פירוש על עבודה זרה 33:8

The rabbis interpret Proverbs 2:19, whose simple meaning seems to refer to a prostitute or some sort of seductress, as referring to apostasy. According to this reading of the verse, when one abandon’s apostasy, one dies. It is not easy to understand why one should die when one performs teshuvah from apostasy. One answer is that separating from apostasy is so painful that it causes one to die.
This will open an extended passage on apostasy. As is almost always the case, there are conflicting sources. Below I will use the Hebrew term “minut” which is difficult to translate, instead of apostasy.