1. Septuagint, Tobit, 12.10 (10th cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 12.10. but those who commit sin are the enemies of their own lives. |
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2. Hebrew Bible, 2 Kings, 2.12, 3.16-3.19, 6.16-6.20, 6.22-6.23, 13.14 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 2.12. וֶאֱלִישָׁע רֹאֶה וְהוּא מְצַעֵק אָבִי אָבִי רֶכֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפָרָשָׁיו וְלֹא רָאָהוּ עוֹד וַיַּחֲזֵק בִּבְגָדָיו וַיִּקְרָעֵם לִשְׁנַיִם קְרָעִים׃ 3.16. וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה עָשֹׂה הַנַּחַל הַזֶּה גֵּבִים גֵּבִים׃ 3.17. כִּי־כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה לֹא־תִרְאוּ רוּחַ וְלֹא־תִרְאוּ גֶשֶׁם וְהַנַּחַל הַהוּא יִמָּלֵא מָיִם וּשְׁתִיתֶם אַתֶּם וּמִקְנֵיכֶם וּבְהֶמְתְּכֶם׃ 3.18. וְנָקַל זֹאת בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה וְנָתַן אֶת־מוֹאָב בְּיֶדְכֶם׃ 3.19. וְהִכִּיתֶם כָּל־עִיר מִבְצָר וְכָל־עִיר מִבְחוֹר וְכָל־עֵץ טוֹב תַּפִּילוּ וְכָל־מַעְיְנֵי־מַיִם תִּסְתֹּמוּ וְכֹל הַחֶלְקָה הַטּוֹבָה תַּכְאִבוּ בָּאֲבָנִים׃ 6.16. וַיֹּאמֶר אַל־תִּירָא כִּי רַבִּים אֲשֶׁר אִתָּנוּ מֵאֲשֶׁר אוֹתָם׃ 6.17. וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֱלִישָׁע וַיֹּאמַר יְהוָה פְּקַח־נָא אֶת־עֵינָיו וְיִרְאֶה וַיִּפְקַח יְהוָה אֶת־עֵינֵי הַנַּעַר וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה הָהָר מָלֵא סוּסִים וְרֶכֶב אֵשׁ סְבִיבֹת אֱלִישָׁע׃ 6.18. וַיֵּרְדוּ אֵלָיו וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֱלִישָׁע אֶל־יְהוָה וַיֹּאמַר הַךְ־נָא אֶת־הַגּוֹי־הַזֶּה בַּסַּנְוֵרִים וַיַּכֵּם בַּסַּנְוֵרִים כִּדְבַר אֱלִישָׁע׃ 6.19. וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אֱלִישָׁע לֹא זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ וְלֹא זֹה הָעִיר לְכוּ אַחֲרַי וְאוֹלִיכָה אֶתְכֶם אֶל־הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר תְּבַקֵּשׁוּן וַיֹּלֶךְ אוֹתָם שֹׁמְרוֹנָה׃ 6.22. וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תַכֶּה הַאֲשֶׁר שָׁבִיתָ בְּחַרְבְּךָ וּבְקַשְׁתְּךָ אַתָּה מַכֶּה שִׂים לֶחֶם וָמַיִם לִפְנֵיהֶם וְיֹאכְלוּ וְיִשְׁתּוּ וְיֵלְכוּ אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיהֶם׃ 6.23. וַיִּכְרֶה לָהֶם כֵּרָה גְדוֹלָה וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם וַיֵּלְכוּ אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיהֶם וְלֹא־יָסְפוּ עוֹד גְּדוּדֵי אֲרָם לָבוֹא בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ 13.14. וֶאֱלִישָׁע חָלָה אֶת־חָלְיוֹ אֲשֶׁר יָמוּת בּוֹ וַיֵּרֶד אֵלָיו יוֹאָשׁ מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּבְךְּ עַל־פָּנָיו וַיֹּאמַר אָבִי אָבִי רֶכֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפָרָשָׁיו׃ | 2.12. And Elisha saw it, and he cried: ‘My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof! ’ And he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces." 3.16. And he said: ‘Thus saith the LORD: Make this valley full of trenches." 3.17. For thus saith the LORD: Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water; and ye shall drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts." 3.18. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand." 3.19. And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all fountains of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’" 6.16. And he answered: ‘Fear not: for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.’" 6.17. And Elisha prayed, and said: ‘LORD, I pray Thee, open his eyes, that he may see.’ And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." 6.18. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said: ‘Smite this people, I pray Thee, with blindness.’ And He smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha." 6.19. And Elisha said unto them: ‘This is not the way, neither is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek.’ And he led them to Samaria." 6.20. And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said: ‘LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.’ And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria." 6.22. And he answered: ‘Thou shalt not smite them; hast thou taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow those whom thou wouldest smite? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.’" 6.23. And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Aram came no more into the land of Israel." 13.14. Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he was to die; and Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over him, and said: ‘My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof! ’" |
