Daf 190a (דַּף ק״צ ע״א)

And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי), that all of it was from Midyan (דְּכֹלָּא הֲוָה מִמִּדְיָן). And all their counsel was against Moshe (וְכָל עֵיטָא דִּלְהוֹן עַל מֹשֶׁה הֲוָה). And in their counsel they hired Bil‘am (וּבְעֵיטָא דִּלְהוֹן, שָׂכְרוּ לְבִלְעָם). When they saw that Bil‘am could not prevail (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמוּ דְּבִלְעָם לָא יָכִיל), they took other evil counsel for themselves (נַטְלוּ עֵיטָא אַחֲרָא בִּישָׁא לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ), and they abandoned their wives and daughters more than Moav (וְאַפְקִירוּ נָשַׁיְיהוּ וּבְנָתַיְיהוּ יַתִיר מִמּוֹאָב).

For concerning the women of Midyan it is written: “Behold, these caused the children of Yisrael…” (Numbers 31) (דְּהָא עַל נְשֵׁי מִדְיָן כְּתִיב, הֵן הֵנָּה הָיוּ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ׳). And all of it was from Midyan (וְכֹלָּא מִמִּדְיָן הֲוָה). They took counsel with their leader, that he should abandon his daughter (נַטְלוּ עֵיטָא בַּהֲדֵי נְשִׂיאָה דִּלְהוֹן, דְּיַפְקִיר בְּרָתֵּיהּ). They considered to give her over to Moshe, into their dominion (דַּחֲשִׁיבוּ לְנַטְלָא לְמֹשֶׁה בְּרִשְׁתֵּיהוֹן). With many kinds of sorceries they adorned her, so that the head of Yisrael would be ensnared by her (בְּכַמָּה זִינֵי חַרְשִׁין אַעֲטְרוּ לָהּ, דְּיִתָּפֵס רֵישָׁא דִּלְהוֹן).

But Kudsha Berikh Hu “turns wise men backward” (Isaiah 44) (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מֵשִׁיב חֲכָמִים אָחוֹר). They saw that the leader of the people would be caught in their net (אִינּוּן חָמָן דְּרֵישָׁא יִתָּפֵס בְּרִשְׁתָּא דִּלְהוֹן), and they did not know; they saw and did not see (וְלָא יָדְעוּ, חָמוּ וְלָא חָמוּ). They saw the head of the people who fell through her, and many thousands besides (חָמוּ רֵישָׁא דְּעַמָּא דְּנָפִיל בַּהֲדָהּ, וְכַמָּה אַלְפִין אוֹחֲרָנִין). And they considered that it was Moshe (וַחֲשִׁיבוּ דְּמֹשֶׁה הֲוָה). They abandoned her, and commanded her regarding Moshe, that she not be joined to another, only to him (אַפְקִירוּ לָהּ, וּפָקִידוּ לָהּ עַל מֹשֶׁה, דְּלָא תִּזְדַּוְּוגִי לְאַחֲרָא, אֶלָּא בֵּיהּ). She said to them: how shall I know? (אָמְרָה לוֹן, בְּמָה אֶנְדַּע).

They said: the one before whom all stand, with him you shall be joined, and with no other (אָמְרוּ הַהוּא דְּתֶחֱמֵי דְּכֹלָּא קַיְימֵי קַמֵּיהּ, בֵּיהּ תִּזְדַּוְּוגִי, וְלָא בְּאַחֲרָא). When Zimri ben Salu came (כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא זִמְרִי בֶּן סָלוּא), twenty-four thousand rose with him (קָמוּ קָמֵיהּ אַרְבְּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף). Some say: fifty-nine thousand (נ״א תִּשְׁעָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים). From the tribe of Shimon (מִשִּׁבְטָא דְּשִׁמְעוֹן), because he was their leader (בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה נְשִׂיאָה דִּלְהוֹן). And she thought that he was Moshe, and joined with him (וְהִיא חֲשִׁיבַת דְּהוּא מֹשֶׁה, וְאִזְדַּוְּוגַת בֵּיהּ).

