Shlach Lecha: Chapter 30

Three sounds that are never lost

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon wishes to know about the echo, and he is told about three sounds, besides the sounds of Torah and prayer, that never get lost. These are: 1) the sound of a woman in labor; 2) the sound of the person when the soul escapes its body; and 3) the sound of a snake when it sheds its skin. These sounds, which are all of pain, linger in the air and wander around the world. When a person raises his voice those sounds are awakened, although the voice of the snake can only be aroused when a person beats something. One kind of sound follows its own kind, so on the day of Rosh Hashanah the sound of the Shofar awakens the sound of another Shofar.

Head Yeshivah

215. He said to him, Do you know something new that I am in want of knowing? He said to him, Speak. He said, I wish to understand the echo. A person sounds his voice in the field or in any other place. Another voice returns AFTER THAT and it is not known WHERE IT COMES FROM. He said to him, Oh, holy pious one. About this matter, many voices were raised and several concepts were placed in front of the head of the Yeshivah. When the head of the Yeshivah descended, he said, This is how they explained it in the heavenly Yeshivah, and it is a precious secret.

215. אָ"ל, אִי מִלָּה חַדְתָּא יַדְעַת, דַּאֲנָא עַרְטִירָא בָּהּ. אָ"ל אֵימָא. אָמַר קָלָא דְּהַדְרָא בָּעֵינָא לְמִנְדַּע. ב"נ יָהִיב קָלָא בְּחַקְלָא, אוֹ בַּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא, וְהַדְרָא קָלָא אַחֲרָא, וְלָא יְדִיעַ. אָ"ל, אִי חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא, עַל מִלָּה דָּא, כַּמָה קָלִין אִתְּעֲרוּ, וְכַמָּה דִּקְדוּקִין הֲווֹ קָמֵי רַב מְתִיבְתָּא, וְכַד נָחִת רַב מְתִיבְתָּא, אָמַר, הָכִי אוּקְמוּהָ מִלָּה בִּמְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא, וְרָזָא יַקִּירָא אִיהִי.

Firmaments Prayer Torah

216. Come and see: There are three sounds that are never lost; besides the sounds of Torah and prayer that ascend above and split the firmaments, there are these other sounds that do not ascend and yet are not lost.

216. תָּא חֲזֵי, תְּלַת קָלִין אִינּוּן, דְּלָא אִתְאֲבִידוּ לְעָלְמִין, בַּר קָלִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּצְלוֹתָא, דְּאִלֵּין סַלְּקִין לְעֵילָּא, וּבָקְעִין רְקִיעִין. אֲבָל קָלִין אַחֲרָנִין אִינּוּן דְּלָא סַלְּקִין, וְלָא אִתְאֲבִידוּ.

Air Body Rocks Serpent Skin Soul, The Women

217. These are the three sounds: 1) The sound of a woman in labor, when she stands on a footstool, goes about and wanders in the air from one end to the other end of the world; 2) The sound of the person, when the soul escapes his body, loiters and wanders in the air from one end of the world to the other end, and 3) The sound of the snake, when it sheds his skin, loiters in the air and wanders around the world from one end to the other.

217. וְאִינּוּן תְּלַת: קוֹל חַיָּה בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִיהִי עַל קַלְבִּיטָא, הַהוּא קָלָא מְשַׁטְּטָא וְאָזְלָא בַּאֲוִירָא, מִסַּיְיפֵי עָלְמָא עַד סַיְיפֵי עָלְמָא. קוֹל דְּבַר נָשׁ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא, דְּנָפִיק נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ מִגוּפֵיהּ, הַהוּא קָלָא מְשַׁטְּטָא וְאָזְלָא בַּאֲוִירָא, מִסַּיְיפֵי עָלְמָא עַד סַיְיפֵי עָלְמָא. קוֹל נַחַשׁ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּפָשִׁיט מַשְׁכֵּיהּ, הַהוּא קָלָא מְשַׁטְּטָא בַּאֲוִירָא, וְאָזְלָא מִסַּיְיפֵי עָלְמָא עַד סַיְיפֵי עָלְמָא.

Air Serpent

218. Oh, holy pious one, how great and important is this matter. What is produced by these sounds and whereto do they enter and dwell? These sounds are of pain. They roam and wander in the air and travel from one end of the world to the other, and enter into cracks and tunnels in the dust and lie hidden there. When a person sounds his voice, they are awakened toward that voice. ONLY the voice of the snake is not roused towards a human voice. How does it awaken then? By beating. That is, when a person beats AT SOMETHING, the sound of the snake that was hidden there, IN AN EMPTY PLACE OR IN THE FIELD, reverberates to the sound OF THAT BEATING, but not towards another HUMAN voice. A sound reverberates to a sound; HOWEVER, a kind goes after its own kind. THIS IS TO SAY THAT THE FIRST TWO SOUNDS, WHICH ARE OF HUMANS, ARE AWAKENED TOWARDS OTHER HUMAN SOUNDS, AND THE THIRD SOUND, WHICH IS OF THE SNAKE, AWAKEN TOWARD A BEATING SOUND.

