Commentary for Avodah Zarah 9:13
מיתיבי (דברים ה, כו) מי יתן והיה לבבם זה להם לבטל מהם מלאך המות א"א שכבר נגזרה גזרה
They raised on objection: “May they always be of such a mind [… that it might go well with them and their children]” (Deuteronomy 5:26). This obviously does not refer to the abolition of the angel of death, since the decree [of death] had already been made? It means therefore that Israel accepted the Torah only so that no nation or tongue would prevail against them, as it is said,
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
This baraita is brought as a difficulty on a statement by Resh Lakish earlier, that were it not for the sin with golden calf, Israel would have lived forever. The baraita implies that after Adam was punished for eating from the tree there was no way to abolish death from the world.
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