Parshat Ki Teitzei – The Interplay Between Justice and Mercy

ByRon Nahshon

Shiurei Midrash Aggada on Parshat HaShavua - שיעורי מדרש אגדה על פרשת השבוע

דברים כ״ד:ט״ז

(טז) לֹֽא־יוּמְת֤וּ אָבוֹת֙ עַל־בָּנִ֔ים וּבָנִ֖ים לֹא־יוּמְת֣וּ עַל־אָב֑וֹת אִ֥יש בְּחֶטְא֖וֹ יוּמָֽתוּ׃ (ס)

Deuteronomy 24:16

(16) Parents shall not be put to death for children, nor children be put to death for parents: a person shall be put to death only for his own crime.

מלכים ב י״ד

(א) בִּשְׁנַ֣ת שְׁתַּ֔יִם לְיוֹאָ֥שׁ בֶּן־יוֹאָחָ֖ז מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מָלַ֛ךְ אֲמַצְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־יוֹאָ֖שׁ מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃ (ב) בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְחָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנָה֙ הָיָ֣ה בְמָלְכ֔וֹ וְעֶשְׂרִ֤ים וָתֵ֙שַׁע֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ יהועדין [יְהֽוֹעַדָּ֖ן] מִן־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (ג) וַיַּ֤עַשׂ הַיָּשָׁר֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה רַ֕ק לֹ֖א כְּדָוִ֣ד אָבִ֑יו כְּכֹ֧ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֛ה יוֹאָ֥שׁ אָבִ֖יו עָשָֽׂה׃ (ד) רַ֥ק הַבָּמ֖וֹת לֹא־סָ֑רוּ ע֥וֹד הָעָ֛ם מְזַבְּחִ֥ים וּֽמְקַטְּרִ֖ים בַּבָּמֽוֹת׃ (ה) וַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר חָזְקָ֥ה הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־עֲבָדָ֔יו הַמַּכִּ֖ים אֶת־הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אָבִֽיו׃ (ו) וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֥י הַמַּכִּ֖ים לֹ֣א הֵמִ֑ית כַּכָּת֣וּב בְּסֵ֣פֶר תּֽוֹרַת־מֹ֠שֶׁה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֨ה יְהוָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר לֹא־יוּמְת֨וּ אָב֤וֹת עַל־בָּנִים֙ וּבָנִים֙ לֹא־יוּמְת֣וּ עַל־אָב֔וֹת כִּ֛י אִם־אִ֥ישׁ בְּחֶטְא֖וֹ ימות [יוּמָֽת׃] (ז) הוּא־הִכָּ֨ה אֶת־אֱד֤וֹם בְּגֵיא־המלח [מֶ֙לַח֙] עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת אֲלָפִ֔ים וְתָפַ֥שׂ אֶת־הַסֶּ֖לַע בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֶת־שְׁמָהּ֙ יָקְתְאֵ֔ל עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

