R. Simeon was once on a journey in company with his son R. Eleazar and R. Abba and R. Judah. As they were going along, R. Simeon said: ‘I marvel how indifferent men are to the words of the Torah and the problem of their own existence!’ He proceeded to discourse on the text: With my soul have I desired thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early (Is. 26, 9). He said: ‘The inner meaning of this verse is as follows. When a man lies down in bed, his vital spirit (nefesh) leaves him and begins to mount on high, leaving with the body only the impression of a receptacle which contains the heart-beat.
The rest of it tries to soar from grade to grade, and in doing so it encounters certain bright but unclean essences. If it is pure and has not defiled itself by day, it rises above them, but if not, it becomes defiled among them and cleaves to them and does not rise any further.
There they show her certain things which are going to happen in the near future: and sometimes they delude her and show her false things. Thus she goes about the whole night until the man wakes up, when she returns to her place. Happy are the righteous to whom God reveals His secrets in dreams, so that they may be on their guard against sin! Woe to the sinners who defile their bodies and their souls!
As for those who have not defiled themselves during the day, when they fall asleep at night their souls begin to ascend, and first enter those grades which we have mentioned, but they do not cleave to them and continue to mount further.
The soul which is privileged thus to rise finally appears before the gate of the celestial palace, and yearns with all its might to behold the beauty of the King and to visit His sanctuary. This is the man who ever hath a portion in the world to come,
and this is the soul whose yearning when she ascends is for the Holy One, blessed be He, and who does not cleave to those other bright essences, but seeks out the holy essence in the place from which she (originally) issued. Therefore it is written, “With my soul have I desired thee in the night”, to pursue after thee and not to be enticed away after false powers.
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא, וְהֲוָה עִמֵּיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ וְרַבִּי אַבָּא וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה. עַד דְּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן תָּוַוהְנָא הֵיךְ בְּנֵי עָלְמָא לָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין לְמִנְדַע מִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא ועָל מָה קָיְימֵי. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו כ״ו:ט׳) נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלַּיְלָה אַף רוּחִי בְּקִרְבִּי אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ, הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ וְאוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ, אֲבָל תָּא חֲזִי, נַפְשָׁא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, כָּד (איהו) סָלִיק לְעַרְסֵיהּ, נָפְקַת מִנֵּיהּ וְסָלְקָא לְעֵילָא. וְאִי תֵימָא דְּכֻלְהוּ סָלְקָאן. לָאו כָּל חַד וְחַד חָמֵי אַפֵּי מַלְכָּא, אֶלָּא נַפְשָׁא סָלְקָא וְלָא אִשְׁתָּאַר בָּהּ בַּהֲדֵי גוּפָא בַּר חַד רְשִׁימוּ (נשימו) דְּקֻיסְטָא דְּחַיּוּתָא דְּלִבָּא.
R. Simeon was once on a journey in company with his son R. Eleazar and R. Abba and R. Judah. As they were going along, R. Simeon said: ‘I marvel how indifferent men are to the words of the Torah and the problem of their own existence!’ He proceeded to discourse on the text: With my soul have I desired thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early (Is. 26, 9). He said: ‘The inner meaning of this verse is as follows. When a man lies down in bed, his vital spirit (nefesh) leaves him and begins to mount on high, leaving with the body only the impression of a receptacle which contains the heart-beat.
וְנַפְשָׁא אָזְלָא וּבָעְיָא לְסָלְקָא. וְכַמָּה דַּרְגִּין לְדַרְגִּין לְסָלְקָא, שָׁטָאת וְהִיא אִתְעָרְעַת בְּהַנֵּי קוּמְרִין טְהִירִין דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא. אִי הִיא דְּכִיאַת דְּלָא אִסְתָּאָבַת בִּימָמָא סָלְקָא לְעֵילָא. וְאִי לָאו דְּכִיאַת, אִסְתָּאֳבַת בֵּינַיְיהוּ וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּהוּ וְלָא סָלְקָא יַתִּיר.
