וְגַם־ה֤וּא חָכָם֙ וַיָּ֣בֵא רָ֔ע וְאֶת־דְּבָרָ֖יו לֹ֣א הֵסִ֑יר וְקָם֙ עַל־בֵּ֣ית מְרֵעִ֔ים וְעַל־עֶזְרַ֖ת פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
Namun Ia pun bijaksana: Ia mendatangkan malapetaka dan tidak menarik kembali firman-Nya. Ia akan bangkit melawan kaum orang-orang jahat, dan melawan penolong orang-orang yang berbuat kejahatan.
Bamidbar Rabbah
That is why it is written regarding the sota when she lies with another: “And commit a trespass against him [umaala bo maal].” Why are there these two me’ilot?17The plural of maal is me'ilot. One because she is deceitful with the Holy One blessed be He, and the second because she is deceitful with her husband. How is she deceitful with her husband? Because she says regarding the mamzer that he is his son, but he is not his son, and he inherits his property. How is she deceitful with the Holy One blessed be He? It is because the Holy One blessed be He said that mamzerim will not receive a portion of the land, but rather, only one whose descent traces back to his father, but she says regarding the mamzer that he is her husband’s son and gives him a portion of the land. What is “and commit a trespass against him”?18It sounds like a trespass against one, not two. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘You are able to deceive your husband, but you are not able to deceive Me, as I see everything,’ as it is written: “The eyes of the Lord, they rove throughout the earth” (Zechariah 4:10). And it says: “The eyes of the Lord observe the wicked and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). Not as you thought to bequeath to your mamzer your husband’s property; I know the mamzer, and I will banish him from the world, like what Rabbi Ḥanina said: Once in sixty or seventy years the Holy One blessed be He brings a great pestilence to the world and eliminates from them the mamzerim and takes the upright with them, so as not to publicize the sinners. “He, too, is wise, and has brought evil” (Isaiah 31:2) – is it not logical that it not be so; [should it not be]: “He, too, is wise, and has brought good”? It is, rather, to teach you that even the evil that the Holy One blessed be He brings to the world, He brings it with wisdom. “He has not retracted His words, but He will rise up against the house of evildoers and against the help of performers of iniquity” (Isaiah 31:2).
Rabbi Huna said: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days. Rabbi Ze’eira when he ascended to here heard the sound of people calling: Mamzer, and: Mamzeret. He said to them: ‘What is this?’ He said: Apparently, what Rabbi Huna said: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days, is no longer true. Rav Yaakov bar Aḥa said to him: ‘I was with you when Rabbi Abba bar Rav Huna said in the name of Rav: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days. When? It is when it is not publicized. But, if it is public, he lives.’ That is, “and commit a trespass against him” – but not against the Holy One blessed be He.
Rabbi Huna said: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days. Rabbi Ze’eira when he ascended to here heard the sound of people calling: Mamzer, and: Mamzeret. He said to them: ‘What is this?’ He said: Apparently, what Rabbi Huna said: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days, is no longer true. Rav Yaakov bar Aḥa said to him: ‘I was with you when Rabbi Abba bar Rav Huna said in the name of Rav: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days. When? It is when it is not publicized. But, if it is public, he lives.’ That is, “and commit a trespass against him” – but not against the Holy One blessed be He.
Vayikra Rabbah
Rav said: A mamzer never lives more than thirty days. Rabbi Ḥunai said: Once in seventy years the Holy One blessed be He brings a great plague to the world and eradicates the mamzerim and takes the upright with them. What is the source? “He too is wise, and He brings misfortune” (Isaiah 31:2). The verse should have said: “He brings good.” Rather, it is to teach you that even when the Holy One blessed be He brings misfortune to the world, He does so with wisdom.
“He does not retract His words [devarav]” (Isaiah 31:2) – He does not remove His plague [devaro]. Why is this necessary? “He will rise up against the house of evildoers” (Isaiah 31:2).32In order to kill the mamzerim without causing them and their families undue embarrassment by identifying them, God kills them during plagues, when many others are dying as well. This is like that which Reish Lakish said: “In the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered the sin offering shall be slaughtered” (Leviticus 6:18). Why is this necessary? It is so the sinners will not be publicized.