II Kings 14

(1) In the second year of King Joash son of Joahaz of Israel, Amaziah son of King Joash of Judah became king. (2) He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. (3) He did what was pleasing to the LORD, but not like his ancestor David; he did just as his father Joash had done. (4) However, the shrines were not removed; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings at the shrines. (5) Once he had the kingdom firmly in his grasp, he put to death the courtiers who had assassinated his father the king. (6) But he did not put to death the children of the assassins, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Teaching of Moses, where the LORD commanded, “Parents shall not be put to death for children, nor children be put to death for parents; a person shall be put to death only for his own crime.” (7) He defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and he captured Sela in battle and renamed it Joktheel, as is still the case. (8) Then Amaziah sent envoys to King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu of Israel, with this message: “Come, let us confront each other.” (9) King Jehoash of Israel sent back this message to King Amaziah of Judah: “The thistle in Lebanon sent this message to the cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild beast in Lebanon went by and trampled down the thistle. (10) Because you have defeated Edom, you have become arrogant. Stay home and enjoy your glory, rather than provoke disaster and fall, dragging Judah down with you.” (11) But Amaziah paid no heed; so King Jehoash of Israel advanced, and he and King Amaziah of Judah confronted each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah. (12) The Judites were routed by Israel, and they all fled to their homes. (13) King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah of Judah at Beth-shemesh. He marched on Jerusalem, and he made a breach of four hundred cubits in the wall of Jerusalem, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. (14) He carried off all the gold and silver and all the vessels that there were in the House of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as hostages; and he returned to Samaria. (15) The other events of Jehoash’s reign, and all his actions and exploits, and his war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel. (16) Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; his son Jeroboam succeeded him as king. (17) King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. (18) The other events of Amaziah’s reign are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Judah. (19) A conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish; but they sent men after him to Lachish, and they killed him there. (20) They brought back his body on horses, and he was buried with his fathers in Jerusalem, in the City of David. (21) Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and proclaimed him king to succeed his father Amaziah. (22) It was he who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah, after King [Amaziah] slept with his fathers. (23) In the fifteenth year of King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah, King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel became king in Samaria—for forty-one years. (24) He did what was displeasing to the LORD; he did not depart from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. (25) It was he who restored the territory of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the promise that the LORD, the God of Israel, had made through His servant, the prophet Jonah son of Amittai from Gath-hepher. (26) For the LORD saw the very bitter plight of Israel, with neither bond nor free left, and with none to help Israel. (27) And the LORD resolved not to blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; and he delivered them through Jeroboam son of Joash. (28) The other events of Jeroboam’s reign, and all his actions and exploits, how he fought and recovered Damascus and Hamath for Judah in Israel, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel. (29) Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah succeeded him as king.

דברי הימים ב כ״ה

(א) בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְחָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנָה֙ מָלַ֣ךְ אֲמַצְיָ֔הוּ וְעֶשְׂרִ֣ים וָתֵ֙שַׁע֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ יְהוֹעַדָּ֖ן מִירוּשָׁלָֽיִם׃ (ב) וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה רַ֕ק לֹ֖א בְּלֵבָ֥ב שָׁלֵֽם׃ (ג) וַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר חָזְקָ֥ה הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה עָלָ֑יו וַֽיַּהֲרֹג֙ אֶת־עֲבָדָ֔יו הַמַּכִּ֖ים אֶת־הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אָבִֽיו׃ (ד) וְאֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֖ם לֹ֣א הֵמִ֑ית כִּ֣י כַכָּת֣וּב בַּתּוֹרָ֡ה בְּסֵ֣פֶר מֹשֶׁה֩ אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֨ה יְהוָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר לֹא־יָמ֨וּתוּ אָב֤וֹת עַל־בָּנִים֙ וּבָנִים֙ לֹא־יָמ֣וּתוּ עַל־אָב֔וֹת כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ בְּחֶטְא֖וֹ יָמֽוּתוּ׃

