Question: I am trying to recall or find the teaching about the Angel of Death that says “Each day G-d sends the Angel of Death to destroy the earth, but each day G-d [calls it back ?] on account of [?]”Can you tell me how this teaching concludes, the correct quote and where I can find it?

Answer: I believe the source that you are referring to can be found in the second chapter of Tractate Kallah Rabbasi (Minor Tractates of the Talmud published as an appendix to Tractate Avodah Zarah in the Vilna Edition of the Babylonian Talmud) in the discussion of the 8th baraisa:”Each day an angel goes out from before The Holy One, Blessed be He, to destroy the world and revert it to as it was, but since The Holy One, Blessed be He, gazes at the children of the house of Torah study and at the Torah scholars that sit in the study halls, immediately His anger is replaced with mercy.”

“B’chol yom malach yotzei m’lifnei HKB”H l’chavel es ha’olam u’l’hafcho l’kamos sh’haya, ella kivan sh’HKB”H mistakeil b’tinokos shel beis Rabban u’b’talmidei chachomim sh’yoshvin b’batei medrashos, m’yad n’hapoch kaaso l’rachamim.”

It’s highly possible that there are other parallel sources which differ slightly, but that is the reference that I am immediately familiar with – I hope it’s useful to you.

Best wishes,
R’ Yitzchok Willroth