When all the others saw this, they did as they did, and it became what it became (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמוּ כָּל אִינּוּן שְׁאָר לְדָא, עָבְדוּ מַה דְּעָבְדוּ, וַהֲוָה מַה דְּהֲוָה). And all was from Midyan (וְכֹלָּא הֲוָה מִמִּדְיָן), in many ways (בְּכַמָּה זִינִין). And because of this Midyan was punished (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִתְעֲנָשׁוּ מִדְיָן). And Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Moshe (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לְמֹשֶׁה): “Avenge the vengeance of the children of Yisrael upon the Midyanim” (Numbers 31) (נְקוֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֵת הַמִּדְיָנִים). For you it is fitting, and for you it is proper (לָךְ אִתְחֲזֵי, וְלָךְ יֵאוֹת). But for Moav, I will leave them until two pearls come forth from them (לְמוֹאָב אֲנָא שָׁבִיק לוֹן לְבָתַר דְּיִפְּקוּן תְּרֵין מַרְגְלָאן מִנַּיְיהוּ) - this is David, son of Yishai, who will avenge the vengeance of Moav (הָא דָּוִד בְּרֵיהּ דְּיִשַׁי, דְּאִיהוּ יִנְקוֹם נוּקְמִין דְּמוֹאָב). And he will wash the pot full of the filth of Pe‘or (וְיִסְחֵי קְדֵירָה דְּמַלְיָא טִנּוּפָא דִּפְעוֹר). As it is written: “Moav is my washpot” (Psalms 60) (מוֹאָב סִיר רַחְצִי). Surely so (וַדַּאי). And until those two pearls came forth, they were not punished (וְעַד דְּאִינּוּן תְּרֵין מַרְגְלָאן לָא נַפְקוּ, לָא אִתְעֲנָשׁוּ). Once they came forth, David came and washed the pot of their filth (כֵּיוָן דְּנַפְקוּ, אָתָא דָּוִד וְאַסְחֵי קְדֵירָה מִטִּנּוּפָא דִּלְהוֹן). And all were punished - Midyan in the days of Moshe, Moav in the days of David (וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְעֲנָשׁוּ. מִדְיָן בְּימֵי מֹשֶׁה. מוֹאָב בִּימֵי דָּוִד).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): the guilty ones of Midyan (חַיָּיבַיָּא דְּמִדִּין), even with all this, did not cease from all their evils (עִם כָּל דָּא לָא שְׁכִיכוּ מִכָּל בִּישִׁין דִּלְהוֹן). After many generations, when they saw that Yehoshua had died, and all those elders through whom miracles had been done (לְבָתַר דָּרִין דְּחָמוּ דְּמִית יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, וְכָל אִינּוּן זְקֵנִים דְּאִתְחָזוּ לְמֶעְבַּד נֵס עַל יְדַיְיהוּ), they said: now is the time for us (אָמְרוּ, הַשְׁתָּא שַׁעֲתָא קַיְּימָא לָן). What did they do? They went to Amalek (מָה עַבְדוּ אָתוּ לְגַבֵּי עֲמָלֵק).

They said: you must remember what the children of Yisrael, and Moshe their master, and Yehoshua his disciple did to you, who wiped you from the world (אָמְרוּ אִית לְכוֹן לְאַדְכְּרָא, מָה עַבְדוּ לְכוֹן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּיהוֹן, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ תַּלְמִידָא דִּילֵיהּ, דְּשֵׁיצֵי לְכוֹן מֵעָלְמָא). Now is the time, when there is no one to care for them, and we are with you (הַשְׁתָּא הוּא עִדָנָא דְּלֵית בְּהוּ מַאן דְּאָגִין עָלַיְיהוּ, וַאֲנָן בַּהֲדַיְיכוּ). As it is written: “Midyan and Amalek and the children of the east…” (Judges 6) (דִּכְתִיב מִדְיָן וַעֲמָלֵק וּבְנֵי קֶדֶם וְגוֹ׳). And it is written: “Because of Midyan, the children of Yisrael made for themselves the caves…” (Judges 6) (מִפְנֵי מִדְיָן עָשׂוּ לָהֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַמִּנְהָרוֹת וְגוֹ׳). There was no one in the world who did evil in all things like Midyan (לָא הֲוָה בְּעָלְמָא, מַאן דְּיַעֲבֵיד בִּישָׁא בְּכֹלָּא, כְּמִדְיָן). And if you say Amalek - it was because of jealousy of the covenant, for they drew near to the covenant (וְאִי תֵּימָא עֲמָלֵק, בְּגִין קִנְאַת בְּרִית דְּקָרִיבוּ לְגַבֵּי בְּרִית). And because of this Kudsha Berikh Hu aroused eternal jealousy, never to be forgotten (וְעַל דָּא קַנֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קִנְאָה עָלְמִין, דְּלָא יִתְנְשֵׁי). They said: surely it is so, and there is no doubt about this in the world (אָמְרוּ ודַּאי הָכִי הוּא, וְלֵית הָכָא סְפֵקָא בְּעָלְמָא). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “And Hashem said to me: Do not distress Moav…” (Deuteronomy 2) (וַיֹאמֶר יְיָ אֵלַי אַל תָּצַר אֶת מוֹאָב וְגוֹ׳). “And Hashem said to me” - and until now did I not know that Kudsha Berikh Hu spoke with Moshe and not with another, as it is written: “And Hashem said to me”? (וַיֹאמֶר יְיָ אֵלַי, וְכִי עַד הַשְׁתָּא לָא יְדַעְנָא דְּעִם מֹשֶׁה הֲוָה מְמַלֵּל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְלָא עִם אַחֲרָא, דִּכְתִיב וַיֹאמֶר יְיָ אֵלַי). Why “to me”? (אֵלַי לָמָּה). Rather, Kudsha Berikh Hu commanded Moshe not to provoke Moav (אֶלָּא לְמֹשֶׁה פָּקִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּלָא לְאַבְאָשָׁא לְמוֹאָב). But for another He did not command - for David He did not command this (אֲבָל לְאַחֲרָא לָא, לְדָוִד לָא פָּקִיד דָּא).

And because of this, “to me: Do not distress Moav” - even their smallest border (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אֵלַי אַל תָּצַר אֶת מוֹאָב, אֲפִילּוּ לִתְחוּם זְעֵירָא דִּלְהוֹן). For from them will come forth one who will bring vengeance for Yisrael, and will avenge their vengeance, and this is David, who came from Rut the Moavitess (דְּהָא מִנַּיְיהוּ יִפּוּק מַאן דְּיִתֵּן נוּקְמִין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִנְקוֹם נוּקְמַיְיהוּ, וְאִיהוּ דָּוִד דְּאָתָא מֵרוּת הַמּוֹאָבִיָה). “And do not provoke them to war” - all this was commanded to Moshe (וְאַל תִּתְגָּר בָּם מִלְחָמָה, כָּל דָּא אִתְפְּקַד לְמֹשֶׁה). But for another, it was permitted (הָא לְאַחֲרָא שָׁרֵי). And if you say: to Yehoshua and to those elders who lived long after him it was permitted - not so (וְאִי תֵּימָא, לִיְהוֹשֻׁעַ וּלְאִינּוּן זְקֵנִים דַּהֲווֹ דְּאָרִיכוּ יוֹמִין בַּתְרֵיהּ שָׁרֵי. לָאו הָכִי).

