710. Rabbi Chiya said, We understand about the serpent, but what of the adder? He said to him: The secret of making spells is that the serpent is an adder, THOUGH THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT SPECIES, THEY CAST THE SAME SPELLS AS IF THEY WERE OF THE SAME KIND. It is written also of the evil Bilaam, who was omniscient, that he "went to a steep place (Heb. shefi)" (Bemidbar 23:3), WHICH ALLUDES TO THE ADDER (HEB. SHEFIFON), THOUGH BEFORE IT IS WRITTEN, "HE WENT NOT, AS AT OTHER TIMES, TO SEEK FOR ENCHANTMENTS (OR: SERPENTS)" (BEMIDBAR 24:1). He used now the one now the other, NOW THE SERPENT AND NOW THE ADDER, SINCE HE HAD KNOWLEDGE OF BOTH.
710. אֲמַר ר' חִיָּיא, נָחָשׁ יְדִיעָא, שְׁפִיפוֹן מַאי נִיהוּ. א"ל, רָזָא דְתִקּוּנָא דַּחֳרָשִׁין, דְּנָחָשׁ אִיהוּ שְׁפִיפוֹן, הָכֵי נָמֵי הַהוּא רָשָׁע דְּבִלְעָם, בְּכֹלָּא הֲוָה יָדַע. תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב וַיֵּלֶךְ שֶׁפִי, לְזִמְנִין בְּהַאי, וּלְזִמְנִין בְּהַאי.
711. You may say that it does not pertain to Dan's grade to use THE SERPENT AND THE ADDER. HE REPLIES, Indeed it does not, but he was appointed over this grade TO USE IT FOR THE NEEDS OF HOLINESS, being of the last grade. This is to his honor, for there are chieftains charged by the King over this or that, and it is considered to be an honor to all the appointes TO BE APPOINTED BY THE KING, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY ARE APPOINTED OVER, for the King's throne is fixed through all the chiefs together, and under them there are paths and grades for the good and for evil, all of them united in the making of the throne, THE NUKVA. Hence Dan is to the north, NAMELY THE LEFT THIGH OF THE NUKVA WHICH IS HOD. In a hole of the great abyss, IN THE END OF THE LEFT THIGH, WHICH IS BINAH OF THE KLIPAH, there are many battalions of evil demons, all in charge of harming the world.
711. וְאִי תֵימָא דָן, לָאו דַּרְגֵּיהּ בְּהַאי. הָכֵי הוּא וַדַּאי, אֶלָּא אִתְמַנָּא עַל דַּרְגָּא דָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי סִטְרָא בַּתְרַיְיתָא, וְשַׁבְּחָא אִיהוּ דִילֵיהּ, מְמַנָּן דְּמַלְכָּא בְּהַאי, וּמְמַנָּא עַל הַאי, וִיקָרָא אִיהוּ לְכָל אִינוּן מְמֻנִּין. וְכָרְסְיָיא דְמַלְכָּא, בְּכָל אִינוּן מְמַנָּן אִתְתַּקָּן, בְּכָל הַנֵּי מְמַנָּן תְּחוֹתַיְיהוּ מִתְפָּרְשָׁן אוֹרְחִין וְדַרְגִּין, הֵן לְטַב, הֵן לְבִישׁ, וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְאַחֲדָן בְּהַנֵּי תִּקּוּנֵי דְּכָרְסְיָיא, וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ דָּן לִסְטַר צָפוֹן, בְּנוּקְבָא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא, דִּסְטַר צָפוֹן כַּמָּה חֲבִילֵי טְרִיקִין אִזְדַּמְּנָן תַּמָּן, וְכֻלְּהוּ טַפְסִירָא דְּקִסְטְרָא לְאַבְאָשָׁא עַלְמָא.
723. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion with the verse, "Dan shall be a serpent by the way." When was Dan a serpent? In the days of Jeroboam, as it is written, "And the other put he in Dan" (I Melachim 12:29). BECAUSE "A SNAKE" REFERS TO IDOL WORSHIPPING. And why was he put there "by the road?" "By the way," so as to prevent the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Dan was then a snake "by the way" of Yisrael. "By the way" indeed, as it says, "the King took counsel, AND MADE TWO CALVES OF GOLD, AND SAID TO THEM, IT IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU TO GO UP TO JERUSALEM" (IBID. 28). HE THUS MADE THIS SNAKE BY THE WAY TO JERUSALEM TO PREVENT THEIR GOING THERE ON PILGRIMAGE. "An adder in the path" bit Yisrael. They were put "by the way" and in the path to prevent the children of Yisrael from going up to Jerusalem to celebrate their festivals, offer sacrifices and offering and worship there.
723. פְּתַח רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וַאֲמַר, יְהִי דָן נָחָשׁ עֲלֵי דֶרֶךְ. אֵימָתַי הֲוָה דָן נָחָשׁ, בְּיוֹמוֹי דִירָבְעָם, דִּכְתִיב וְאֶת הָאֶחָד נָתַן בְּדָן אַמַּאי אִתְיְיהֵיב תַּמָּן עֲלֵי דֶרֶךְ. עַל הַהוּא אֹרַח, דְּיִתְמְנַע דְלָא יִסְלְקוּן לִירוּשָׁלִַם. וְדָא דָן, הֲוָה לוֹן נָחָשׁ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֲלֵי דֶרֶךְ, עֲלֵי דֶרֶךְ וַדַּאי, כְּד"א וַיִּוָּעַץ הַמֶּלֶךְ וגו.' שְׁפִיפוֹן עֲלֵי אֹרַח. דְּעָקֵיץ לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכֹלָּא לָא הֲוָה אֶלָּא עֲלֵי דֶרֶךְ, וַעֲלֵי אוֹרְחָא, לְאִתְמְנָעָא מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל דְּלָא יִסְלְקוּן לִירוּשָׁלִַם, לְמֵיחַג חֲגַיְיהוּ, וּלְקָרָבָא קָרְבָּנִין וְעִלַּוָּון, לְמִפְלַח תַּמָּן.