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3. Hebrew Bible, Joshua, 15.18 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 15.18. וַיְהִי בְּבוֹאָהּ וַתְּסִיתֵהוּ לִשְׁאוֹל מֵאֵת־אָבִיהָ שָׂדֶה וַתִּצְנַח מֵעַל הַחֲמוֹר וַיֹּאמֶר־לָהּ כָּלֵב מַה־לָּךְ׃ | 15.18. And it came to pass, when she came unto him, that she persuaded him to ask of her father a field; and she alighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her: ‘What wouldest thou?’" |
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4. Septuagint, Tobit, 12.10 (4th cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 12.10. but those who commit sin are the enemies of their own lives. |
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5. Septuagint, 2 Maccabees, 14.37 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 14.37. A certain Razis, one of the elders of Jerusalem, was denounced to Nicanor as a man who loved his fellow citizens and was very well thought of and for his good will was called father of the Jews.' |
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6. Septuagint, Judith, 13.16 (2nd cent. BCE - 0th cent. CE)
| 13.16. As the Lord lives, who has protected me in the way I went, it was my face that tricked him to his destruction, and yet he committed no act of sin with me, to defile and shame me. |
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7. Ignatius, To The Philadelphians, 4 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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8. Ignatius, To The Philadelphians, 4 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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9. Mishnah, Avot, 2.8 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.8. Rabban Yoha ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai.He used to say: if you have learned much torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created. Rabban Yoha ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Haiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. He [Rabbi Joha] used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Haiah happy is the woman that gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose, the priest, is a pious man; Rabbi Simeon ben Nethaneel is one that fears sin, And Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that [ever] gathers force. He [Rabbi Yoha] used to say: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus also with them, and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all." |
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10. Mishnah, Middot, 2.5-2.6 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.5. The courtyard of the women was a hundred and thirty-five cubits long by a hundred and thirty-five wide. It had four chambers in its four corners, each of which was forty cubits. They were not roofed, and so they will be in the time to come, as it says, “Then he brought me forth into the outer court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court, and behold in every corner of the court there was a court. In the four corners of the court there were keturot courts” (Ezekiel 46:21-22) and keturot means that they were not roofed. For what were they used? The southeastern one was the chamber of the Nazirites where the Nazirites used to boil their shelamim and shave their hair and throw it under the pot. The northeastern one was the wood chamber where priests with physical defects used to pick out the wood which had worms, every piece with a worm in it being