Daf 192a (דַּף קצ״ב ע״א)

And Aharon intended for the good (וְאַהֲרֹן לְטָב אִתְכְּוָון), but many from Yisrael joined with them in their hearts (אֶלָּא סַגִּיאִין הֲווֹ מִיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִשְׁתָּתָּפוּ בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ בְּלִבָּא). And therefore, when Moshe came (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, כַּד אָתָא מֹשֶׁה), he needed to clarify and whiten the holy people from that sin (אִצְטְרִיךְ לְבָרְרָא וּלְלַבְּנָא לְעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא מֵהַהוּא חוֹבָא), and he gave them to drink the water, until all were clarified and no refuse at all remained in them (וְאַשְׁקֵי לוֹן שַׁקְיוּ, עַד דְּאִתְבְּרִירוּ כֻּלְּהוּ וְלָא אִשְׁתְּאַר בְּהוּ פְּסוֹלֶת כְּלַל).

Aharon said to them (אָמַר לוֹן אַהֲרֹן): “Remove the rings of gold” (פָּרֲקוּ נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב) (Exodus 32). And did they not have other gold (וְכִי לָא הֲוָה לוֹן דַּהֲבָא אַחֲרָא)? But Aharon said: While there is quarrel between their sons and their wives (אֶלָּא אָמַר אַהֲרֹן, בְּעוֹד דְּאִית לוֹן קְטָטָה בִּבְנַיְיהוּ וּבְנָשַׁיְיהוּ), they will be delayed, and meanwhile Moshe will come (יִתְעַכְּבוּן, וּבֵין כַּךְ יֵיתֵי מֹשֶׁה).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): We learned, converts are hard for Yisrael like a scab upon living flesh (תָּנֵינָן קָשִׁים גֵּרִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּסַּפַּחַת בִּבְשַׂר הַחַי), how much more these, who were not proper converts (כָל שֶׁכֵּן אִלֵּין, דְּלָא הֲווֹ גֵּרִים כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת). What did they do (אִינּוּן מָה עָבְדוּ)? “And all the people removed the rings of gold which were in their ears” (וַיִּתְפָּרַקוּ כָּל הָעָם אֶת נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם). How many thousands and myriads were there from their rings (כַּמָה אַלְפֵי וְרִבְוָון הֲווֹ מִנִּזְמֵיהוֹן תַּמָּן). What is written (מַה כְּתִיב)? “And he took from their hand and formed it with a graving tool, etc.” (וַיִּקַּח מִיָּדָם וַיָּצַר אוֹתוֹ בַּחֶרֶט וְגוֹ׳). Aharon was not guarded from those two wise men (אַהֲרֹן לָא אִסְתָּמַּר, מֵאִינּוּן תְּרֵין חַכִּימִין), who were the heads of the Erev rav (דַּהֲווֹ בְּרֵישֵׁיהוֹן דְּהַהוּא עֵרֶב רַב). One of them was standing before him (חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ הֲוָה קָמֵיהּ), and the other was working his sorcery (וְאַחֲרָא הֲוָה עָבִיד בְּחַרְשׁוֹי). When the two of them joined as one (כֵּיוָן דְּתַרְוַויְיהוּ אִתְיָיעֲטוּ כַּחֲדָא), they took that gold (נַטְלוּ הַהִיא דַּהֲבָא): two-thirds in the hand of one (תְּרֵין שְׁלִישֵׁי בִּידָא דְּחַד), and a third in the hand of the other (וּשְׁלִישׁ בִּידָא דְּאַחֲרָא) — because thus it was required in that weapon of sorcery (בְּגִין דְּהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ בְּהַהוּא זִינָא דְּחַרְשָׁא).

