Furthermore, as soon as that spirit hovers over the world, all the malignant spirits and the evil accusers of men vanish from the world. And so there is then no need to pray for protection, as Israel is then under the guardianship of that spirit, with the wings of the tabernacle of peace spread over them, so that they may be perfectly secure.
There is, it is true, a traditional teaching which says that a man should not go out alone either on the night of the fourth day of the week or on the night of the Sabbath, and that at these times one has to be on one’s guard; and this seems to contradict what has just been said, that on Sabbath night men are shielded from all evil accusers and need not therefore offer up a special prayer.
Still, all this is assuredly correct. The fourth night of the week we have to be on our guard against them, for the reason that at the creation of the lights the moon was cursed, its light diminished, and occasion was thus given to bands of malignant roving spirits to exercise power that night;
on Sabbath night, again, whilst these spirits scatter themselves in order to retire into the cavern of the abyss where they are powerless to harm, a solitary man must be on his guard against them, since, although they are deprived of power, now and then they show themselves, and so a solitary wayfarer has to be on his guard.
If that be so, it was said, does it not betoken an inadequate degree of security? Not so, it was answered. On the Sabbath there is protection for the holy people, and the Holy One, on the entrance of the Sabbath, decorates every member of Israel with a crown-a holy crown, which every wearer must cherish and guard. Now, although the malignant spirits do not then frequent inhabited places, they often appear to a man that walks alone, and then his “lucky star” (mazzal) deserts him. It is therefore incumbent upon a man to decorate himself with the holy crown and to guard it.
Howbeit, on that night the holy people are fully protected, since the tabernacle of peace overspreads them, and tradition tells us that the tabernacle of peace and the “other side” cannot coexist together.
The Sabbath day is thus a day of universal joy and security, both in the upper and the lower worlds; and the lower light, radiating into the upper world, through the resplendency of the Sabbath crowns, is there intensified seventy-fold, so that the Ancient of Ancients bestirs Himself.
Then at break of day the holy people proceed to Synagogue in a joyous spirit robed in their best, crowned with the celestial holy crown and endowed with the additional celestial spirit, and there they offer up praises in songs and hymns, which mount up on high, so that the upper and the lower worlds are filled with joy and are all decorated together. Then the celestial beings hold forth and say: “Happy are ye, O holy people on earth, through whom your Master is crowned, as well as all the sacred hosts.”
This day is the day of the soul and not of the body, exhibiting the sway of the “bundle of souls”, when the upper and the lower beings are mated together in virtue of the additional celestial spirit by which man is crowned.
כֵּיוָן דְּהַאי רוּחָא שָׁרָא עַל עָלְמָא, כָּל רוּחִין בִּישִׁין, וְכָל מְקַטְרְגִין בִּישִׁין, אִסְתָּלָקוּ מֵעָלְמָא וְלָא בָּעֵינָן לְצַלָּאָה עַל נְטוּרָא, בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִינּוּן נְטִירִין בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא, וְסֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם פְּרִיסָת גַּדְפָהָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וְאִינּוּן נְטִירִין מִכֹּלָּא.
Furthermore, as soon as that spirit hovers over the world, all the malignant spirits and the evil accusers of men vanish from the world. And so there is then no need to pray for protection, as Israel is then under the guardianship of that spirit, with the wings of the tabernacle of peace spread over them, so that they may be perfectly secure.
וְאִי תֵּימָא, הָא תָּנֵינָן, דְּלָא יִפּוּק בַּר נָשׁ יְחִידָאי, לָא בְּלֵילְיָא רְבִיעָאָה דְּשַׁבְּתָא, וְלָא בְּלֵילְיָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא, וּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא. וְהָא אַמָרָן, דִּבְלֵילְיָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא נְטִירִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא מִכָּל מְקַטְרְגִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְלָא בָּעִינָן לְצַלָּאָה עַל נְטוּרָא.
There is, it is true, a traditional teaching which says that a man should not go out alone either on the night of the fourth day of the week or on the night of the Sabbath, and that at these times one has to be on one’s guard; and this seems to contradict what has just been said, that on Sabbath night men are shielded from all evil accusers and need not therefore offer up a special prayer.
תָּא חֲזֵי, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, לֵילְיָא רְבִיעָאָה דְּשַׁבְּתָא, בָּעֵינָן לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִנַּיְיהוּ, מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית א׳:י״ד) יְהִי מְאֹרֹת, מְאֵרַת כְּתִיב חָסֵר, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דִּבְגִין דְּהִיא חֲסֵרָה, כַּמָה חֲבִילֵי טְהִירִין אִתְכְּלִילָן בְּהַאי מְאֹרֹת. לְוָוטִין וּמְאֹרֹת אִינּוּן בִּגְרִיעוּתָא דְּסִיהֲרָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ שַׁלִּיטִין בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא.