unfit for use on the altar. The northwestern one was the chamber of those with skin disease. The southwestern one: Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob said: I forget what it was used for. Abba Shaul says: they used to store there wine and oil, and it was called the chamber of oil. It [the courtyard of the women] had originally been smooth [without protrusions in the walls] but subsequently they surrounded it with a balcony so that the women could look on from above while the men were below, and they should not mix together. Fifteen steps led up from it to the courtyard of Israel, corresponding to the fifteen [songs of] ascents mentioned in the Book of Psalms, and upon which the Levites used to sing. They were not rectangular but circular like the half of a threshing floor." 2.6. There were chambers underneath the Court of Israel which opened into the Court of Women, where the Levites used to keep lyres and lutes and cymbals and all kinds of musical instruments. The Court of Israel was a hundred and thirty-five cubits in length by eleven in breadth. Similarly the Court of the Priests was a hundred and thirty-five cubits in length by eleven in breadth. And a row of mosaic stones separated the Court of Israel from the Court of the Priests. Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob says: there was a step a cubit high on which a platform was placed, and it had three steps each of half a cubit in height. In this way the Court of the Priests was made two and a half cubits higher than that of Israel. The whole of the Court was a hundred and eighty-seven cubits in length by a hundred and thirty-five in breadth. And thirteen prostrations were made there. Abba Yose ben Ha says: they were made facing the thirteen gates. On the south beginning from the west there were the upper gate, the gate of burning, the gate of the firstborn, and the water gate. And why was it called the water gate? Because they brought in through it the pitcher of water for libation on the festival. Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob says: in it the water welled up, and in the time to come from there it will come out from under the threshold of the Temple. Corresponding to them in the north beginning in the west were the gate of Yehoniah, the gate of the offering, the women's gate, the gate of song. Why was it called the gate of Yehoniah? Because Yehoniah went forth into captivity through it. On the east was the gate of Nicanor; it had two doors, one on its right and one on its left (10 +. There were further two gates in the west which had no special name (12 +." |
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11. Mishnah, Miqvaot, 2.10 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.10. A mikveh which contains forty seahs of water and mud [combined]: Rabbi Eliezer says: one may immerse objects in the water but one may not immerse them in the mud. But Rabbi Joshua says: in the water and also in the mud. In what kind of mud may objects be immersed? Mud over which water floats. If the water was on one side only, Rabbi Joshua agrees that objects may be immersed in the water but may not be immersed in the mud. of what kind of mud have they spoken? Mud into which a reed will sink of itself, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah says: [mud] in which a measuring-rod will not stand upright. Abba Elazar ben Dulai says: [mud] into which a plummet will sink. Rabbi Eliezer says: such as will go down into the mouth of a jar. Rabbi Shimon says: such as will enter into the tube of a water- skin. Rabbi Elazar bar Zadok says: such as can be measured in a log measure." |
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12. New Testament, 2 Corinthians, 11.7 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
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13. New Testament, Hebrews, 11.37-11.38 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 11.37. They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 11.38. (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth. |
