R. Hiya replied: ‘This is the meaning of what we have learnt, that any activity below stimulates a corresponding activity above. If the activity below is one of holiness, it stimulates holiness above to rest upon the doer and sanctify him. And if the man defiles himself below, a spirit of defilement is aroused above and comes and rests upon him, defiling him further.
For there is no good or evil, holiness or defilement, which has not its root and source above. And just as action below stimulates action above, so words below stimulate words above-that is to say, decision couched in words.
This word above is called “the word of the Lord”; for so we have learnt, that the word from below ascends and cleaves the firmaments until it reaches the place where it sets in motion either good or evil, according to its own character; hence it is written, “thou shalt keep thyself from every evil word (dabar)” (Deut. 23, 9).’
אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָיא, הַיְינוּ דְּתָנֵינָן, בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּלְתַּתָּא אִתְּעַר עוֹבָדָא לְעֵילָּא. אִי עוֹבָדָא דִּלְתַּתָּא הִיא בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, אִתְּעַר קְדוּשָּׁה לְעֵילָּא, וְאָתֵי וְשַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ, וְאִתְקַדָּשׁ בֵּיהּ. וְאִי אִיהוּ אִסְתְּאַב לְתַתָּא, אִתְּעַר רוּחַ מִסְאֲבוּתָא לְעֵילָּא, וְאָתֵי וְשַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ, וְאִסְתְּאַב בֵּיהּ. דְּהָא בְּעוֹבָדָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא.
R. Hiya replied: ‘This is the meaning of what we have learnt, that any activity below stimulates a corresponding activity above. If the activity below is one of holiness, it stimulates holiness above to rest upon the doer and sanctify him. And if the man defiles himself below, a spirit of defilement is aroused above and comes and rests upon him, defiling him further.
דְּהָא לֵית לָךָ טַב וּבִישׁ, קְדוּשָּׁא וּמְסָאֲבוּתָא, דְּלֵית לֵיהּ עִקָרָא וְשָׁרְשָׁא לְעֵילָּא. וּבְעוֹבָדָא דִּלְתַּתָּא אִתְּעַר עוֹבָדָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, מַה דְּתָלֵי בְּעוֹבָדָא, בְּעוֹבָדָא אִתְּעַר לְעֵילָּא, וְאִתְעָבִיד עוֹבָדָא. וּמַה דְּתָלֵי בְּמִלִּין, בְּמִלִּין. כַּד אִתְגְּזַר בְּמִלָּה, אִתְּעַר הָכִי לְעֵילָּא.
For there is no good or evil, holiness or defilement, which has not its root and source above. And just as action below stimulates action above, so words below stimulate words above-that is to say, decision couched in words.
וְאִי תֵּימָא, מִלָּה מַה אִתְּעַר. אֶלָּא הָכִי כְּתִיב, (ישעיה נח) וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר. הַהוּא דָּבַר, אִתְּעַר מִלָּה אָחֳרָא לְעֵילָּא, דְּאִקְרֵי דָּבָר. (הושע א) דְּבַר יְיָ' אֲשֶׁר הָיָה. (שמואל א, ג) וּדְבַר יְיָ' הָיָה יָקָר. (תהילים ל״ג:ו׳) בִּדְבַר יְיָ' שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ. דְּהָא תָּנֵינָן, הַהִיא מִלָּה סַלְּקָא, וּבָקַע רְקִיעִין, עַד דְּסַלְּקָא (ס"א דאתיישבא) בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ, וְאִתְּעַר מַה דְּאִתְּעַר, אִי טַב, טַב. אִי בִּישׁ, בִּישׁ. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (דברים כ״ג:י׳) וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ מִכֹּל דָּבָר רָע.
This word above is called “the word of the Lord”; for so we have learnt, that the word from below ascends and cleaves the firmaments until it reaches the place where it sets in motion either good or evil, according to its own character; hence it is written, “thou shalt keep thyself from every evil word (dabar)” (Deut. 23, 9).’