The fourth chamber of the Other Side, Debt, corresponding to the gruesome mud and a stone of stumbling

882. The fourth chamber is called 'debt'. This is the gruesome mud, corresponding to another name OF THE EVIL INCLINATION, a stumbling stone, and all is one. It is CALLED 'debt', BECAUSE all the sins of the world ARE THERE, NAMELY, the balancing of the sins, AS WILL BE EXPLAINED.

883. For when men sin, all the complainants take the sins to put them in this chamber called 'debt'. As for all the precepts in the world, the holy angels, appointed over the merits in the world, take them and put them in the fourth chamber OF HOLINESS called 'merit', where the precepts of men abide. And the sins are in the other chamber called 'debt'. They are balanced on Rosh Hashanah, for "the Elohim has made the one as well as the other" (Kohelet 7:14), and according to the tipping of the scales by the precepts or sins, this or that side wins. IF THERE ARE MORE SINS, THE OTHER SIDE WINS, AND IF THERE ARE MORE PRECEPTS, THE HOLINESS WINS.

884. Therefore, on the day of Rosh Hashanah, life and death depend upon these two sides, merit and debt. If the merits tip the scale to the side called 'merit', man is written on the side called 'life', since these two sides stand on that day, the one on that side, and the other on another side. If a man deserves it, and the merits win, he is written to life, as the holy side called 'merit' grasps him, and life grasps him and says: 'This one is mine, and was mine'. Then Man is written into life.

885. If the sins win, the unholy Other Side - called 'debt and death' - grasps him and says: 'This is mine, and was mine'. And then it is written that the man is his. This is what we learned, that on the day of Rosh Hashanah, a man is written to life or death. If he is written to the side of holiness, he is written to life. He abides there and cleaves to it. If he is written upon the Other Side, he abides by the side of defilement, and clings to it, WHICH IS DEATH. It is either to life or death, NAMELY, it is drawn from either this or that side.

886. Whenever he is on the side of holiness, all sacredness and purity cleave to him. He calls and the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and listens. Of him says the verse, "He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation" (Tehilim 91:15). As long as he is on the unholy Other Side, all defilement, all sins and evils cling to him. He calls and there is no one to listen to him. He is far away from the Holy One, blessed be He. Of him it is written, "Salvation is far from the wicked" (Tehilim 119:155), and "even when you make many prayers, I will not hear" (Yeshayah 1:15).

887. This chamber is the dwelling place of all those called 'strange Elohim', because they are revealed here. ALSO, HERE ARE FOUND all those who incite men to the pleasures of this world, to prostitution, to delight in the pleasures of fornication. They pull them toward the pleasures and adulteries of the world, as we said.

888. In this chamber there is a powerful spirit, who has control over everyone. He, too, is called 'El', like the other SPIRIT OF THE FOURTH CHAMBER on the side of holiness. This is a strange El. He seduces the man who is occupied in the Torah, or stands in the synagogue. This powerful spirit seduces him, and THE MAN is thoughtful. THE SPIRIT says to him, 'Why are you standing here, it is better for you to go wherever people boast in front of others, go after pretty women, and take delight in the pleasures of the world'. Once a man is incited by him, all THE SPIRITS hover and follow him.

889. There are some other spirits under THE SAID SPIRIT. They all defile him in this world, and defile him in that world. These spirits are called 'steaming filth' (Heb. tzoa), as it is written, "go you (Heb. tze), say to it" (Yeshayah 30:22), FOR THEY TEMPT MAN TO GO OUT (HEB. LATZET) FROM THE SYNAGOGUE AND FROM HOLINESS, AND INTO THE PLEASURES OF THE WORLD. These are the grades that are always ready to defile, as we learned.

890. In the middle of the chamber there is another spirit called 'plague', from which comes out another spirit called 'plague of pestilence', ready to defile those of evil tongue more than they were defiled BY THE THIRD CHAMBER. This high plague is in charge over all the tables of Shabbat, for when Shabbat enters and THE TABLE is not properly set with the delights of Shabbat, thus slighting Shabbat, this plague receives these tables, empty of the delights of Shabbat, as we already said.

891. When the plague receives these tables, the complainants and accusers standing there all open and say, "For he loved cursing, and it came to him, and he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him. And he clothed himself with cursing like his garment..." (Tehilim 109:17-18), "Let the creditor seize everything that he has...Let there be none to extend kindness to him..." (Ibid. 11-12).

892. We have established that on Shabbat eve, when the tables were given to the Evil Side, that evil unholy side strengthens, and that man is delivered to the OTHER Side. Woe to him, for being reduced from the side of holiness and given to the other unholy side. It is the same for the holiday meals.

893. Here, in this chamber, is the opposite of children, longevity, and sustenance, MEANING THAT THESE THREE ARE WITHHELD FROM MEN. There are no CHILDREN, LONGEVITY, AND SUSTENANCE on the other, the holy fourth chamber, for they are extended from above. But here there are for evil, for when a man reaches this chamber, there is life to be consumed and children that are small, for from here comes the spirit that is appointed to be their accuser. There is food there, to be taken away from man. NAMELY, ALL THIS IS FOR THE WORSE. All depends on debt, NAMELY, SINS. Therefore, this chamber is called 'debt', as we learned.

894. From here emerges an unholy spirit called 'Aririya', together with thousands and tens of thousands, all called "who curse (Heb. orerei) the day," according to the verse, "let them curse it (him) who curse the day" (Iyov 3:8). This spirit and those with him are ready to take the word of a man who curses himself in anger. They arouse the serpent called, "Leviatan, the crooked serpent" (Yeshayah 27:1), so it would bring and awaken curses upon the world. This is the meaning of, "let them curse it who curse the day..."

895. Those who curse the day rule over the minutes and hours of the day, AND THEREFORE THEY ARE CALLED "WHO CURSE THE DAY." They take the words the man cursed himself by, whether in anger, or by oath, and with that word they arouse the slant serpent called 'Leviatan', to make him harm the world. Therefore, Job, in his grief, cursed his day, not his body, SO THEY WOULD NOT GRAB HIS WORDS, as it is written, "and cursed his day" (Iyov 3:1), and afterwards "let them curse it (him) who curse the day." May the Merciful One save us from the Evil Side and its Judgments, and from all that is evil.