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14. New Testament, Matthew, 23.9 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 23.9. Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. |
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15. Ps.-Philo, Biblical Antiquities, 53.3 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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16. Athanasius, Life of Anthony, 7.12 (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
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17. Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 87a. (בראשית יט, ג) ויפצר בם מאד א"ר אלעזר מכאן שמסרבין לקטן ואין מסרבין לגדול,כתיב (בראשית יח, ה) ואקחה פת לחם וכתיב (בראשית יח, ז) ואל הבקר רץ אברהם אמר רבי אלעזר מכאן שצדיקים אומרים מעט ועושים הרבה רשעים אומרים הרבה ואפילו מעט אינם עושים,מנלן מעפרון מעיקרא כתיב (בראשית כג, טו) ארץ ארבע מאות שקל כסף ולבסוף כתיב (בראשית כג, טז) וישמע אברהם אל עפרון וישקל אברהם לעפרון את הכסף אשר דבר באזני בני חת ארבע מאות שקל כסף עובר לסוחר דלא שקל מיניה אלא קנטרי דאיכא דוכתא דקרי ליה לתיקלא קנטירא,כתיב (בראשית יח, ו) קמח וכתיב סלת א"ר יצחק מכאן שהאשה צרה עיניה באורחים יותר מן האיש,כתיב (בראשית יח, ו) לושי ועשי עוגות וכתיב (בראשית יח, ח) ויקח חמאה וחלב ובן הבקר ואילו לחם לא אייתי לקמייהו,אמר אפרים מקשאה תלמידו של רבי מאיר משמיה דרבי מאיר אברהם אבינו אוכל חולין בטהרה היה ושרה אמנו אותו היום פירסה נדה,(בראשית יח, ט) ויאמרו אליו איה שרה אשתך ויאמר הנה באהל להודיע ששרה אמנו צנועה היתה אמר רב יהודה אמר רב ואיתימא רבי יצחק יודעים היו מלאכי השרת ששרה אמנו באהל היתה אלא מאי באהל כדי לחבבה על בעלה,רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא אמר כדי לשגר לה כוס של ברכה תני משום רבי יוסי למה נקוד על איו שבאליו לימדה תורה דרך ארץ שישאל אדם באכסניא שלו והאמר שמואל אין שואלין בשלום אשה כלל על ידי בעלה שאני,(בראשית יח, יב) אחרי בלותי היתה לי עדנה אמר רב חסדא אחר שנתבלה הבשר ורבו הקמטין נתעדן הבשר ונתפשטו הקמטין וחזר היופי למקומו,כתיב (בראשית יח, יב) ואדוני זקן וכתיב (בראשית יח, יג) ואני זקנתי דלא מותיב הקב"ה כדקאמרה איהי,תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל גדול שלום שאפי' הקב"ה שינה בו שנאמר (בראשית יח, יב) ותצחק שרה בקרבה וגו' (בראשית יח, יב) ואדוני זקן וכתיב (בראשית יח, יג) ויאמר ה' אל אברהם וגו' ואני זקנתי,(בראשית כא, ז) ותאמר מי מלל לאברהם הניקה בנים שרה כמה בנים הניקה שרה אמר רבי לוי אותו היום שגמל אברהם את יצחק בנו עשה סעודה גדולה היו כל אומות העולם מרננים ואומרים ראיתם זקן וזקנה שהביאו אסופי מן השוק ואומרים בנינו הוא ולא עוד אלא שעושין משתה גדול להעמיד דבריהם,מה עשה אברהם אבינו הלך וזימן כל גדולי הדור ושרה אמנו זימנה את נשותיהם וכל אחת ואחת הביאה בנה עמה ומניקתה לא הביאה ונעשה נס בשרה אמנו ונפתחו דדיה כשני מעיינות והניקה את כולן ועדיין היו מרננים ואומרים אם שרה הבת תשעים שנה תלד אברהם בן מאה שנה יוליד מיד נהפך קלסתר פנים של יצחק ונדמה לאברהם פתחו כולם ואמרו (בראשית כה, יט) אברהם הוליד את יצחק,עד אברהם לא היה זקנה מאן דהוה בעי למשתעי בהדי אברהם משתעי בהדי יצחק בהדי יצחק משתעי בהדי אברהם אתא אברהם בעא רחמי והוה זקנה שנאמר (בראשית כד, א) ואברהם זקן בא בימים,עד יעקב לא הוה חולשא אתא יעקב בעא רחמי והוה חולשא שנאמר (בראשית מח, א) ויאמר ליוסף הנה אביך חולה עד דאתא אלישע לא הוה דחליש ואתפח אתא אלישע בעא רחמי ואתפח שנאמר (מלכים ב יג, יד) ואלישע חלה את חליו אשר ימות בו מכלל דחלה חלי אחריתי,תנו רבנן שלשה חלאין חלה אלישע אחד שדחפו לגיחזי בשתי ידיו ואחד שגירה דובין בתינוקות ואחד שמת בו שנאמר (מלכים ב יג, יד) ואלישע חלה את חליו אשר ימות בו:,אלא עד שלא יתחילו במלאכה צא ואמור להם על מנת שאין לכם עלי אלא פת וקטנית כו': אמר ליה רב אחא בריה דרב יוסף לרב חסדא פת קטנית תנן או פת וקטנית תנן אמר ליה האלהים צריכה וי"ו כי מורדיא דלברות:,רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר אינו צריך הכל כמנהג המדינה: הכל לאתויי מאי לאתויי הא דתנן השוכר את הפועל ואמר לו כאחד וכשנים מבני העיר נותן לו כפחות שבשכירות דברי רבי יהושע וחכמים אומרים משמנין ביניהם:, big strongמתני׳ /strong /big ואלו אוכלין מן התורה העושה במחובר לקרקע בשעת גמר מלאכה ובתלוש מן הקרקע עד שלא נגמרה מלאכתו ובדבר שגידולו מן הארץ ואלו שאין אוכלים העושה במחובר לקרקע | 87a. b“And he urged them greatly”(Genesis 