218. אִי חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא, כַּמָה מִלָּה דָּא רַבָּא וְיַקִּירָא. אִלֵּין קָלִין, מַה אִתְעָבֵיד מִינַיְיהוּ, וּלְאָן אֲתָר עָאלִין וְשָׁרָאן. אִלֵּין קָלִין דְּצַעֲרָא אִינּוּן, וְאָזְלִין וְּמְשַׁטְטֵי בַּאֲוִירָא, וְאָזְלֵי מִסַּיְיפֵי עָלְמָא, עַד סַיְיפֵי דְּעָלְמָא, וְעָאלִין גּוֹ נְקִיקִין וּמְחִילִין דְּעַפְרָא, וְאִתְטַמְּרָן תַּמָּן. וְכַד יָהִיב ב"נ קָלָא, אִינּוּן מִתְעָרִין לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא קָלָא. קָלָא דְּנָחָשׁ, לָא אִתְּעַר לְגַבֵּי קָלָא דב"נ. הֵיאַךְ יִתְּעַר. בְּמָחָאָה. כַּד מָחֵי ב"נ מָחָאָה אִתְּעַר קָלָא דְּנָחָשׁ, דְּאִתְטַמַּר לְגַבֵּיהּ הַהוּא קָלָא, וְלָאו קָלָא אַחֲרָא. קָלָא אִתְּעַר בָּתַר קָלָא, זִינָא בָּתַר זִינֵיהּ.

Evil Ground Rosh Hashanah Serpent Shofar Year

219. Consequently, on the day of Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year), the sound of the Shofar awakens the sound of another Shofar, THE SECRET OF THE SOUND OF BINAH. One sort follows its own sort. The way of the snake tends to evil, to kill and to beat. Thus, in the voice of a real PERSON, no snake sound gets stirred. It only follows its own type and this happens when a person hits the ground with a stick, which is a sound that calls its kind. Then the sound of the snake awakens to answer its own type. And this is a hidden secret.

219. וְעַל דָּא בְּיוֹמָא דר"ה, קוֹל שׁוֹפָר, אִתְּעַר קוֹל שׁוֹפָר אַחֲרָא, זִינָא בָּתַר זִינֵיהּ אָזְלָא. אָרְחֵיהּ דְּנָחָשׁ לְבִישׁ אִיהוּ, לְקָטְלָא וּלְמָחָאָה, בְּהַהוּא קָלָא מַמָּשׁ, לָא אִתְּעַר קָלָא דְּהַאי נַחַשׁ, אֶלָּא בָּתַר זִינֵיהּ. וְדָא אִיהוּ, כַּד ב"נ מָחֵי בְּחוּטְרָא בְּאַרְעָא, וְקָרֵי לֵיהּ לְזִינֵיהּ, כְּדֵין אִתְּעַר הַהוּא קָלָא דְּנָחָשׁ, לְאָתָבָא לְזִינֵיהּ. וְרָזָא דָּא אִיהוּ טְמִירוּ.

Rock Serpent Solomon

220. Rabbi Shimon said, Certainly this is a hidden matter. I wonder why King Solomon was not aware of this, SINCE HE SAID, "THERE ARE THREE THINGS...THE PATH OF A SNAKE UPON A ROCK" (MISHLEI 30:18-19). He said to him, King Solomon knew, but not that much. However, what he did not know was of that sound, what benefit it has and how it is settled.

220. אר"ש, וַדַּאי מִלָּה דָּא מִלָּה סְתִימָא הִיא. וְתַוַּוהְנָא אֵיךְ שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא לָא יָדַע מִלָּה דָּא. אָ"ל, שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא מִנְדַּע יָדַע, וְלָא כ"כ. אֲבָל מַה דְּלָא יָדַע, הַהוּא קָלָא מַה תּוֹעַלְתָּא אִית בָּהּ, וְהֵיךְ יָתְבָא.