The rest of it tries to soar from grade to grade, and in doing so it encounters certain bright but unclean essences. If it is pure and has not defiled itself by day, it rises above them, but if not, it becomes defiled among them and cleaves to them and does not rise any further.
וְתַמָּן מוֹדָעֵי לָהּ מִלִּין וְאִיהוּ אִתְדַּבְּקַת מֵאִנּוּן מִלִּין דִּזְמַן קָרִיב. וּלְזִמְנִין דְּחַיְיכִין בָּהּ וּמוֹדָעִין לָהּ מִלִּין כְּדִיבִין. וּכְדֵין אָזְלָא כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא כָּל לֵילְיָא עַד דְּיִתְעַר בַּר נָשׁ וְתָאבַת לְאַתְרָהּ. זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן צַדִּיקַיָיא דְּגָלֵי לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָזִין דִּילֵיהּ בְּחֶלְמָא בְּגִין דְּיִסְתַּמְּרוּן מִן דִּינָא. וַוי לְאִנּוּן חַיָיבֵי עָלְמָא דִּמְסָאֲבִין גַּרְמַיְיהוּ וְנַפְשַׁיְיהוּ.
There they show her certain things which are going to happen in the near future: and sometimes they delude her and show her false things. Thus she goes about the whole night until the man wakes up, when she returns to her place. Happy are the righteous to whom God reveals His secrets in dreams, so that they may be on their guard against sin! Woe to the sinners who defile their bodies and their souls!
תָּא חֲזֵי, אִנּוּן דְּלָא אִסְתָּאֲבוּ, כַּד סָלְקֵי בְּעַרְסַיְיהוּ, נַפְשָׁא סָלְקָא וְעָאלַת בֵּין כָּל הַנֵּי דַרְגִּין בְּקַדְמִיתָא וְסָלְקָא וְלָא אִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּהוּ. וּלְבָתַר אָזְלָא וְשָׁטָאת וְסָלְקָא כְּפוּם אוֹרְחָהּ.
As for those who have not defiled themselves during the day, when they fall asleep at night their souls begin to ascend, and first enter those grades which we have mentioned, but they do not cleave to them and continue to mount further.
הַהִיא נַפְשָׁא דְזָכָת לְסָלְקָא אִתְחֲזִיאַת קַמֵּיהּ דִּסְבַר אַפֵּי יוֹמִין וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בִּרְעוּתָא לְאִתְחַזָּאָה בְּתִיאוּבְתָּא עִלָּאָה לְמֶחֱמֵי בְּנוֹעַם מַלְכָּא וּלְבַקְּרָא בְּהֵיכָלֵיהּ. וְדָא הוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא תָּדִיר בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
The soul which is privileged thus to rise finally appears before the gate of the celestial palace, and yearns with all its might to behold the beauty of the King and to visit His sanctuary. This is the man who ever hath a portion in the world to come,
וְדָא הִיא נַפְשָׁא דִּכְסִיפָא דִילָהּ כַּד סָלְקָא בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא (תדיר), וְלָא אִתְדַבְּקַת בְּהַנֵּי זִינִין טְהִירִין אַחֲרָנִין, וְהִיא אָזְלַת בָּתַר זִינָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּאַתְרָא (ד"א בתר אתרא) דְּנָפְקַת מִתַּמָּן. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלָּיְלָה. בְּגִין לְמִרְדַּף בַּתְרָךְ וְלָא לְאִתְפַּתָּאָה בָּתַר זִינָא אָחֳרָא נוּכְרָאָה.
and this is the soul whose yearning when she ascends is for the Holy One, blessed be He, and who does not cleave to those other bright essences, but seeks out the holy essence in the place from which she (originally) issued. Therefore it is written, “With my soul have I desired thee in the night”, to pursue after thee and not to be enticed away after false powers.