(Numb. 25:1:) “[While Israel was staying at Shittim,] the people began to go whoring.” There are springs that rear warriors, and there are those that rear weaklings; some that rear handsome ones and some that rear ugly ones; some that rear modest ones and some that rear lecherous ones. The spring of Shittim was one of whoredom, and it watered Sodom. You find that [the men of Sodom] said (in Gen. 19:5), “Where are the men …; bring them out unto us that we may know them.” Because that spring was cursed, the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to dry it up [and then renew it],<sup class="footnote-marker">90</sup><i class="footnote">Although neither this text nor its parallels contain the bracketed words, some such addition is necessary for the words cited from Joel 4:18 to make sense.</i> as stated (in Joel 4:18), “then a spring shall issue from the house of the Lord and shall water the Wadi of the Acacias (<i>Shittim</i>).” From the days of Abraham they were never unbridled in unchastity, until they came to Shittim and drank of its water. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 25:1), “the people began to go whoring.” Come and see what is written in their leaving from Egypt: (In Exodus 14:2,) “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-Hahiroth (which sounds like liberty, <i>heiruth</i>).” What is the meaning of Pi-Hahiroth? It was a place that was fixed for unchastity. And because they sheltered themselves [from it] in their leaving it was called Pi-Hahiroth. But these [ones at Shittim] because they made themselves out of control to women, it is written, (in Numb. 25:1), “the people began to go whoring unto the Daughters of Moab.” (Numb. 25:1:) “The people began.” Every place that “the people” is mentioned, it is an expression of shame; but every place that “Israel” is mentioned, it is an expression of commendation:<sup class="footnote-marker">91</sup><i class="footnote">Numb. R. 20:23.</i> (In Numb. 11:1,) “Now the people were as murmurers [speaking evil in the ears of the Lord]”; (in Numb. 21:5,) “So the people spoke against God and against Moses”; (in Numb. 14:1,) “and the people wept”; (in Exod. 32:25,) “And Moshe saw that the people were wild”; (in Exod. 32:1,) “and the people gathered together against Aaron”; ( and in Numb. 25:1,) “the people began.” (Numb. 25:1:) “The people began.” Throw a stick into the air,<sup class="footnote-marker">92</sup><i class="footnote">Gk.: <i>aer.</i></i> [and] it falls to its place of origin (i.e., its root).<sup class="footnote-marker">93</sup><i class="footnote">For this proverb in other contexts, see Gen. R. 53:15; 86:6.</i> The one who had begun with the whoredom at first, finished with it in the end. Their matriarchs (i.e., the matriarchs of Ammon and Moab) began with whoredom (according to Gen. 19:31-34), “And the first-born said to the younger, ‘Let us give our father to drink….’ [So it came to pass on the next day] that the first-born said unto the younger….” She (the first-born) had instructed her in whoredom, and for that reason the Holy One, blessed be He, had pity on the younger and did not expose her. Rather (according to vs. 35), “and she slept with him”; but with reference to the elder, it is written (in vs. 33), “and slept with her father.”<sup class="footnote-marker">94</sup><i class="footnote">Thus in the case of the elder, her incest was specifically mentioned.</i> In the case of the one who began in whoredom at first, her daughters (i.e., the daughters of Moab) went after her to finish [it], as stated (in Numb. 25:1), “the people began to go whoring unto the Daughters of Moab.”