Air Breath Flesh Ground Head Nefesh (Soul) Point Ruach (Soul) Solomon Sorcery Soul (Nefesh) Soul (Ruach) Witchcraft Yeshivah

221. The head of the Yeshivah said it this way. King Solomon did not know this subtle point, that the sound is composed of the Ruach, the Nefesh, the breath of the bones and the composition of the flesh. AND THE SOUND hovers in the air and each one OF THOSE THREE separated from each other. When THE SOUND reaches that place where it entered, it sits as if dead. All the wizards and magicians are aware of these areas with their witchcraft; they bend themselves to the ground and hear these sounds, to which the Ruach, Nefesh and breath of the bones connect. They inform them of the matters THAT THEY INQUIRE ABOUT, and this is: "A medium, out of the ground" (Yeshayah 29:4). That is why Solomon pursued the knowledge of what happens with this sound, but could not find out. Praised is your lot, Rabbi, that you have discerned a matter of truth.

221. וְרַב מְתִיבְתָּא הָכִי אָמַר, דִּקְדוּקָא דָּא לָא יָדַע שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, דְּהָא הַהוּא קָלָא, אִיהִי כְּלִילָא רוּחָא וְנַפְשָׁא, וְהַבַל גַּרְמֵי מֵעִצְּבוֹנָא דְּבִשְׂרָא, וּמְשַׁטְּטָא בַּאֲוִירָא, וְכָל חַד מִתְפְּרַשׁ דָּא מִן דָּא. וְכַד מָטָא לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּעָאל בֵּיהּ, יָתְבָא כְּמֵיתָא. וְכָל אִינּוּן חַרְשִׁין וְקוֹסְמִין יַדְעִין אַתְרִין אִלֵּין בְּחַרְשַׁיְיהוּ, וְגַחְנִין לְאַרְעָא, וְשַׁמְעִין קָלָא דָּא, דְּמִתְחַבְּרוּן אִינּוּן רוּחָא וְנַפְשָׁא, וְהַבַל דְּגַרְמֵי, וְאוֹדְעִין מִלָּה וְדָא אִיהוּ אוֹב מֵאֶרֶץ. וְעַל דָּא רָדִיף שְׁלֹמֹה, לְמִנְדַּע מַה דְּאִתְעָבֵיד מֵהַהוּא קָלָא, וְלָא יָדַע. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָךְ רִבִּי, דְּאִתְבְּרִיר לָךְ מִלָּה דִּקְשׁוֹט.

Soul, The Women

222. When a person raises a sound, that sound is instantly awakened, OF THE WOMAN GIVING BIRTH OR OF THE DEPARTURE OF THE SOUL. It is not authorized to be longer, just EQUAL TO the sound that the person aroused and not more. If a person prolongs his voice, it does not extend its sound as much with him, but rather it gets roused at the end of the voice OF THE PERSON, since it is incapable of being prolonged. What is the reason? It is because when it first left him, it was extended from one end of the world to the other end of the world. Now that it has entered there, it cannot extend the sound any more, since there is no more room there to extend it as before.

222. כַּד ב"נ אִתְּעַר קָלָא, מִיַּד אִתְּעַר הַהוּא קָלָא, וְלֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְאַרְכָּא יַתִּיר. אֶלָּא כְּעֵין הַהוּא קָלָא, דְּאִתְּעַר ב"נ, וְלָא יַתִּיר. וְאִי אָרִיךְ ב"נ קָּלֵיה, אִיהוּ לֹא אֲרִיךְ כָּל כַּךְ בָּהֲדֵיה, אֶלָא לְסוֹפָא דְקָלָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יָכִיל לְאֲרְכָּא מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין דְּכַד נָפְקָא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, אִתְאֲרִיךְ מִסַּיְיפֵי עָלְמָא עַד סַיְיפֵי עָלְמָא, וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּעָאל תַּמָּן, לָא יָכִיל לְאַרְכָּא קָלָא, דְּהָא לֵית לֵיהּ אֲתָר לְאִתְפַּשְׁטָא תַּמָּן כִּדְבְּקַדְמֵיתָא.

Head Yeshivah

223. Rabbi Shimon rejoiced and said, If I would have deserved to hear only this, it would have been sufficient to make me happy, since I managed to hear words of truth about that world. He said to him, Oh, holy pious one. If you would have known the rejoicing in these matters about that world in the presence of the head of the Yeshivah, you would have rejoiced even more.

223. חַדֵּי ר"ש וְאָמַר, אִלְמָלֵי לָא זָכֵינָא לְמִשְׁמַע, אֶלָּא מִלָּה דָּא, דַּי לִי, לְמֶהֱוֵי חַדֵּי, דְּזָכֵינָא לְמִשְׁמַע מִלִּין דִּקְשׁוֹט, דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. אָ"ל, אִי חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא. אִלְמָלֵי יַדְעַת חֶדְוָה דְּמִלִּין בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא קַמֵּי רַב מְתִיבְתָּא, תְּהֵא חַדֵּי יַתִּיר.

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