II Chronicles 25

(1) Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. (2) He did what was pleasing to the LORD, but not with a whole heart. (3) Once he had the kingdom firmly under control, he executed the courtiers who had assassinated his father the king. (4) But he did not put their children to death for [he acted] in accordance with what is written in the Teaching, in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, “Parents shall not die for children, nor shall children die for parents, but every person shall die only for his own crime.” (5) Amaziah assembled the men of Judah, and he put all the men of Judah and Benjamin under officers of thousands and officers of hundreds, by clans. He mustered them from the age of twenty upward, and found them to be 300,000 picked men fit for service, able to bear spear and shield. (6) He hired 100,000 warriors from Israel for 100 talents of silver. (7) Then a man of God came to him and said, “O king! Do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel—all these Ephraimites. (8) But go by yourself and do it; take courage for battle, [else] God will make you fall before the enemy. For in God there is power to help one or make one fall!” (9) Amaziah said to the man of God, “And what am I to do about the 100 talents I gave for the Israelite force?” The man of God replied, “The LORD has the means to give you much more than that.” (10) So Amaziah detached the force that came to him from Ephraim, [ordering them] to go back to their place. They were greatly enraged against Judah and returned to their place in a rage. (11) Amaziah took courage and, leading his army, he marched to the Valley of Salt. He slew 10,000 men of Seir; (12) another 10,000 the men of Judah captured alive and brought to the top of Sela. They threw them down from the top of Sela and every one of them was burst open. (13) The men of the force that Amaziah had sent back so they would not go with him into battle made forays against the towns of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon. They slew 3,000 of them, and took much booty. (14) After Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he had the gods of the men of Seir brought, and installed them as his gods; he prostrated himself before them, and to them he made sacrifice. (15) The LORD was enraged at Amaziah, and sent a prophet to him who said to him, “Why are you worshiping the gods of a people who could not save their people from you?” (16) As he spoke to him, [Amaziah] said to him, “Have we appointed you a counselor to the king? Stop, else you will be killed!” The prophet stopped, saying, “I see God has counseled that you be destroyed, since you act this way and disregard my counsel.” (17) Then King Amaziah of Judah took counsel and sent this message to Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, “Come, let us confront each other!” (18) King Joash of Israel sent back this message to King Amaziah of Judah, “The thistle in Lebanon sent this message to the cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild beast in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. (19) You boast that you have defeated the Edomites and you are ambitious to get more glory. Now stay at home, lest, provoking disaster you fall, dragging Judah down with you.” (20) But Amaziah paid no heed—it was God’s doing, in order to deliver them up because they worshiped the gods of Edom. (21) King Joash of Israel marched up, and he and King Amaziah of Judah confronted each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah. (22) The men of Judah were routed by Israel, and they all fled to their homes. (23) King Joash of Israel captured Amaziah son of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Judah, in Beth-shemesh. He brought him to Jerusalem and made a breach of 400 cubits in the wall of Jerusalem, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. (24) Then, with all the gold and silver and all the utensils that were to be found in the House of God in the custody of Obed-edom, and with the treasuries of the royal palace, and with the hostages, he returned to Samaria. (25) King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of King Joash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. (26) The other events of Amaziah’s reign, early and late, are recorded in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. (27) From the time that Amaziah turned from following the LORD, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent men after him to Lachish and they put him to death there. (28) They brought his body back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

ספורנו על דברים כ״ד:ט״ז:א׳

לא יומתו אבות על בנים אפי' על חטא המרד במלכות ישראל (מציעא) שמנהג המלכים הקדמונים היה להרוג גם את בניהם שלא יקומו לשונאים למלכות ... וזה קיים אמציהו מלך יהודה כאמרו ויהי כאשר חזקה הממלכה בידו ויהרוג את עבדיו המכים את המלך אביו ואת בני המכים לא המית ככתוב בתורה בספר משה אשר צוה ה' לאמר לא יומתו אבות על בנים ובנים לא יומתו על אבות:

Sforno on Deuteronomy 24:16:1

(1) לא יומתו אבות על בנים, even if the crime involved was insurrection against the established authority, king, etc. It had been a widely accepted rule that kings would also execute the family members of rebels in order to ensure that the surviving relatives of such executed rebels would not form an active opposition to the king as a result of their grievance. Such matters are referred to in Isaiah 14,21 “prepare a slaughtering block for his sons because of the guilt of their father. Let them not arise to possess the earth! Then the world’s face shall be covered with towns.” The meaning of the word שונאים which I used earlier is to be understood as in Samuel I 28,17 ויהי ערך, “he became a foe.” In any event, the Torah prohibits Jewish kings from killing one person as a substitute for another; this is part of G’d’s pity for members of His people. Amatziah, King of Yehudah, abided by this legislation when he executed the servants who had killed his father but did not touch their children (Chronicles II 25, 3-4)

