To criticize harshly (vehemently)
By metaphor: judged or punished him with great severity. Or: harshly criticized him beyond measure.
("The Holy One, blessed be He, changed for them the work of Creation, and raised the sun's influence by day, and took two stars, and brought a flood upon the world... In fury they corrupted, and in fury they were judged. In fury they corrupted—by transgression, and in fury they were judged" - Rosh Hashanah 12a. And likewise: "Suddenly examining... and finds that they were not yet expelled and not yet fully purified properly—and she judged them vehemently and with a second severity" - Bialik / Behind the Fence, 2 page.)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
דָּן אוֹתוֹ בְּרוֹתְחִין
Definition (Hebrew)
בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: שָׁפַט אוֹ הֶעֱנִישׁ אוֹתוֹ בְּחֻמְרָה רַבָּה. אוֹ: מָתַח עָלָיו בִּקֹּרֶת קָשָׁה בְּיוֹתֵר עָלָיו.
("שִׁנָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֲלֵיהֶם מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית, וְהֶעֱלָה מַזַּל כִּימָה בַּיּוֹם, וְנָטַל שְׁנֵי כּוֹכָבִים, וְהֵבִיא מַבּוּל לָעוֹלָם...בְּרוֹתְחִין קִלְקְלוּ וּבְרוֹתְחִין נִדּוֹנוּ. בְּרוֹתְחִין קִלְקְלוּ- בַּעֲבֵרָה, וּבְרוֹתְחִין נִדּוֹנוּ"- רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה יב ע"א, וְכֵן:"בּוֹדֶקֶת פִּתְאוֹם ...וּמוֹצֵאת שֶׁלֹּא הֻדְּחוּ וְשֶׁלֹּא נִתְמָרְקוּ עֲדַיִן כַּהֹגֶן- וְהִיא דָּנָה אוֹתָם בְּרוֹתְחִין וּבְהַגְעָלָה פַּעַם שְׁנִיָּה"-בְּיָאלִיק/ מֵאֲחוֹרֵי הַגָּדֵר, ב ע)