If it is asked, How is one to know such a house? it is one in which the man who built it has come to harm, he or his family, whether through sickness or loss of money, he and two others after him. Better a man should fly to the mountains or live in a mud hut than dwell there.
Therefore God had pity on Israel, who knew nothing of all those houses. He said; “You do not know, but I know them, and I will indicate them with the plague. There is a plague in the house; here is a greater plague which will drive it out.” Hence “he shall break down the house, the stones thereof and the timber thereof’. We may ask, since the uncleanness has gone, why should he break down the house? The reason is that as long as the house stands it belongs to the “other side”, and it may return.
If that is the case in the Holy Land, how much more so in other lands!’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘Especially since that evil spirit calls his companions there, and even a hawk’s talons could not scratch out the uncleanness from there. Therefore the Scripture says, “Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness”.’
R. Jose was once going into a house, and as he was crossing the threshold he heard a voice say: ‘All now gather, here is one of our adversaries. Let us do him some hurt before he goes out again.’ Another voice said: ‘We cannot do him anything unless he takes up his abode here.’ R. Jose drew back in great fear, saying: ‘Assuredly, he who transgresses the words of the Companions endangers his life.’
Said R. Hiya to him: ‘But idolaters and other people live in such houses and come to no hurt?’ He replied: ‘They come from the same side as those spirits, but he that fears sin can be hurt by them. And even those others if they live there long will not come out in peace.’ Said R. Hiya: ‘But is it not written, “Their houses are safe from fear” (Job 21, 9)?’ He replied: ‘It may be that they have taken them over from others, and that they were built originally in righteousness.’
וְאִי תֵּימָא בְּמַה יְדִיעַ. כְּגוֹן דְּאִתְּזַק בְּהַהוּא בֵּיתָא, הַהוּא דְּבָנֵי לָהּ, אוֹ אַנְשֵׁי בֵּיתֵיהּ, אוֹ בְּנִזְקֵי דְּגוּפָא, אוֹ בְּנִזְקֵי מָמוֹנָא, הוּא וּתְרֵין אָחֳרָנִין אֲבַתְרֵיהּ. הָא וַדַּאי יַעֲרוֹק בַּר נָשׁ לְטוּרָא, וְלָא יָדוּר בֵּיהּ. יָדוּר בְּטִיחֲלָא דְּעַפְרָא, וְלָא יָדוּר בֵּיהּ.
If it is asked, How is one to know such a house? it is one in which the man who built it has come to harm, he or his family, whether through sickness or loss of money, he and two others after him. Better a man should fly to the mountains or live in a mud hut than dwell there.
וּבְגִין כַּךְ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָס עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִינּוּן לָא יַדְעִין מִלָּה בְּכָל אִינּוּן בָּתֵי. וְהוּא אָמַר, אַתּוּן לָא יַדְעִין, אֲנָא יְדַעְנָא, וְאַרְשִׁימְנָא לוֹן בְּנֶגַע. נֶגַע דָּיִיר בְּבֵיתָא, הָא נֶגַע אָחֳרָא תַּקִּיפָא, דְּיָפִּיק לֵיהּ, וְיַּעֲבַּר לֵיהּ מִן עָלְמָא. וּכְדֵין וְנָתַץ אֶת הַבַּיִת אֶת אֲבָנָיו וְאֶת עֵצָיו. כֵּיוָן דְּאָזִיל לֵיהּ, מַאי טַעֲמָא וְנָתַץ אֶת הַבַּיִת. אֶלָּא בְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּהַהוּא בִּנְיָן לִהֱוִי קַיָּים, דִּילֵיהּ הוּא, וְיָכִיל לְאָהַדְּרָא.
Therefore God had pity on Israel, who knew nothing of all those houses. He said; “You do not know, but I know them, and I will indicate them with the plague. There is a plague in the house; here is a greater plague which will drive it out.” Hence “he shall break down the house, the stones thereof and the timber thereof’. We may ask, since the uncleanness has gone, why should he break down the house? The reason is that as long as the house stands it belongs to the “other side”, and it may return.
הַאי בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּאַרְעָא אָחֳרָא, דִּזְמִינָא רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא יַתִּיר, וְיָכִיל בַּר נָשׁ לְאִתְזְקָא. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן דְּאִקְרֵי בִּקְלִפּוֹי דְּחַבְרוֹי אָחֳרָנִין, לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא תַּמָּן, וַאֲפִילּוּ טוּרְפֵי דְּקַסְפְּתָא לָא מַעְבְּרָן לֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא בֵּיתָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ הַאי קְרָא אַכְרִיז וְאָמַר, הוֹי בּוֹנֶה בֵיתוֹ בְּלֹא צֶדֶק. הוֹי וַדַּאי קָאַמְרֵי כָּל יוֹמָא בְּהַהוּא בֵּיתָא.
If that is the case in the Holy Land, how much more so in other lands!’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘Especially since that evil spirit calls his companions there, and even a hawk’s talons could not scratch out the uncleanness from there. Therefore the Scripture says, “Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness”.’
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי עָאל חַד יוֹמָא בְּחַד בֵּיתָא, מָטָא בַּסִּפְתָא (ס"א אטרח בטיפסא), עָאל לְגוֹ. שָׁמַע חַד קָלָא דְּאָמַר, אִתְכְּנָשׁוּ עוּלוּ, הָא חַד פְּלוּגְתָּא דִּילָן. סִיפְתוּ וְנָנְזִיק לֵיהּ עַד לָא יִנְפּוֹק, אָמְרוּ, לָא נֵיכוּל אֶלָּא אִי דִּיּוּרֵיהּ הָכָא. נָפַק רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְדָחִיל. אָמַר, ודַּאי מַאן דְּאַעְבָּר עַל מִלּוֹי דְּחַבְרַיָּיא, אִתְחַיָּיב בְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ.
R. Jose was once going into a house, and as he was crossing the threshold he heard a voice say: ‘All now gather, here is one of our adversaries. Let us do him some hurt before he goes out again.’ Another voice said: ‘We cannot do him anything unless he takes up his abode here.’ R. Jose drew back in great fear, saying: ‘Assuredly, he who transgresses the words of the Companions endangers his life.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי חִיָיא, וְהָא גּוֹיִם וּשְׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דַּיְּירֵי בְּגַוִּיהּ, וְאִשְׁתְּלִימוּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, אִינּוּן מִסִּטְרַיְיהוּ קָא אַתְיָין, אֲבָל מַאן דְּדָחִיל חַטָּאָה, יָכִיל לְאַתְזְקָא. וַאֲפִילּוּ אִינּוּן, אִי יְעַכְּבוּ דִּיּוּרֵיהוֹן בֵּיהּ, לָא יִפְקוּן בִּשְׁלָם. אָמַר לֵיהּ, וְהָא כְּתִיב (איוב כ״א:ט׳) בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפָּחַד. אָמַר לֵיהּ כְּגוֹן דְּהֲוָה מֵאָחֳרָא, וְאִתְבְּנֵי מִצֶּדֶק. וְקְרָא הָכִי הוּא, בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפָּחַד, כְּשֶׁבָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפָּחַד שֵׁבֶט אֱלוֹהַּ לָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהֶם.
Said R. Hiya to him: ‘But idolaters and other people live in such houses and come to no hurt?’ He replied: ‘They come from the same side as those spirits, but he that fears sin can be hurt by them. And even those others if they live there long will not come out in peace.’ Said R. Hiya: ‘But is it not written, “Their houses are safe from fear” (Job 21, 9)?’ He replied: ‘It may be that they have taken them over from others, and that they were built originally in righteousness.’