כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה מַה־מָּצְא֨וּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֥ם בִּי֙ עָ֔וֶל כִּ֥י רָחֲק֖וּ מֵעָלָ֑י וַיֵּֽלְכ֛וּ אַחֲרֵ֥י הַהֶ֖בֶל וַיֶּהְבָּֽלוּ׃
Beginilah firman Yang Mahakekal: Kecurangan apakah yang didapati nenek moyangmu pada-Ku, sehingga mereka menjauh dari-Ku, mengikuti yang sia-sia, lalu mereka sendiri menjadi sia-sia?
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.