵי דְּשִׁיּוּרֵי דְּזוּהֲמָא דִּלְעֵילָּא כַּךְ, אִתְּתָא דִּמְקַבְּלָא וְאִתְחֲבָּרַת בְּחִוְיָא, וְאָטִיל בָּהּ זוּהֲמָא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. וַוי לְעָלְמָא דִּמְקַבְּלָא מִינָּהּ מֵהַהוּא זוּהֲמָא, בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ וְאֶל אִשָּׁה בְּנִדַּת טוּמְאָתָהּ לֹא תִּקְרַב.
and a person stepping on them with his foot or his shoe may come to harm. If this is true of this remnant of a remnant of filth, how much more of the woman who was joined with the Serpent! Alas for the world which inherited that filth from her! Therefore it is written, “To a woman in the separation of her uncleanness thou shalt not draw near”. Happy the generation in which R. Simeon lived! To it the words apply, “Happy art thou O land, when thy king is a free man”. This is R. Simeon, who holds his head erect to expound doctrine and fears not, like a free man who says what he wants to say without fear.’