You should know that when the wicked Bilaam saw that he could not harm Israel through his sorcery, as it is written, “How can I curse whom God has not cursed?” (Bamidbar 23:8), he advised Balak to order the Maobite daughters into immorality in order to cause the Israelite men to stumble. Then, when the Israelites did indeed stumble and twenty-four thousand Israelite men fell, Bilaam came to collect his reward from Balak. Later on, when Israel waged war against Midyan, Pinchas saw Bilaam flying through the air and he shouted to his soldiers (see the Zohar, 3:194a) and asked, “Is there anyone who knows how to fly after that wicked one?” For he saw that Bilaam was flying like a bird. One man by the name of Tzalyah from the tribe of Dan responded instantly. He knew how to subjugate the forces of impurity and to fly after him. But when that wicked one saw him coming, he cut his way through five levels of the atmosphere and continued flying hidden from the eye. At that moment Tzalyah found himself in peril and suffered great anguish because he did not know what to do.
But right away Pinchas raised his voice and spoke to the shadow by means of which Bilaam had cloaked himself in the five levels of the atmosphere and commanded that it become transparent once more and cease to conceal that evildoer. So the atmosphere became transparent once more and Tzalyah flew towards him. He succeeded in overpowering the wicked Bilaam and constrained him, forcing him to come before Pinchas. How did he constrain him? Tzalyah knew how to constrain the male as well as the female aspect of the chief impure forces of sorcery, both of which are called “Shefi.” Bilaam, on the other hand, knew only how to overpower the male aspect. Therefore regarding Bilaam it is written, “And he went [through the power of] Shefi” (Bamidbar 23:3). Whereas regarding the tribe of Dan it is written, “And Dan was a snake along the road, Shefifon along the path” (Bereishis 49:17). The “path” referred to is the path through the atmosphere in which the wicked one cloaked himself.
Similarly, in the future the vengeance against Hashem’s enemies will also be executed by Serayah of the tribe of Dan. Thus when Dan arises one should be on the lookout for Israel’s redemption, as it is written, “I have awaited Your salvation, Hashem” (Bereishis 49:18). When Bilaam came before Pinchas the latter said to him, “Wicked one! How many evil tribulations have you brought upon the holy people!” Then Pinchas addressed Tzalyah, “Go ahead and execute him. But not with a holy Divine name lest his request be fulfilled in which he asked, “Let my soul die the death of the upright” (Bamidbar 23:10). Several types of gruesome deaths were executed upon him on the spot, but he did not die until Tzalyah took a sword upon which was a snake was engraved on both sides. Pinchas said to Bilaam, “Through the very defilement with which you were engaged shall you die.” Whereupon he killed him and Bilaam was judged with that defilement in the other world. Meanwhile in this world all of his bones disintegrated and his flesh and body turned into snakes, evil snakes. Even the worms that consumed his flesh were transformed into snakes and from his bones were also fashioned great snakes.
This is the fate all sorcerers — their bodies are turned into snakes and scorpions while their souls become male and female demons. May the spirits and souls of all sorcerers be filled with sorrow! All those men and women who turn to sorcery deserve to be cursed before the Holy One Blessed is He, and to have their influence diminished in whatever way possible. And if certain women are known to harm Jewish children through their sorcery it is fitting that they be pointed out by name and that a severe ban be proclaimed against them, accompanied with shofar blowing and the extinguishing of candles and in the presence of seven Torah scrolls. They should then be ostracized so that they have no contact with the holy community of Israel.
