אָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי עַל דִּבְרַת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם, עַל מִדְבָּרוֹת שֶׁהָרְשָׁעִים מְדַבְּרִים בָּהֶם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, שֶׁהֵם מְחָרְפִין וּמְגַדְּפִין בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַשְׁפִּיעַ לָהֶם שָׁלוֹם, כָּל כָּךְ לָמָּה לְבָרָם הָאֱלֹהִים, לְבָרֵר לָהֶם מִדַּת הַדִּין שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים, וְלִרְאוֹת שְׁהֶם בְּהֵמָה הֵמָּה לָהֶם, לִרְאוֹת וּלְהַרְאוֹת לָעוֹלָם שֶׁהָרְשָׁעִים נִמְשְׁלוּ כִּבְהֵמָה, מַה הַבְּהֵמָה נִדּוֹנֵית בַּהֲרִיגָה וְאֵינָה בָּאָה לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, אַף הָרְשָׁעִים כַּבְּהֵמוֹת נִדּוֹנִין בַּהֲרִיגָה וְאֵינָן בָּאִים לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. דָּבָר אַחֵר, עַל דִּבְרַת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם, עַל מִדְבָּרוֹת שֶׁהַצַּדִּיקִים מְדַבְּרִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּסִגּוּף וּבְתַעֲנִיּוֹת וּבְיִסּוּרִין, וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה לְבָרָם הָאֱלֹהִים, לְבָרֵר לָהֶם מִדַּת צִדְקוּתָם, וְלִרְאוֹת שְׁהֶם בְּהֵמָה הֵמָּה לָהֶם, לִרְאוֹת וּלְהַרְאוֹת לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם הֵיאַךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל נִמְשָׁכִין אַחֲרָיו כַּבְּהֵמָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל לד, לא): וְאַתֵּן צֹאנִי צֹאן מַרְעִיתִי אָדָם אַתֶּם, אֶלָּא מַה בְּהֵמָה זוֹ פּוֹשֶׁטֶת צַוָּארָהּ לַשְּׁחִיטָה, כָּךְ הַצַּדִּיקִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים מד, כג): כִּי עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ כָל הַיּוֹם וגו', אֶלָּא הַמַּסֹּרֶת הַזֶּה תִּהְיֶה בְּיָדֶךָ, כָּל הָעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה סָמוּךְ לְמִיתָתוֹ דּוֹמֶה שֶׁלֹא הָיְתָה מִדַּת צִדְקָתוֹ חֲסֵרָה כִּי אִם אוֹתָהּ מִצְוָה וְהִשְׁלִימָהּ, וְכָל הָעוֹבֵר עֲבֵרָה סָמוּךְ לְמִיתָתוֹ דּוֹמֶה שֶׁלֹא הָיְתָה מִדַּת רִשְׁעָתוֹ חֲסֵרָה אֶלָּא אוֹתָהּ עֲבֵרָה וְהִשְׁלִימָהּ, אֵלּוּ וְאֵלּוּ הוֹלְכִין שְׁלֵמִין, אֵלּוּ שְׁלֵמִין בְּמִדַּת צִדְקָם וְאֵלּוּ שְׁלֵמִין בְּמִדַּת רִשְׁעָם. רַבִּי בּוֹן וְרַבִּי יִצְחָק, רַבִּי בּוֹן אָמַר, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא כְשֵׁם שֶׁהֶעֱמַדְתִּי נְבִיאִים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהֵם קְרוּיִים אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אָדָם אַתֶּם, לֹא כָךְ הֶעֱמַדְתִּי נְבִיאִים לָעַכּוּ״ם שֶׁהֵם קְרוּיִים בְּהֵמָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יונה ד, יא): וּבְהֵמָה רַבָּה. וְרַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר.
“I said in my heart: It is by the speech of the sons of man that God has differentiated them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as animals” (Ecclesiastes 3:18). “I said in my heart: It is by the speech of the sons of man” – by the matters of which the wicked speak in this world, for they curse and blaspheme in this world, and the Holy One blessed be He bestows tranquility upon them. To what purpose? “That God has differentiated [levaram] them,” to designate [levarer] the attribute of justice for the wicked. “And that they may see that they themselves are but as animals,” to see and to show the world that the wicked are likened to animals, just as the animal is condemned to be killed and does not come to life in the World to Come, so too, the wicked, like the animals, are condemned to be killed and do not come to life in the World to Come. Another matter, “it is by the speech of the sons of man” – by the matters of which the righteous speak in this world regarding asceticism, fasts, and suffering. To what purpose? “That God has differentiated [levaram] them,” to designate [levarer] for them [reward for] the measure of their righteousness. “And that they may see that they themselves are but as animals,” to see and to show the world how Israel is drawn after Him like animals, as it is stated: “Now, you are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are Man” (Ezekiel 34:31). And just as this animal extends its neck for slaughter, so, too, the righteous, as it is stated: “For we are killed all day long for You…” (Psalms 44:23). Let this tradition be in your hand, anyone who performs a mitzva just before his death, it is as though his measure of righteousness was lacking only that mitzva, and he completed it. And one who performs a transgression just before his death, it is as though his measure of wickedness was lacking only that transgression, and he completed it. Both these and those go whole; these whole in the measure of their righteousness and those whole in the measure of their wickedness. Rabbi Bon and Rabbi Yitzḥak, Rabbi Bon said: Is it not, just as I established prophets from Israel who are called man, as it is stated: “You are Man” (Ezekiel 34:31), did I not establish prophets for the idolaters who are called animals, as it is stated: “[Should I not have pity on Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand people…] and many animals” (Jonah 4:11). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: