Daf 237a (דַּף רל״ז ע״א)
Pinchas—this is Yitzḥak (פִּנְחָס דָּא יִצְחָק). And Pinchas arose and judged judgment (וְקָם פִּנְחָס וְדָאִין דִּינָא), and clothed himself in harsh Gevurah [Might] (וּמִתְלַבָּשׁ בִּגְבוּרָה תַּקִּיפָא), which is the left (דְּאִיהוּ שְׂמָאלָא). And because of this he merited the right (וּבְגִין כָּךְ זָכָה לִימִינָא). Here the left was included in the right (הָכָא אִתְכְּלִיל שְׂמָאלָא בִּימִינָא).
“He has turned back My wrath” (הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי)—what is “He has turned back My wrath”? (מַאי הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי). Rather, these are the three appointed over Gehinnom [Purgatory] (אֶלָּא אִלֵּין אִינּוּן ג׳ מְמוּנִים דְּגֵיהִנָּם): Mashḥit [Destroyer] (מַשְׁחִית), Af [Anger] (אַף), and Ḥeimah [Wrath] (וְחֵימָה). Another matter (ד״א): one is appointed over bloodshed (חַד עַל שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים), one over sexual immorality (חַד עַל גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת), and one over avodah zarah [foreign worship] (וְחַד עַל עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה). Because he saw that Ḥeimah [Wrath] (בְּגִין דְּחָמָא הַהוּא חֵימָה), which was stretched and extended from the side of Yitzḥak (דְּהֲוָה פָּשִׁיט וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ מִסִּטְרָא דְּיִצְחָק)—what did he do? (מָה עֲבַד). He clothed himself in Yitzḥak (אִתְלְבַשׁ אִיהוּ בְּיִצְחָק), and seized that Ḥeimah [Wrath] (וְאָחִיד בְּהַהוּא חֵימָה), like one who seizes his fellow (כְּמַאן דְּאָחִיד בְּחַבְרֵיהּ), and turned it backward (וְאָתִיב לֵיהּ לַאֲחוֹרָא).
Then he judged judgment and executed judgment (וּכְדֵין דָּן דִּינָא, וְעָבִיד דִּינָא). He judged judgment: that whoever cohabits with an Aramean woman, zealots strike him (דָּן דִּינָא, דְּכָל בּוֹעֵל אֲרַמִּית קַנָּאִין פּוֹגְעִין בּוֹ). And he executed judgment, as it is written: “And he thrust both of them through” (Numbers 25) (וְעָבִיד דִּינָא, דִּכְתִיב, וַיִּדְקוֹר אֶת שְׁנֵיהֶם). And about this it is written here: “He has turned back My wrath” (Numbers 25) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב הָכָא, הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי). And it is written there: “He has turned back His right hand from before the enemy” (Lamentations 2) (וּכְתִיב הָתָם, הֵשִׁיב אָחוֹר יְמִינוֹ מִפְּנֵי אוֹיֵב). Just as there it means backward, so too here backward (מַה לְהַלָּן לַאֲחוֹרָא, הָכִי נָמֵי לַאֲחוֹרָא). And because of this, the Yod of Pinchas here is the Yod of Yitzḥak (וְעַל דָּא יוֹ״ד דְּפִּנְחָס הָכָא, יוֹ״ד דְּיִצְחָק). And all this was above the children of Yisrael, for when he saw that wrath, he saw it descending upon the heads of Yisrael (וְכֹלָּא הוּא מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּכַד חָמָא הַהוּא חֵימָה, חָמָא לֵיהּ דְּהֲוָה נָחִית עַל רֵישֵׁיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל).
What did he see? He saw the letter Mem, this letter that was flying in the firmament, and this was the sign of the Angel of Death, which was to be built from the letters Vav and Tav and Mem (מַאי חָמָא. חָמָא מ׳, אָת דָּא דְּהֲוָה טָאס בִּרְקִיעָא, וְדָא הוּא סִימָנָא דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת, דְּבַעְיָא לְאִתְבָּנָאָה בְּאָת וָאו״ו וְאָת ת׳). What did Pinchas do? Being clothed in Yitzḥak, he took that Mem, snatched it, and bound it with him (מָה עֲבַד פִּנְחָס. דְּהֲוָה מִתְלָבַּשׁ בְּיִצְחָק, כְּדֵין נָטִיל הַהוּא אָת מ׳, וְחָטַף לֵיהּ, וְחִבֵּר לֵיהּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ). When the Angel of Death saw that Pinchas had seized that Mem with him, immediately he turned backward (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת, דְּפִּנְחָס חָטַף לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא מ׳ בַּהֲדֵיהּ, מִיַּד תָּב לַאֲחוֹרָא). What is the reason (מַאי טַעְמָא)? Because when Pinchas was zealous in his heart (בְּגִין דְּכַד קַנֵּי בְּלִבֵּיהּ פִּנְחָס), he clothed himself in Yitzḥak (אִתְלְבַשׁ בְּיִצְחָק), and ascended to be reckoned as 248 (וְאִסְתַּלָּק לְמֶהֱוִי בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא ר״ח); thus his name amounts to 248 (וְהָכִי סָלִיק שְׁמֵיהּ ר״ח), and thus does Yitzḥak amount to 248 (וְהָכִי סָלִיק יִצְחָק).
