AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING: TAKE THE SUM OF THE SONS OF GERSHON, ETC. R. Abba began a discourse on the verse: “Happy is the man unto whom the Lord counteth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile” (Ps. 32, 2). ‘The two halves of this verse’, he said, ‘do not seem to hang together,1The first half implies that there is iniquity in him, the second that there is not.
but it has been explained thus. At the time of the Afternoon Prayer (Minha) Rigour prevails over the world. For it was Isaac who instituted Afternoon Prayer, and so supreme Force prevails then and the Left aspect is diffused. This continues until night bestirs itself.
At the precise moment of midnight the Left aspect bestirs itself again as before, the Divine Rose1i.e. the Shekinah. diffuses a sweet odour, and breaks forth into loud praise-giving, then ascends and rests Her head on the Left Arm, which is extended to receive Her.
Then proclamation goes forth into the world, announcing that it is the time for awakening and chanting praises to the King. A chorus of praises then breaks forth, accompanied by a sweet odour permeating the whole. Happy is the portion of whoever awakens then to effect this espousal. When morning comes round and the Right aspect awakens and embraces Her, then the wedlock is complete.
Observe that when mankind lie asleep and experience a foretaste of death, the soul of each ascends on high and to an assigned region. There she is examined concerning all the actions she performed during the day. These are recorded on a tablet. Indeed, the soul then gives evidence concerning man’s works, and concerning each word that issued from his mouth.
Should that word be an appropriate word, a holy word of Torah study or of prayer, it will cleave its way through the heavens until it reaches an assigned place. There it halts until night falls, when the soul ascends, seizes that word and presents it to the King.
An improper word, however, a word uttered by an evil tongue, goes up to its assigned spot, where it is put on record, charging the man with the commission of a sin. Of this Scripture says: “Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom”1i.e. the soul. (Micah 7, 5). Hence the Psalm says: “Happy is the man unto whom the Lord counteth not iniquity”, to wit, the man “in whose spirit there is no guile”.1The last 7 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.
(במדבר ד׳:כ״א-כ״ב) וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר, נָשֹׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי גֵּרְשׁוֹן וְגוֹ'. רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח, (תהילים ל״ב:ב׳) אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם לֹא יַחֲשׁוֹב יְיָ לוֹ עָוֹן וְאֵין בְּרוּחוֹ רְמִיָּה. הַאי קְרָא, לָאו רֵישֵׁיהּ סֵיפֵיהּ, וְלָאו סֵיפֵיהּ רֵישֵׁיהּ. וְאִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ.
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING: TAKE THE SUM OF THE SONS OF GERSHON, ETC. R. Abba began a discourse on the verse: “Happy is the man unto whom the Lord counteth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile” (Ps. 32, 2). ‘The two halves of this verse’, he said, ‘do not seem to hang together,1The first half implies that there is iniquity in him, the second that there is not.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דִּצְלוֹתָא דְּמִנְחָה דִּינָא שַׁרְיָא בְּעָלְמָא, וְיִצְחָק תִּקֵּן צְלוֹתָא דְּמִנְחָה, וּגְבוּרָה עִלָּאָה שַׁלְטָא בְּעָלְמָא, עַד דְּאָתֵי וְעָאל לֵילְיָא, בְּגִין לְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ (לליליא), וּמִזִּמְנָא דְּשָׁארִי צְלוֹתָא דְּמִנְחָה, אִתְפְּרַשׁ שְׂמָאלָא לְקַבְּלָא (ליה) וְאִתְּעַר לֵילְיָא.
but it has been explained thus. At the time of the Afternoon Prayer (Minha) Rigour prevails over the world. For it was Isaac who instituted Afternoon Prayer, and so supreme Force prevails then and the Left aspect is diffused. This continues until night bestirs itself.
בָּתַר דְּאִתְּעַר כָּל אִינּוּן נְטוּרֵי פִּתְחִין דִּלְבַר, כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְעָרִין בְּעָלְמָא וְאִתְפָּשָׁטוּ. וְכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא טַעֲמִין טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא.
Then all the keepers of the outer gates of the universe bestir themselves and spread about, and all mankind have a foretaste of death.
וְהָא אִתְּמַר. בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא מַמָּשׁ, אִתְּעַר שְׂמָאלָא כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין, וּוַרְדָּא קַדִּישָׁא סַלְּקָא רֵיחִין, וְהִיא מְשָׁבַּחַת וַאֲרִימַת קָלָא, וּכְדֵין סַלְּקָא וְשַׁרְיָא רֵישָׁא לְעֵילָּא בִּשְׂמָאלָא, וּשְׂמָאלָא מְקַבֵּל לָהּ.