רלב"ג על מלכים ב י״ד:ו׳:א׳

ואת בני המכים לא המית ככתוב בספר תורת משה. זה לאות כי כונת הכתוב באמרו לא ימותו אבו' על בני' ובנים לא יומתו על אבות שלא יומתו האבות בחטא הבנים ולא יומתו הבנים בחטא אבותיהם:

Ralbag on II Kings 14:6:1

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תרגום אונקלוס על דברים כ״ד:ט״ז

(טז) לָא יְמוּתוּן אֲבָהָן עַל פּוּם בְּנִין וּבְנִין לָא יְמוּתוּן עַל פּוּם אֲבָהָן אֱנַשׁ בְּחוֹבֵיהּ יְמוּתוּן:

Onkelos Deuteronomy 24:16

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ספרי דברים ר״פ

(א) לא יומתו אבות על בנים. וכי מה בא הכתוב ללמדנו, שלא יומתו אבות על ידי בנים, ולא בנים על ידי אבות? והרי כבר נאמר איש בחטאו יומתו! [אלא בא ללמד] שלא יומתו אבות בעדותם של בנים, ולא בנים בעדותם של אבות.

(ב) כשהוא אומר "ובנים" לרבות את הקרובים. ואלו הם הקרובים, אחיו ואחי אביו ואחי אמו ובעל אחותו ובעל אחות אביו ובעל אחות אמו ובעל אמו וחמיו וגיסו.

(ג) איש בחטאו יומתו. (אבות) [גדולים] מתים בעון עצמם, (ובנים) [קטנים] מתים בעון אבותם]:

Sifrei Devarim 280

(1) (Devarim 24:16) "Fathers shall not be put to death by cause of sons": What is Scripture coming to teach us? That fathers shall not be put to death because of (the sins of) the sons, and sons, because of (the sins of) the fathers? This is written (Ibid.) "Every man for his own sin shall be put to death." The intent is rather that fathers shall not be put to death by the testimony of sons, and sons, by the testimony of fathers.

(2) "and sons": to include the kin (as invalid for such testimony.) They are: his brothers, the brothers of his father and the brothers of his mother, the husband of his sister, the husband of his father's sister, the husband of his mother's sister, his father-in-law, and his brother-in-law.

(3) "Every man for his own sin shall be put to death (by beth-din)": Adults die for their own sins; minors (sometimes) die (at the hands of Heaven) for the sins of their fathers.

רש"י על דברים כ״ד:ט״ז:א׳

(א) לא יומתו אבות על בנים. בְּעֵדוּת בָּנִים, וְאִם תֹּאמַר בַּעֲוֹן בָּנִים, כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר איש בחטאו יומתו (ספרי; סנהדרין כ"ז):

(ב) איש בחטאו יומתו. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ אִישׁ מֵת בַּעֲוֹן אָבִיו, וְהַקְּטַנִּים מֵתִים בַּעֲוֹן אֲבוֹתָם בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם (ספרי):

Rashi on Deuteronomy 24:16:1

(1) לא יומתו אבות על בנים FATHERS SHALL NOT BE PUT TO DEATH על בנים — i.e. by the evidence of their children. But if you say it means “for the sin of their children”, then it would be redundant for it goes on to state “every man shall be put to death for his own sin” (Sifrei Devarim 280:1; Sanhedrin 27b).