19:3), only after which they acquiesced? bRabbi Elazar says: From herewe learn bthat one may declinethe request of ba lesser man, but one may not declinethe request of ba great man. /b,The Gemara continues analyzing the same passage. bIt is written: “And I will fetch a morsel of bread,and satisfy your heart” (Genesis 18:5), band it is written: “And Abraham ran to the herd,and fetched a calf tender and good” (Genesis 18:7). bRabbi Elazar said: From herewe learn bthatthe brighteous say little and do much,whereas the bwicked say much and do not do even a little. /b, bFrom where do wederive this principle that the wicked say much and do not do even a little? We derive it bfrom Ephron. Initially, it is writtenthat Ephron said to Abraham: b“A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver,what is that between me and you?” (Genesis 23:15). And bultimately it is written: “And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant”(Genesis 23:16), i.e., shekels that could be used in any location. This teaches bthatnot only did Ephron take shekels from Abraham, bhe took from him only centenaria [ ikantarei /i],i.e., superior coins, bas there is a place where they call a shekel a centenarius. /b,The verse states: “Make ready quickly three measures of flour, fine flour” (Genesis 18:6). The Gemara questions the apparent redundancy. bIt is written: “Flour,” and it isalso bwritten: “Fine flour.” Rabbi Yitzḥak says: From herewe learn bthat a woman is more stingy with guests than a man.Sarah wanted to use merely flour, and Abraham persuaded her to use fine flour.,The Gemara continues its analysis of the verses. bIt is written: “Knead it, and make cakes”(Genesis 18:6), and two verses later bit is written: “And he took curd, and milk, and the calfwhich he prepared” (Genesis 18:8). Abraham served these items to the guests, band yet he did not bring bread before themdespite having instructed Sarah to prepare baked goods., bEfrayim Miksha’a, disciple of Rabbi Meir, says in the name of Rabbi Meir: Abraham, our forefather, would eat non-sacred foodonly when he was bina state of britual purity,i.e., he treated his food as though it were consecrated to God. bAnd Sarah, our foremother, menstruated that day,which rendered the baked goods ritually impure, preventing Abraham from handling them. Therefore, they could not serve bread to their guests.,The next verse states: b“And they said to him: Where is Sarah your wife? And he said: Behold, in the tent”(Genesis 18:9). The Gemara explains that this verse serves bto informus bthat Sarah, our foremother, was a modest woman,as she remained inside while the guests were present. bRav Yehuda saysthat bRav says, and some sayit is bRabbi Yitzḥakwho says: bThe ministering angels,who visited Abraham in the guise of travelers, bknew that Sarah, our foremother, was inside the tent. Rather, whatwas the purpose of their eliciting Abraham’s response: bIn the tent?It was bin order to endear her to her husband,by accentuating Sarah’s modesty., bRabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says:They inquired about her bin order to send herthe bcup of blessing.It is customary to recite Grace after Meals over a cup of wine, which is then distributed to those present. bIt is taught in the name of Rabbi Yosei: Why are there dotsin the Torah scroll bupon the letters ialef /i, iyod /i,and ivavinthe word b“to him [ ieilav /i]”?These letters spell iayo /i, which means: Where is he? bThe Torah is teaching the proper etiquette,which is bthat a person should inquire of his hostessabout his host, just as he should inquire about the welfare of his hostess from the host. The Gemara asks: bBut doesn’t Shmuel say: One may not inquire about the welfare of a woman at all,as this is immodest? The Gemara answers: A greeting bby means of her husband is different.Asking a husband about his wife is not considered immodest.,The Gemara analyzes the verses that describe Sarah at the time: “And Sarah laughed within herself, saying: bAfter I am waxed old [ iveloti /i] shall I have pleasure [ iedna /i]”(Genesis 18:12). bRav Ḥisda says: After the skin had worn out [ initballa /i] and become full of wrinkles, the skin once again became soft [ initadden /i] and her wrinkles smoothed out, andSarah’s bbeauty returned to its place. /b, bIt is writtenthat Sarah said: b“And my lord is old”(Genesis 18:12), band it is written:“And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sarah laugh, saying: Shall I certainly bear a child, band I am old?”