Daf 173a (דַּף קע״ג ע״א)

There he stood facing a serpent (תַּמָּן אִיהוּ קָאִים לְגַבֵּי חִוְיָא); now, Shim'on and Levi, coming from the side of harsh judgment, stood facing a donkey (הַשְׁתָּא שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי דְאָתוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא קָיְימוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּחֲמוֹר) and overcame it on every side, subduing it before them (וְשַׁלִּיטוּ עֲלוֹי בְּכָל סִטְרִין וְאִתְכַּפְיָא קַמַּיְיהוּ). As it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), "They slew Chamor and Shechem his son with the sword" (וְאֶת חֲמוֹר וְאֶת שְׁכֶם בְּנוֹ הָרְגוּ לְפִי חָרֶב). And Shim'on, whose mazal is the ox (וְשִׁמְעוֹן דְּהֲוָה מַזָּלֵיהּ שׁוֹר), rose against the donkey and prosecuted it (אֲתָא עַל חֲמוֹר וְקִטְרֵג בֵּיהּ), so they should not unite together (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְחַבְּרוּן כְּחֲדָא), and thus he became its prosecutor (וְאִשְׁתַּכַּח אִיהוּ מְקַטְרְגָא דִילֵיהּ). All of them came to prosecute against Ya'akov, yet he was saved (וְכֻלְּהוּ אָתֵי לְקַטְרְגָא לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב וְאִשְׁתְּזִיב), and afterward he ruled over them (וּלְבָתַר אִיהוּ שַׁלִּיט עֲלַיְיהוּ).

Later, the ox came and subdued all the donkeys (לְבָתַר אֲתָא שׁוֹר וְאִשְׁתַּלִים בַּחֲמוֹרִים דְּכֻלְּהוּ) who are of the side of the donkey (מִסִּטְרָא דְּחֲמוֹר). Yosef, who is the ox (יוֹסֵף דְּאִיהוּ שׁוֹר), overcame Egypt, who are donkeys (וּמִצְרַיִם דְּאִינוּן חֲמוֹרִים), as written concerning them (דִּכְתִיב בְּהוּ), (Ezekiel 23), "whose flesh is the flesh of donkeys" (אֲשֶׁר בְּשַׂר חֲמוֹרִים בְּשָׂרָם). For this reason, afterward, Ya'akov’s sons fell among those donkeys (וְעַל דָּא לְבָתַר בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב נָפְלוּ בֵּין אִינוּן חֲמוֹרִים), because the ox joined together with them (בְּגִין דְּאִזְדַּוַּוג שׁוֹר בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ), and they bit their bones and flesh (וְנָשְׁכוּ לוֹן גַּרְמַיָיא וּבִשְׂרָא). Until Levi arose again, as before (עַד דְּאִתְעַר לֵוִי כְּמִלְקַדְּמִין), and scattered those donkeys (וּבַדַּר לְאִינוּן חֲמוֹרִים), (another version: who had joined) (ס''א דאזדווגו), to subdue them and break their power from the world (לְכַפְיָא לוֹן וְתָבַר תּוּקְפֵהוֹן מֵעַלְמָא), and to remove the ox from there (וְאַפִּיק לְשׁוֹר מִתַּמָּן). This is as written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), (Shemot 13), "Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him" (וַיִּקַּח משֶׁה אֶת עַצְמוֹת יוֹסֵף עִמּוֹ).

Come and see: When Shim‘on first came upon that donkey, the blood that had been decreed upon them was aroused. (תָּא חֲזֵי כַּד אֲתָא שִׁמְעוֹן בְּקַדְמִיתָא עַל הַהוּא חֲמוֹר אִתְעַר עֲלֵיהוֹן דַּם דְּאִתְגַּזָּרוּ). And afterwards: And they slew all the males. (וּלְבָתַר וַיַּהַרְגוּ כָּל זָכָר) (Bereshit 34). In this same manner, Kudsha Berikh Hu acted by the hand of Levi, this being Moshe, with those donkeys in Egypt. (כְּגַוְונָא דָא עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל יְדָא דְּלֵוִי דָּא מֹשֶׁה בְּאִינוּן חֲמוֹרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם). First was blood, and afterwards: Hashem slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt etc. (בְּקַדְמִיתָא דָּם וּלְבָתַר וַיַּהֲרֹג יְיָ כָּל בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְגוֹ') (Shemot 13). Here regarding this donkey it is written: and all their wealth and all their little ones and all their livestock etc. (הָכָא בְּהַאי חֲמוֹר כְּתִיב וְאֵת כָּל חֵילָם וְאֵת כָּל טַפָּם וְאֵת כָּל בְּהֶמְתָּם וְגוֹ') (Bereshit 34). There regarding those donkeys it is written: vessels of silver and vessels of gold and garments. (הָתָם בְּאִינוּן חֲמוֹרִים כְּתִיב כְּלֵי כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב וּשְׂמָלוֹת) (Shemot 12). And it is written: And also a mixed multitude went up with them, and flocks and herds etc. (וְגַם עֵרֶב רַב עָלָה אִתָּם וְצֹאן וּבָקָר וְגוֹ') (Shemot 12).

Shim'on and Levi—one stood against this donkey, the other stood against all those donkeys (וְשִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי, דָּא קָאִים לְגַבֵּי הַאי חֲמוֹר, וְדָא קָאִים לְגַבֵּי כָּל אִינוּן חֲמוֹרִים). All wished to join with the holy Ya'akov and prepared to bite him (כֻּלְּהוּ בָּעוּ לְאִשְׁתַּתְּפָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב קַדִּישָׁא וְאִתְתַּקְּנוּ לְנַשְׁכָא לֵיהּ), yet he stood with his sons against them and subdued them beneath him (וְאִיהוּ בִּבְנוֹי קָאִים לְגַבַּיְיהוּ וְכַיִּיף לוֹן תְּחוֹתֵיהּ). Now that Esav bites him and his sons (הַשְׁתָּא דְעֵשָׂו נָשִׁיךְ לֵיהּ וְלִבְנוֹי), who will stand against him? (מַאן יָקוּם לְגַבֵּיהּ) Ya'akov and Yosef—one from this side, one from that side (יַעֲקֹב וְיוֹסֵף. דָּא מִסִּטְרָא דָא וְדָא מִסִּטְרָא דָא). As written (דִּכְתִיב), (Ovadiah 1) "The house of Ya'akov will be fire, and the house of Yosef a flame, and the house of Esav straw," etc. (וְהָיָה בֵּית יַעֲקֹב אֵשׁ וּבֵית יוֹסֵף לֶהָבָה וּבֵית עֵשָׂו לְקַשׁ וְגו'). "They journeyed, and the fear of Elohim fell upon the cities around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Ya'akov" (וַיִּסָּעוּ וַיְהִי חִתַּת אֱלהִים עַל הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹתֵיהֶם וְלֹא רָדְפוּ אַחֲרֵי בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב). Rabbi Yosi said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): They all gathered (כֻּלְּהוּ הֲווּ מִתְכַּנְּשֵׁי), but when they girded weapons for battle, they became terrified and abandoned them (וְכַד הֲווּ חַגְרֵי זַיְינֵי קְרָבָא הֲווּ מְרַתְּתֵי וְשַׁבְקִין לוֹן). Therefore, "they did not pursue the sons of Ya'akov" (וּבְגִין כָּךְ וְלא רָדְפוּ אַחֲרִי בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב). "Remove the foreign gods," etc. (הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר וְגו'). "Remove the foreign gods" (הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר)—these were vessels of silver and gold they took from Shechem, upon which their idolatry was engraved (אִלֵּין אִינוּן דְּנָטְלוּ מִשְּׁכֶם מָאנֵי כַּסְפָּא וְדַהֲבָא דְּהֲוָה חָקִיק עֲלַיְיהוּ טַעֲוָא דִלְהוֹן). Rabbi Yehudah said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר): The idols themselves were of silver and gold (טַעֲוָון הֲווּ מִכַּסְפָּא וְדַהֲבָא). Ya'akov hid them there (וְיַעֲקֹב אַטְמִין לוֹן תַּמָּן), lest they benefit from the side of idolatry, forbidden eternally to any man (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְהַנּוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, דְּאָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִתְהַנֵּי מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין).

Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Chizkiyah were traveling on the road (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה הֲווּ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא). Rabbi Chizkiyah said to Rabbi Yehudah (אָמַר רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה לְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה), "What is written (מַאי דִכְתִיב), (II Samuel 12) 'And he took the crown of their king from his head, and its weight was a talent of gold, and a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head' (וַיִּקַּח אֶת עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם מֵעַל רֹאשׁוֹ וּמִשְׁקָלָהּ כִּכַּר זָהָב וְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה וַתְּהִי עַל רֹאשׁ דָּוִד). And we learned (וְתָנִינָן): the idol of the children of Ammon was named Milkom (שִׁקּוּץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן מִלְכֹּם שְׁמֵיהּ), and this is the crown of their king (וְדָא הוּא עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם). Why was it placed on David's head? (מַאי טַעֲמָא וַתְּהִי עַל רֹאשׁ דָּוִד) And why is it called 'abomination'? (וּמַאי טַעְמָא כְּתִיב שִׁקּוּץ) For regarding the other idols of the nations who worship idols, it is written 'gods of the nations,' 'other gods,' 'foreign god,' 'another god' (דְּהָא בִּשְׁאָר טַעֲוָון עַמְּמַיָא עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה כְּתִיב אֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים, אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, אֵל נֵכָר, אֵל אַחֵר), but regarding this one, it says specifically 'abomination' (וּבְהַאי אָמַר שִׁקּוּץ חַד)." He replied to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Regarding all the idols of the nations who worship idolatry, Kudsha Berikh Hu similarly calls them abominations (וּבְכָל טַעֲוָון עַמְּמַיָיא עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הָכִי קָרָא לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written (דִּכְתִיב), (Devarim 23) "And you saw their abominations and their idols" (וַתִּרְאוּ אֶת שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם וְאֶת גִּלּוּלֵיהֶם). And concerning what is said (וּמַה דְּאָמַר), "And he took the crown of their king" (וַיִּקַּח אֶת עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם), which is Milkom—indeed, it is so (דְּאִיהוּ מִלְכּוֹם, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי). But Ittai the Gittite, before he converted (אֶלָּא אִיתַּי הַגִּתִּי עַד דְּלָא אִתְגְיַּיר), broke that crown of Milkom (כְּדֵין אִיהוּ תָּבַר לָהּ לְהַהוּא עֲטֶרֶת דְּאִיהוּ מִלְכּוֹם), that figure engraved upon it, and removed it (הַהוּא דִיוּקְנָא דְּחֲקִיק עֲלָהּ וּפָגִים לָהּ). Thus he made it permissible for benefit, and it was placed on David's head (כְּדֵין אִיהוּ עֲבַד לָהּ הֵיתֵּר לְאִתְהַנֵּי מִנָּהּ וְהֲוַת עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ). Come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): the 'abomination of the children of Ammon' had one serpent figure engraved on that crown (שִׁקּוּץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, חַד חִוְיָא בְּסוּרְטָא הֲוָה חָקִיק עַל הַהוּא כִּתְרָא). For this reason, it was called a defiled abomination (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי שִׁקּוּץ זוּהֲמָא).