The Book of Splendor

Those who are wise understand that there is no impurity as severe in the world as the impurity of a Niddah a woman during her menstrual period. The impurity of a Niddah is harder than any other impurity in the world. It draws [impurity] to itself, and all who approach it are cast out with it. In every place where they [the impure] are, the Shekhinah the Divine Presence departs from before them. Moreover, he brings evil illnesses upon himself and upon the seed he will beget, for once a man approaches a Niddah, that impurity leaps upon him and opens all his limbs. The seed he begets at that time, a spirit of impurity rests upon it, and all his days he shall be in impurity. For his structure and foundation do not exist in a purity that is greater and stronger than any impurity in the world, for as soon as a man approaches a Niddah, that impurity leaps upon him, as it is written: “And her impurity shall be upon him” Leviticus 15:24.

He who lies with a daughter of a strange god referring to a non-Jewish woman, who enters the holy covenant and profanes the sign for another, as it is written: “And marries the daughter of a strange god” Malachi 2:11. And we have learned: there is no jealousy before the Holy One, blessed be He, except the jealousy of the holy covenant, for it is the sign of the Holy Name and the spirit of faith. What is written? “And there arose a new king over Egypt” Exodus 1:8, who weakened [his soul]. Immediately it says: “And he said unto his people: Behold, the people of the children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal wisely with them” Exodus 1:9-10. In the beginning, as it is written: “He arose to give all the mercy of the people, and they hanged them before the Lord against the sun” Numbers 25:4. Rabbi Yisa said: Why “against the sun”? Against the covenant, which is called the “sun.” And regarding them it is said: “For the Lord God is a sun and a shield” Psalms 84:12. Sun and shield—this is the holy covenant. Just as the sun shines and illuminates the world, so too does the holy covenant shine and illuminate the body of a man. Shield—just as a shield protects a man, so too does the holy covenant protect a man. And he who guards it, there is no power in the world that can approach him. And this is “against the sun.” Their destruction will be seized in every generation for the sin of those who do not live and know, because this sin is upon them, to add to the Holy One, blessed be He, in this covenant. He who profanes this holiness, when he attaches himself to another, it is written of him: “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God” Exodus 20:3-5, and all of it is one jealousy. And because of this, the Shekhinah departs from before him.

He who spoils the holy covenant—as it is written, “in his defilement”—spoils the Holy Name, blessed be He. He who spoils the king’s seal spoils the King Himself. He has no portion in the God of Israel unless he is in the state of constant repentance. Rabbi Yosi opened and said: “And the children of Israel kept the feast of unleavened bread,” etc. Exodus 12:17. What is “and they kept”? It means they were guarding the holy covenant. They did not practice immorality until Deborah came and restored it, and all of these, as it is written: “For the leaders taking the lead in Israel, for the people offering themselves willingly, bless the Lord” Judges 5:2.

He who kills his children, the one who causes the embryo to be killed in her womb, he destroys the building of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His craftsmanship. There is no one who kills a man as one who kills his children. He makes three cups symbolizing types of divine judgment that the whole world cannot endure, and because of this, the world trembles and decreases, and he does not know, and because of this, he is removed from the world, and disease, famine, and plague come upon the world. And these are they: killing children, destroying the King’s building, and profaning the sign of the covenant. He goes and defiles the world, and he finds no rest. And because of this, the Holy Spirit cries out, and the world is judged by all these judgments. Woe to that man, woe to him! It would have been better for him not to have been created in the world.

Righteous are Israel, for even though they were in the exile of Egypt, they guarded themselves from all these three. And regarding the decree of the tyrant: “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river” Exodus 1:22, there was not found among them one who killed an embryo in the womb, and because of this righteousness, Israel went out of exile. From that which Rabbi Hiya taught: he who is written...