Daf 237b (דַּף רל״ז ע״ב)

Ra‘aya Meheimna said: “He has turned back My wrath-what is ‘He has turned back My wrath’?” (אָמַר רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי, מַאי הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי). Rather, the three appointed over Gehinnom: one over bloodshed, one over sexual immorality, and one over idolatry (אֶלָּא ג׳ מְמוּנִים דְּגֵיהִנָּם, חַד עַל שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וְחַד עַל גִלוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וְחַד עַל עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה). And they are: Destroyer, Anger, and Wrath (וְאִינּוּן: מַשְׁחִית, אַף, וְחֵימָה). It was wrath that was flying in the world-Some say: it was wrath that was flying (הוּא חֲמָא דְּהֲוָה טָאס בְּעָלְמָא [ס״א: חֵימָה דְּהֲוָה]). He said: “He has turned back My wrath from upon the children of Yisrael”-He did not say “from upon the people” (אָמַר, הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלָא אָמַר מֵעַל הָעָם). For they are the Erev rav, of whom it is said: “And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men” (Exodus 32) (דְּאִינּוּן עֵרֶב רַב, דְּאִתְּמַר, וַיִּפּוֹל מִן הָעָם בַּיוֹם הַהוּא כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אַלְפֵי אִישׁ). Thus we have established, and they asked the Holy Luminary (דְּהָכִי אוֹקִימְנָא, וְשָׁאִילּוּ לְבוּצִּינָא קַדִּישָׁא). Until here (ע״כ).

“Take from among you a terumah” (Exodus 35) (שְׁמוֹת לה קְחוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם תְּרוּמָה). Come and see, at first it is written: “From every man whose heart motivates him” (Exodus 25) (תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּתִיב, מֵאֵת כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ). All together, inclusively (כֹּלָּא בִּכְלָל). Since the Erev rav did this, and those who died from them died, Kudsha Berikh Hu desired to reconcile with Yisrael (כֵּיוָן דְּאִינּוּן עֵרֶב רַב עָבְדוּ דָּא, וּמִיתוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ אִינּוּן דְּמִיתוּ, בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְפַּיְּיסָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). He said to them: Join all of you to one side; this is what is written: “And Moshe assembled all the congregation of the children of Yisrael” (Exodus 35) (אָמַר לוֹן, אִתְחַבְּרוּ כֻּלְכוּ לִסְטַר חַד, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). By themselves (בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ). He said to them: My children, with you I desire to dwell, with you shall be My dwelling (אָמַר לוֹן, בָּנַי, בְּכוֹן אֲנָא בָּעֵי לְמִשְׁרֵי, עִמְּכוֹן תְּהֵא דִּיּוּרָא דִילִי). And about this: “Take from among you a terumah” (Exodus 35) (וְעַל דָּא, קְחוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם תְּרוּמָה). From you, and not from others (מֵאִתְּכֶם, וְלָא מֵאַחֲרָא). I do not desire there be partnership of others with Me, nor with you (לָא בָּעֵינָא דִּתְּהֵא שִׁתּוּפָא לָאַחֲרָנִין בַּהֲדִי, וְלָא בַּהֲדַיְיכוּ). Therefore all of them were expelled (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כֻּלְּהוּ אִשְׁתְּצִיאוּ). So also here: these were from that evil root, “And those who died” (Numbers 25) (אוּף הָכָא הָא אִינּוּן מֵאִינּוּן גִּזְעָא בִּישָׁא הֲווֹ, וַיִּהְיוּ הַמֵּתִים). The dead-surely the dead, and not from Yisrael (הַמֵּתִים, וַדַּאי מֵתִים, וְלָא מִיִשְׂרָאֵל). And because of this He counted them, as it is written: “Lift up the head of the children of Yisrael” (Numbers 1) (וּבְגִין כָּךְ מָנָה לוֹן, דִּכְתִיב, שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). Lift up their heads (אָרִימוּ רֵישַׁיְיהוּ).

Rabbi El‘azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): “Abba, how fitting this is (אַבָּא, כַּמָּה יָאוּת הוּא), were it not that we find a dispute concerning this (אִי לָא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא פְּלוּגְתָּא עַל דָּא).” He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): “My son, speak (בְּרִי אֵימָּא).” He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): “But it is written (וְהָא כְּתִיב), ‘And Yisrael joined himself to Ba‘al Pe‘or’ (וַיִּצָּמֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר) (Numbers 25).” And we have learned (וְתָנֵינָן) that Yisrael joined with it (דְּאִתְחַבָּרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּהֲדֵּיהּ), like this ornament that is joined to a person in his adornment (כִּצְמִידָא דָּא דְּאִתְחַבַּר בְּבַּר נָשׁ בְּקִשׁוּטוֹי); so Yisrael joined with Ba‘al Pe‘or (הָכִי אִתְחַבָּרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּבַעַל פְּעוֹר).

Rabbi El‘azar said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ אֶלְעָזָר): “Thus it is (הָכִי הוּא): ‘And Yisrael joined himself to Ba‘al Pe‘or’ (וַיִּצָּמֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר). But I did not say that Yisrael were purified from that sin (אֶלָּא אֲנָא לָא אֲמָרִית דְּאִתְדָּכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהַהוּא חוֹבָה), but rather that they were purified from death (אֶלָּא דְּאִתְדָּכוּ מִמּוֹתָא), so that death did not rest upon them (דְּלָא שַׁרְיָא עָלַיְיהוּ מוֹתָא).”