AND THE LORD SAW THAT THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN WAS VERY GREAT IN THE EARTH, AND THAT EVERY IMAGINATION OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY. R. Judah quoted in this connection the verse: For thou art not a God who hath pleasure in wickedness, evil shall not sojourn with thee (Ps. 5, 5). He said: ‘One lesson that may be derived from this verse is that if a man cleaves to the evil imagination and follows after it, not only does he defile himself thereby, but he is led further into defilement, as has already been stated.
The men of the time of the Flood committed all kinds of sin, but the measure of their guilt was not full until they wasted their blood (i.e. seed) upon the ground. We know this from the fact that the word ra’ (evil) is used here, and also in the verse, “and Er the son of Judah was evil (ra‘) in the sight of the Lord” (Gen. 38, 7).’
Said R. Jose: ‘Is not evil (ra’) the same as “wickedness” (resha’)?’ He said: ‘No. A man is called “wicked” (rasha’) if he merely lifts his hand against his neighbour without doing him any harm, as it is written, “And he said to the wicked one (rasha’), why wilt thou smite thy neighbour?”, the future tense (wilt smite) implying that he had not yet done anything to him.
But only he is called “evil” (ra’) who corrupts his way and defiles himself and the earth, and so lends force to the unclean spirit which is called ra’ (whence it is said that “all their thoughts were for evil”, ra’). Such a one will never enter the heavenly palace nor gaze upon the Shekinah, for by this sin the Shekinah is repelled from the world.
We know this from Jacob, who, when the Shekinah departed from him, concluded that there was some stain attaching to his offspring, on account of which the unclean spirit had acquired strength and the light of the moon had been impaired: for this sin defiles the sanctuary. If on this account the Shekinah departed from Jacob, how much more certain is it that it will depart from one who corrupts his way and defiles himself, so giving power to the unclean spirit. Hence when a man defiles himself he is called ra’.
Further, when a man defiles himself, he is not favoured with visitation (in dreams) from the Holy One, blessed be He, but on the contrary he is subject at all times to the visits of the spirit called ra’, as it is written, “he who sleeps sated (i.e. without evil passion) will not be visited by evil” (Prov. 19, 23) (as much as to say that when he walks in the right path he will not be visited by Ra’.) Hence it is said of the men of the blood that their thoughts were only evil, and the Psalmist said, “evil shall not sojourn with thee”. Those who commit this sin are called ra’ and not rasha’. Hence, too, it is written, “Yea, though I walk througn the valley of the shadow of death I will not fear evil (ra’), for thou art with me”.’
וַיַּרְא יְיָ כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ וְכָל יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבוֹת לִבּוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח (תהילים ה׳:ה׳) כִּי לא אֵל חָפֵץ רֶשַׁע אָתָּה לֹא יְגוּרְךָ רָע. הַאי קְרָא אִתְּמָר וְאוּקְמוּהָ. אֲבָלתָּא חֲזֵי, מַאן דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בְּיֵצֶר הָרָע וְאִתְמָשִׁיךְ אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְיִסְתָּאַב הוּא וִיסָאֲבוּן לֵיהּ כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר.
AND THE LORD SAW THAT THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN WAS VERY GREAT IN THE EARTH, AND THAT EVERY IMAGINATION OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY. R. Judah quoted in this connection the verse: For thou art not a God who hath pleasure in wickedness, evil shall not sojourn with thee (Ps. 5, 5). He said: ‘One lesson that may be derived from this verse is that if a man cleaves to the evil imagination and follows after it, not only does he defile himself thereby, but he is led further into defilement, as has already been stated.
כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם, כָּל בִּישִׁין הֲווּ עָבְדֵי, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּלִים חוֹבַיְיהוּ עַד דְּהֲווּ אוֹשְׁדִין דָּמִין לְמַגָּנָא עַל אַרְעָא. וּמָאן אִנּוּן דְּהֲווּ מְחַבְּלִין אָרְחַיְיהוּ עַל אַרְעָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב רַק רַע כָּל הַיּוֹם. כְּתִיב הָכָא רַק רַע וּכְתִיב הָתָם (לא יגורך רע, וכתיב) (בראשית ל״ח:ז׳) וַיְהִי עֵר בְּכוֹר יְהוּדָה רַע בְּעֵינִי יְיָ.
The men of the time of the Flood committed all kinds of sin, but the measure of their guilt was not full until they wasted their blood (i.e. seed) upon the ground. We know this from the fact that the word ra’ (evil) is used here, and also in the verse, “and Er the son of Judah was evil (ra‘) in the sight of the Lord” (Gen. 38, 7).’
