R. Hiya said: ‘If a man wishes to guard his steps, he should not step over water that has been poured out in front of a door, because a certain demon abides between the two posts of the door with his face to the door seeing all that goes on inside, and therefore a man should not pour water between the two doorposts.’ (R. Isaac, however, said that if it is clean water it does not matter, provided it has not been poured out in contumely.) The reason is that he is authorized to do harm, and if he turns his head to the house everything on which he looks will be cursed.
He has three hundred and sixty-five assistants, corresponding to the number of the days of the year, and all go forth with a man when he leaves his house.’ R. Eleazar said: ‘Against all this God desired to protect Israel, and therefore a man should inscribe on the door of his house the Holy Name in which all faith is summed up.
The place of the door of the supernal House is called mezuzah, which is a necessary part of the house, and from it flee the emissaries of justice and punishment. Correspondingly when on earth a man affixes a mezuzah to his door with his Holy Name inscribed in it, such a one is crowned with the crowns of his Master and no “evil species” come near to the door of his house.’
As R. Abba was once coming away from a visit to R. Simeon he was met by R. Isaac, who exclaimed: ‘Who is coming? The master of light, the man who all day has been cleaving to a consuming fire. Behold, light abides with him.’ R. Abba said to him: ‘We have learnt that a man should go to pay his respects to the Shekinah every Sabbath and New Moon, and who is meant? His teacher. All the more, then, is it incumbent on all people to pay their respects to the Sacred Lamp.’ Said R. Isaac: ‘I will turn back with you and pay my respects to the Shekinah and [meanwhile] taste of those excellent words of which you have tasted.’
רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, הַאי מַאן דְּבָעֵי דְּיִסְתָּמַר אוֹרְחוֹי, לָא יֶעְבַּר עַל מַיָּיא דְּאוֹשְׁדִין קַמֵּי פִּתְחָא. בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן שָׁרִי חַד שִׁידָא, וְהוּא בֵּין תְּרֵין דָּשִׁין דְּפִתְחָא, וְאַנְפּוֹי לָקֳבְלֵיהּ דְּפִתְחָא, וְאִסְתָּכֵי כָּל מַה דְּעַבְדִין בְּבֵיתָא, וְלָא לִבְעֵי לֵיהּ לְאֱנוֹשׁ (לאיניש) דְּיִשְׁדֵּי מַיָּיא בֵּין תְּרֵי תַּרְעֵי. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, מַיִין צְלִילָן לֵית לָן בָּהּ. וְהוּא דְּלָא יוֹשִׁיט לוֹן אֹרַח קְלָנָא. מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין דְּאִית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְנַזְקָא. וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּיֶהְדַּר רֵישֵׁיהּ לָקֳבְלֵי בֵּיתָא, וּבְכָל מַה דְּאִסְתְּכַל אִתְלַטְּיָיא.
R. Hiya said: ‘If a man wishes to guard his steps, he should not step over water that has been poured out in front of a door, because a certain demon abides between the two posts of the door with his face to the door seeing all that goes on inside, and therefore a man should not pour water between the two doorposts.’ (R. Isaac, however, said that if it is clean water it does not matter, provided it has not been poured out in contumely.) The reason is that he is authorized to do harm, and if he turns his head to the house everything on which he looks will be cursed.
תְּלַת מְאָה וְשִׁתִּין וְחָמֵשׁ, כְּחוּשְׁבָּן יְמֵי שַׁתָּא, אִית לֵיהּ שַׁמָּשִׁין, דְּהוּא שַׁלִּיט עָלַיְיהוּ, וְכֻלְּהוּ נָפְקִין עִם בַּר נָשׁ, כַּד נָפִק מִתַּרְעָא דְּבֵיתֵיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, כָּל דָּא בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְנַטְרָא לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאַתְקִין שְׁמֵיהּ קַדִּישָׁא לְעֵילָּא, דְּאִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא חַד שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִיהוּ, וּמַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אִשְׁתְּדַּל בִּשְׁמֵיהּ.
He has three hundred and sixty-five assistants, corresponding to the number of the days of the year, and all go forth with a man when he leaves his house.’ R. Eleazar said: ‘Against all this God desired to protect Israel, and therefore a man should inscribe on the door of his house the Holy Name in which all faith is summed up.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ בְּפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתָא לְרַשְׁמָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִיהוּ מְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא. דְּהָא בְּכָל אֲתָר דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִשְׁתְּכַח, זִינִין בִּישִׁין לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי תַּמָּן, וְלָא יַכְלִין לְקַטְרְגָא לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים צ״א:י׳) לֹא תְאוּנֶה אֵלֶיךָ רָעָה וְגוֹ'.
For wherever the Holy Name is the evil species cannot come and are not able to accuse a man.
(מזוזא אקרי). אֲתָר דְּפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתָא שַׁרְיָא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, אֲתָר דְּפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתָא עִלָּאָה שַׁרְיָא, מְזוּזָא אִקְרֵי. דְּהוּא תִּקּוּנָא דְּבֵיתָא, וּפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתָא. מֵהַהִיא מְזוּזָה עַרְקִין מָארֵי נִימּוּסִין, מָארֵי דְּדִינִין קַמֵּיהּ לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין. וְקֳבֵל דָּא לְתַתָּא, כַּד בַּר נָשׁ אַתְקִין מְזוּזָה לְפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתָא, וְהַאי שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא רָשִׁים בְּאַתווֹי, הַאי בַּר נָשׁ אִתְעֲטָּר בְּעִטְרוֹי דְּמָארֵיהּ, וְלָא קְרָבִין לְפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתֵיהּ זִינִין בִּישִׁין, וְלָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי תַּמָּן.
The place of the door of the supernal House is called mezuzah, which is a necessary part of the house, and from it flee the emissaries of justice and punishment. Correspondingly when on earth a man affixes a mezuzah to his door with his Holy Name inscribed in it, such a one is crowned with the crowns of his Master and no “evil species” come near to the door of his house.’
רִבִּי אַבָּא הֲוָה אָתֵי מִלְּמֵחמֵי לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, פָּגַע בֵּיהּ רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אָמַר לֵיהּ מֵאָן אָתֵי, מָארֵיהּ דִּנְהוֹרָא, גְּבָר דְּאִתְדַּבָּק בְּנוּרָא דְּאַכְלָא כָּל יוֹמָא, הָא נְהוֹרָא עִמֵּיהּ שָׁרֵי. אָמַר לֵיהּ, תָּנֵינָן דְּחִיּוּבָא עָלֵיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ, לְקַבְּלָא אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא, בְּכָל רֵישׁ יַרְחֵי וְשַׁבַּתֵּי. וּמַאן אִיהוּ. רַבֵּיהּ. כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בּוּצִינָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא, דְּכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא בָּעָאן לְקַבְּלָא אַנְפּוֹי. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אַהֲדַרְנָא עִמָּךְ, וְאַקְבֵּל אַנְפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא, וְאַטְעַם מֵאִינּוּן מִלִּין עִלָּאִין, דְּאַטְעֲמַת קַמֵּיהּ.
As R. Abba was once coming away from a visit to R. Simeon he was met by R. Isaac, who exclaimed: ‘Who is coming? The master of light, the man who all day has been cleaving to a consuming fire. Behold, light abides with him.’ R. Abba said to him: ‘We have learnt that a man should go to pay his respects to the Shekinah every Sabbath and New Moon, and who is meant? His teacher. All the more, then, is it incumbent on all people to pay their respects to the Sacred Lamp.’ Said R. Isaac: ‘I will turn back with you and pay my respects to the Shekinah and [meanwhile] taste of those excellent words of which you have tasted.’