Still, all this is assuredly correct. The fourth night of the week we have to be on our guard against them, for the reason that at the creation of the lights the moon was cursed, its light diminished, and occasion was thus given to bands of malignant roving spirits to exercise power that night;
בְּלֵילְיָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא, כֵּיוָן דְּכֻלְּהוּ מִתְבָּדְרָן לְאַעֲלָא בְּנוּקְבָּא דְּעַפְרָא, דְּלָא יַכְלִין לְשַׁלְּטָאָה, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ יְחִידָאי, לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא. וְתוּ, אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא יַכְלִין לְשַׁלְּטָאָה, אִתְחַזְיָין לְזִמְנִין, וּבַר נָשׁ יְחִידָאי בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא.
on Sabbath night, again, whilst these spirits scatter themselves in order to retire into the cavern of the abyss where they are powerless to harm, a solitary man must be on his guard against them, since, although they are deprived of power, now and then they show themselves, and so a solitary wayfarer has to be on his guard.
מִלָּה דָּא הָכִי תָּנֵינָן, וְאִי הָכִי גְּרִיעוּתָא דִּנְטוּרָא אִיהוּ. אֲבָל בְּשַׁבְּתָא נְטִירוּ אִשְׁתְּכַח לְעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד עָאל שַׁבְּתָא, מְעַטֵּר לְכָל חַד וְחַד מִיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבָעֵי דְּיִנְטְרוּן לֵיהּ לְהַאי עִטְרָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִתְעַטָּרוּ בֵּיהּ, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינּוּן לָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בְּיִשּׁוּבָא, לְזִמְנִין לְבַר נָשׁ יְחִידָאי אִתְחָזוּן, וְאִתְּרַע מַזָּלֵיהּ. וְאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּעִטְרָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְנַטְרָא לֵיהּ.
If that be so, it was said, does it not betoken an inadequate degree of security? Not so, it was answered. On the Sabbath there is protection for the holy people, and the Holy One, on the entrance of the Sabbath, decorates every member of Israel with a crown-a holy crown, which every wearer must cherish and guard. Now, although the malignant spirits do not then frequent inhabited places, they often appear to a man that walks alone, and then his “lucky star” (mazzal) deserts him. It is therefore incumbent upon a man to decorate himself with the holy crown and to guard it.
סוֹף סוֹף, נְטִירוּ אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא לְעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, הוֹאִיל וְסֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם פְּרִיסָא עַל עַמָּא, דְּהָא תָּנֵינָן, בְּכָל אֲתָר דְּסֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם אִשְׁתְּכַח, סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח תַּמָּן. וְעַל דָּא נְטוּרָא אִיהוּ וּנְטוּרָא שְׁכִיחַ.
Howbeit, on that night the holy people are fully protected, since the tabernacle of peace overspreads them, and tradition tells us that the tabernacle of peace and the “other side” cannot coexist together.
יוֹמָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא, חֶדְוָה אִיהוּ לְכֹלָּא, וְכֹלָּא אִתְנְטָר לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. וּנְהוֹרָא (נ"א ונקודה) תַּתָּאָה נַהֲרָא לְסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא, בִּשְׁפִירוּ דְּעִטְרִין שִׁבְעִין חוּלָקִין יַתִּיר, וְסָבָא דְּכָל סָבִין אִתְּעַר.
The Sabbath day is thus a day of universal joy and security, both in the upper and the lower worlds; and the lower light, radiating into the upper world, through the resplendency of the Sabbath crowns, is there intensified seventy-fold, so that the Ancient of Ancients bestirs Himself.
כְּדֵין כַּד סָלִיק נְהוֹרָא, עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא מְקַדְּמֵי לְבֵי כְּנִישְׁתָּא בִּלְבוּשׁ יְקָר בְּחֶדְוָה, מִתְעַטְּרָן בְּעִטְרָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא, בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא דְּקַיְּימָא עָלַיְיהוּ לְתַתָּא, מְשַׁבְּחָן בְּשִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן, וְסַלְּקִין תּוּשְׁבְּחָן לְעֵילָּא, וְעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּחֶדְוָה, וּמִתְעַטְּרָן כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא. פַּתְחֵי עִלָּאֵי וְאַמְרֵי, זַכָּאִין אַתּוּן עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא בְּאַרְעָא, דְּמָארֵיכוֹן אִתְעֲטָּר עָלַיְיכוּ, וְכָל חֵילִין קַדִּישִׁין, מִתְעַטְּרִין בְּגִינֵיכוֹן.
Then at break of day the holy people proceed to Synagogue in a joyous spirit robed in their best, crowned with the celestial holy crown and endowed with the additional celestial spirit, and there they offer up praises in songs and hymns, which mount up on high, so that the upper and the lower worlds are filled with joy and are all decorated together. Then the celestial beings hold forth and say: “Happy are ye, O holy people on earth, through whom your Master is crowned, as well as all the sacred hosts.”
הַאי יוֹמָא, יוֹמָא דְּנִשְׁמָתִין אִיהוּ, וְלָאו יוֹמָא דְּגוּפָא, בְּגִין דְּשֻׁלְטָנוּ דִּצְרוֹרָא דְּנִשְׁמָתִין אִיהוּ, וְקַיְימָן עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּזִוּוּגָא חֲדָא, בְּעִטְרָא דְּרוּחָא יְתֵירָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא.
This day is the day of the soul and not of the body, exhibiting the sway of the “bundle of souls”, when the upper and the lower beings are mated together in virtue of the additional celestial spirit by which man is crowned.