896. The fifth chamber is called 'Sheol', corresponding to the name of the Evil Inclination, uncircumcised, which we explained to be the secret of the foreskin. In this chamber there is one opening, and a chief in charge over it. The duty of this chief is to stir up accusations upon the world. This spirit is called 'enmity', after the name of the opening, enmity. This is understood from the verse, "and I will put enmity between you and the woman..." (Beresheet 3:15).
897. There is a spirit in this chamber who rules everything. He is called 'robber' (Heb. shoded), and is a "wasting (Heb. shod) and destruction" (Yeshayah 59:7). This robber abides in the high mountains between rocks and mountains. From this chamber all the robbers suck, who corrupt and destroy; from here emerge those who kill by sword and spear, who go after "the bright blade of a revolving sword" (Beresheet 3:24), to exterminate everything.
898. From this spirit comes out another spirit called 'spoilage'. When famine has sway in the world, the spirit called 'spoilage' joins another spirit called 'famine'. They go about the world, as adversaries to men. This is the meaning of the verse, "at destruction and famine you shall laugh" (Iyov 5:24). They accuse men and rob all. The one is called 'spoilage', for haunting the high mountains, and robbing, destroying and wasting everything. Then he comes back to rob men, and they die of weakness, THAT HE CAUSES THEM. When people eat but are not satiated, it is due to him.
899. At that time, whoever does an act of kindness by men, and gives them food and drink, he is worthy of pushing these two spirits out, so they will have no power over the world. But when Yisrael does no kindness by men, and the other nations do kindness in the world, then these two spirits temper their business WITH THE NATIONS, and attack Yisrael, since then the Other Side becomes stronger and the children of Yisrael are subjugated.
900. When the children of Yisrael are kind, the Other Side is subdued and weakens, and the side of holiness gathers strength. But when the children of Yisrael are not aroused to do kindness, the two spirits turn to subdue Yisrael and all the blessings flowing from the right side above, the other nations suckle them. This is WHAT THE SHECHINAH SAID: "they made me keeper of the vineyards" (Shir Hashirim 1:6), which are the other nations. "But my own vineyard I have not kept" (Ibid.), which is Yisrael, CALLED 'THE SHECHINAH'S VINEYARD', for the other nations took THE SHECHINAH in their midst, by the kindness they do by men. And the children of Yisrael keep her away, for they are not kind as the rest of the nations.
901. Under these spirits are those called 'foreskin', the foreskin of the shoot, the foreskin of the branch. Above them there is a chieftain called 'Gezar Dinaya' (Eng. 'verdict'). He is appointed over those who do not observe the years of foreskin of trees, and those who delay the circumcision of their sons. For that the serpent wanted to kill the son of Moses, until Tziporah circumcised him, as it is written, "and cut off the foreskin of her son..." (Shemot 4:25).
902. This spirit is in charge over men who corrupt their ways, and do not care for the glory of their Master, by observing the sign of the Holy Covenant. THIS SPIRIT puts them in Gehenom, in the place called 'Sheol' and perdition (Heb. Avadon), where they are sentenced, as we explained here.
903. In the middle of this chamber there is another spirit, standing and lurking by the ways and paths, to look for those who transgress the words of the Torah, and to bring hatred between MEN below and above, for the whole chamber is enmity.
904. This one and all the others are in the habit of being friendly toward people and seducing them to stray from the path of truth and follow them. Then they kill them, and they are dead in both worlds, as it is written, "but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword" (Mishlei 5:4).
905. This spirit is called 'Afrira', ashes of dust. He has no offspring, nor fruit in the world, since he is made of ashes of dust. Though he is called by that name, he is not of the holy soil which bears fruit, called "dust (Heb. afrot) of gold" (Iyov 28:6), but of "the ashes (Heb. afar) of the burnt purification" (Bemidbar 19:17), FOR ASHES ARE CALLED 'DUST'. He is "the ashes of the burnt purification," the indication IN THIS VERSE, comes in two versions, the one because that spirit is included within the purification (Heb. chatat) of sin, which is the secret of the powerful serpent CALLED BY THAT NAME. The other is when the man commits sin (Heb. chatat) and strengthens the dust, so it rules the world.