"Neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them"

Synopsis

We are told that whoever eats unclean foods defiles his body and soul, and will never be able to recover from this defilement; he will never cling to the Bundle of Life. Rabbi Shimon tells Rabbi Elazar that some day God will purify the children of Yisrael with the water of Chesed, and that those who cling to God are called Holy.

Body Other Side Soul, The World to Come, The

111. Come and behold: whoever eats of these unclean foods cleaves to the Other Side and defiles his body and soul. The Unclean Spirit rests upon him and he shows that he has no portion in the Highest One, nor does he come from His side, nor does he cleave to Him. If he departs from this world in such a state, he will be seized by all those who are grasped by the Unclean Side, and he will be defiled by them. Moreover, he is judged as a man spurned by his Master, spurned in this world and in the World to Come.

111. ות"ח, כָּל מַאן דְּאָכִיל מֵאִינּוּן מַאֲכָלֵי דַּאֲסִירֵי, אִתְדְּבַק בְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, וְגָעִיל נַפְשֵׁיהּ וְגַרְמֵיהּ, וְרוּחַ מְסָאָב שַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ, וְאַחְזֵי גַּרְמֵיהּ דְּלֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בֶּאֱלָהָא עִלָּאָה, וְלָא אָתֵי מִסִּטְרֵיהּ, וְלָא אִתְדְּבַק בֵּיהּ. וְאִי יִפּוּק הָכִי מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, אֲחִידָן בֵּיהּ כָּל אִינּוּן דַּאֲחִידָן בִּסְטָר דִּמְסָאֲבָא, וּמְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ וְדַיְינִין לֵיהּ כב"נ דְּאִיהוּ גַּעֲלָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, גַּעֲלָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְגַעֲלָא בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.

Other Side Soul, The

112. Of that, it is written: "Neither shall you make yourselves (Heb. venitmatem) unclean with them" (Vayikra 11:43), without the Aleph, TO SHOW that there is no remedy for his uncleanness and that he can never recover from his defilement. Woe to them, woe to their souls who will never cling to the Bundle of Life, for they are defiled. Woe to their bodies, of which it is written: "For their putrefaction shall never cease...and they shall be an abhorrence to all humankind" (Yeshayah 66:24). What does "abhorrence" mean? It means stench, the stench that was caused by the Other Side to which they clung.

112. וְעַ"ד כְּתִיב, וְנִטְמֵתֶם בָּם בְּלָא א,' דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח אַסוּותָא לְגִעוּלֵיהּ, וְלָא נָפִיק מִמְּסָאֲבוּתֵיהּ לְעָלְמִין. וַוי לוֹן, וַוי לְנַפְשַׁיְיהוּ, דְּלָא יִתְדַבְּקוּן בִּצְרוֹרָא דְּחַיֵּי לְעָלְמִין, דְּהָא אִסְתְּאָבוּ. וַוי לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ, עָלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב כִּי תוֹלַעְתָּם לֹא תָמוּת וְגוֹ,' וְהָיוּ דֵרָאוֹן לְכָל בָּשָׂר. מַאי דֵּרָאוֹן. סִרְחוֹנָא. מַאן גָּרִים לֵיהּ, הַהוּא סְטָר דְּאִתְדַּבָּק בֵּיהּ.

Soul, The World to Come, The

113. Yisrael who come from the right side spoil this side, THE RIGHT, if they cling to the left side and defile their bodies and souls. They are spoiled in this world and in the World to Come, especially he who clings to the Side of Uncleanness, WHICH DERIVES FROM THE LEFT AND IS COMPLETELY DEFILED. FOR THE SIDE OF UNCLEANNESS AND THE LEFT SIDE are combined with one another, MEANING THAT THE LEFT SIDE ABOVE, FROM WHICH IMPURITY ISSUES, IS SEPARATED FROM THE RIGHT. FROM THERE, DEFILEMENT IS DRAWN, and it is written: "For you are a holy people to Hashem your Elohim" (Devarim 14:2).

113. יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא, אִי אִתְדַּבְּקָן בִּסְטָר שְׂמָאלָא, הָא פַּגְמִין לִסְטַר דָּא, וּפַגְמִין לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ, וּפַגְמִין לְנַפְשַׁיְיהוּ, פְּגִימִין בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וּפְגִימִין, בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. כ"ש מַאן דְּאִתְדַּבָּק בִּסְטָר דִּמְסָאֲבָא, דְּכֹלָּא אָחִיד דָּא בְּדָא, וּכְתִיב כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְגוֹ.'

Judgment Other Side Revenge Soul, The Wisdom

114. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion with the verse: "All the labor of man is for his mouth" (Kohelet 6:7). I have observed that those words of King Solomon are full of supernal Wisdom, and the words, "the labour of man is for his mouth," allude to the time when man is sentenced for all the accusations against him and to everything he undergoes in that world. The revenge of the world is exacted upon him, AND ALL THIS IS because of "his mouth," which he did not guard. Through it, he defiled his soul by not cleaving to the right side of life. "Yet the appetite (lit. 'soul') is not filled," meaning that the Judgment of his soul will never be completed. Also, "is not filled," means it will never be completed to ascend to its place, since it is defiled and attached to the Other Side.