You should know further that the wicked Bilaam gathered all types of herbs for use in his sorcery and then put them in a pot, which he buried deep in the earth, fifteen hundred cubits underground. Years later when Dovid HaMelech was excavating holes on the site of the Temple to bring up ground water for use in the libations on the altar, holes that were also fifteen hundred cubits deep, he came across the pot that Bilaam had buried. He then removed it and diluted it with water that was fit for the libations. Concerning this was it written, “Moav is my wash basin” (Tehillim 108:10), for he “washed” it and removed the power of sorcery that was in Moav’s pot. Therefore whenever there is suspicion of harm due to sorcery it is a good strategy to neutralize it by reciting the fifteen “Songs of Ascent” (Tehillim 120-135), which Dovid composed at the time that he excavated those holes to bring up the groundwater (Sukkah 53a). Afterwards let them pray to Hashem to remove from Israel all the harm caused by sorcery. It is also advisable for every Jewish man and woman to stay as far away from sorcery as possible. Let them avoid all acts of sorcery, augury and divination and let them avoid hearing the recitation of any incantation. For the Holy One Blessed is He takes pride in His people that, “There is no augury among Yaakov and no divination among Yisroel” (Bamidbar 23:23). Whoever stays far from sorcery will be allowed to enter a partition in the World to Come within which even the ministering angels cannot stand (Nedarim 32a).
וְדַע, כִּי בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע, כְּשֶׁרָאָה שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהָרַע לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּכְשָׁפָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: "מָה אֶקֹּב לֹא קַבֹּה אֵל". נָתַן עֵצָה לְבָלָק, שֶׁיַּפְקִיר אֶת בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם לִזְנוּת כְּדֵי לְהַכְשִׁיל אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְכַאֲשֶׁר בֶּאֱמֶת נִכְשְׁלוּ וְנָפְלוּ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה אֶלֶף, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הָלַךְ בִּלְעָם לִטֹּל שְׂכָרוֹ מִבָּלָק, בָּא פִּנְחָס וְרָאָה אֶת בִּלְעָם בְּמִלְחֶמֶת מִדְיָן פּוֹרֵחַ בָּאֲוִיר, רָמָא פִּנְחָס קָלָא לִבְנֵי חֵילָא (עַיֵּן בַּזֹּהַר) וְאָמַר: אִית מָאן דְּיָדַע לְמִפְרָח אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, דְּהַהוּא רָשָׁע? לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה רוֹאֶה, שֶׁבִּלְעָם טָס כָּעוֹף, וּמִיָּד הִתְעוֹרֵר אִישׁ אֶחָד, וְצַלְיָא שְׁמוֹ, וְהָיָה מִשֵּׁבֶט דָּן, שֶׁהָיָה יוֹדֵעַ לָכֹף תַּחְתָּיו כֹּחוֹת הַטֻּמְאָה, וּפָרַח אַחֲרָיו. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לֵיהּ הַהוּא רָשָׁע, קָרַע בְּכִשּׁוּפִין בְּעֹמֶק חֲמִשָּׁה אֲוִירִים, וְטָס וְנִתְכַּסָּה שָׁם בְּהֵעָלְמוּת עַיִן, וּבְהַהוּא שַׁעְתָּא דְּאִתְכַּסְּיָן, הָיָה הָאִישׁ צַלְיָא בְּצַעֲרָא, וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת.
You should know that when the wicked Bilaam saw that he could not harm Israel through his sorcery, as it is written, “How can I curse whom God has not cursed?” (Bamidbar 23:8), he advised Balak to order the Maobite daughters into immorality in order to cause the Israelite men to stumble. Then, when the Israelites did indeed stumble and twenty-four thousand Israelite men fell, Bilaam came to collect his reward from Balak. Later on, when Israel waged war against Midyan, Pinchas saw Bilaam flying through the air and he shouted to his soldiers (see the Zohar, 3:194a) and asked, “Is there anyone who knows how to fly after that wicked one?” For he saw that Bilaam was flying like a bird. One man by the name of Tzalyah from the tribe of Dan responded instantly. He knew how to subjugate the forces of impurity and to fly after him. But when that wicked one saw him coming, he cut his way through five levels of the atmosphere and continued flying hidden from the eye. At that moment Tzalyah found himself in peril and suffered great anguish because he did not know what to do.
