Rav said: A mamzer never lives more than thirty days. Rabbi Ḥunai said: Once in seventy years the Holy One blessed be He brings a great plague to the world and eradicates the mamzerim and takes the upright with them. What is the source? “He too is wise, and He brings misfortune” (Isaiah 31:2).
The verse should have said: “He brings good.” Rather, it is to teach you that even when the Holy One blessed be He brings misfortune to the world, He does so with wisdom. “He does not retract His words [devarav]” (Isaiah 31:2) – He does not remove His plague [devaro]. Why is this necessary?
“He will rise up against the house of evildoers” (Isaiah 31:2).32In order to kill the mamzerim without causing them and their families undue embarrassment by identifying them, God kills them during plagues, when many others are dying as well. This is like that which Reish Lakish said: “In the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered the sin offering shall be slaughtered” (Leviticus 6:18). Why is this necessary?
It is so the sinners will not be publicized. Reish Lakish said: There are those whom one mentions and blesses, and there are that one mentions and curses.33The word meshaḥakin, translated here as “curses,” literally means “crushes.” It was not uncommon for one to respond to hearing the name of a wicked individual by saying, “may his bones be crushed.” One mentions and blesses, “Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Ḥur, [of the tribe of Judah]” (Exodus 31:2).
One mentions and curses Akhan, son of Karmi, son of Zarḥi (see Joshua 7:1). One mentions and blesses, “count the children of Levi” (Numbers 3:15). One mentions and curses, “remember what Amalek has done to you” (Deuteronomy 25:17). One mentions and blesses, “there was a man of Judah […and his name was Mordekhai]” (Esther 2:5).
One mentions and curses, “a man who is and adversary and an enemy, [this wicked Haman]” (Esther 7:6). One mentions and blesses, “because Mordekhai of Judah” (Esther 10:3). One mentions and curses, “because Haman son of Hamedata” (Esther 9:24). One mentions and blesses, “David son of an Efratite” (I Samuel 17:12).
One mentions and curses, “Yerovam, son of Nevat, an Efratite” (I Kings 11:26). One mentions and blesses, “there was a certain man from Ramatayim…[and his name was Elkana]” (I Samuel 1:1). One mentions and curses, “there was a certain man from the Ephraim highlands, and his name was Mikhaihu” (Judges 17:1). One mentions and blesses, “and with him was Oholiav [son of Aḥisamakh of the tribe of Dan]” (Exodus 38:23).
One mentions and curses, “and the name of his mother was Shelomit, daughter of Divri, of the tribe of Dan” (Leviticus 24:11).