R. Isaac cited the verse: “The sun also ariseth and the sun goeth down” (Eccl. 1, 5). ‘When a man’s soul (neshamah)’, he said, ‘is with him in this world, then it may be said of him that “the sun riseth and the sun goeth down”. And when man departs from this world in a frame of repentance then “he hasteth to his place where he ariseth”.
To those who repent, God grants pardon for all sins save for the evil tongue, as it is written: “This shall be the law of the leper”, the word mezorah (leper) being interpreted as mozi shem ra’ (slanderer).’1Cf. T. B. Erekhin, 16a; Shab, 97a. R. Hiya said: ‘Whoever spreads false reports, all his limbs become defiled and he is meet for shutting up, because his evil speech rises aloft and calls down an unclean spirit on him.
So it says: “How is the faithful city become an harlot” (Isa. 1, 21). Because Jerusalem uttered evil speech, God departed from her and a spirit of murderers abode in her. If that was the fate of Jerusalem the holy city, how much more so must it be that of ordinary men! Hence it says, “This shall be the law of the leper”.’
R. Judah said: ‘Zoth (this)1The Shekinah. indeed shall confront him to punish him for his evil speech. ON THE DAY OF HIS CLEANSING HE SHALL BE BROUGHT TO THE PRIEST. This shows that the prayer of an evil speaker does not ascend to the Almighty, but if he repents, then “on the day of his cleansing he shall be brought to the Priest”.’
THEN THE PRIEST SHALL COMMAND TO TAKE FOR HIM THAT IS TO BE CLEANSED TWO LIVING CLEAN BIRDS, ETC. When R. Isaac and R. Jose were once studying with R. Simeon, they said to him: ‘We know the symbolism of the cedar tree the shoots of which are transplanted in Lebanon, as has been expounded. But what is the point of the hyssop?’
He replied: ‘It is written here, “two living clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet and hyssop”. “Living” is a reference to two of the “living creatures” (Hayoth) that Ezekiel saw, denoting the place from which the true prophets draw inspiration. “Cedar wood” we have explained. “Scarlet” indicates the place of Severity, which is associated with him at first. “Hyssop” is the lesser Vau which gives sustenance to the Community of Israel. All these again rest upon him because he has been purified.’
(ויקרא י״ד:ב׳) זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע. רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, (קהלת א׳:ה׳) וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְגוֹ'. הַאי קְרָא אִתְּמַר, וְאוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ בְּנִשְׁמְתָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהִיא קַיְּימָא עִמֵּיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, כְּדֵין, וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ. וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ, בְּזִמְנָא דְּנָפִיק בַּר נָשׁ מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח בִּתְשׁוּבָה, כְּדֵין אֶל מְקוֹמוֹ שׁוֹאֵף זוֹרֵחַ הוּא שָׁם, אִי זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ויקרא כ״ב:ז׳) וּבָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְטָהֵר, וְאַחַר יֹאכַל מִן הַקֳּדָשִׁים.
R. Isaac cited the verse: “The sun also ariseth and the sun goeth down” (Eccl. 1, 5). ‘When a man’s soul (neshamah)’, he said, ‘is with him in this world, then it may be said of him that “the sun riseth and the sun goeth down”. And when man departs from this world in a frame of repentance then “he hasteth to his place where he ariseth”.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל חוֹבֵי עָלְמָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְכַפֵּר עָלַיְיהוּ, בִּתְשׁוּבָה, בַּר מֵהַהוּא לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא, דְּאַפִּיק שׁוּם בִּישׁ עַל חַבְרֵיהּ. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דִּכְתִּיב, זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע, זֹאת הִיא תּוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁל מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע. רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, כָּל מַאן דְּאַפִּיק לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא, אִסְתַּאֲבָן לֵיהּ כָּל שַׁיְיפוֹי, וְיִתְחֲזֵי לְסַגְרָא, בְּגִין דְּהַהִיא מִלָּה בִּישָׁא סַלְּקָא וְאִתְּעַר רוּחָא מִסְאֲבָא עֲלוֹי וְאִסְתְּאַב, אָתֵי לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא מְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ, בְּמִלָּה דִּלְתַתָּא אִתְּעַר מִלָּה אָחֳרָא.
To those who repent, God grants pardon for all sins save for the evil tongue, as it is written: “This shall be the law of the leper”, the word mezorah (leper) being interpreted as mozi shem ra’ (slanderer).’1Cf. T. B. Erekhin, 16a; Shab, 97a. R. Hiya said: ‘Whoever spreads false reports, all his limbs become defiled and he is meet for shutting up, because his evil speech rises aloft and calls down an unclean spirit on him.
