Daf 142a (דַּף קמ״ב ע״א)

And further, “You shall not leave his corpse upon the tree” (וְעוֹד לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל הָעִץ): this is a man who is a navel (דָּא בַר נַשׁ דְּאִיהוּ נָבָל). Concerning him it is said: “Whoever establishes an unfit disciple, it is as though he establishes an Asherah [idolatrous sacred tree]” (עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר: כָּל הַמַּעֲמִיד תַּלְמִיד דְּלָאו אִיהוּ הָגוּן, כְּאִלּוּ מַעֲמִיד אֲשֵׁרָה). And because of this, “You shall not leave his corpse upon the tree”-for this tree is the Tree of Life (וּבְגִין דָּא לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל הָעִץ דְּאִיהוּ עִץ הַחַיִּים).

Another matter: “You shall not leave… etc.” (דָּבָר אַחֵר לֹא תָלִין וְגוֹמֵר): the tree-these are Yisrael, of whom it is said, “For as the days of a tree shall be the days of My people” (Isaiah 65) (הָעִץ אִלֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוּ כִּימֵי הָעִץ יְמֵי עַמִּי). The sin that the vile people committed shall not be hung upon Yisrael (חוֹבָא דְעָבְדוּ עַם נָבָל, לָא תְהֵא תַלְיָא לֵיהּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). For when they made the calf, Moshe considered that Yisrael had made it (דְּכַד עֲבַדוּ יָת עִגְלָא חַשִּׁיב מֹשֶׁה דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבַדוּ לֵיהּ), and he said, “Why, Hashem, should Your anger burn against Your people?” (Exodus 32) (וְאָמַר לָמָה יהו״ה יֶחרֶה אַפְּךָ בְּעַמֶּךָ). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him, “Go, descend, for your people have corrupted themselves” (Exodus 32) (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לֶךְ רֵד כִּי שִׁחֵת עַמְּךָ).

Immediately he descended and saw the calf, the likeness of an ox and a donkey (מִיָּד נָחִית וְחָזָא עִגֶל דִּיּוֹקְנָא דְשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר). He asked it, “Who made you?” (שָׁאִיל לֵיהּ מָאן עָבַד לָךְ). The donkey said, “Erev rav” (אָמַר חֲמוֹר, עִרֶב רַב), as it is said, “Whose flesh is the flesh of donkeys” (Ezekiel 23) (אֲשֶׁר בְּשַׂר חֲמוֹרִים בְּשָׂרָם). The ox said likewise (שׁוֹר אָמַר נַמִּי הָכִי): the ring upon which the constellation of Taurus was fixed at the time that it is said of the Erev rav, “And all the people stripped themselves of the golden earrings” (Exodus 32) (טַבַּעַת דַּעֲלָהּ מַזָּל שׁוֹר בְּזִמְנָא דְאִתְּמַר בְּעִרֶב רַב וַיִּתְפָּרְקוּ כָּל הָעָם אֶת נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב). She was there prepared, and Aharon cast everything into the fire, and out came the calf, the likeness of ox and donkey (אִזְדַּמְנַת תַּמָּן, וְאֶרְמֵי כֹּלָּא אַהֲרֹן בְּנוּרָא, וְנָפְקַת עִגְלָא דִיּוֹקְנָא דְשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר). At that time the Holy Spirit cried out and said, “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s trough; but Yisrael does not know, My people does not consider” (Isaiah 1) (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא צָוְוחַת רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאָמְרַת יָדַע שׁוֹר קוֹנֵהוּ וַחֲמוֹר אֵבוּס בְּעָלָיו, יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יָדַע עַמִּי לֹא הִתְבּוֹנָן). And what did the wicked see, that they made the calf? (וְרַשִּׁיעַיָּא מָה חָזוּ לְמֶעֱבַד עִגֶל).

Rather, they were surely the sorcerers of Pharaoh, Yonos and Yambros, the sons of Bil‘am (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי אִינוּן הֲווֹ מְכַשְּׁפִין דְּפַרְעֹה, יוֹנוֹ״ס וְיַמְבְּרוּ״ס בְּנֵי בִּלְעָם), of whom it is said, “And the magicians did so with their secret arts” (Exodus 8) (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כֵן הַחַרְטוּמִים בְּלָטֵיהֶם). And when they saw that there was no substance in them, they returned with Moshe and accepted the covenant of circumcision (וְחָזוּ דְּלָא הֲוָה מַמָּשׁוּ בְּהוֹן, אִתְחַזְרוּ עִמֵּיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה וְקַבִּילוּ בְּרִית מִילָה). But Kudsha Berikh Hu, who knows the revealed and the hidden, knew of them that they were from an evil root (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְיָדַע גְּלוּיִים וּסְתִירִין, דַּהֲוָה יָדַע בְּהוֹן דְּאִינוּן מִגִּזְעָא בִישָׁא). When the Shekhinta descended, it is said, “And the angel of Elohim, who went before the camp of Yisrael, journeyed” (Exodus 14) (כַּד הֲוָה נָחֲתָא שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְּמַר בָּהּ וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הַהֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל), and it did not say “before the people” (וְלָא אָמַר לִפְנֵי הָעָם). And because of this they took jealousy into their hearts (וּבְגִין דָּא נָטְלוּ קִנְאָה בְּלִבַּיְיהוּ), and said, “Arise, make us Elohim which shall go before us” (Exodus 32) (וְאָמְרוּ קוּם עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ), like that which was going before you (כְּגַוְונָא דַהֲוָה אָזִיל קֳדָמַיְיכוּ). And because of this, they made the calf with their sorceries (וּבְגִין דָּא עֲבַדוּ יָת עִגְלָא בְחַרְשִׁין דִּלְהוֹן). And this is, “The ox knows its owner” (וְדָא אִיהוּ יָדַע שׁוֹר קוֹנֵהוּ וְגוֹ׳)-but Yisrael did not know sorcery (יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יָדַע חַרְשִׁין). “My people”-Aharon and Moshe, the sons of Amram-“did not consider” (עַמִּי אַהֲרֹן וּמֹשֶׁה בְּנֵי עַמְרָם לֹא הִתְבּוֹנָנוּ). And this is “You shall not leave his corpse upon the tree”-this sin of the vile people shall not be hung upon the tree which is Yisrael (וְדָא אִיהוּ לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל הָעִץ, חוֹבָא דָא דְעַם נָבָל לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל הָעִץ דְּאִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל).

