כְּ֭צִפּוֹר נוֹדֶ֣דֶת מִן־קִנָּ֑הּ כֵּֽן־אִ֝֗ישׁ נוֹדֵ֥ד מִמְּקוֹמֽוֹ׃
Comme l’oiseau qui erre loin de son nid, tel est l’homme qui erre loin de son pays.
Tosefta Chagigah (Lieberman)
1:8 R. Simeon b. Yoḥai maintains that we shouldn't waste time checking if an already flawed animal, such as a camel or a pig, has a blemish. Instead, we should focus on the flawless ones. A disciple of a sage who turns away from the Torah would be considered in this category and is referred to in Qohelet 1:15, 'That which is crooked cannot be made straight,' and Psalms 37:21, 'The wicked borrows and does not pay back.' As R. Judah reaffirms, with Jeremiah 2:5 as reference, for those who stray, they embrace worthlessness and tend to mirror it.