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו א׳:כ״א) אֵיכָה הָיְתָה לְזוֹנָה קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה וְגוֹ'. מַאן דַּהֲוַת מְהֵימָנָא לְבַעְלָהּ, אַהֲדְרַת לְזוֹנָה. מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט, מִשְׁפָּט, וַדַּאי דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, צֶדֶק, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבְגִין דְּאַתְּעָרַת מִלָּה אָחֳרָא, אִסְתְּלַּק מִנָּהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְשַׁרְיָא בָּהּ רוּחָא דְּקַטוּלֵי. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְעַתָּה מְרַצְחִים. וּמַה יְרוּשָׁלַם קַרְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא כַּךְ, שְׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע.
So it says: “How is the faithful city become an harlot” (Isa. 1, 21). Because Jerusalem uttered evil speech, God departed from her and a spirit of murderers abode in her. If that was the fate of Jerusalem the holy city, how much more so must it be that of ordinary men! Hence it says, “This shall be the law of the leper”.’
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, זֹאת תִּהְיֶה וַדַּאי לָקֳבְלֵיהּ לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִנֵּיהּ, דְּהַהוּא מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע, בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן, מַאי קָא מַשְׁמַע לָן. מַשְׁמַע, מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא צְלוֹתֵיהּ לָא עָאלַת קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּהָא אִתְּעַר עָלֵיהּ רוּחָא מִסְאֲבָא. כֵּיוָן דְּאָהֲדָר בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְקַבִּיל עָלֵיהּ תְּשׁוּבָה, מַה כְּתִיב, בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן וְגוֹ' וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן וְגוֹ'.
R. Judah said: ‘Zoth (this)1The Shekinah. indeed shall confront him to punish him for his evil speech. ON THE DAY OF HIS CLEANSING HE SHALL BE BROUGHT TO THE PRIEST. This shows that the prayer of an evil speaker does not ascend to the Almighty, but if he repents, then “on the day of his cleansing he shall be brought to the Priest”.’
(ויקרא י״ד:ד׳) וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת. רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווֹ שְׁכִיחֵי קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. יוֹמָא חַד אָמַר לֵיהּ, עֵץ אֶרֶז הָא יְדִיעַ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (מלכים א ה׳:י״ג) מִן הָאֶרֶז אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן, דְּהָא הַהוּא עֵץ אֶרֶז, לָא אִשְׁתָּרְשָׁן נְטִיעוֹי אֶלָּא בַּלְּבָנוֹן, וְהָא אִתְּמַר. אֵזוֹב לָמָּה, וּמַאי הוּא.
THEN THE PRIEST SHALL COMMAND TO TAKE FOR HIM THAT IS TO BE CLEANSED TWO LIVING CLEAN BIRDS, ETC. When R. Isaac and R. Jose were once studying with R. Simeon, they said to him: ‘We know the symbolism of the cedar tree the shoots of which are transplanted in Lebanon, as has been expounded. But what is the point of the hyssop?’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת וְעֵץ אֶרֶז וּשְׁנִי תּוֹלַעַת וְאֵזוֹב. תָּא חֲזֵי, בַּר נָשׁ דְּמִשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, וְאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁארֵי עֲלוֹי וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִשְׁתַּתְּפָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּבַּר נָשׁ אָתֵי לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא, שְׁכִינְתָּא אִסְתָּלָקַת מִנֵּיהּ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְחִיק מִנֵּיהּ, וְכָל סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה דְּמָארֵיהּ מְרַחֲקִין מִנֵיהּ, וְשָׁארִי עָלֵיהּ רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא וְכָל סִטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא, אָתֵי לְאִתְדַכְּאָה מְסַיְּיעִין לֵיהּ. בָּתַר דְּאִתְדָכֵּי וְאַהְדָּר בִּתְשׁוּבָה, הַהוּא דְּאִסְתַּלָּק מִנֵּיהּ אַהְדָּר, וְשָׁארִי עֲלוֹי.
He replied: ‘It is written here, “two living clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet and hyssop”. “Living” is a reference to two of the “living creatures” (Hayoth) that Ezekiel saw, denoting the place from which the true prophets draw inspiration. “Cedar wood” we have explained. “Scarlet” indicates the place of Severity, which is associated with him at first. “Hyssop” is the lesser Vau which gives sustenance to the Community of Israel. All these again rest upon him because he has been purified.’