Musar zu Bereschit 27:1

The fourth section: One who attaches himself to an evildoer. It is not enough for him that he does not reprimand him with the rod of his mouth and surely distance him; but he rather brings him close like a friend. And it is stated (II Chronicles 20:37), “As you have made a partnership, etc., the Lord will break up your work.” Whereas the righteous are surely disgusted by the evildoer, as it is stated (Psalms 15:4), “A contemptible man is disgusting in his eyes.” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Bava Kamma 92b), “Not for naught did the starling go to the raven, but because it is its kind. And it stated, ‘All fowl will live with its kind, and men with those like him’ (Book of Ben Sira 13:17).” And they said (Megillah 28a), “It is prohibited for a person to gaze at the likeness of a wicked man, as it is stated (II Kings 3:14), ‘Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judea, I would not look toward you, nor see you.’” And they [continued], “[Any one who gazes at the likeness of an evil man,] his eyes become dim [at the time of his old age], as it is stated (Genesis 27:1), ‘And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim so that he could not see’ - because he gazed at the wicked Esau.” And we have already discussed very well that there are many ways of death found by one who attaches himself to an evildoer.

There are numerous references to this in our Midrashic literature. Shemot Rabbah 30,11, quoting Job 23,3-4, "would that I could find Him, reach His dwelling place, I would set out my case, משפט, before Him, fill my mouth with arguments," explains this in the following parable. A drunken prison guard rebelled, opened the gates to let the prisoners escape, cursed the picture of the ruler, and demanded to see the king, threatening that he would tell the king to his face what he thought true justice should be. He even went as far as stoning the king's image. He was shown the ruler sitting on a platform, dispensing punishment to a lady of aristocratic bearing, he observed the king handing down a verdict against his provincial governor, etc. At that point the palace guard became frightened and apologised, explaining that his drunken stupor had been the reason for his outrageous conduct, which included not recognising his king when he saw him. Similarly Job 23,4. When Job cursed the day he was born (Job 3,3/4) he in fact cursed the angel in charge of who will be born when and under what mazzal. This angel is called לילה. Later on Job reflected how G–d had punished Miriam for speaking out against Moses (Numbers 12,10); he further observed how G–d had punished Moses not allowing him to enter the Holy Land because he had struck the rock instead of merely speaking to it (Numbers 20,12). He also noted that G–d had blinded Isaac (for having loved the wicked Esau), see Genesis 27,1. He realised moreover that G–d had punished Abraham for having asked: "how do I know that I will inherit?" (Genesis 15,8) G–d had responded by telling Abraham that his descendants would be slaves in a foreign land for four hundred years before being liberated (Genesis 15,13). G–d had also קרב קיסין, struck at Jacob with a piece of wood, causing the latter to limp as a result of the nocturnal encounter with the שרו של עשו, the guardian angel of Esau, to use the words of the Midrash. When Job had reflected on all this, he begged G–d's forgiveness for having spoken out rebelliously, and he excused himself by having been drunk. This is why it says in Job 19,4: “ואף אמנם שגיתי, אתי תלין משוגתי,” If indeed I have erred, my error stays with me overnight." All of this, because he did not realise the power of דין. So far the Midrash.