‘HE FOUND HIM IN A DESERT LAND AND IN THE WASTE HOWLING WILDERNESS . Assuredly he afterwards made all those “shells”1The klifoth. subservient to him. ‘Up to this point this section was transcribed in the Book of Kartana the physician. Then in a note to this verse were set down all the precautions that a wise physician should take for a person laid up in his sickness, among the prisoners of the King, for the service of his Master, the Lord of the Universe.
When the wise physician goes in to him, he “finds him in a desert land and in the waste howling wilderness”. Are we to say that because God has commanded him to be seized, no one should seek to help him? Not so, for David said, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor” (Ps. 41, 2), and the “poor” is one confined to a bed of sickness. What, then, is the wise physician to do?
He “compasses him about”, finding means to protect him against the things that injure him, by letting blood and removing the bad blood from him. “He cares for him”, examining the cause of the disease, and taking steps that it should not grow worse. Then “he keeps him as the apple of his eye”, that he may be careful to prescribe for him the proper medicines, since if he makes a mistake in a single particular God imputes it to him as if he were to shed blood, for, although that man is among the prisoners of the King, yet God desires that his fellow man should tend him and help to release him from the prison.
He used to say thus: God passes sentence on human beings above, whether for death or banishment or confiscation of goods or imprisonment. He who is liable to confiscation of goods falls ill and is not healed until he pays all that is decreed against him. When he has paid his money penalty he is healed and goes out from his prison, and therefore it is fitting that one should assist him to pay his fine and be released.
He who is liable to uprooting is seized and thrown into the prison until he is completely uprooted, though sometimes he is uprooted only from his limbs or from one of them and is then released. But one who is liable to death cannot save himself by any ransom whatever.
Hence a wise physician must do his best first to provide him a healing for his body, and if he cannot do this he must try to find a healing for his soul. This is the physician whom God assists both in this world and in the next.’
R. Eleazar said: ‘I never heard before of this physician and this book, save once when a certain merchant told me that he had heard his father say that in his days there was a physician who on looking at a patient would say: This one wIII live, or this one will die. He was said to be a virtuous God-fearing man, and if a patient could not afford to get what he prescribed he would give him out of his own pocket. It was said, too, that there was no physician so skilful as he, and that he accomplished more with his prayer than with his hands. I fancy this was that same physician.
Said that merchant: His book is indeed in my possession, as I inherited it from my father’s father, and all the words of that book are founded upon hidden meanings of the Torah, and I have discovered profound secrets in it and many remedies which he said should not be administered save by one who was God-fearing,
they being of those which were employed by Balaam, who used to utter an incantation over a sickness and heal it forthwith. All this he explained in that book, saying: This is forbidden and this is permitted to one who fears sin, since, as he said, the cure of many illnesses depends on the incantation. These are from the side of enchantment, some of them from the side of magic. All those which it is forbidden to pronounce with the mouth or to do with the hands were set down, and we found that certain diseases it was necessary to excommunicate, which was a great wonder to us.’
R. Eleazar and the Companions were greatly interested to hear this. Said R. Eleazar: ‘If I had that book I would see what it says, and I vow that I would show it to the Sacred Lamp’. We have learnt that R. Eleazar said: I had that book for twelve months and I found in it many illuminating things. When I came to the incantations of Balaam I was in some perplexity.
One day I uttered one in a certain place, and letters went up and down and a voice said to me in a dream: Why dost thou enter into a domain which is not thine and not thy concern? When I woke I was sore displeased with the hidden mysteries there. I sent to a certain Jew named R. Jose, son of R. Judah, and gave him the book.
In the secrets of Balaam I had found some of the names of the angels which Balak sent to him, but not set down in the proper manner. I also, however, found a number of remedies which were based on arrangements of texts and secret mysteries of the Torah, and saw that they consisted of pious remarks and prayers and supplications to the Almighty. It must not be thought, however, that he performed healing with verses of the Scripture or with mysteries of the Torah; far from it. He used to pronounce mysteries of the Torah, and thereby he discovered secret healings the like of which I have never seen. I said: Blessed be God who has imparted to man of the supernal wisdom.
I also took some of the words of Balaam, from which I could see that there never was a sorcerer like him. I said: Blessed be God for removing sorcery from the world, so that men should not be led astray from the fear of the Holy One, blessed be He.