When he saw the letter Mem flying in the firmament (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לְאָת מ׳ טָאס בִּרְקִיעָא), he snatched it (חָטַף לֵיהּ), and joined it with him (וְחִבֵּר לֵיהּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ), and it immediately became 248 (וְאִתְעָבִיד מִיַּד רמ״ח). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “And he took a spear in his hand” (וַיִּקַּח רֹמַח בְּיָדוֹ) (Numbers 25). Because the letter Mem was the first sign for Adam HaRishon (בְּגִין דְּאוֹת מ׳ הֲוָה סִימָנָא קַדְמָאָה לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), to bring death into the world (לְמִבְנֵי מָוְת עַל עָלְמָא), since this letter flew over Adam’s head (בְּגִין דְּאָת דָּא הֲוָה טָאס עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ דְּאָדָם), at the time that it is written (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דִּכְתִיב): “And she took from its fruit” (וַתִּקַּח מִפִּרְיוֹ)—Mem of mippiryo [from its fruit] (מ׳ פִּרְיוֹ) (Bereshit 3). And it waited for the letters Vav and Tav (וַהֲוָה מְחַכָּא ו״ת), at the time that it is written (בְּזִמְנָא דִּכְתִיב): “And she ate, and she gave, and their eyes were opened” (וַתֹּאכַל, וַתִּתֵּן, וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה) (Introduction 12b). Then death was brought into the world (כְּדֵין אִתְבְּנֵי מָוְת עַל עָלְמָא).
Pinchas now saw that letter Mem flying over the heads of Yisrael (פִּנְחָס הֲוָה חָמֵי לֵיהּ הַשְׁתָּא הַהוּא אָת מ׳, טָאִיס עַל רֵישֵׁיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). And how did he see it? He saw the form of an open Mem, filled with blood (וְהֵיאַךְ חָמָא לֵיהּ. חָמָא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּמ׳ פְּתוּחָה, מַלְיָא דָּמָא). When he saw it, he said: Behold, surely this is the sign of the Angel of Death. Immediately he snatched it, invoked upon it the explicit Name, and brought down that letter to himself (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לֵיהּ, אָמַר הָא וַדַּאי סִימָנָא דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת, מִיַּד חָטַף לָהּ, אַדְכַּר עָלָהּ שְׁמָא מְפֹרָשׁ, וְנָחִית לְהַאי אָת לְגַבֵּיהּ). And what had been 248 joined as spear, as it is written: “And he took a spear in his hand” (Numbers 25) (וּמַה דְּהֲוָה ר״ח, אִתְצְרִיף רמ״ח. כְּדֵין וַיִּקַּח רֹמַח בְּיָדוֹ). And about this it is written: “From upon the children of Yisrael, when he was zealous with My zeal” (Numbers 25) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקַנְאוֹ אֶת קִנְאָתִי). For he was zealous for the Holy Name, which they were joining to another domain (דְּקַנֵּי לִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, דַּהֲווֹ מְחַבְּרִין לֵיהּ בִּרְשׁוּ אַחֲרָא). “Among them”-what is “among them”? Because he went and entered among many hosts, many mighty ones, and gave himself to death among them (בְּתוֹכָם, מַאי בְּתוֹכָם. בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה אָזִל וְעָאל בְּגוֹ כַּמָּה אוּכְלוּסִין, כַּמָּה רַבְרְבָן, וּמָסַר גַּרְמֵיהּ לְמוֹתָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ). But “among them”-in the Mem-within the Mem was that zeal with which he was zealous (אֲבָל בְּתוֹכָם, בְּתוֹךְ מ׳, בְּתוֹךְ מ׳ הֲוָה הַהוּא קִנְאָה דְּקַנֵּי). What is the reason of Mem (מַאי טַעְמָא מ׳)?
Because it is the sign of death (בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי סִימָנָא דְּמָוְת), it is the sign of the forty kingdoms (אִיהִי סִימָנָא דְּמ׳ מַלְכִיּוֹת), it is the sign of the four deaths by Beit Din (אִיהִי סִימָנָא דְּד׳ מִיתוֹת בֵּית דִּין). And from there it goes up and comes down, goes down and goes up, goes up to Mem, and goes down to Dalet (וּמִתַּמָּן סָלִיק וְנָחִית, נָחִית וְסָלִיק, סָלִיק לְמ׳, וְנָחִית לְד׳). Going down from Dalet, these are the four winds that are separated from male and female of impurity, and because of them the four deaths by Beit Din (נָחִית מְד׳, אִינּוּן ד׳ רוּחִין, דְּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן מִגּוֹ דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא מִמְּסָאֲבוּתָא, וּבְגִינַיְיהוּ ד׳ מִיתוֹת בֵּית דִּין). And from there they go up to Mem, and this is Mem, the sign and garment of the Angel of Death (וּמִתַּמָּן סַלְּקִין לְמ׳. וְהַיְינוּ מ׳ סִימָנָא וּמָאנִין דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוְת). And this Pinchas took, and stood in the midst of Mem, and about this it is written: “And I did not consume the children of Yisrael in My zeal” (Numbers 25) (וְדָא נָטִיל פִּנְחָס, וְקָם בְּתוֹךְ מ׳, וְעַל דָּא וְלֹא כִלִּיתִי אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקִנְאָתִי).
