320. "Whoever curses his Elohim shall bear his sin" (Vayikra 24:15). Rabbi Yitzchak opened with, "Hear, O My people, and I will testify against you, O Yisrael, if you will hearken to Me, there shall be no strange El among you, nor shall you worship any foreign El" (Tehilim 81:9-10). HE ASKS, Since it is written, "there shall be no strange El among you," what is meant by, "nor shall you worship any foreign El?" AND HE ANSWERS, "There shall be no strange El among you," MEANS one must not allow the Evil Inclination to enter inside himself, for whoever comes to join it, a foreign El dwells within him. For when man joins it, he promptly comes to transgress the words of the Torah and transgress the Faith in the Holy Name. Then he comes to bow before a foreign El. It therefore says, "there shall be no strange El among you." If you will have no strange El among you, you shall not come to bow to a foreign El or transgress the Faith in the Holy Name. This is the meaning of, "nor shall you worship any foreign El," which is man's evil Faith.

321. Therefore, "Whoever curses his Elohim" can claim he cursed that foreign El, the Evil Inclination that rests over him at times, and we can not know whether his words are true or not. Hence, he "shall bear his sin" ONLY. But, "he that blasphemes the name of Hashem, shall surely be put to death" (Vayikra 24:16).

322. Rabbi Yehuda said, If that is so (THAT HE SPEAKS ABOUT THE EVIL INCLINATION), why IS IT WRITTEN, "shall bear his sin?" It should have said, 'his sin is forgiven.' He said to him, THIS IS like saying 'my Elohim' vaguely, as we said, not specifying WHETHER HE REFERRED TO A FOREIGN EL, WHICH IS THE EVIL INCLINATION. HENCE IT CANNOT BE WRITTEN THAT HIS SIN IS FORGIVEN BECAUSE THE MATTER IS IN DOUBT. Rabbi Chiya said, "Whoever curses his Elohim" is said in general, without specifying. Such a man surely "shall bear his sin" AND NOT BE PUNISHED. But, "he that blasphemes the name of Hashem, shall surely be put to death," for this is the source for everybody's Faith. He is allowed to plead nothing for himself. HE CANNOT CLAIM THAT HE REFERRED TO ANOTHER ELOHIM.

323. Rabbi Yosi said, It is surely so, for this name, YUD HEI VAV HEI, is the Faith of the higher and lower beings. All the worlds are based on it. Thousands and tens of thousands of worlds of yearning suspend from one small letter, WHICH IS YUD, and many thousands and tens of thousands are suspended from each and every letter and rise to be connected to Faith, WHICH IS MALCHUT. All that the higher and lower beings have not comprehended is concealed in them, and the Torah comes out from them, this world and the World to Come, He and His name are One. Hence it is written, "I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue" (Tehilim 39:2), and, "Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin" (Kohelet 5:5).

324. Rabbi Chizkiyah opened with, "no hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live. When the horn sounds long..." (Shemot 19:13). And if it is said of Mount Sinai, which is a mountain like any other mountain, once the glory of the Holy King appeared on it, "no hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through," it is much more so about whoever approaches the King. And if of Mount Sinai, to which one could extend a hand in a respectful and reverent manner, it is yet said, "no hand shall touch him" in a neutral way, not even in a respectful manner, it would be more emphatic about extending a hand contemptuously towards the King.

325. Rabbi Yesa opened with, "Do not come near. Put off your shoes from off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground" (Shemot 3:5). It says, "Do not come near" of Moses, from whom, since the day he was born, the holy supernal splendor was not removed. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, said to him, 'Moses, until this moment you are not worthy to serve My glory. "Put off your shoes from off your feet."" If this is written of Moses, EVEN THOUGH he approached in reverence and holiness, it is far more so of whoever approaches the King with contempt.

326. Rabbi Aba said, "Whoever curses his Elohim shall bear his sin." Come and see, when Yisrael lived in Egypt, they were familiar with the ministers of the world appointed over the other nations. Each had his own idol. Once they connected to the bond of Faith and the Holy One, blessed be He, drew them toward His service, they left them and drew near the supernal holy Faith. Hence it is written, "Whoever curses his Elohim," NAMELY, ONE OF THE SEVENTY MINISTERS, even though it is idolatry, since I appointed them as ministers to guide the world, whoever curses and desecrates them, "shall bear his sin" surely. For by My power they exist and guide the people in the world. But, "he that blasphemes the name of Hashem, shall surely be put to death" (Vayikra 24:16). It is not WRITTEN that he "shall bear his sin," as in relation to those SEVENTY MINISTERS, but he "shall surely be put to death." He shall be put to death in this world and surely die in the World to Come. As for those SEVENTY MINISTERS, it is written, that he "shall bear his sin," because he behaves contemptuously towards My handiwork, towards My servant that I appoint, which is forbidden. But he is not punishable by death for that.

327. Rabbi Shimon was walking along the way together with Rabbi Elazar, Rabbi Aba, Rabbi Chiya, Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Yehuda. They reached a furrow full of water. Rabbi Yosi walked through the water fully clothed. He said, The furrows and water channels made, WHICH PEOPLE MAKE IN THEIR FIELDS FOR THE WATER TO FLOW, I wish they did not exist. Rabbi Shimon said to him, You are forbidden TO SAY SO. It serves people, and one must not treat with contempt whatever serves the Holy One, blessed be He, EVEN IF IT IS HARMFUL. This is more so if the actions are true, LIKE THOSE CHANNELS IN THE FIELDS that exist according to the laws of celestial providence; THAT IS, THIS ACTION HAS A ROOT ABOVE.

328. He opened and said, "And Elohim saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good" (Beresheet 1:31). "And Elohim saw everything that He had made" WAS SAID in general, INCLUDING even snakes, scorpions and mosquitoes. Even those that seem to harm the world, it is written of them all, "and, behold, it was very good." They all serve the world and guide the world though people do not know.

329. While they were walking they saw a snake moving before them. Rabbi Shimon, said, It is surely going to perform a miracle for us. The snake moved fast before them and tangled with a viper in the middle of the road. They fought each other and died. When they reached them, they saw the two lying on the road. Rabbi Shimon said, Blessed is the Merciful who made us a miracle. For whoever look at it, THE VIPER, when it is alive, or it looks at a man, he cannot be saved from it, and more so if he comes near it. He recited over it, "No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling" (Tehilim 91:10). The Holy One, blessed be He, makes use of everything for His errands, and we must not treat lightly anything He had made. Hence it is written, "Hashem is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall praise You, Hashem" (Tehilim 145:9-10).