(דברים ל״ב:י׳) יִמְצָאֵהוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר וּבְתֹהוּ, וַדַּאי לְבָתַר עָבֵד לְכָל אִינּוּן קְלִיפִין, דִּיהוֹן כֻּלְּהוּ מִשְׁתַּעְבְּדִין לֵיהּ. עַד הָכָא הֲוָה כְּתִיב בְּהַהוּא סִפְרָא, דְּקָרְטָנָא אַסְיָא לְבָתַר הֲוָה רָשִׁים בְּהַאי קְרָא, כָּל נְטוּרָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ אַסְיָא חַכִּים לְמֶעְבַּד לִמְרַע דְּשָׁכִיב בְּבֵי מַרְעֵיהּ, בֵּי אֲסִירֵי דְּמַלְכָּא, לְמִפְלַח לְמָארֵי עָלְמָא.
‘HE FOUND HIM IN A DESERT LAND AND IN THE WASTE HOWLING WILDERNESS . Assuredly he afterwards made all those “shells”1The klifoth. subservient to him. ‘Up to this point this section was transcribed in the Book of Kartana the physician. Then in a note to this verse were set down all the precautions that a wise physician should take for a person laid up in his sickness, among the prisoners of the King, for the service of his Master, the Lord of the Universe.
דְּכַד אָזִיל אַסְיָא חַכִּים לְגַבֵּיהּ, יִמְצָאֵהוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר וּבְתֹהוּ יְלֵיל יְשִׁימוֹן, מַרְעִין דְּשַׁרְיָין עָלֵיהּ, אַשְׁכַּח לֵיהּ בַּאֲסִירוּ דְּמַלְכָּא. אִי תֵּימָא הוֹאִיל וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא (ס"א פקיד) יִפְקוֹד לְתַפְשָׂא לֵיהּ, דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּדַל בַּר נָשׁ אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ. לָאו הָכִי, דְּהָא דָּוִד אָמַר, (תהילים מ״א:ב׳) אַשְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּיל אֶל דָּל וְגוֹ', דָּל הַהוּא דְּשָׁכִיב בְּבֵי מַרְעֵיהּ. וְאִי אַסְיָא חַכִּים הוּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב לֵיהּ בִּרְכָאן, לְהַהוּא דְּיִשְׁתְּדַּל בֵּיהּ.
When the wise physician goes in to him, he “finds him in a desert land and in the waste howling wilderness”. Are we to say that because God has commanded him to be seized, no one should seek to help him? Not so, for David said, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor” (Ps. 41, 2), and the “poor” is one confined to a bed of sickness. What, then, is the wise physician to do?
וְהַהוּא אַסְיָא, יִמְצָאֵהוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר, בְּבֵי מַרְעֵיהּ שְׁכִיב. וּבְתֹהוּ יְלֵיל יְשִׁימוֹן, דְּאִינּוּן מַרְעִין דַּחֲקִין לֵיהּ. מַאי אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְמֶעְבַּד. יְסוֹבְבֶנְהוּ יְסוֹבֵב סִבּוֹת, וְיֵיתֵי עִלּוֹת, בְּגִין דְּיִמְנַע מִנֵּיהּ אִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּנַזְקִין לֵיהּ. יַקִּיז לֵיהּ, וְיַפִּיק מִנֵּיהּ דָּמָא בִּישָׁא. יְבוֹנֵנֶהוּ יִסְתְּכַּל וְיָבִין הַהוּא מַרְעָא מִמָּה הֲוֵי, וְיִסְתְּכַּל בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְרַבֵּי עֲלוֹי, וְיַמְאִךְ לֵיהּ. לְבָתַר יִצְּרֶנְהוּ כְּאִישׁוֹן עֵינוֹ, בְּגִין דִּיְהֵא נָטִיר כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת, בְּאִינּוּן מַשְׁקֵי, בְּאִינּוּן אַסְוָותָא דְּאִצְטְרִיכוּ לֵיהּ, וְלָא יִטְעֵי (ס"א מינייהו) בֵּינַיְיהוּ. דְּאִלְמָלֵי יִטְעֵי, אֲפִילּוּ בְּמִלָּה חַד, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָשִׁיב עַל הַהוּא אַסְיָא, כְּאִלּוּ שָׁפִיךְ דָּמָא וְקַטְלֵיהּ.