Rabbi Shimon wept (בָּכָה רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), and said: O Holy Chasid, Aharon, the Mashiach of the Great God (אָמַר אִי חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא, אַהֲרֹן מְשִׁיחָא דֶּאֱלָהָא רַבָּא), in your piety many of the holy people fell (בַּחֲסִידוּתָךְ נַפְלוּ כַּמָה מֵעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא). And you did not know to guard yourself (וְאַנְתְּ לָא הֲוֵית יָדַע לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא). What did they do (מַהוּ עֲבַדוּ)? When six hours had come, and the day was at the balance (כַּד מָטוּ שִׁית שַׁעֲתִּין, וְיוֹמָא הֲוָה בְּמַתְקְלָא), they took that gold that they had removed from their ears (נַטְלוּ הַהוּא דַּהֲבָא דְּפָרִיקוּ מֵאוּדְנֵיהוֹן). What is the reason (מַאי טַעְמָא)? Because one who needs to perform sorcery should not set his eyes on money (בְּגִין דְּמַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֶעְבַּד חַרְשָׁא, לָא בָּעֵי לְמֵיחַס עֵינוֹי עַל מָמוֹנָא). And they said: The time stands ready for us, if we do not delay (וְאִינּוּן אַמְרִי, שַׁעֲתָא קַיָּימָא לָן, אִי אֲנָן לָא מְעַכְבִּין). This is not the time to look upon the gold (לָאו שַׁעֲתָא לְמֵיחַס עַל דַּהֲבָא). Immediately: “And all the people removed” (מִיַּד וַיִּתְפָּרַקוּ כָּל הָעָם). What is “and they removed” (מַאי וַיִּתְפָּרַקוּ)? As you say: “He breaks the mountains and shatters the rocks” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר מְפָרֵק הָרִים וּמְשַׁבֵּר סְלָעִים) (I Kings 19), for they tore and broke their ears (דְּחַבִּילוּ וְתַבְרוּ אוּדְנַיְיהוּ). He wept again as before, and said (בָּכָה כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין וְאָמַר): O holy people, O holy people of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אִי עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, אִי עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Rabbi Shimon opened in weeping and said (פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בְּבִכְיָה, וְאָמַר): “Then his master shall bring him to God, etc.” (וְהִגִּישׁוֹ אֲדֹנָיו אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים וְגוֹ׳) (Exodus 21). Behold, the Friends have already established it (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא): the ear that heard at Sinai (אֹזֶן דְּשָׁמַע בְּסִינַי), “For unto Me the children of Yisrael are servants” (כִּי לִי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדִים) (Leviticus 25). And he threw off the yoke of the kingdom of heaven from upon himself (וְאִיהוּ פָּרִיק עוֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם מֵעָלֵיהּ), and sold himself to another (וְזָבִין גַּרְמֵיהּ לְאַחֵר) — let him be pierced (תִּרָצַע). And these guilty evildoers (וְאִלֵּין חַיָּיבַיָּא רְשִׁיעִין), evil men (גּוּבְרִין בִּישִׁין), in their desire to return to their corruption (בְּתִיאוּבְתָּא דִּלְהוֹן לְמֶהֲדָר לְסָרְחָנַיְיהוּ), did not ask from their wives and children (לָא בָּעוּ מִנְּשֵׁיהוֹן וּבְנֵיהוֹן), but destroyed their own way (אֶלָּא חֲבִילוּ אוּרְחַיְיהוּ). Some say: their ears (ס״א אוּדְנַיְיהוֹ). And they cast off the yoke of heaven which Moshe had placed upon them (וְאִתְפְּרָקוּ מֵעוֹל שְׁמַיָא דְּפָקִיד לְהוּ מֹשֶׁה), and they broke their ears (וְתַבְרוּ אוּדְנַיְיהוּ), so that they have no portion in the Holy Name nor in the holy people (דְּלֵית לוֹן חוּלָקָא בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא). What did they do (מָה עֲבַדוּ)? They divided that gold between them (פְּלִיגוּ תַּרְוַויְיהוּ הַהוּא דַּהֲבָא): one took two-thirds (חַד נָטִיל תְּרֵין שְׁלִישִׁין), and one took a third (וְחַד שְׁלִישׁ). They stood facing the sun, at six hours (קָמוּ לָקֳבֵל שִׁמְשָׁא, בְּשִׁית שַׁעְתִּין).

They performed their sorceries (עֲבַדוּ חַרְשַׁיְיהוּ), and whispered in their whisperings the sorcery of the mouth (וּבַלְטוּ בְּלָטֵיהוֹן בְּחַרְשָׁא דְּפוּמָא). When the time of the seventh hour arrived (כֵּיוָן דְּמָטָא שֵׁירוּתָא דִּשְׁבַע), the two of them lifted their hands upon the hands of Aharon (אָרִימוּ תַּרְוַויְיהוּ יְדַיְיהוּ עַל יְדוֹי דְּאַהֲרֹן). And from where do we know that from the hands of both of them, each one took, and not more (וּמִנָּלָן דְּמִידָּא דְּתַרְוַיְיהוּ יַד מִכָּל חַד נָטִיל וְלָא יַתִּיר)? For it is written: “And he took from their hand” (דִּכְתִּיב וַיִּקַּח מִיָּדָם) — both of them, and not more (תַּרְוַיְיהוּ הֲווֹ, וְלָא יַתִּיר). And when he received from their hand (כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ קַבִּיל מִיָּדָם). Some say: from two, and not from their hands (ס״א תְּרֵי וְלָא יְדֵיהֶם).

A voice went forth and said (קַלָּא נָפִק וְאָמַר): “Hand to hand, the evil shall not be cleared” (יָד לְיָד לֹא יִנָּקֶה רַע) (Proverbs 11). As it is written: “For in evil is he” (דִּכְתִּיב כִּי בְרָע הוּא). He brought evil into the world (אַיְיתֵי רָע לְעָלְמָא). This is the secret of the matter (רָזָא דְּמִלָּה): Those guilty evildoers, sorcerers, sons of the guilty Bil‘am (אִינּוּן רְשָׁעִים חַיָּיבִין חַרְשִׁין, בְּנוֹי דְּבִלְעָם חַיָּיבָא), sons of the sons of the wicked Lavan (בְּנִי בְּנוֹי דְּלָבָן רְשִׁיעָא), saw that the Cup of Blessing is in the right (חָמוּ דְּכוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה בִּימִין אִיהוּ), and from the right it is always strengthened (וּמִן יְמִינָא אִתָּקַף תָּדִיר). Some say: more than all (ס״א יְתִיר). They said (אָמְרוּ): If it be in this side, this head of the right (אִי יְהֵא בִּסְטַר דָּא, הַהוּא רֵישָׁא דִּימִינָא), behold, our power is fitting (הָא תּוּקְפָּא דִּילָן כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת).