R. Hiya applied to the Israelites who went down to Egypt the verse: “Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties” (Prov. 23, 6). ‘Indeed,’ he said, ‘the bread or any other boon offered by an evil-eyed man is not worth while partaking of or enjoying. Had the children of Israel, in going down into Egypt, not tasted the bread of the Egyptians they would not have remained there in exile, nor would the Egyptians have oppressed them.’
Said R. Isaac: ‘Was not that exile the fulfilment of a divine decree?’ R. Hiya said in reply: ‘That makes no difference, inasmuch as the decree did not mention Egypt in particular, only saying: “Thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs” (Gen. 16, 16)- not necessarily Egypt.’
R. Isaac said: ‘Though a man should have a vigorous appetite and be a hearty eater, yet if he encounters such an evil-eyed man, it were better for him to take his own life than partake of his bread.’
וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח, (משלי כ״ג:ו׳) אַל תִּלְחַם אֶת לֶחֶם רַע עַיִן וְאַל תִּתְאָו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָיו. אַל תִּלְחַם אֶת לֶחֶם רַע עַיִן, בְּגִין דְּנַהֲמָא אוֹ הֲנָאָה דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּהַוְי רַע עַיִן, לָאו אִיהוּ כְּדַאי לְמֵיכַל וּלְאִתְהֲנִי מִנִּיהּ. דְּאִי כַּד נַחְתּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִצְרַיִם, לָא יִטְעֲמוּן נַהֲמָא דְּמִצְרָאֵי, לָא אִשְׁתְּבָקוּ בְּגָלוּתָא, וְלָא יְעִיקוּן לוֹן מִצְרָאֵי.
R. Hiya applied to the Israelites who went down to Egypt the verse: “Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties” (Prov. 23, 6). ‘Indeed,’ he said, ‘the bread or any other boon offered by an evil-eyed man is not worth while partaking of or enjoying. Had the children of Israel, in going down into Egypt, not tasted the bread of the Egyptians they would not have remained there in exile, nor would the Egyptians have oppressed them.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יִצְחָק, וְהָא גְּזֵרָא אִתְגְּזַר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ, כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ כְּדְקָא יָאוּת, דְּהָא לָא אִתְגְּזַר בְּמִצְרַיִם דַּוְוקָא, דְּהָא לָא כְּתִיב (בראשית ט״ו:י״ג) כִּי גֵּר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, אֶלָּא בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם, וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּאַרְעָא אָחֲרָא.
Said R. Isaac: ‘Was not that exile the fulfilment of a divine decree?’ R. Hiya said in reply: ‘That makes no difference, inasmuch as the decree did not mention Egypt in particular, only saying: “Thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs” (Gen. 16, 16)- not necessarily Egypt.’
אָמַר ר' יִצְחָק, מַאן דְּאִיהוּ בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ, (ס"א לא ייכל עם בר נש) דְּמֵיכְלֵיהּ יַתִּיר מִשְּׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, אוֹ מַאן דְּהוּא אָזִיל בָּתַר מֵעוֹי, אִי אִעְרַע בְּהַהוּא רַע עַיִן, יְכוּס גַּרְמֵיהּ וְלָא יֵיכוּל מִנַּהֲמָא דִּילֵיהּ, דְּלֵית נַהֲמָא בִּישָׁא בְּעָלְמָא, בַּר מֵהַהוּא לֶחֶם רַע עַיִן, מַה כְּתִיב (בראשית מ״ג:ל״ב) כִּי לא יוּכְלוּן הַמִּצְרִים לֶאֱכֹל אֶת הָעִבְרִים לֶחֶם כִּי תוֹעֵבָה הִיא לְמִצְרָיִם, הָא לָךְ לֶחֶם רַע עַיִן,
R. Isaac said: ‘Though a man should have a vigorous appetite and be a hearty eater, yet if he encounters such an evil-eyed man, it were better for him to take his own life than partake of his bread.’