R. Abba further discoursed on the verse: “The Lord shall keep thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and for evermore” (Ps. 121, 8). He said: ‘That God shall keep thy going forth we understand; but what need is there to say, “thy coming in”? For when a man goes into his house he is in no danger? What it means, however, is that he who affixes the holy sign to his house with the words of the Holy Name is protected against all danger. The one who dwells at the door of his house accompanies him when he issues forth, and when he returns it proclaims before him: Have a care for the honour of the image of the Holy King-all this on account of the Holy Name which is impressed on his door
so that not only is a man protected in his house, but God protects him both when he goes out and when he comes in, as it is written, “The Lord shall keep thy going out and thy coming in”, etc.
But as for the evil spirit that abides between the doorposts, woe to the man who does not know how to guard against it by impressing on the door of his house the Holy Name that it may be with him, for this spirit has three hundred and sixty-five assistants, one for every day of the year, which accuse him above and below, trying to mislead him by day and troubling his dreams by night. When he goes out they accuse him; when he comes in they place their hands on his shoulders and say: Woe to So-and-so who has thrown off the control of his Master, woe to him in this world and in the world to come!
Therefore the sons of the true faith should be stamped throughout with the impress of their Master to scare away all the sides of the “evil species”, that they may be protected in this world and the next.
תּוּ אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, כְּתִיב, (תהילים קכ״א:ח׳) יְיָ' יִשְׁמוֹר צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם. יִשְׁמָר צֵאתְךָ תִּינַח. אֶלָּא וּבוֹאֶךָ, מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי, דְּהָא מַאן דְּעָאל לְבֵיתֵיהּ לָא מִסְתָּפֵי. אֶלָּא הַאי בַּר נָשׁ דְּשַׁוֵּי רְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא לְבֵיתֵיהּ, בְּמִלִּין דִּשְׁמָא עִלָּאָה, הַאי אִתְנְטִיר מִכֹּלָּא. כַּד נָפִיק הַהוּא דְּמָדוֹרֵיהּ לְתַרְעָא דְּבֵיתֵיהּ, זָקִיף וְחָמֵי רְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעָיִיִן (ס"א נעיץ) בְּפִתְחֵיהּ. כַּד נָפִיק בַּר נָשׁ, הוּא אוֹזִיף לֵיהּ, וְנָטִיר לֵיהּ. כַּד עָיִּיל לְבֵיתֵיהּ, הוּא אַכְרִיז קַמֵּיהּ, אִזְדָּהֲרוּ בִּיקָרָא דְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא. וְכָל דָּא, בְּגִין הַהוּא רְשִׁימָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִתְרְשִׁים בְּתַרְעֵיהּ.
R. Abba further discoursed on the verse: “The Lord shall keep thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and for evermore” (Ps. 121, 8). He said: ‘That God shall keep thy going forth we understand; but what need is there to say, “thy coming in”? For when a man goes into his house he is in no danger? What it means, however, is that he who affixes the holy sign to his house with the words of the Holy Name is protected against all danger. The one who dwells at the door of his house accompanies him when he issues forth, and when he returns it proclaims before him: Have a care for the honour of the image of the Holy King-all this on account of the Holy Name which is impressed on his door
וְלָאו דַּי לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ דְּאִתְנְטַר בְּבֵיתֵיהּ, אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיר לֵיהּ כַּד עָיִּיל, וְכַד נָפִיק. דִּכְתִּיב, יְיָ' יִשְׁמָר צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
so that not only is a man protected in his house, but God protects him both when he goes out and when he comes in, as it is written, “The Lord shall keep thy going out and thy coming in”, etc.
תָּא חֲזֵי, הַאי רוּחָא בִּישָׁא דְּשָׁארִי בֵּין תַּרְעֵי. וַוי לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ, דְּלָא יָדַע לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא מִנֵּיהּ, וְלָא רָשִׁים לְפִתְחָא דְּבֵיתֵיהּ שְׁמָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא, דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח עִמֵּיהּ. דְּהָא אִית לֵיהּ תְּלַת מְאָה וְשִׁתִּין וְחָמֵשׁ שַׁמָּשִׁין בִּישִׁין מְקַטְרְגִין, כָּל חַד מְשַׁמֵשׁ יוֹמֵיהּ, וְכֻלְּהוּ מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי עִמֵּיהּ כָּל יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא, וּמְקַטְרְגֵי בֵּיהּ לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. וְכֻלְּהוּ מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בֵּיהּ בִּימָמָא וּבְלֵילְיָא. בִּימָמָא, לְקַטְרְגָא לֵיהּ. בְּלֵילְיָא, לְצַעֲרָא לֵיהּ בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ.
But as for the evil spirit that abides between the doorposts, woe to the man who does not know how to guard against it by impressing on the door of his house the Holy Name that it may be with him, for this spirit has three hundred and sixty-five assistants, one for every day of the year, which accuse him above and below, trying to mislead him by day and troubling his dreams by night. When he goes out they accuse him; when he comes in they place their hands on his shoulders and say: Woe to So-and-so who has thrown off the control of his Master, woe to him in this world and in the world to come!
כַּד נָפִיק לְקַטְרְגָא לֵיהּ, כַּד עָאל, שַׁוְּויָן יְדַיְיהוּ עָלֵיהּ דְּכִתְפֵיהּ, וְאַמְרִין לֵיהּ, וַוי לֵיהּ לִפְלַנְיָּא דְּנָפַק מֵרְשׁוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהּ. וַוי לֵיהּ לִפְלַנְיָּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. בְּגִין כָּךְ בָּעָאן בְּנֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי רְשִׁימִין בְּכֹלָּא, לְמֶהֱוֵי רְשִׁימִין בִּרְשִׁימָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, לִאִזְדַּעְזְעָא מִנַּיְיהוּ כָּל סִטְרִין זִינִין בִּישִׁין, לְמֶהֱוֵי נְטִירִין בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. זַכָּאִין חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, עָלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב (ישעיהו ס׳:כ״א) וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ וְגוֹ'.
Therefore the sons of the true faith should be stamped throughout with the impress of their Master to scare away all the sides of the “evil species”, that they may be protected in this world and the next.