רד"ק על מלכים ב' י״ד:ו׳:א׳

לא יומתו אבות על בנים. כי משמעות הכתוב כן הוא כמו שאמר איש בחטאו יומת אלא שרבותינו ז"ל קבלו כי בכלל לאו זה עדות הקרובים כמו שתרגם אונקלוס על פום בנין ועל פום אבוהון אבל עיקר ההזהרה הוא שלא יומתו האבות בעון הבנים והבנים בעון אבות כמו שהביא ראיה הנה מן הפסוק:

Radak on II Kings 14:6:1

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רשב"ם על דברים כ״ד:ט״ז:א׳

ובנים לא יומתו על אבות. בב"ד, כדכתיב: ואת בני המכים לא המית - ככתוב: לא יומתו וגו'. אבל הקב"ה פוקד עון אבות על בנים - כשאוחזים מעשה אבותיהם בידיהם, וכדכתיב: אבות יאכלו בוסר ושני בנים תקהינה - לאבד נחלת אבות, אבל לא ע"י ב״ד:

Rashbam on Deuteronomy 24:16:1

(1) ובנים לא יומתו על אבות. By the courts. This was spelled out in Kings II 14,6 ואת בני המכים לא המית ככתוב לא יומתו וגו', ”But he did not put to death the children of the assassins, in accordance with what is written in Deuteronomy 24,16.” While it is forbidden for human authorities to kill children on account of the sins of their father, G’d reserves the right for Himself to do so, as we know from Exodus 20,4 פוקד אבות על בנים, He requites the sins of the fathers to the children, if they continue in the evil footsteps of their fathers whose punishment G’d had suspended while hoping for their children to redeem their fathers by their exemplary conduct. This principle has been spelled out even more clearly in Ezekiel 18,2 where the prophet had been challenged by the exiles with the question: ‘if the parents ate unripe grapes, why should their children suffer from the resulting diarrhoea?’ They meant that seeing they had been exiled, rejected by their master, G’d, the laws of the Jewish religion should no longer apply to them. The thrust of our verse here is that the court does not have the right to use an innocent child as hostage for the crimes of his father in absentia..

במדבר רבה י״ט:ל״ג

(לג) דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָז יָשִׁיר יִשְׂרָאֵל, זֶה אֶחָד מִשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים שֶׁאָמַר משֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאָמַר לוֹ לִמַּדְתַּנִי ... הַשְּׁנִיָּה, כְּשֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא (שמות לד, ז): פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים, אָמַר משֶׁה רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם כַּמָּה רְשָׁעִים הוֹלִידוּ צַדִּיקִים, יִהְיוּ נוֹטְלִין מֵעֲוֹנוֹת אֲבִיהֶם, תֶּרַח עוֹבֵד צְלָמִים, וְאַבְרָהָם בְּנוֹ צַדִּיק, וְכֵן חִזְקִיָּה צַדִּיק, וְאָחָז אָבִיו רָשָׁע. וְכֵן יֹאשִׁיָּה צַדִּיק, וְאָמוֹן אָבִיו רָשָׁע, וְכֵן נָאֶה שֶׁיְהוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים לוֹקִין בַּעֲוֹן אֲבִיהֶם, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִמַּדְתַּנִי, חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁאֲנִי מְבַטֵּל דְּבָרַי וּמְקַיֵּם דְּבָרֶיךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כד, טז): לֹא יוּמְתוּ אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וּבָנִים לֹא יוּמְתוּ עַל אָבוֹת, וְחַיֶּיךָ שֶׁאֲנִי כּוֹתְבָן לִשְׁמֶךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים ב יד, ו): כַּכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרַת משֶׁה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' וגו':