Reish Lakish said: There are those whom one mentions and blesses, and there are that one mentions and curses.33The word meshaḥakin, translated here as “curses,” literally means “crushes.” It was not uncommon for one to respond to hearing the name of a wicked individual by saying, “may his bones be crushed.” One mentions and blesses, “Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Ḥur, [of the tribe of Judah]” (Exodus 31:2). One mentions and curses Akhan, son of Karmi, son of Zarḥi (see Joshua 7:1). One mentions and blesses, “count the children of Levi” (Numbers 3:15). One mentions and curses, “remember what Amalek has done to you” (Deuteronomy 25:17). One mentions and blesses, “there was a man of Judah […and his name was Mordekhai]” (Esther 2:5). One mentions and curses, “a man who is and adversary and an enemy, [this wicked Haman]” (Esther 7:6). One mentions and blesses, “because Mordekhai of Judah” (Esther 10:3). One mentions and curses, “because Haman son of Hamedata” (Esther 9:24). One mentions and blesses, “David son of an Efratite” (I Samuel 17:12). One mentions and curses, “Yerovam, son of Nevat, an Efratite” (I Kings 11:26). One mentions and blesses, “there was a certain man from Ramatayim…[and his name was Elkana]” (I Samuel 1:1). One mentions and curses, “there was a certain man from the Ephraim highlands, and his name was Mikhaihu” (Judges 17:1). One mentions and blesses, “and with him was Oholiav [son of Aḥisamakh of the tribe of Dan]” (Exodus 38:23). One mentions and curses, “and the name of his mother was Shelomit, daughter of Divri, of the tribe of Dan” (Leviticus 24:11).
“He does not retract His words [devarav]” (Isaiah 31:2) – He does not remove His plague [devaro]. Why is this necessary? “He will rise up against the house of evildoers” (Isaiah 31:2).32In order to kill the mamzerim without causing them and their families undue embarrassment by identifying them, God kills them during plagues, when many others are dying as well. This is like that which Reish Lakish said: “In the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered the sin offering shall be slaughtered” (Leviticus 6:18). Why is this necessary? It is so the sinners will not be publicized.
Reish Lakish said: There are those whom one mentions and blesses, and there are that one mentions and curses.33The word meshaḥakin, translated here as “curses,” literally means “crushes.” It was not uncommon for one to respond to hearing the name of a wicked individual by saying, “may his bones be crushed.” One mentions and blesses, “Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Ḥur, [of the tribe of Judah]” (Exodus 31:2). One mentions and curses Akhan, son of Karmi, son of Zarḥi (see Joshua 7:1). One mentions and blesses, “count the children of Levi” (Numbers 3:15). One mentions and curses, “remember what Amalek has done to you” (Deuteronomy 25:17). One mentions and blesses, “there was a man of Judah […and his name was Mordekhai]” (Esther 2:5). One mentions and curses, “a man who is and adversary and an enemy, [this wicked Haman]” (Esther 7:6). One mentions and blesses, “because Mordekhai of Judah” (Esther 10:3). One mentions and curses, “because Haman son of Hamedata” (Esther 9:24). One mentions and blesses, “David son of an Efratite” (I Samuel 17:12). One mentions and curses, “Yerovam, son of Nevat, an Efratite” (I Kings 11:26). One mentions and blesses, “there was a certain man from Ramatayim…[and his name was Elkana]” (I Samuel 1:1). One mentions and curses, “there was a certain man from the Ephraim highlands, and his name was Mikhaihu” (Judges 17:1). One mentions and blesses, “and with him was Oholiav [son of Aḥisamakh of the tribe of Dan]” (Exodus 38:23). One mentions and curses, “and the name of his mother was Shelomit, daughter of Divri, of the tribe of Dan” (Leviticus 24:11).