EXOD629 R. Shmuel b. Nachmani said in the name of R. Yonathan: Calamity visits the world only when there are evildoers in the world, as it is written: "If fire go out and find thorns…" When does fire go out? Only when "thorns" are found for it. And the [calamity] begins with the righteous, as it is written: [lit.,] "and the 'sheaves' have been consumed." It is not written; "and the sheaves will be consumed," but "have been consumed" -- They have been consumed already [i.e., even before the thorns] (Bava Kamma 60a)