מִיָּד רָמָא לֵיהּ פִּנְחָס קָלָא לְהַהוּא אֲוִירָא, אֲשֶׁר נִתְכַּסֶּה בּוֹ בִּלְעָם בַּחֲמִשָּׁה אֲוִירִים, שֶׁיִּתְהַפֵּך וְיִתְגַּלּוּ, לְבַל יִתְכַּסֶּה בּוֹ אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע. מִיָּד נִתְגַּלֶּה הַאי אֲוִירָא, וְעָאל צַלְיָא לְגַבֵּיהּ וְגָבַר עַל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע וְכַפְיֵהּ שֶׁיָּבוֹא לִפְנֵי פִּנְחָס. וּבַמֶּה כָּפָה אוֹתוֹ? בְּזֶה כִּי יוֹדֵעַ הָיָה צַלְיָא לָכוֹף אֶת הַזָּכָר וְאֶת הַנְּקֵבָה שֶׁל רָאשֵׁי טֻמְאַת הַכִּשּׁוּפִים, אֲשֶׁר כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם הָיָה נִקְרָא שֶׁפִי; מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע, הָיָה רַק יוֹדֵעַ לְהִתְגַּבֵּר בְּכֹחַ הִזָּכָר לְבַד. לָכֵן בְּבִלְעָם כְּתִיב: "וַיֵּלֶךְ שֶׁפִי"; מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן צַלְיָא, שֶׁהָיָה מִשֵּׁבֶט דָּן, כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ: "יְהִי דָּן נָחָשׁ עֲלֵי דֶּרֶךְ, שְׁפִיפוֹן עֲלֵי אֹרַח", וְהַאי אֹרַח וּשְׁבִיל בַּאֲוִירָא, דְּנִתְכַּסָּה בּוֹ אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע.
But right away Pinchas raised his voice and spoke to the shadow by means of which Bilaam had cloaked himself in the five levels of the atmosphere and commanded that it become transparent once more and cease to conceal that evildoer. So the atmosphere became transparent once more and Tzalyah flew towards him. He succeeded in overpowering the wicked Bilaam and constrained him, forcing him to come before Pinchas. How did he constrain him? Tzalyah knew how to constrain the male as well as the female aspect of the chief impure forces of sorcery, both of which are called “Shefi.” Bilaam, on the other hand, knew only how to overpower the male aspect. Therefore regarding Bilaam it is written, “And he went [through the power of] Shefi” (Bamidbar 23:3). Whereas regarding the tribe of Dan it is written, “And Dan was a snake along the road, Shefifon along the path” (Bereishis 49:17). The “path” referred to is the path through the atmosphere in which the wicked one cloaked himself.
וְכֵן לֶעָתִיד תִּהְיֶה הַנְּקָמָה בְּאוֹיְבֵי ה' עַל יְדֵי שָׂרָיָה מִשֵּׁבֶט דָּן, וְכַד יָקוּם דָּן כְּדֵין מְחַכֶּה לְפֻרְקָנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִיב: "לִישׁוּעָתְךָ קִוִּיתִי ה'". כְּשֶׁבָּא בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע לִפְנֵי פִּנְחָס, אָמַר לוֹ פִּנְחָס לְבִלְעָם הָרָשָׁע: רָשָׁע, כַּמָּה גִּלְגּוּלִין בִּישִׁין עַבְדַּת עַל עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא! אָמַר לֵיהּ פִּנְחָס לְצַלְיָא: קוּם וְקַטְלֵיהּ, וְלֹא בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְתִתְקַיֵּם בֵּיהּ: "תָּמֹת נַפְשִׁי מוֹת יְשָׁרִים". בְּהַהוּא שַׁעְתָּא עָבִיד בֵּיהּ כַּמָּה מִיתוֹת מְשֻׁנּוֹת, וְלֹא מֵת עַד דְּנָטִיל חַרְבָּא, דַּהֲוֵי חָקוּק עֲלֵיהּ חִוְיָא מֵהַאי סְטָר וְחִוְיָא מֵהַאי סְטָר. אָמַר לֵיהּ פִּנְחָס: בְּהָא טֻמְאָה, דַהֲוֵית עָסוּק בֵּיהּ, אַתָּה תָּמוּת בּוֹ. כְּדֵין קָטִיל לֵיהּ וְדַיְנוּן לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא טֻמְאָה וּבְהַהוּא עָלְמָא עַצְמוֹי כֻּלָּהּ אִתְרְקִיבוּ, וּמִבְּשָׂרוֹ וְגוּפוֹ שֶׁל בִּלְעָם אִתְעֲבִידוּ נְחָשִׁים, חִוְיָן בִּישִׁין, וַאֲפִלּוּ מִתּוֹלָעִים, שֶׁאָכְלוּ אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ, אִתְהֲדַרוּ מֵהֶם וְנַעֲשִׂים חִוְיָן, וּמֵעַצְמוֹתָיו נַעֲשׂוּ גַּם כֵּן נְחָשִׁים גְּדוֹלִים.