And how did Pinchas turn back the wrath of Kudsha Berikh Hu, for it is written: “And those who died in the plague were…” (Numbers 25) (וְכִי הַאֵיךְ הֵשִׁיב פִּנְחָס חֲמָתֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהָכְתִיב וַיִּהְיוּ הַמֵּתִים בַּמַּגֵּפָה וְגוֹ׳)? If not even one of them had died, I would say “He turned back My wrath,” but since all of these died, why is it written: “He turned back My wrath, and I did not consume the children of Yisrael”? (אִי לָא מִית חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ, הֲוָה אֲמֵינָא הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי, אֲבָל כֵּיוָן דְּכָל הָנֵי מִיתוּ, מַאי טַעְמָא הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי וְלֹא כִלִּיתִי אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). But certainly, the matter is clear (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי בְּרִירָא דְּמִלָּה): woe to the person who blemishes his seed (וַוי לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ דְּפָגִים זַרְעֵיהּ); woe to one who does not guard his seed as is fitting (וַוי לֵיהּ לְמַאן דְּלָא נָטִיר זַרְעֵיהּ כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת). Heaven forbid that even one of Yisrael died (חַס וְשָׁלוֹם דְּאֲפִילּוּ חַד מִיִשְׂרָאֵל מִית); rather, it was from the tribe of Shim‘on (אֶלָּא שִׁבְטָא דְּשִׁמְעוֹן). When those of the Erev Rav [mixed multitude] came (כַּד אָתֵי אִינּוּן עֵרֶב רַב), they intermingled with the women of the tribe of Shim‘on (אִתְעָרְבוּ בְּנָשִׁין דְּשִׁבְטָא דְּשִׁמְעוֹן), after they had converted (בָּתַר דְּאִתְגְּיָירוּ), and bore children (וְאוֹלִידוּ בְּנִין). Some of them died through the calf (מִנְּהוֹן מִיתוּ בַּעֵגֶל), some of them died in the pestilence (וּמִנְּהוֹן מִיתוּ בְּמוֹתָנָא), and others died here (וְאַחֲרָנִין מִיתוּ הָכָא); these were those who remained (אִינּוּן דְּאִשְׁתָּאָרוּ).
This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “And those who died in the plague” (וַיִּהְיוּ הַמֵּתִים בַּמַּגֵּפָה) (Numbers 25). It does not say, “who died” (אֲשֶׁר מֵתוּ לָא כְּתִיב), but rather, “the dead” (אֶלָּא הַמֵּתִים)—those who had been dead from the outset (מֵתִים דְּמֵעִיקָּרָא הֲווֹ). And because Yisrael and all that holy seed were preserved (וּבְגִין דְּאִסְתָּמָרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכָל אִינּוּן זַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא), they were all counted (אִתְמְנוּן כֻּלְּהוּ), so that not even one of them was lacking (בְּגִין דְּלָא חָסֵר אֲפִילּוּ חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ). And concerning this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “And I did not consume the children of Yisrael” (וְלֹא כִלִּיתִי אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Malachi 3). This implies that the others were consumed (מִכְּלָל דְּאַחֲרָנִין כָּלוּ).
And likewise (וְכֵן): “He has turned back My wrath from upon the children of Yisrael” (הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Numbers 25). From upon the children of Yisrael He turned it back (מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵשִׁיב), but from upon the others—who were the Erev Rav [mixed multitude]—He did not turn it back (אֲבָל מֵעַל אַחֲרָנִין דַּהֲווֹ עֵרֶב רַב, לָא הֵשִׁיב). Therefore, the verse is precise and says (וְעַל דָּא רָשִׁים קְרָא וְאָמַר): “From upon the children of Yisrael” (מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). And because of this, the children of Yisrael were counted as before (וּבְגִין דָּא אִתְמְנוּן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין), and Kudsha Berikh Hu joined them with Him (וְחִבֵּר לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּהֲדֵיהּ).
Likewise, in the episode of the calf (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא בְּעוֹבָדָא דְּעֵגֶל), it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “And there fell from the people…” (וַיִּפּוֹל מִן הָעָם וְגוֹ׳) (Exodus 32). All of these were from the Erev Rav [mixed multitude] (כָל אִינּוּן מֵעֵרֶב רַב הֲווֹ). And to show that they were not from the children of Yisrael (וּלְאַחְזָאָה דְּלָא הֲווֹ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), what is written afterward (מַה כְּתִיב לְבָתַר)? “And Moshe assembled all the congregation of the children of Yisrael” (וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Exodus 35).