He “compasses him about”, finding means to protect him against the things that injure him, by letting blood and removing the bad blood from him. “He cares for him”, examining the cause of the disease, and taking steps that it should not grow worse. Then “he keeps him as the apple of his eye”, that he may be careful to prescribe for him the proper medicines, since if he makes a mistake in a single particular God imputes it to him as if he were to shed blood, for, although that man is among the prisoners of the King, yet God desires that his fellow man should tend him and help to release him from the prison.
בְּגִין דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי, דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּהַהוּא בַּר נַשׁ אִיהוּ בְּבֵי אֲסִירֵי דְּמַלְכָּא, וְאִיהוּ אָסִיר בְּבֵי אֲסִירֵי, דְּיִשְׁתְּדַּל בַּר נַשׁ עָלֵיהּ, וִיסַיֵּיעַ לֵיהּ לְאַפָּקָא לֵיהּ מִבֵּי אֲסִירֵי. וַהֲוָה אָמַר הָכִי. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דָּן דִּינִין דִּבְנֵי עָלְמָא לְעֵילָּא, הֵן לַמָּוֶת הֵן לְשָׁרוּשֵׁי, הֵן לַעֲקוֹר, הֵן לַעֲנוֹשׁ נְכָסִין, וּלְאָסוּרִין. מַאן דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לַעֲנוֹשׁ נְכָסִין, נָפַל בְּבֵי מַרְעֵיהּ, וְלָא יִתְסֵּי, עַד דְּיִתֵּן כָּל מַה דְּאִתְגְּזַר עָלֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעֲנָשׁ בְּמָמוֹנֵיהּ, וְיָהִיב כָּל מַה דְּאִתְגְּזַר עָלֵיהּ, אִתְּסֵי, וְנָפַק מִבֵּי אֲסִירֵי. וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא עָלֵיהּ דְּיִתֵּן עוֹנְשֵׁיהּ וְיִפּוּק.
He used to say thus: God passes sentence on human beings above, whether for death or banishment or confiscation of goods or imprisonment. He who is liable to confiscation of goods falls ill and is not healed until he pays all that is decreed against him. When he has paid his money penalty he is healed and goes out from his prison, and therefore it is fitting that one should assist him to pay his fine and be released.
מַאן דְּיִתְחֲזֵי לְשָׁרוּשֵׁי, יִתְפְסוּן לֵיהּ, וְיָהֲבֵי לֵיהּ בְּבֵי אֲסִירֵי, עַד דְּיִשְׁתְּרַשׁ מִכֹּלָּא. וּלְזִמְנִין דְּיִשְׁתְּרַשׁ מִשַּׁיְיפֵי, אוֹ מֵחַד מִנַּיְיהוּ, וּלְבָתַר יַפְּקוּן לֵיהּ מִבֵּי אֲסִירֵי. מַאן דְּיִתְחֲזֵי לַמָוֶת, הָכִי הוּא, דְּאִילּוּ יִתֵּן כָּל כּוּפְרָא, וְכָל מָמוֹנָא דְּעָלְמָא לָא יִשְׁתְּזִיב.
He who is liable to uprooting is seized and thrown into the prison until he is completely uprooted, though sometimes he is uprooted only from his limbs or from one of them and is then released. But one who is liable to death cannot save himself by any ransom whatever.
וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַסְיָא חַכִּים, לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא עָלֵיהּ, אִי יָכִיל לְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ אַסְוָותָא מִן גּוּפָא, יָאוּת. וְאִי לָאו, יִתֵּן לֵיהּ אַסְוָותָא לְנִשְׁמָתֵיהּ, וְיִשְׁתְּדַל עַל אַסְוָותָא דְּנִשְׁמְתָא. וְדָא הוּא אַסְיָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יִשְׁתְּדַל עָלֵיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
Hence a wise physician must do his best first to provide him a healing for his body, and if he cannot do this he must try to find a healing for his soul. This is the physician whom God assists both in this world and in the next.’
