Talmud zu Jirmejahu 2:2
הָלֹ֡ךְ וְקָֽרָאתָ֩ בְאָזְנֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה זָכַ֤רְתִּי לָךְ֙ חֶ֣סֶד נְעוּרַ֔יִךְ אַהֲבַ֖ת כְּלוּלֹתָ֑יִךְ לֶכְתֵּ֤ךְ אַחֲרַי֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹ֥א זְרוּעָֽה׃
Geh und schreie in den Ohren Jerusalems und sprich: So spricht der Herr: Ich erinnere mich an dich an die Zuneigung deiner Jugend, an die Liebe deiner Ehepartner; Wie bist du mir in der Wüste nachgegangen, in einem Land, das nicht gesät wurde?
Avot D'Rabbi Natan
The generation of the desert will not be granted eternal life, and will not even be given a trial, as it says (Numbers 14:35), “In this very desert they will die, there they will perish.” And it also says (Psalms 95:11), “Those who I swore, in My anger, would never come to My resting place.” These are the words of Rabbi Eliezer.
But Rabbi Yehoshua said: They will be given a trial! It is about them that the verses speak (Psalms 50:5), “Gather to Me My devotees, who made a covenant with Me over sacrifice.” [Rabbi Eliezer] said to him: Accept my interpretation. For if not, how can you explain the words, “Those who I swore, in my anger”? [Rabbi Yehoshua] replied: These are the spies, and (all) the wicked people of that generation.
Then Rabbi Yehoshua asked: So what do you do with the verse, “Gather to Me My devotees”? [Rabbi Eliezer] said to him: That refers to Moses and Aaron, and all the devotees of that generation from the Tribe of Levi.
Others responded: [But in Numbers 14:35, above,] how do you know the word “there” is referring only to the wicked, and not to the righteous? Didn’t it already say (Genesis 49:31), “There they buried Abraham, and Sarah his wife”? And it also says (Genesis 50:5), “In my grave, which I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” And it also says (Numbers 20:1), “And Miriam died there, and was buried there.” [And what’s more (Numbers 33:38), “Aaron the priest went up…and died there.”] And it also says (Deuteronomy 34:5), “And Moses, the servant of the Eternal, died there in the land of Moab, by the word of the Eternal.”
Rabbi Yosei HaGalili said: They will not be given a trial! For it says (Numbers 14:35), “In this very desert they will die, there they will perish.” And it also says (Deuteronomy 21:4), “There, by the stream, they shall break the calf’s neck.” Just as we have the word “there” in the case of the calf whose neck is broken, which dies and never leaves that place, so too, the word “there” in the case of those who died in the desert indicates that they will die and never leave that place.
(And others say: They will be given a trial! It is about them that the verse speaks (Jeremiah 2:2): “Go and call to the ears of Jerusalem and say…[I will remember as a kindness the devotion of your youth].”)
But Rabbi Yehoshua said: They will be given a trial! It is about them that the verses speak (Psalms 50:5), “Gather to Me My devotees, who made a covenant with Me over sacrifice.” [Rabbi Eliezer] said to him: Accept my interpretation. For if not, how can you explain the words, “Those who I swore, in my anger”? [Rabbi Yehoshua] replied: These are the spies, and (all) the wicked people of that generation.
Then Rabbi Yehoshua asked: So what do you do with the verse, “Gather to Me My devotees”? [Rabbi Eliezer] said to him: That refers to Moses and Aaron, and all the devotees of that generation from the Tribe of Levi.
Others responded: [But in Numbers 14:35, above,] how do you know the word “there” is referring only to the wicked, and not to the righteous? Didn’t it already say (Genesis 49:31), “There they buried Abraham, and Sarah his wife”? And it also says (Genesis 50:5), “In my grave, which I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” And it also says (Numbers 20:1), “And Miriam died there, and was buried there.” [And what’s more (Numbers 33:38), “Aaron the priest went up…and died there.”] And it also says (Deuteronomy 34:5), “And Moses, the servant of the Eternal, died there in the land of Moab, by the word of the Eternal.”
Rabbi Yosei HaGalili said: They will not be given a trial! For it says (Numbers 14:35), “In this very desert they will die, there they will perish.” And it also says (Deuteronomy 21:4), “There, by the stream, they shall break the calf’s neck.” Just as we have the word “there” in the case of the calf whose neck is broken, which dies and never leaves that place, so too, the word “there” in the case of those who died in the desert indicates that they will die and never leave that place.
(And others say: They will be given a trial! It is about them that the verse speaks (Jeremiah 2:2): “Go and call to the ears of Jerusalem and say…[I will remember as a kindness the devotion of your youth].”)
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