Another matter: “You shall not leave… etc.” (דָּבָר אַחֵר לֹא תָלִין וְגוֹ׳): this is a convert who did not convert for the sake of Kudsha Berikh Hu (דָּא גִיּוֹרָא דְלָא אִתְגַּיַּיר לִשְׁמָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Do not hang him upon Yisrael, who are the tree (לָא תַלְיָא בֵּיהּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִינוּן עִץ), as it is established, “For as the days of a tree shall be the days of My people” (Isaiah 65) (כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהוּ כִּימֵי הָעִץ יְמֵי עַמִּי). And further, “You shall not leave his corpse” (וְעוֹד לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ), this is the corruption of the mouth (דָּא נִבְלוּת הַפֶּה), “upon the tree” (עַל הָעִץ), this is the evil tongue (דָּא לִישָׁנָא בִישָׁא), for this sin causes that he die before his time (דְחוֹבָה דָא גָרִים דְּיָמוּת קֳדָם זִמְנֵיהּ), and this is, “You shall surely bury him” (Deuteronomy 21) (וְדָא אִיהוּ כִּי קָבוֹר תִּקְבְּרֶנּוּ). Another explanation, “You shall not leave his corpse” (דָּבָר אַחֵר לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ), this is the evil inclination (דָּא יֵצֶר הָרָע), “upon the tree” (עַל הָעִץ), this is the breath of life (דָּא נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים), for whoever profanes it, of him it is said, “You shall surely bury him” (Deuteronomy 21) (דְּמָאן דְּחִלֵּל בָּהּ אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ כִּי קָבוֹר תִּקְבְּרֶנּוּ), and he shall die in this world and in the World to Come (וְיָמוּת בְּעָלְמָא דֵין וּבְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי), and this is his judgment by strangulation, whoever transgresses this (דָּא אִיהוּ דִינֵיהּ בְּחֶנֶק מָאן דְּעָבַר עַל דָּא). Some say: another explanation, “You shall not leave his corpse upon the tree” (דבר אחר לא תלין נבלתו על העץ), this is the weekday soul (דָּא נַפְשָׁא דְחוֹל), which must not appear before the extra soul (דְּלָא תִתְחֲזֵי קֳדָם נַפְשָׁא יְתֵירָא), and concerning this it is said to Moshe, “Remove your shoes from your feet” (Exodus 3) (וּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר לְמֹשֶׁה שַׁל נְעָלֶיךָ מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ).

Second, execution by the sword (תִּנְיָינָא הֶרֶג), the sword is for the thief and for the robber as punishment (הֶרֶג לְגַנָּב וּלְגַזְלָן עוֹנְשָׁא). And because of this, he who takes a pledge from his fellow must return the pledge to him at the time when he needs it (וּבְגִין דָּא הַמְּמַשְׁכֵּן לְחַבְרֵיהּ צָרִיךְ לְמֶחְזַר לֵיהּ מַשְׁכּוֹנֵיהּ בְּעִידָּן דְּצָרִיךְ לֵיהּ), since he has nothing else (כֵּיוָן דְּלֵית לֵיהּ אָחֳרָא). This is what is written, “You shall surely restore the pledge” (Deuteronomy 24) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב הָשֵׁב תָּשִׁיב לוֹ אֶת הָעֲבוֹט), and it is said in another verse, “If you at all take your neighbor’s garment to pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down” (Exodus 22) (וְאִתְּמַר בִּקְרָא אַחֲרָא אִם חָבֹל תַּחְבֹּל שַׂלְמַת רֵעֶךָ עַד בֹּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ). This speaks of the Neshama of a man (הַאי בְּנִשְׁמָתָא דְבַר נַשׁ מְמַלֵּל): “If you at all take in pledge” (אִם חָבֹל תַּחְבֹּל), this refers to Nefesh and Ruach (נַפְשָׁא וְרוּחָא); “your neighbor’s garment”-this is the Neshama (שַׂלְמַת רֵעֶךָ דָּא נִשְׁמָתָא).