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, עַד הַשְׁתָּא לָא שְׁמַעְנָא מֵאַסְיָא דָּא, וּמִסִּפְרָא דָּא. בַּר מִזִּמְנָא חֲדָא, דְּאָמַר לִי טַיְּיעָא חֲדָא, דְּשָׁמַע לַאֲבוֹי, דְּאַסְיָא חַד הֲוָה בְּיוֹמוֹי, דְּכַד הֲוָה מִסְתְּכַּל בְּבַּר נָשׁ, כַּד אִיהוּ בְּבֵי מַרְעֵיהּ, הֲוָה אָמַר, דָּא חַי וְדָא מֵת. וַהֲווּ אַמְרִין עָלֵיהּ דְּהוּא זַכָּאָה קְשׁוֹט, דְּחִיל חַטָּאָה. וְכָל מַה דְּלָא יָכִיל (אצ"ל למזבן) לְמִדְבַּק מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ, אִיהוּ הֲוָה קָנֵי, וְיָהִיב מִדִּילֵיהּ. הֲוָה אַמְרִין, דְּלֵית חַכִּים בְּעָלְמָא כְּגִינֵיהּ. וּבִצְלוֹתֵיהּ הֲוָה עָבִיד יַתִּיר, מִמָּה דְּהֲוָה עָבִיד בִּידוֹי. וּכְדְדָמֵי לָן, דָּא הֲוָה הַהוּא אַסְיָא.
R. Eleazar said: ‘I never heard before of this physician and this book, save once when a certain merchant told me that he had heard his father say that in his days there was a physician who on looking at a patient would say: This one wIII live, or this one will die. He was said to be a virtuous God-fearing man, and if a patient could not afford to get what he prescribed he would give him out of his own pocket. It was said, too, that there was no physician so skilful as he, and that he accomplished more with his prayer than with his hands. I fancy this was that same physician.
אָמַר הַהוּא טַיְּיעָא, וַדַּאי סִפְרָא דִּילֵיהּ בִּידִי אִיהוּ, דְּקָא יָרִיתְנָא מֵאָבִי אַבָּא, וְכָל מִלּוֹי דְּהַהוּא סִפְרָא, כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְיַיסְּדוּן עַל רָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְרָזִין סְתִימִין אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בֵּיהּ, וּמִלִּין דְּאַסְוָּותָא סַגִּיאִין, דְּאִיהוּ אָמַר דְּלָא יָאוּת לְמִפְעַל לוֹן, בַּר (אי) אִיהוּ דְּחִיל חַטָּאָה.
Said that merchant: His book is indeed in my possession, as I inherited it from my father’s father, and all the words of that book are founded upon hidden meanings of the Torah, and I have discovered profound secrets in it and many remedies which he said should not be administered save by one who was God-fearing,
וְאִינּוּן מִמַּה דְּהֲוָה עָבִיד בִּלְעָם, דְּהֲוָה לָחִישׁ לְחִישִׁין עַל מְרָע, וַהֲוָה אָמַר בְּפוּמוֹי וְאִתְסֵּי מִיַּד. וְכֻלְּהוּ בָּרִיר לוֹן בְּהַהוּא סִפְרָא. וְאָמַר, דָּא אָסוּר, וְדָא מוּתָּר לְמַאן דִּדְחִיל חַטָּאָה. בְּגִין דְּמַרְעִין סַגִּיאִין אָמַר, דְּתַלְיָיא אַסְוָותָא דִּלְהוֹן, בִּלְחִישׁוּ דְּפוּמָא. וְאִינּוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְּנָחָשׁ, וּמִנְּהוֹן מִסִּטְרָא דְּקֶסֶם. וְכָל אִינּוּן דְּאָסוּר לוֹמַר בְּפוּמָא, וְאָסוּר לְמֶעְבַּד בְּעוֹבָדָא, הֲוָה אָמַר. עַד דְּאַשְׁכַּחְנָא עַל מַרְעִין יְדִיעָאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לוֹמַר כַּךְ. וּלְנַדּוּיֵי בְּנִדּוּי וּבְשַׁמָתָא, עַל הַהוּא מְרָע. וְאִיהוּ תַּוָּוהָא סַגִּי לְגַבָּן.
they being of those which were employed by Balaam, who used to utter an incantation over a sickness and heal it forthwith. All this he explained in that book, saying: This is forbidden and this is permitted to one who fears sin, since, as he said, the cure of many illnesses depends on the incantation. These are from the side of enchantment, some of them from the side of magic. All those which it is forbidden to pronounce with the mouth or to do with the hands were set down, and we found that certain diseases it was necessary to excommunicate, which was a great wonder to us.’
חַדֵי רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וְחַדוּ חַבְרַיָּיא. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אִי הַהוּא סִפְרָא הֲוָה לְגַבָּן נֶחְמֵי מַה אִיהוּ אָמַר. אֲנָא אִמְסַר בִּמְסִירָה, עַל מְנַת לְאַחְזָאָה לְבוּצִינָא קַדִישָׁא. וְתָנֵינָן, אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, הַהוּא סִפְרָא הֲוָה בִּידִי תְּרֵיסָר יַרְחֵי, וְאַשְׁכַּחְנָא בֵּיהּ נְהוֹרִין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִירִין. כַּד מָטֵינָא לְאִינּוּן רָזִין דְּהֲוָה מִבִּלְעָם תַּוַּוהְנָא.
R. Eleazar and the Companions were greatly interested to hear this. Said R. Eleazar: ‘If I had that book I would see what it says, and I vow that I would show it to the Sacred Lamp’. We have learnt that R. Eleazar said: I had that book for twelve months and I found in it many illuminating things. When I came to the incantations of Balaam I was in some perplexity.
יוֹמָא חַד לָחִישְׁנָא בַּאֲתָר חַד, וַהֲווּ אַתְוָון סַלְקָן וְנַחְתָּן. עַד דַּחֲמֵינָא בְּחֶלְמָא, וְאָמַר לִּי, מַה לָךְ לְמֵיעַל בִּתְחוּמָא דְּלָא דִּילָךְ, וְלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לָךְ. אִתְּעַרְנָא, וְאַבְאִישׁ קַמָּאי, עַל רָזִין סְתִימִין דַּהֲווֹ תַּמָּן. שָׁדַרְנָא לְהַהוּא יוּדָאִי, וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּרִבִּי יְהוּדָה שְׁמֵיהּ, וְיָהִיבְנָא לֵיהּ סִפְרָא.
One day I uttered one in a certain place, and letters went up and down and a voice said to me in a dream: Why dost thou enter into a domain which is not thine and not thy concern? When I woke I was sore displeased with the hidden mysteries there. I sent to a certain Jew named R. Jose, son of R. Judah, and gave him the book.
וּבְרָזִין דְּבִלְעָם אַשְׁכַּחְנָא, מֵאִינּוּן שְׁמָהָן דְּמַלְאָכִין דְּשָׁדַר לֵיהּ בָּלָק, וְלָא הֲווֹ מִסְתַּדְּרָן עַל תִּקּוּנַיְיהוּ כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת. אֲבָל כַּמָה זִינֵי אַסְוָותָא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בֵּיהּ, דְּקָא מִתְתַּקְּנֵי עַל תִּקּוּנֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְרָזִין סְתִימִין דִּילָהּ. וַחֲמֵינָא דְּאִינּוּן בַּחֲסִידוּתָא. וּצְלוֹתִין וּבָעוּתִין לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְאִי תֵּימָא, דְּהֲוָה עָבִיד אַסְוָותָא בִּפְסוּקֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, אוֹ בְּרָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. אֶלָּא הֲוָה אָמַר רָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְעַל הַהוּא רָזָא אַפִּיק רָזִין דְּאַסְוָּותָא, דְּלָא חֲמֵינָא כְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא לְעָלְמִין. אֲמֵינָא בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא, דְּאַחְכִּים לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא מֵחָכְמָתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא.
In the secrets of Balaam I had found some of the names of the angels which Balak sent to him, but not set down in the proper manner. I also, however, found a number of remedies which were based on arrangements of texts and secret mysteries of the Torah, and saw that they consisted of pious remarks and prayers and supplications to the Almighty. It must not be thought, however, that he performed healing with verses of the Scripture or with mysteries of the Torah; far from it. He used to pronounce mysteries of the Torah, and thereby he discovered secret healings the like of which I have never seen. I said: Blessed be God who has imparted to man of the supernal wisdom.
וּמֵאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּבִלְעָם נָסִיבְנָא, וַחֲמֵינָא בְּהוּ דְּלָא הֲוָה בְּעָלְמָא חַכִּים בַּחֲרָשִׁין כְּגִינֵיהּ. אֲמֵינָא, בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּבִטֵּל מֵעָלְמָא חַרְשִׁין, דְּלָא יִטְעוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא מִבָּתַר דַּחַלְתָּא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִתְעַלֶּה שְׁמוֹ אָמֵן. (ע"כ). (מכאן חזור לפרשת בלק, אמר רבי אלעזר, בלעם חייבא, מאן קטיל ליה וכו', דף קצ"ג ע"ב) בָּרוּךְ יְיָ' לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן יִמְלוֹךְ יְיָ' לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן.
I also took some of the words of Balaam, from which I could see that there never was a sorcerer like him. I said: Blessed be God for removing sorcery from the world, so that men should not be led astray from the fear of the Holy One, blessed be He.