For they were all from the court of Moshe, and what was forbidden to Moshe was forbidden to them (בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ מִבֵּי דִּינָא דְּמֹשֶׁה הֲווֹ, וּמַה דְּאִתְסָר לְמֹשֶׁה, אִתְסָר לְהוּ). And further, those good pearls had not yet come forth, for in the days of the Judges Rut came forth (וְעוֹד דְּלָא נַפְקוּ עֲדַיִין אִינּוּן מַרְגְלָאן טָבָאן, דְּהָא בְּיוֹמֵיהוֹן דְּשׁוֹפְטִים נָפְקָא רוּת). And she was the daughter of Eglon, king of Moav (וּבְרָתֵיהּ דְּעֶגְלוֹן מַלְכָּא דְּמוֹאָב הֲוַת). Eglon died, who was slain by Ehud (מִית עֶגְלוֹן, דְּקָטִיל לֵיהּ אֵהוּד). Another king was appointed (וּמָנוּ מֶלֶךְ אַחֲרָא), and this daughter remained, and was in the house of a craftsman and in the fields of Moav (וְדָא בְּרָתֵיהּ אִשְׁתְּאָרַת, וַהֲוַת בְּבֵי אוּמָנָא, וּבִשְׂדֵי מוֹאָב). When Elimelekh came there, he took her for his son (כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא תַּמָּן אֱלִימֶלֶךְ, נַסְבָּהּ לִבְרֵיהּ). And if you say that Elimelekh converted her there (וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּגַיְירָהּ אֱלִימֶלֶךְ תַּמָּן) - not so (לָא). Rather, all the ways of the household, and the food and the drink, she learned (אֶלָּא כָּל אוֹרְחֵי בֵּיתָא, וּמֵיכְלָא וּמִשְׁתְּיָּא אוֹלִיפַת). When did she convert? (אֵימָתַי אִתְגַיְּירַת). After she went with Na‘omi, then she said: “Your people are my people, and your God is my God” (Ruth 1) (לְבָתַר כַּד אַזְלַת בְּנָעֳמִי, כְּדֵין אַמְרַת, עַמֵּךְ עַמִּי וֵאלֹהַיִךְ אֱלֹהָי).

Na‘amah from the children of Ammon came forth in the days of David (נַעֲמָה בִּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן בְּיוֹמֵי דְּדָוִד נָפְקָא). Then the spirit of holiness rested upon David (כְּדֵין שָׁרָאת רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא עַל דָּוִד). He said (אָמַר לֵיהּ): David, when I measure the whole world and cast lots, Yisrael are the portion of His inheritance (דָּוִד, כַּד כָּל עָלְמָא מָדִידְנָא, וְאַפִּילְנָא עַדְבִין, יִשְׂרָאֵל חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ הֲווֹ). I remember what Moav did in the portion of His inheritance (דָּכִירְנָא מַה דְּעָבְדוּ מוֹאָב בְּחֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ). What is written? “And he measured them with a cord” (2 Samuel 8) (מַה כְּתִיב, וַיְמַדְּדֵם בַּחֶבֶל). With that cord, the portion of Hashem (בְּהַהוּא חֶבֶל נַחֲלַת יְיָ). All those who were of that seed, that cord seized them (כָּל אִינּוּן דַּהֲווֹ מֵהַהוּא זַרְעָא, הַהוּא חֶבֶל אָחִיד בְּהוּ). It is written: “Full of the cord” (2 Samuel 8) (כְּתִיב מְלֹא הַחֶבֶל). What is “full of the cord”? (מַהוּ מְלֹא הַחֶבֶל). Rather, that which is written: “The whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6) (אֶלָּא הַהוּא דִּכְתִיב מְלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ). And it was said: this one to life, and this one to death (וַהֲוָה אָמַר, דָּא הוּא לְאַחֲיָיא, וְדָא הוּא לְקָטְלָא). And that cord seized those who were seen for death (וְהַהוּא חֶבֶל אָחִיד בְּאִינּוּן דְּאִתְחָזוּן לְקָטְלָא). Because of this, He seized them with a cord, and extended the cord, for what they had done in that cord of the portion of Hashem (בְּגִין כָּךְ אָחִיד בְּחֶבֶל, וּפָשִׁיט חֶבֶל, עַל מַה דְּעַבְדוּ בְּהַהוּא חֶבֶל נַחֲלַת יְיָ).