Bamidbar Rabbah 19:33

(33) 33 Another interpretation of (Numb. 21:17), "Then Israel sang": This is one of the three things that Moses said before the Holy One, blessed be He, and He said [back] to him, "You have taught me." He said in front of Him, "Master of the Universe, from where does Israel know what they did (was wrong)? Did they not grow up in Egypt? And all of Egypt are idolaters. And when You gave the Torah, You did not give it to them, and they were also not standing there, as it is stated (Exod. 20:18), 'And the people stood from afar.' And You only gave it to me, as it is stated (Exod. 24:1), 'And He said to Moses, "Ascend to the Lord.'" And when You gave the statements (Ten Commandments), You did not give [them] to them. You did not say, 'I am the Lord, your (plural) God'; but rather I am the Lord, your (singular) God. [Hence] You said it to me. Did I sin?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "By your life, you have spoken well. You have taught Me! From now on, I will say the expression, 'I am the Lord, your (plural) God.'" The second one is when the Holy One, blessed be He, said ( in Numb. 34:7), "visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children": Moses said, "Master of the Universe, how many evildoers begat righteous ones; should they be removed by the iniquities of their parents? Terach was an idol-maker, but his son, Abraham, was righteous; so too Hezekiah was righteous, but Ahaz, his father was an evildoer; Josiah was righteous, but Amon, his father, was an evildoer. Is this proper, that the righteous be struck for the iniquities of their parents?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Behold, you have taught Me! By your life, I will nullify My words and preserve your words, as it is stated (Deut. 24:15), ‘The parents shall not die for the children, and the children shall not die for the parents'; and it is by your life that I shall write [these things] in your name, as it is stated (II Kings 14:6), 'as it is written in the Torah of Moses, which God commanded ....'" The third one is when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Make war on Sichon; even if he does not want to engage with you, wage war with him, as stated (Deut. 2:24), 'Get up, go and cross the Arnon .'" But Moses did not do like this. Rather what is written above? "And I sent messengers" (Deut. 2:26). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "By your life, I will nullify My words and preserve your words, as it is stated (Deut. 20:11), 'When you approach a town to attack it, you shall offer it terms of peace.'" Once Sichon did not accept, the Holy One, blessed be He, felled him in front of them, as it is stated (Deut. 20:33), "and we smote him." And not only that, but even [with] those that were hiding themselves in the caves to kill [the Israelites], the Holy One, blessed be He, signaled to the mountain and it crushed them, as it is stated (Ps. 74:13-14), "who smashed the heads of the monsters in the waters. It was You who crushed the heads of Leviathan." A common proverb says [that] if you gave bread to an infant, let his mother know. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "From where will Israel know the favor I did for them?" What did He do? He distanced the mountains from each other and the streams swept down [the corpses], as it is stated (Numb 21:17), "And the streams poured." And the Israelites passed by and sang song - "then Israel sang" (Numb. 21:17). Israel said, "It is for You to do miracles for us, but it is for us to bless and laud Your name" - "Salvation is to the Lord; upon Your people is Your blessing, Selah" (Ps. 3:9). Upon the waters was it decreed against Moses, so he was not mentioned in the song. Moses said, "Master of the Universe, "I am dying because of them. You gave them the Torah from the wilderness, as it is stated, (Numb. 21:18), 'and from the wilderness, Matanah (which is also the word for gift).' And they possessed (nachalu) it from my hands, as it is stated (Numb. 21:19), 'And from Matanah, Nachliel.'" And from when they possessed it, You decreed death upon me, as it is stated (Numb. 21:19), "and from Nachliel, Bamot" - and from possession comes death (menachal, ba mot). "And from Bamot, Haggai in the field of Moav" (Numb. 21:20), as it is stated (Deut. 34:6), "And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moav." Job said, "He is not partial to princes; the noble are not preferred to the wretched; for all of them are the work of His hands" (Job 34:19).

תלמוד ירושלמי מכות ב׳:ו׳:ז׳-י״א

שאלו לחכמה חוטא מהו עונשו? אמרו להם חטאים תרדף רעה (משלי יג:כא).

שאלו לנבואה חוטא מהו עונשו? אמרה להן הנפש החוטאת היא תמות (יחזקאל יח:ד).

שאלו לקודשא בריך הוא חוטא מהו עונשו? אמר להן יעשו תשובה ויתכפר לו.

היינו דכתיב טוב וישר יקוק על כן יורה חטאים בדרך (תהלים כה:ח) - יורה לחטאים דרך לעשות תשובה:

Jerusalem Talmud Makkot 2:6:7-11

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