114. ר' יוֹסֵי פָּתַח וְאָמַר, כָּל עֲמַל הָאָדָם לְפִיהוּ וְגוֹ.' אִסְתַּכַּלְנָא בְּמִלֵּי דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, וְכֻלְּהוּ אֲחִידָן בְּחָכְמָה עִלָּאָה. כָּל עֲמַל הָאָדָם לְפִיהוּ, הַאי קְרָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּדַיְינִין לֵיהּ לב"נ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא כְּתִיב, כָּל הַהוּא דִּינָא, וְכָל מַאי דְּסָבִיל בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וְנָקְמִין מִנֵּיהּ נִקְמָתָא דְּעָלְמָא. לְפִיהוּ: בְּגִין פִּיהוּ, דְּלָא נָטִיר לֵיהּ, וְסָאִיב לֵיהּ לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ, וְלָא אִתְדְּבַק בְּסִטְרָא דְּחַיֵּי, בְּסִטְרָא דִּימִינָא. וְגַם הַנֶפֶשׁ לֹא תִמָלֵא, לָא תִּשְׁתְּלִים דִּינָהָא לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמִין. ד"א לֹא תִמָלֵא, לָא תִּשְׁתְּלִים לְסַלְּקָא לְאַתְרָהָא לְעָלְמִין, בְּגִין דְּהָא אִסְתְּאָבַת, וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא.

Holiness (Kedushah) Idolatry Kedushah (Holiness) World to Come, The

115. Rabbi Yitzchak said that it is as if he who is defiled by them served idols, which is "an abomination to Hashem" (Devarim 17:1), and it is written: "You shall not eat any abominable thing" (Devarim 14:3). He who serves idols leaves the domain of Holiness and enters into another domain. Likewise, the one who is defiled by unclean foods leaves this side of life and departs from the domain of Holiness and enters another domain. Moreover, he is all the more defiled in this world and in the World to Come. Therefore, "neither shall you make yourselves unclean by them," and the word "venitmatem (lit. 'unclean')" is written without the letter Aleph.

115. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, כָּל מַאן דְּאִסְתְּאָב בְּהוּ, כְּאִילּוּ פָּלַח לע"ז, דְּאִיהוּ תּוֹעֲבַת יְיָ,' וּכְתִיב לֹא תֹאכַל כָּל תּוֹעֵבָה. מַאן דְּפָלַח לע"ז, נָפִיק מִסִּטְרָא דְּחַיֵּי, נָפִיק מֵרְשׁוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעָיֵיל בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֳרָא. אוּף מַאן דְּאִסְתְּאָב בְּהָנֵי מֵיכְלֵי, נָפִיק מִסִּטְרָא דְּחַיֵּי, וְנָפִיק מֵרְשׁוּ קַדִּישָׁא, וְעָיֵיל בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֳרָא. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּאִסְתְּאָב בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. וְעַ"ד וְנִטְמֵתֶם בָּם כְּתִיב בְּלָא א.'

Beasts Birds Ground Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Soul, The

116. It is written: "And you shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by bird, or by any manner of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean" (Vayikra 20:25). What does He mean by "unclean?" It means to defile by them the heathen nations, for they are unclean and come from the Side of Uncleanness. Each cleaves to his own place, YISRAEL WITH THOSE FROM THE SIDE OF HOLINESS, AND THE HEATHEN NATIONS WITH THOSE FROM THE SIDE OF UNCLEANNESS.

116. וּכְתִיב, וְלֹא תְשַׁקְּצוּ אֶת נַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם בַּבְּהֵמָה וּבָעוֹף וּבְכָל אֲשֶׁר תִּרְמוֹשׂ הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר הִבְדַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לְטַמֵּא. מַאי לְטַמֵּא. לְטַמֵּא לְעַמִּין עע"ז, דְּהָא אִינּוּן מִסְאֲבִין, וּמִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא קָא אַתְיָין. וְכָל חַד אִתְדַּבָּק בְּאַתְרֵיהּ.

Aba and Ima Ezekiel Fasting Fruit Holiness (Kedushah) Jeremiah Kedushah (Holiness) Mochin Purification Shepherd Water Zeir Anpin

117. Rabbi Elazar was once sitting before his father Rabbi Shimon, and he said to him: We have learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, will one day purify Yisrael. With what WILL HE PURIFY THEM? He replied: With that which is written in the verse: "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean" (Yechezkel 36:25, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE WATER OF CHESED THAT INCLUDES THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT, FROM WHICH PURUFICATION ISSUES. Since they are purified, they are also sanctified, FOR THEY CLEAVE TO THE HOLINESS OF ZEIR ANPIN, IN WHICH ARE THE MOCHIN OF ABA AND IMA, WHO ARE CALLED 'HOLY.' Yisrael who cleave to the Holy One, blessed be He, are called 'holy,' as is written: "Yisrael is holy to Hashem, the first fruit of His increase" (Yirmeyah 23:3), and also, "And you shall be Holy men to Me" (Shemot 22:30). Happy are Yisrael, of whom the Holy One, blessed be He, says: "And you shall be Holy for I am Holy" (Vayikra 11:44). For it is written, "And hold fast to Him" (Devarim13:5), and also, "He has not dealt so with any other nation and as for His ordinances, they have not known them. Haleluyah!" (Tehilim 147:20).

117. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הֲוָה יָתִיב קָמֵי דְּר' שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוֹי, אָ"ל, הָא דְּתָנֵינָן זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְדַכָּאָה לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּמָּה. אָמַר לֵיהּ, בְּמָּה דִּכְתִּיב, וְזָרַקְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם מַיִם טְהוֹרִים וּטְהַרְתֶּם וְגוֹ.' כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְדַכְּאָן מִתְקַדְּשָׁן, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִתְדַּבְּקָן בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, קֹדֶשׁ אִקְרוּן, דִּכְתִּיב קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַיְיָ' רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתֹה, וּכְתִיב וְאַנְשֵׁי קֹדֶשׁ תִּהְיוּן לִי, זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָאָמַר עָלַיְיהוּ, וִהְיִיתֶם קְדוֹשִׁים כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אָנִי יְיָ,' בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב וּבוֹ תִדְבָּק, וּכְתִיב לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן לְכָל גּוֹי וּמִשְׁפָּטִים בַּל יְדָעוּם הַלְלוּיָהּ.