The sixth chamber, evil, corresponding to the name 'shadow of death'

908. The sixth chamber stands above the rest of the lower chambers. There are four openings to this chamber: one is called 'death', one 'evil', one 'shadow of death' and the last one 'somber'. These four openings are there to cause evil, and comprise everything, FOR SINCE IT CORRESPONDS TO THE HOLY CHAMBER OF TIFERET, WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE OTHER SIX CHAMBERS CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, SO THIS CHAMBER OF DEFILEMENT INCLUDES ALL THE CHAMBERS OF DEFILEMENT.

909. As there are on the side of holiness, in the secret of the Faith, four openings to the four sides, connected to each other, all of them holy, so it is down here. When they are united and joined with each other in this chamber, then this chamber is called 'a roomy house', as it is written, "a brawling woman in a roomy house" (Mishlei 21:9). This chamber is there to cause evil always.

910. It is written of this chamber, "but the kisses of the enemy are profuse" (Mishlei 27:6), for here abide all the evil kisses and evil lusts, and all the pleasures of the body in this world, for which delights man is driven from this world and the World to Come. Of this chamber the verse says, "For the lips of a strange woman drip honey..." (Mishlei 5:3). THESE DEFILED KISSES AND PLEASURES HERE CORRESPOND TO THE KISSES AND DELIGHTS OF THE SIXTH CHAMBER OF HOLINESS.

911. There is a spirit in this chamber in charge of all those below, that adornments of beauty more than the chambers BENEATH IT. The feet of fools are trapped in this chamber, of which the verse says, "Lust not after her beauty in your heart, nor let her take you with her eyelids" (Mishlei 6:25).

912. All the lusts in the world are from this chamber, and all the pleasure of the fools, the heartless and the witless, as it is written, "and beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, passing through the street near her corner... in the twilight, in the evening" (Mishlei 7:7-8). Then his feet approach this chamber, which comprises all those below it, BEING THE CHAMBER OF TIFERET OF DEFILEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE SIX DIRECTIONS. Then "behold, there met him a woman with the attire (Heb. sheett) of a harlot, and wily of heart" (Ibid. 10). The word 'sheett' refers to this sixth (Heb. shtit) chamber in number. Here stands the harlot to seduce the fools.

913. In this chamber THE HARLOT resides yet resides not, for she comes down to seduce, then goes up and blames, as it is written, "her feet do not remain in her house: now she is outside," WHEN SHE COMES DOWN TO SEDUCE, "now in the streets" when she goes up TO BLAME, "and she lies in wait at every corner" (Ibid. 11-12) , to take his soul away, NAMELY, TO KILL HIM.

914. It is further written, "So she caught hold of him, and kissed him" (Ibid. 13). These are defiling kisses, to mislead people to follow her, for here is the place of all the evil kisses and strange harlotries, which are sweet for the moment, and woe to their ending, as it is written, "and her mouth is smoother than oil" (Mishlei 5:3).

915. It is also written, "but her end is bitter as wormwood" (Ibid. 4). HE ASKS: What is the meaning of "bitter as wormwood"? HE ANSWERS: When a man is tempted by her in this world, when his time arrives to pass away from this world, she is upon him, arrayed before him in a garment of a body of fire, a sharp sword in her hand, with three drops in it.

916. We explained that one of the drops OF THE SWORD is bitter, and when she spills it in a man's mouth, it enters his bowels, and the soul is confused. The drop travels within the body and plucks the soul from its place, and does not let it return. THE DROP is bitter as wormwood, and man tastes bitterness instead of the sweetness he savored in this world when he was attracted to her. She throws at him another drop, and the soul leaves, and the man dies. She then tosses yet another drop and his face becomes green and putrid. THE REASON THE SOUL LEAVES IS because the soul is sacred, and when the Other Side has power over it, it runs away from it, not to be with it.

917. For that reason, as man clings with evil kisses in this world, also at this time, if he followed her in this world and left the holy side, the soul does not come back to the holy place, for since he went after her in this world, she now has control over his soul, and the soul leaves the body by ropes, as we explained. All that is caused by the sweet kisses she gave him in this world, and later, at that hour, he finds them bitter. Of this IT IS WRITTEN, "So she caught hold of him, and kissed him" (Mishlei 7:13) in this world, as we explained.

