Sefer Chasidim Siman 113
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
ואם ירננו העולם על צדיק פלוני אחד שבא לו מקרה אחד רע. תאמר לו בעון הדור נתפש שהצדיקים נתפשים בעון הדור שנאמר (איכה ד כ) רוח אפינו משיח ה' נלכד בשחיתותם:
Medieval Jewish mysticism, translated by Sholom Alchanan Singer. Northbrook, Ill. Whitehall Co., 1971
If the world speaks about such and such a righteous man upon whom there befell a misfortune, say to them, “He was seized because of the perversity of the generation,” ¹ as it is said, “The breath of our nostrils, the annointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits” (Lam. 4:20).²
footnotes: ¹ Arakhin 17a. ² Shabbath 33b.