Daf 113b (דַּף קי״ג ע״ב)

For when permission is given to the destroyer to destroy, even the righteous are not saved from the guilty (דְּהָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְיְהִיב רְשׁוּתָא לִמְחַבְּלָא לְחַבָּלָא – לָא אִשְׁתְּזִיב זַכָּאָה מִן חַיָּיבַיָא). And because of this, at a time when judgment rests upon a city, a person should flee before he is caught there (וּבְגִין כָּךְ – בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּדִינָא שָׁרְיָיא בְּמָתָא – בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְעָרְקָא עַד לָא אִתְפַּס תַּמָּן). For once the destroyer has permission, he does to the righteous just as to the wicked (דְּהָא מְחַבְּלָא כֵּיוָן דְּשָׁרֵי – הָכִי נָמֵי עָבִיד לְזַכָּאָה כְּחַיָּיבָא). And all the more so if the three of them were together as one (וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן דְּהֲווּ תְּלָתֵיהוֹן כְּחַד). And he was demanding that either all be burned or all be saved (וְהֲוָה תָּבַע דְּיִתּוֹקְדוּן כֻּלְהוּ אוֹ יִשְׁתֵּזְבוּן כֻּלְהוּ). For when a miracle is performed, it is not done half as a miracle and half as judgment-but all as one, either all miracle or all judgment (בְּגִין דְּכַד אִתְעֲבִיד נִיסָא – לָא אִתְעֲבִיד פַּלְגוּ נִיסָא וּפַלְגוּ דִּינָא, אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא כְּחֲדָא – אוֹ נִיסָא אוֹ דִּינָא).

Rabbi Yosei said to him (אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי): and is it not so (וְלָא וְהָא), that at the time when Kudsha Berikh Hu split the sea for Yisrael (בְּזִמְנָא דְּבָקַע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יַמָּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), He would split the sea for these and they would go on dry land (הֲוָה קָרַע יַמָּא לְאִלֵּין וְאָזְלִין בְּיַבֶּשְׁתָּא), and the waters would return from the Sitra achra and drown these and they would die (וּמַיָּיא הֲווּ תָּבִין מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא וְטָבְעִין לְאִלֵּין וּמֵתִין). And thus was found: miracle here, and judgment here-all as one (וְאִשְׁתְּכַח: נִיסָא הָכָא, וְדִינָא הָכָא – כֹּלָּא כְּחֲדָא). He said to him: And this is what is difficult before Him-that when Kudsha Berikh Hu performs both judgment and miracle as one, it is not in the same place, nor in the same house (אָמַר לֵיהּ: וְדָא הוּא דְּקַשְׁיָא קַמֵּיהּ – דְּכַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד דִּינָא וְנִיסָא כְּחֲדָא – לָאו בְּאֲתַר חָד וְלָא בְּבֵיתָא חָדָא). (For it is only found as one total event, not split) (דַּאִשְׁתְּכַח כֹּלָּא כְּחֲדָא). And if it is done, it is a great wonder before Him (וְאִי אִתְעֲבִיד – קַשְׁיָא קַמֵּיהּ). For above, it is not done except as one complete act-either all miracle or all judgment, in one place and not divided (דְּהָא לְעֵילָא – לָא אִתְעֲבִיד כֹּלָּא אֶלָּא בִּשְׁלִימוּ כְּחֲדָא – אוֹ נִיסָא אוֹ דִּינָא – בְּאֲתַר חָד וְלָא בְּפַלְגוּ). Because of this, Kudsha Berikh Hu does not execute judgment upon the guilty until their debts are fully complete (בְּגִין כָּךְ לָא עֲבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דִּינָא בְּחַיָּיבַיָא עַד דְּאִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ), as it is written: “For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: כִּי לֹא שָׁלֵם עֲוֺן הָאֱמֹרִי עַד הֵנָּה) (Bereshit 15), and it is written: “By measure, in sending her away, you contend with her” (וּכְתִיב: בְּסַאַסְאָה בְּשַׁלְחָהּ תְּרִיבֶנָּה) (Isaiah 27). And because of that, the Satan was accusing Yehoshua to be burned with them (וְעַל דָּא הֲוָה אַסְטִין לֵיהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּיִתּוֹקַד בְּהוּ), until it was said to him: “May Hashem rebuke you, Satan” (עַד דְּאָמַר לֵיהּ: יִגְעַר יְיָ בְּךָ הַשָּׂטָן) (Zechariah 3). Who said this to him? It was the Angel of Hashem (מַאן אָמַר לֵיהּ דָּא: מַלְאַךְ יְיָ). (And it was said: “And Hashem said to the Satan…” – וְאִתְמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל הַשָּׂטָן).

Come and see: so too was it with Moshe at the burning bush, as it is written: “And the angel of Hashem appeared to him in a flame of fire…” (תָּא חֲזֵי: הָכִי נָמֵי לְמֹשֶׁה בַּסְּנֶה, דִּכְתִיב: וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ יְיָ אֵלָיו בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ) (Exodus 3), and it is written: “And Hashem saw that he turned aside to look” (וּכְתִיב: וַיַּרְא יְיָ כִּי סָר לִרְאוֹת). At times it says malakh Hashem, and at times Hashem, and at times just malakh (לְזִמְנִין: מַלְאַךְ יְיָ, וּלְזִמְנִין: מַלְאָךְ, וּלְזִמְנִין: יְיָ). And because of this, it is written: “May Hashem rebuke you, Satan” and not “I rebuke you” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר לֵיהּ: יִגְעַר יְיָ בְּךָ הַשָּׂטָן וְלֹא אָמַר: הִנְנִי גּוֹעֵר בְּךָ).

Come and see: in this same manner, on the day that judgment is found in the world, and Kudsha Berikh Hu sits upon the throne of judgment (תָּא חֲזֵי: כְּגַוְנָא דָּא – בְּיוֹמָא דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח דִּינָא בְּעָלְמָא, וּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָתִיב עַל כּוּרְסְיָיא דְּדִינָא), then this Satan is found accusing above and below (כְּדֵין אִשְׁתְּכַח הַהוּא שָׂטָן דְּאַסְטֵי לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא), and he is found as a destroyer of the world, seizing souls (וְאִשְׁתְּכַח אִיהוּ לְחַבָּלָא עָלְמָא וּלְנַטְלָא נִשְׁמָתִין).

Rabbi Shim‘on was sitting and engaging in Orayta (רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה יָתִיב וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and he was involved with this verse: “And the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd… and they shall break the neck of the heifer in the valley…” (וְהֲוָה מִשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּהַאי קְרָא: וְלָקְחוּ זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִיא עֶגְלַת בָּקָר… וְעָרְפוּ שָׁם אֶת הָעֶגְלָה בַּנָּחַל) (Deuteronomy 21). And the judgment is with a cleaver to the back of its neck (וְדִינָא אִיהוּ בְּקוּפִיץ לְעָרְפָּא לָהּ). Rabbi El‘azar said to him: Why is this necessary? (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: הַאי לְמַאי אִצְטְרִיךְ)