918. "And with an impudent face said to him" (Ibid.), for in this chamber are all the accusers, THOSE WHO SPEAK ILL OF MEN, and the evil messengers that abide by man, and cause him to adorn himself and curl his hair, bathe and bedeck himself so he would be looked at. Here stands a spirit called 'Skatufa', in charge of the adornment and coiffure of men.

919. Inside this chamber stands another chieftain, who arouses man and then arouses them, THE SPIRITS - NAMELY, HE STRENGTHENS THEM. After the man has adorned himself and done his hair, IT ENTICES HIM to take a mirror in his hand, and puts it in his hands. AND THE MAN looks at it, and sees his form in that mirror. By this another force stirs the spirit. It is called 'Asirta', whence come all those who show false visions to men in their dreams, and those who show things TO MEN, which do not happen, but are confused.

920. Then, when men are drawn TO LOOK at this vision called 'mirror', they become haughty. The spirit Asirta bestirs another spirit chief under him, who enters the lowest of the holes to raise another spirit from there, who shares his duties with the spirit Askara, whom we spoken of, who is Lilit, the mother of demons. When man arouses the other spirit, Asirta, BY LOOKING AT THE MIRROR, man is united with him and connected with him always. Then, on each new moon, this evil spirit of the mirror is awakened together with Lilit, WHO IS ASKARA. Sometimes the man is hurt by them and falls to the ground, not able to rise, or he dies. This is caused by looking at the mirror he looked at, for as the haughtiness in his heart is seen, when he looks at the mirror, so he draws more the evil spirit to him. For that reason everything depends on the awakening down below.

921. "I have had to sacrifice peace offerings" (Mishlei 7:14). Come and see: Peace offerings are not offered for a debt or for purification, but for peace. What is the meaning of peace offerings? Peace offerings are of two sides, AND THANKS TO THEM no one blames him above or below. The accuser is the left side of the Evil Inclination, AND BY THE PEACE OFFERINGS there is peace in the right. Therefore it is written, "I have had to sacrifice peace offerings," IN THE PLURAL FORM.

922. Another explanation for, "I have had to sacrifice peace offerings": SHE SAYS TO HIM, I am come in tranquility, to offer you peace, and for that reason "this day have I paid my vows" (Ibid.), of seducing men always. "So I came out to meet you..." (Ibid. 15), for I know you are heartless and ungrateful, and "diligently to seek your face" (Ibid.) and come together with you in all the evil in the world. It is worthy of you to have pleasure and go after the lust of this world. She pushes him from one thing to another, from evil to evil, AND SAYS TO HIM, I have searched amongst the fools and have found you. Now I found you, to cling to you.

923. "Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning" (Ibid. 18). This is the meaning of "The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight" (Iyov 24:15), for this is the time of reign, AS THE KLIPOT ONLY RULE AT NIGHT. "let us take our fill of love": we shall go together, for I am with you. For until now you were a boy in your strength, and if you do not please yourself now, when then? When you are old SHALL YOU HAVE PLEASURE? Now is the time. Why? "For my husband (lit. 'the man') is not at home" (Mishlei 7:18). This is the Good Inclination, who is not here inside you, nor is this its time, "he is gone a long journey" (Ibid.). FOR THE GOOD INCLINATION does not abide by man, only from afar, when he is thirteen years of age or more, AND EVEN THEN not in every man. But I stay with you since the day you were born, as it is written, "sin crouches at the door" (Beresheet 4:7), NAMELY, WHEN HE CAME FROM HIS MOTHER'S WOMB. And now that you have no wife is the time to have pleasure.

924. "He has taken a bag of silver" (Mishlei 7:20). THESE ARE THE LIGHTS CALLED 'SILVER'. HE TOOK THE GOOD INCLINATION BY HAND, to raise above, and stay there to have pleasure. "And will come home at the new moon" (Ibid.), namely, when will THE GOOD INCLINATION cross his path? On the day of the new moon, Judgment Day, to oversee the trial, as it is written, "at the full (also: 'covered') moon on our feast day" (Tehilim 81:4), WHICH ALLUDES TO THE JUDGMENT DAY, ROSH HASHANAH. For when a man delights in the pleasure of the world, and takes his fill of pleasure, THE GOOD INCLINATION stays away from him, and when Judgment is upon the world, it comes back to do justice by him. Therefore, "with her much fair speech she causes him to yield...till a dart strike through his liver" (Mishlei 7:21-23). Happy are the righteous, who know the holy ways to walk by them, and stray neither right nor left. They are happy in this world and in the World to Come.