Ki Tisa
Blessing Other Side Plagues Wells

3. He asks: Why is a plague caused by counting? HE ANSWERS: Because the blessing does not dwell on anything numbered, and since the blessing has departed, the Other Side dwells on it and can harm. Therefore, we receive ransom and redeem it in order to do the counting. And we have already discussed and learned this.

3. מוֹתָנָא אֲמַאי סָלִיק בְּמִנְיָינָא. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּבִרְכָתָא לָא שַׁרְיָא בְּמִנְיָינָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִסְתָּלַּק בִּרְכָתָא, סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא שַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ, וְיָכִיל לְאַנְזְקָא, בְּגִין כַּךְ נַטְלִין כּוּפְרָא וּפִדְיוֹנָא לְסַלְּקָא עָלֵיהּ מִנְיָינָא, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, וְאִתְּמַר.