At the precise moment of midnight the Left aspect bestirs itself again as before, the Divine Rose1i.e. the Shekinah. diffuses a sweet odour, and breaks forth into loud praise-giving, then ascends and rests Her head on the Left Arm, which is extended to receive Her.
כְּדֵין כָּרוֹזָא קָארֵי בְּעָלְמָא, דְּהָא עִידָּן הוּא לְאִתְּעָרָא לְשַׁבְּחָא לֵיהּ לְמַלְכָּא. וּכְדֵין תּוּשְׁבְּחָן מִתְעָרִין, וְאִתְבַּסְּמוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא אִשְׁתְּכַח. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ מַאן דְּאִתְּעַר לְזַוְּוגָא זִוּוּגָא דָּא. כַּד אָתֵי צַפְרָא, וִימִינָא אִתְּעַר וּמְחַבְּקָא לָהּ, כְּדֵין זִוּוּגָא דְּכֹלָּא אִשְׁתְּכַח כַּחֲדָא. (ס"א למלכא, כד אתי צפרא וימינא אתער ומחבק לה כדין זווגא דכלא אשתכח כחדא וכדין תושבחתן מתערין ואתבסמותא דכלא אשתכח זכאה חולקיה מאן דאתער לזווגא זווגא דא)
Then proclamation goes forth into the world, announcing that it is the time for awakening and chanting praises to the King. A chorus of praises then breaks forth, accompanied by a sweet odour permeating the whole. Happy is the portion of whoever awakens then to effect this espousal. When morning comes round and the Right aspect awakens and embraces Her, then the wedlock is complete.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא דְּמִיכִין, וְטַעֲמִין טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא, וְנִשְׁמְתָא סַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא, קַיְּימָא בַּאֲתָר דְּקַיְּימָא, וְאִתְבְּחִינַת עַל עוֹבָדָהָא דְּעַבְדַּת כָּל יוֹמָא, וְכַתְבִין לְהוּ עַל פִּתְקָא. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּנִשְׁמְתָא סַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא, וְאַסְהִידַת עַל עוֹבָדוֹי דְּבַּר נָשׁ, וְעַל כָּל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה דְּנָפִיק מִפּוּמֵיהּ.
Observe that when mankind lie asleep and experience a foretaste of death, the soul of each ascends on high and to an assigned region. There she is examined concerning all the actions she performed during the day. These are recorded on a tablet. Indeed, the soul then gives evidence concerning man’s works, and concerning each word that issued from his mouth.
וְכַד הַהִיא מִלָּה דְּאַפִּיק בַּר נָשׁ מִפּוּמֵיהּ אִיהִי כְּדְקָא יָאוּת, מִלָּה קַדִּישָׁא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּצְלוֹתָא. הַהִיא מִלָּה סַלְּקָא, וּבָקַע רְקִיעִין, וְקַיְּימָא בְּאֲתָר דְּקַיְּימָא, עַד דְּעָאל לֵילְיָא, וְנִשְׁמְתָא סַלְּקָא וְאָחִיד לְהַהִיא מִלָּה, וְעָאִיל לָהּ קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא.
Should that word be an appropriate word, a holy word of Torah study or of prayer, it will cleave its way through the heavens until it reaches an assigned place. There it halts until night falls, when the soul ascends, seizes that word and presents it to the King.
וְכַד הַהִיא מִלָּה לָאו אִיהִי כְּדְקָא יָאוּת, וְאִיהִי מִלָּה מִמִּילִין בִּישִׁין, מִלִּישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא, הַהִיא מִלָּה סַלְּקָא לַאֲתָר דְּסַלְּקָא, וּכְדֵין אִתְרְשִׁים הַהִיא מִלָּה, וְהַהוּא חוֹבָה עָלֵיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (מיכה ז׳:ה׳) מִשּׁוֹכֶבֶת חֵיקֶךָ שְׁמוֹר פִּתְחֵי פִּיךָ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ (תהילים ל״ב:ב׳) אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם לֹא יַחֲשׁוֹב יְיָ לוֹ עָוֹן. אֵימָתַי. כְּשֶׁאֵין בְּרוּחוֹ רְמִיָּה.
An improper word, however, a word uttered by an evil tongue, goes up to its assigned spot, where it is put on record, charging the man with the commission of a sin. Of this Scripture says: “Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom”1i.e. the soul. (Micah 7, 5). Hence the Psalm says: “Happy is the man unto whom the Lord counteth not iniquity”, to wit, the man “in whose spirit there is no guile”.1The last 7 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.