Similarly, in the future the vengeance against Hashem’s enemies will also be executed by Serayah of the tribe of Dan. Thus when Dan arises one should be on the lookout for Israel’s redemption, as it is written, “I have awaited Your salvation, Hashem” (Bereishis 49:18). When Bilaam came before Pinchas the latter said to him, “Wicked one! How many evil tribulations have you brought upon the holy people!” Then Pinchas addressed Tzalyah, “Go ahead and execute him. But not with a holy Divine name lest his request be fulfilled in which he asked, “Let my soul die the death of the upright” (Bamidbar 23:10). Several types of gruesome deaths were executed upon him on the spot, but he did not die until Tzalyah took a sword upon which was a snake was engraved on both sides. Pinchas said to Bilaam, “Through the very defilement with which you were engaged shall you die.” Whereupon he killed him and Bilaam was judged with that defilement in the other world. Meanwhile in this world all of his bones disintegrated and his flesh and body turned into snakes, evil snakes. Even the worms that consumed his flesh were transformed into snakes and from his bones were also fashioned great snakes.
וְכֵן הוּא סוֹף וְקֵץ כָּל גּוּפוֹת הַמְכַשְּׁפִים, שֶׁהָלְכוּ אַחַר הַכִּשּׁוּף, לִהְיוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ נְחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים, וְנִשְׁמָתָן נַעֲשִׂין שֵׁדִין וְלִילִין. תִּפַּח רוּחָם וְנִשְׁמָתָם שֶׁל בַּעֲלֵי כִּשּׁוּף! וְאוֹתָן אֲנָשִׁים אוֹ נָשִׁים שֶׁהוֹלְכִין אַחַר הַכִּשּׁוּף, הֵמָּה רְאוּיִן לְקַלֵּל אוֹתָן לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּלְהַתִּישׁ כֹּחָן בְּכָל מַאי דְּאֶפְשָׁר. וּבְאִם אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ נָשִׁים כַּשְׁפָנִיּוֹת, הַיּוֹדְעוֹת לְהַזִּיק יַלְדֵי יִשְׂרְאֵלִים, רְאוּיִן הֵן לְפָרְטָן בִּשְׁמָם וּלְהַחֲרִים אוֹתָן בְּחֵרֶם חָמוּר בְּשׁוֹפָר וְכִבּוּי נֵרוֹת וּבְהוֹצָאַת שִׁבְעָה סִפְרֵי תּוֹרָה, וּלְהַפְרִישׁ אוֹתָן שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם שׁוּם נְגִיעָה בִּקְדֻשַּׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל.
This is the fate all sorcerers — their bodies are turned into snakes and scorpions while their souls become male and female demons. May the spirits and souls of all sorcerers be filled with sorrow! All those men and women who turn to sorcery deserve to be cursed before the Holy One Blessed is He, and to have their influence diminished in whatever way possible. And if certain women are known to harm Jewish children through their sorcery it is fitting that they be pointed out by name and that a severe ban be proclaimed against them, accompanied with shofar blowing and the extinguishing of candles and in the presence of seven Torah scrolls. They should then be ostracized so that they have no contact with the holy community of Israel.
וְדַע, כִּי בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע לִקֵּט כָּל מִינֵי עֲשָׂבִים, הַשַּׁיָּכִים לְהַכִּשּׁוּף, וְהִכְנִיסָם לִקְדֵרָה, וְחָפַר וְטָמַן אֶת הַקְּדֵרָה בְּעֹמֶק הָאָרֶץ אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת אַמָּה. וּכְשֶׁכָּרָה דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם לְהַשִּׁיתִין, כָּרָה עַד הַתְּהוֹם לְהַמְצִיא מַיִם מֵהַתְּהוֹם לְנַסֵּךְ עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, כָּרָה אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת אַמָּה, וּמָצָא הַאי קְדֵרָה, וְהֶעֱבִירוֹ וְהֶחֱלִישׁוֹ בְּמַיִם הָרְאוּיִן לְנַסֵּךְ עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. וְעַל זֶה אָמַר: "מוֹאָב סִיר רַחְצִי" — שֶׁרָחַץ וְהֶעֱבִיר כִּשּׁוּפִים שֶׁבְּסִיר מוֹאָב הַנִּזְכָּר. וְעַל כֵּן בְּאִם יֵשׁ חֲשָׁשׁ בְּהִזּוּק שֶׁל כְּשָׁפִים, טוֹב לְהַעֲבִירָם עַל יְדֵי חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר "שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת" שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁכָּרָה אֶת הַשִּׁיתִין לְהַעֲלוֹת הַמַּיִם מִן הַתְּהוֹם, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִתְפַּלֵּל לַה' יִתְבָּרַךְ לְהָסִיר כָּל מִינֵי הֶזֵּק כִּשּׁוּף מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. וְזֹאת הָעֵצָה טוֹבָה לְכָל בַּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְכָל בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל: לְהַרְחִיק עַצְמָם מִן הַכִּשּׁוּף בְּכָל מִינֵי הַרְחָקוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם מִלַּעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר עַל יְדֵי כִּשּׁוּף אוֹ נִחוּשׁ וּקְסָמִים, וְלֹא לִשְׁמֹעַ שׁוּם לַחַשׁ שֶׁל כִּשּׁוּף, כִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְפָּאֵר: "כִּי לֹא נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב וְלֹא קֶסֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל" (בַּמִּדְבָּר כג, כג). וְכָל הַמַּרְחִיק אֶת עַצְמוֹ מֵהַכִּשּׁוּף, מַכְנִיסִין אוֹתוֹ לִמְחִצָּה בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת אֵין יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמֹד שָׁם.
You should know further that the wicked Bilaam gathered all types of herbs for use in his sorcery and then put them in a pot, which he buried deep in the earth, fifteen hundred cubits underground. Years later when Dovid HaMelech was excavating holes on the site of the Temple to bring up ground water for use in the libations on the altar, holes that were also fifteen hundred cubits deep, he came across the pot that Bilaam had buried. He then removed it and diluted it with water that was fit for the libations. Concerning this was it written, “Moav is my wash basin” (Tehillim 108:10), for he “washed” it and removed the power of sorcery that was in Moav’s pot. Therefore whenever there is suspicion of harm due to sorcery it is a good strategy to neutralize it by reciting the fifteen “Songs of Ascent” (Tehillim 120-135), which Dovid composed at the time that he excavated those holes to bring up the groundwater (Sukkah 53a). Afterwards let them pray to Hashem to remove from Israel all the harm caused by sorcery. It is also advisable for every Jewish man and woman to stay as far away from sorcery as possible. Let them avoid all acts of sorcery, augury and divination and let them avoid hearing the recitation of any incantation. For the Holy One Blessed is He takes pride in His people that, “There is no augury among Yaakov and no divination among Yisroel” (Bamidbar 23:23). Whoever stays far from sorcery will be allowed to enter a partition in the World to Come within which even the ministering angels cannot stand (Nedarim 32a).