Now if they had done so merely that they might find hidden treasures, they would have replaced the stones afterwards; but the text says, “and they shall take out the stones… and he shall take other mortar”, in order that the unclean spirit may pass away and the holiness return and the Shekinah abide in Israel.
Therefore, when a man begins to set up a building he should declare that he is building for the service of God. Then the support of heaven is with him, and God assigns holiness to him and bids peace be with him.
Otherwise he invites into his house the “other side”-all the more so if his inclination is to the “other side”, for then, indeed, an unclean spirit will rest on the house, and that man will not leave this world until he has been punished in that house, and whoever dwells in it may come to hurt.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אִי עוֹבָדָא דָּא הֲוָה לְאַשְׁכְּחָא מַטְמוֹנִין בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, יְהַדְרוּן אֲבָנִין לְבָתַר כְּמָה דְּאִינּוּן לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ, וְעַפְרָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ. אֲבָל קְרָא כְּתִיב, וְחִלְּצוּ אֶת הָאֲבָנִים. וּכְתִיב וְעָפָר אַחֵר יִקַּח. בְּגִין דְּיִתְעַבָּר רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא, וְיִתְפְּנֵי וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ הַשְׁתָּא כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין, וְיִשְׁתְּכָחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, וּבְדִיּוּרָא קַדִּישָׁא, לְמִשְׁרֵי בֵּינַיְיהוּ שְׁכִינְתָּא.
Now if they had done so merely that they might find hidden treasures, they would have replaced the stones afterwards; but the text says, “and they shall take out the stones… and he shall take other mortar”, in order that the unclean spirit may pass away and the holiness return and the Shekinah abide in Israel.
וְעַל דָּא מַאן דְּבָנֵי בִּנְיָן כַּד שָׁארֵי לְמִבְנֵי, בָּעֵי לְאַדְכְּרָא בְּפוּמֵיהּ, דְּהָא לְפוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הוּא בָּנֵי. בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב, (ירמיהו כ״ב:י״ג) הוֹי בּוֹנֶה בֵיתוֹ בְּלֹא צֶדֶק וְגוֹ', וּכְדֵין סִיַּיעְתָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּא שָׁארֵי עֲלוֹי, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זַמִּין עָלֵיהּ קְדוּשָׁתָא, וְקָארִי עָלֵיהּ שָׁלוֹם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איוב ה׳:כ״ד) וְיָדַעְתָּ כִּי שָׁלוֹם אָהֳלֶךָ וְגוֹ'. מַהוּ (איוב ה׳:כ״ד) וּפָקַדְתָּ נָוְךָ, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, אֲבָל וּפָקַדְתָּ, לְאַפְקְדָא מִלָּה בְּפוּמָא כַּד אִיהוּ בָּנֵי. וּכְדֵין וְלֹא תֶחֱטָא כְּתִיב. וְאִי לָאו הָא זַמִּין לְבֵיתֵיהּ סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא.
Therefore, when a man begins to set up a building he should declare that he is building for the service of God. Then the support of heaven is with him, and God assigns holiness to him and bids peace be with him.
כָּל שֶׁכֵּן, מַאן דְּבָנֵי וּרְעוּתֵיהּ בְּגַוְונָא אָחֳרָא, בְּגִין דִּמְיַחֵד בֵּיתָא לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא בֵּיהּ. הָא וַדַּאי שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא, וְלָא נָפִיק הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ מֵעָלְמָא, עַד דְּאִתְעֲנָשׁ בְּהַהוּא בֵּיתָא, וּמַאן דְּדָיִיר בֵּיהּ, יָכִיל לְאַתְזְקָא, דְּהָא הַהוּא דִּירָה רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ, וְאָזִיק מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ.
Otherwise he invites into his house the “other side”-all the more so if his inclination is to the “other side”, for then, indeed, an unclean spirit will rest on the house, and that man will not leave this world until he has been punished in that house, and whoever dwells in it may come to hurt.