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְכִי רָע לָאו אִיהוּ רָשָׁע. אָמַר לֵיהּ, לָא. רָשָׁע אֲפִלּוּ אָרִים יְדֵיהּ לְגַבֵּי חַבְרֵיהּ, אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא עָבִיד לֵיהּ מִידִי אִקְרֵי רָשָׁע. כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (שמות ב׳:י״ג) וַיֹּאמֶר לָרָשָׁע לָמָּה תַכֶּה רֵעֶךָ. הִכִּיתָ לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא תַכֶּה.
Said R. Jose: ‘Is not evil (ra’) the same as “wickedness” (resha’)?’ He said: ‘No. A man is called “wicked” (rasha’) if he merely lifts his hand against his neighbour without doing him any harm, as it is written, “And he said to the wicked one (rasha’), why wilt thou smite thy neighbour?”, the future tense (wilt smite) implying that he had not yet done anything to him.
אֲבָל רַע לא אִקְרֵי אֶלָּא מַאן דִּמְחַבֵּל אָרְחֵיהּ וְסָאִיב גַּרְמֵיהּ וְסָאִיב אַרְעָא וְיָהִיב חֵילָא וְתוּקְפָּא לְרוּחַ מְסָאֳבָא דְּאִקְרֵי רָע דִּכְתִיב רַק רַע כָּל הַיּוֹם. וְלָא עָאל (סט א) בְּפַלְטְרִין וְלָא חָמֵי אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא. בְּגִין דִּבְהַאי אִסְתַּלַּק שְׁכִינְתָּא מֵעָלְמָא.
But only he is called “evil” (ra’) who corrupts his way and defiles himself and the earth, and so lends force to the unclean spirit which is called ra’ (whence it is said that “all their thoughts were for evil”, ra’). Such a one will never enter the heavenly palace nor gaze upon the Shekinah, for by this sin the Shekinah is repelled from the world.
מְנָלָן מִיַּעֲקֹב. דְּכַד אִסְתַּלַּק שְׁכִינְתָּא מִנֵּיהּ חָשִׁיב דְּבִבְנוֹהִי הֲוָה פִּיסוּל דִּבְגִינַיְיהוּ אִתְתַּקַּף בְּעָלְמָא רוּחָא מְסָאֳבָא וְגָרַע נְהוֹרָא מִן סִיהֲרָא וּפָגִים לָהּ. וְאִי תֵימָא אַמַּאי. בְּגִין דְּדָא סָאִיב מַקְדְּשָׁא וְאִסְתַּלְּקָא שְׁכִינְתָּא מֵעֲלוֹי דְּיַעֲקֹב. כָּל שֶׁכֵּן הַהוּא דִּמְסָאָב אָרְחֵיהּ וְסָאִיב גַּרְמֵיהּ דְּהוּא אַתְקִיף לֵיהּ לְרוּחָא מְסָאֳבָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כַּד אִסְתָּאָב אִקְרֵי רָע.
We know this from Jacob, who, when the Shekinah departed from him, concluded that there was some stain attaching to his offspring, on account of which the unclean spirit had acquired strength and the light of the moon had been impaired: for this sin defiles the sanctuary. If on this account the Shekinah departed from Jacob, how much more certain is it that it will depart from one who corrupts his way and defiles himself, so giving power to the unclean spirit. Hence when a man defiles himself he is called ra’.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בַּר נָשׁ אִסְתָּאָב לָא יִתְפַּקַּד מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְטַב. וּבְכָל זִמְנָא אִתְפַּקִּיד מֵהַהוּא דְּאִתְקְרֵי רָע לְבִישׁ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (משלי י״ט:כ״ג) וְשָׂבֵעַ יָלִין בַּל יִפָּקֶד רָע, כַּד אָזִיל בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר, כְּדֵין בַּל יִפָּקֶד רָע. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב רַק רַע כָּל הַיּוֹם. וּכְתִיב לֹא יְגוּרְךָ רָע. וְדָא אִקְרֵי רָע וְלָא אִקְרֵי רָשָׁע. וּכְתִיב (תהילים כ״ג:ד׳) גַּם כִּי אֵלֵךְ בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת לא אִירָא רָע כִּי אַתָּה עִמָּדִי:
Further, when a man defiles himself, he is not favoured with visitation (in dreams) from the Holy One, blessed be He, but on the contrary he is subject at all times to the visits of the spirit called ra’, as it is written, “he who sleeps sated (i.e. without evil passion) will not be visited by evil” (Prov. 19, 23) (as much as to say that when he walks in the right path he will not be visited by Ra’.) Hence it is said of the men of the blood that their thoughts were only evil, and the Psalmist said, “evil shall not sojourn with thee”. Those who commit this sin are called ra’ and not rasha’. Hence, too, it is written, “Yea, though I walk througn the valley of the shadow of death I will not fear evil (ra’), for thou art with me”.’