The Angel of Death is present among the women

26. While they were studying the Torah, daylight broke. They stood up and went to be before Rabbi Shimon. When he saw them, Rabbi Shimon said: "Elazar my son, you and the friends, remain hidden for these three days, and do not go outside, because the Angel of Death is in town and has permission to cause damage. Since permission was given to the Destroyer, he can destroy whomever appears before him.

27. Furthermore, when he, THE ANGEL OF DEATH, wants to destroy a person, he rises to accuse that person and repeats his offenses. He demands justice before the Holy One, blessed be He, and does not leave before that person is sentenced, and permission is given. Then he kills him.

28. Rabbi Shimon said: 'by Elohim', MEANING THAT HE SWORE IN THE NAME OF ELOHIM, most people do not die before their time, except those who do not know how to protect themselves, because when a dead man is taken from his house to the cemetery, the Angel of Death is among the women. Why is he among the women? BECAUSE this is his way since he seduced Eve and through her he brought death to the whole world. This is why when he kills a man, and the men are with the dead, THE ANGEL OF DEATH comes in among the women, on the way TO THE CEMETERY.

29. And THEN he has permission to kill people. He looks at the faces of those seen before him on the way TO THE CEMETERY, from the time when they take the dead from his house to burial until they get back to their houses. That is why he causes death for some men in the world before their time. Of that speaks the verse, "but sometimes ruin comes without judgment" (Mishlei 13:23). Because he goes up and accuses and repeats the offenses of that person before the Holy One, blessed be He. That person is judged for those offenses and passes away before his time.

30. HE ASKS: What his remedy is, HOW TO BEWARE OF THE ANGEL OF DEATH, AND SAYS that when the dead man is carried to the cemetery, a man should turn his face away from the women, and let them walk behind him. And if the women walk first, he should walk behind them, so as not to see them face to face. And when they come back from the cemetery, he should not walk on the same way where the women are standing, nor look at them at all, but go another way. And since most people do not know and do not care for this, most of them are judged and pass away before their time.

31. Rabbi Elazar said: if this be so, then it is better for a man not to escort the dead. Rabbi Shimon said no. For a man who takes care of himself in that manner is worthy of a long life, and also of the World to Come.

32. Come and see, not for nothing did the ancient wise men decree that a Shofar was to be blown when the dead was taken from his house. You might say, this is solely to honor the dead. But no. This is to protect the living, so that the Angel of Death would have no power over them to accuse them above, and they might avoid him.

33. He started by saying, "And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you..." (Bemidbar 10:9). I have observed that "the enemy," refers to the Angel of Death, that "oppresses you" forever, killing people and seeking to kill everyone. What is to be done about him? "then you shall blow an alarm" (Bemidbar 10:9). On Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), which is the day of Judgment above, the Angel of Death comes down to examine people's deeds and then ascends and prosecutes them. And Yisrael, who know that the Angel of Death comes down and then goes up to be their prosecutor, blow the Shofar early and complain against him so he would have no power against them, and in order to protect themselves.

34. All the more so when the Angel of Death punishes and takes lives, and also when people go to the cemetery and return from it, because when women walk to the funeral, he comes down and dwells among them, as says the verse "her feet go down to death" (Mishlei 5:5). Where do they go down? NAMELY, to that place which is called death, FOR THE ANGEL OF DEATH COMES BEFORE THEM, WHILE THEY WALK TO ESCORT THE DEAD, because Eve brought death upon the whole world, may the Merciful save us.

35. Come and see, it is written: "Likewise the way of an adulterous woman" (Mishlei 30:20), which we already interpreted . But "Likewise the way of an adulterous woman" alludes to the Angel of Death. This is him and that is his name. "She eats and wipes her mouth" (Ibid.), for he burns the world with his flames and kills people before their time. "and says I have done nothing wrong" (Ibid.), for he asked for justice and they were found guilty, and died according to true law.

36. When Yisrael made the calf and many died, the Angel of Death was among the women inside the camp of Yisrael. When Moses saw the Angel of Death among the women, and the camp of Yisrael between them, he immediately gathered all the men by themselves. This is the meaning of the verse "And Moses gathered all the Congregation of the children of Yisrael together" (Shemot 35;10. These were the men alone, who were gathered and separated.

37. And the Angel of Death did not leave the women until the tabernacle was built, as was written: "and Moses erected the tabernacle" (Shemot 40:18). And even when the women brought offerings to the tabernacle, the Angel of Death did not move away from them, until Moses saw that, and advised the men not to have contact with them and not to look at them face to face, but to walk behind them. This is the meaning of the verse "And they came (Heb. vayavo'u), both men and women" (Shemot 35:22). It does not say 'and they brought (Heb. vayavi'u)' but - "and they came." THIS TEACHES US THAT THE MEN did not walk with THE WOMEN together but behind them. All this is because the Angel of Death did not leave them until the tabernacle was built.

38. Come and see: THE ANGEL OF DEATH is not among the women when they are less than seven together or less than ten together. HE EXPLAINS: in public he is among seven women and seeks to punish. And if there are ten women he prosecutes in order to kill. And since he is among them openly, it is written: "And they came, both men and women." VIZ. BEHIND THEIR BACKS AS MENTIONED ABOVE. And all the friends were watchful that day and studied Torah.

39. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion and said, "And Hashem said to Noah, come you and all your house into the ark" (Beresheet 7:1). We already explained this verse. But come and see, could not the Holy One, blessed be He, keep Noah in one place in the world, so that when there would be flood, it would not reach that particular place? This is as was said concerning Gidon "let it be now only dry upon the fleece" (Shoftim 6:40). Or could He not keep him in the land of Yisrael, of which it is written: "nor rained upon in the day of indignation" (Yechezkel 22:24) meaning that the flood did not come upon it?

40. AND ANSWERS: since the Destroyer came in the world, whoever did not hide himself, and was present before him in openly, forfeits his life, because he brings death on himself. How do we know that? from Lot, as states the verse "Escape for your life, look not behind you" (Beresheet. 19:17). What is the sense of "look not behind you?" It is because the Destroyer walked behind his back and if Lot had turned his head and looked him face to face, the angel might have done him harm.

41. And therefore it is written OF NOAH: "and Hashem shut him in" (Beresheet 7:16), so he would not be seen by the destroyer and the Angel of Death would have no power over him . And while the friends were hiding AT HOME, thirteen men in town died. Rabbi Shimon said: blessed be the Merciful, that the Angel of Death did not behold your images.

42. "And Moses gathered." He repeats the building of the tabernacle a second time, as before IN THE PORTION OF TRUMAH. Rabbi Chiya said: everything is as we learned that the building of the tabernacle was done solely by Yisrael and not by the mixed multitude. For the mixed multitude drew AGAIN the Angel of Death and he descended into the world. Since Moses saw that, he threw the riff-raff out and gathered Yisrael only. It is written in the verse: "And Moses gathered," aND NOT LIKE IN TRUMAH, WHERE IT WAS SAID, "OF EVERY MAN WHOSE HEART PROMPTS HIM..." (SHEMOT 25:2), FOR THE MIXED MULTITUDE WAS PART OF THE CONGREGATION. AND THEREFORE THERE WAS NEED TO SAY THE BUILDING OF THE TABERNACLE A SECOND TIME.