AND THE LORD SAID, MY SPIRIT SHALL NOT STRIVE WITH MAN FOR EVER, FOR THAT HE ALSO IS FLESH. R. Eleazar said: ‘When God created the universe, He ordained that this world should be served from the world above. Hence when mankind are virtuous and walk in the right path, God puts in motion the spirit of life from above until it comes to the place where Jacob abides.
From there the life descends further until the spirit reaches the world in which David is located; and from there blessings descend on all here below, who through the streaming of the spirit from above are able to maintain their existence.
Now, however, that men sinned, the streaming ceased, so that the spirit of life no longer descended on this world for the benefit of its denizens. “For that he also is flesh,’: i.e. in order that, through being shed over this world, the spirit might not benefit the serpent, the lowest of the grades, which might also have grasped hold of it; and the holy spirit ought not to mix with the unclean spirit.
The reference in “he also” is to the primeval serpent, as in the verse, “the end of all flesh comes before me” (Gen. 6, 13), which R. Simeon explains to mean the angel of death. HIS DAYS SHALL BE A HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS: a period of grace for the continued union (of body and soul).
וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָּאָדָם לְעוֹלָם בְּשַׁגָּם הוּא בָּשָׂר וְגו'. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בְּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא עֲבַד לְהַאי עָלְמָא לְאִשְׁתַּמָּשָׁא כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא. וְכַד בְּנֵי עָלְמָא אִנּוּן זַכָּאִין דְּאָזְלֵי בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַתְעַר רוּחָא דְחַיֵּי דִּלְעֵילָא עַד דְּמָטוּ אִנּוּן חַיִּין לְאֲתַר דְּיַעֲקֹב שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ.
AND THE LORD SAID, MY SPIRIT SHALL NOT STRIVE WITH MAN FOR EVER, FOR THAT HE ALSO IS FLESH. R. Eleazar said: ‘When God created the universe, He ordained that this world should be served from the world above. Hence when mankind are virtuous and walk in the right path, God puts in motion the spirit of life from above until it comes to the place where Jacob abides.
וּמִתַּמָּן נָגְדֵי אִנּוּן חַיִּין עַד דְּאִתְמְשִׁיךְ הַהוּא רוּחָא לְהַאי עוֹלָם דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא שָׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ. וּמִתַּמָּן נָגְדֵי בִּרְכָאן לְכֻלְהוּ אִנּוּן תַּתָּאֵי. וְהַהוּא רוּחָא עִלָּאָה אִתְנְגִיד וְאִתְמְשִׁיךְ לְתַתָּא וְיָכְלִין לְאִתְקַיְימָא בְּעָלְמָא.
From there the life descends further until the spirit reaches the world in which David is located; and from there blessings descend on all here below, who through the streaming of the spirit from above are able to maintain their existence.
וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ דָּא הוּא עוֹלָם דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב לְעֹלָם בְּלָא וָא"ו. דְּהָא כַּד (איהו) הַהוּא רוּחָא אִתְנְגִיד לְהַהוּא עוֹלָם, מִתַּמָּן נָפְקֵי בִּרְכָאן וְחַיִּין לְכֹלָא לְאִתְקָיְימָא. הַשְׁתָּא דְּחָבוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא אִסְתַּלַּק כֹּלָּא. בְּגִין דְּלָא יִמְטֵי הַהוּא רוּחָא דְחַיֵּי לְהַאי עוֹלָם לְאִתְהַנָּאָה מִנֵּיהּ תַּתָּאֵי וּלְאִתְקָיְימָא בֵּיהּ. בְּשַׁגָּם הוּא בָּשָׂר בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְרַק הַאי רוּחָא לְהַאי עוֹלָם. מַאי טַעְמָא דְּלָא לְאַסְגָּאָה נָחָשׁ תַּתָּאָה. דְּדַרְגִין דְּיִתְתַּקַּף בֵּיהּ (ד"א ל"ג ובעינן) רוּחָא דִּקְדוּשָׁא דְּלָא יִתְעָרַב בְּרוּחַ מְסָאָב.
Now, however, that men sinned, the streaming ceased, so that the spirit of life no longer descended on this world for the benefit of its denizens. “For that he also is flesh,’: i.e. in order that, through being shed over this world, the spirit might not benefit the serpent, the lowest of the grades, which might also have grasped hold of it; and the holy spirit ought not to mix with the unclean spirit.
בְּשַׁגָּם הוּא בָּשָׂר דָּא נָחָשׁ קַדְמָאָה דְּיִתְבָּרַךְ בְגִין כָּךְ הוּא בָּשָׂר כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית ו׳:י״ג) קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי וְאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן דָּא מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת. וְהָיוּ יָמָיו מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה אוֹרִיכוּ דְקוּסְטִירָא דְּקִיטְרָא:
The reference in “he also” is to the primeval serpent, as in the verse, “the end of all flesh comes before me” (Gen. 6, 13), which R. Simeon explains to mean the angel of death. HIS DAYS SHALL BE A HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS: a period of grace for the continued union (of body and soul).