זוהר ויקרא — דף נ ע”ב

In the holy land — all the more so in another land — the spirit of impurity is more prevalent, and a person can be harmed there. Rabbi Elazar said: all the more so one who is called among the shells of his other companions to be found there — even blows struck upon vessels do not drive him out of that house. Therefore this verse proclaims: "Woe unto him who builds his house without justice." "Woe" — surely that is what they say every day in that house.<br />
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Rabbi Yossi entered a house one day, reached the threshold, and went inside. He heard a voice saying: gather and come in, here is one of our adversaries; let us join together and harm him before he leaves. They said: we can only do so if he dwells here. Rabbi Yossi went out, frightened. He said: surely whoever transgresses the words of the companions endangers his own soul.<br />
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Rabbi Chiya said to him: but gentiles and other people dwell there, and they come out unharmed? He answered him: they come from their own side, but one who fears sin can be harmed. And even they, if they prolong their dwelling there, will not come out in peace. He said to him: but it is written "their houses are at peace, free of fear." He answered him: that is when the house was built otherwise, built out of righteousness. And the verse is thus: "their houses are at peace, free of fear" — when their houses are at peace, free of fear, the rod of God does not rest upon them. "And he to whom the house belongs shall come and tell the priest, etc." Why "shall tell"? It should have said "and he said" or "and he spoke" — what does "shall tell" mean? It means that in every place it is a word of wisdom, and this has already been explained. "Like a plague it has appeared to me in the house" — "like a plague"? It should simply have said "a plague"! "Has appeared to me"? It should have said "I have"! For it is written "I will put a plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession," which should appear to all! Why then "like a plague it has appeared to me"?<br />
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Rather, at the moment this one enters, the other is revealed, and they provoke one another. And this is why "it has appeared to me": that which was hidden is revealed, and that which was revealed is hidden; and afterward it appears to him in the likeness of that house-plague, while the other is hidden. And this is why "he shall tell the priest" — for it is a word of wisdom.<br />
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Then the priest comes, and they bring down the house, and they tear out its stones, its timber, and everything. Once it is torn down and everything is purified, they are blessed. Then it is written: "and you shall build good houses and dwell in them." These are called "good," for the first ones were not good, and were not included in holiness and purity.<br />
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Rabbi Yehuda said: if so, how do we explain the verse that is written, "and houses full of all good that you did not fill"? If a spirit of impurity rested in them, how could they be full of all good? Rabbi Elazar answered: full of all good — with money, with silver and gold, and with everything, as it is said "for all the land of Egypt is good." Rabbi Yehuda said further: but behold, all the houses of the Egyptians were full of sorceries and abominations! Rabbi Elazar answered: that is said because of the wealth of the land; here too it is because of wealth and money.<br />
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Israel took two riches: one when they went out of the exile of Egypt, and one when they entered the land. Rabbi Shimon said: all this was surely in order to sanctify the land, and to remove the spirit of impurity from the land and from among Israel. And when the house was torn down, money would be found in it to rebuild it and to fill his house, so that he would not grieve over his house, and so that they would dwell in a holy dwelling. "And a man or a woman, when there shall be in the skin of their flesh, etc." Rabbi Yossi said: like a high place surrounded by an intense bright spot — it is the appearance that we have learned of, and by appearance it is judged, according to those hues. Rabbi Yitzchak said: there are three hundred reasons; some read "an intense bright spot," and all of them I learned from my father — except for a single impure hair, which counts as a single witness; two count as two witnesses, and it is pure. From here on, even a hundred count as two, and two count as a hundred. And we learned this after it is written: "a single witness shall not rise up against a man, etc., by the mouth of two witnesses, etc."<br />
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Rabbi Chizkiyah was sitting before Rabbi Shimon. He said: it is written "a white, reddish plague" — then it is a plague, for the white does not persist in its own right appearance. Rabbi Shimon opened and said: it is written "if your sins be as scarlet, etc." Happy is Israel, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to purify completely, so that they not be found in judgment before Him, and so that the masters of judgment have no power over them, for everything follows its own kind: red to red, and white to white, right to right, and left to left.<br />
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Of Esau it is written: "and the first one came out, ruddy." Therefore his own kind rests in him. And if you say that "ruddy" is written of Esau, it is also written of David: "and they brought him, and he was ruddy." Rather, this one (Esau) is formed from the dross of gold, while that one (David) is bound to the radiance of gold. Of Esau it is written: "ruddy all over, like a hairy garment" — he came forth in the dross of the smelting. Of David it is written: "with beautiful eyes and a good appearance."<br />