(Genesis 18:13). This verse indicates that bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, did not repeatto Abraham bthatwhich Sarah actually bsaid,that her husband is old. Why did God change the wording of her statement so that she was referring to herself?, bThe school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: Peace isof such bgreatimportance bthat even the Holy One, Blessed be He, alteredthe truth for the sake of preserving peace, bas it is stated: “And Sarah laughed within herself,saying: After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, band my lord is old,” and it is written: “And the Lord said to Abraham:Why did Sarah laugh, saying: Shall I certainly bear a child, band I am old?” /b,In reference to Sarah having given birth to Isaac, the verse states: b“And she said: Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah should nurse children?”(Genesis 21:7). The Gemara asks: bHow many children did Sarah nurse?Why does the verse use the plural form when she had only one child? bRabbi Levi says: That day when Abraham weaned his son Isaac, he prepared a greatcelebratory bfeast. All of the nations of the world were gossiping and sayingto each other: bSeethis bold man and old woman who brought a foundling from the market and are saying: He is our son, and moreover they are making a great feast to bolster their claim. /b, bWhat did Abraham, our forefather, do? He went and invited all of the greatmen bofthat bgeneration, and Sarah, our foremother, invited their wives. Each and every oneof the wives bbrought her child with her but did not bring her wet nurse. And a miracle occurred to Sarah, our foremother, and her breasts were opened like two springs, and she nursed allof these children. bAnd stillthose people bwere gossiping and sayingto each other: Even bif Sarah,at bninety years of age, can give birth, can Abraham,at bone hundred years of age, fathera child? bImmediately, the countece of Isaac’s face transformed and appearedexactly like that bof Abraham. Everyone exclaimed and said: “Abraham fathered Isaac”(Genesis 25:19).,§ The Gemara continues discussing Abraham: bUntil Abraham, there was no aging,i.e., old age was not physically recognizable. Consequently, bone who wanted to speak to Abrahamwould mistakenly bspeak to Isaac,and vice versa: An individual who wanted to speak bto Isaacwould bspeak to Abraham,as they were indistinguishable. bAbraham came and prayed for mercy, and aging wasat last noticeable, bas it is stated: “And Abraham was old, well stricken in age”(Genesis 24:1), which is the first time that aging is mentioned in the Bible., bUntil Jacob, there was no illnessleading up to death; rather, one would die suddenly. bJacob came and prayed for mercy, and illness wasbrought to the world, allowing one to prepare for his death, bas it is stated: “And one said to Joseph: Behold, your father is sick”(Genesis 48:1), which is the first time that sickness preceding death is mentioned in the Bible. bUntil Elisha, one did not fall ill andthen bheal,as everyone who fell ill would die. bElisha came and prayed for mercy and he was healed, as it is written: “Now Elisha fell ill with his illness from which he was to die”(II Kings 13:14). bBy inference,one can derive that bhehad previously bfallen illwith bother illnessesfrom which he did not die., bThe Sages taught: Elisha fell ill with three illnesses: Onewas due to the fact bthat he pushed Gehazi away with both hands,i.e., he banished Gehazi without granting him a chance to repent (see II Kings, chapter 5). bOnewas due to the fact bthat he incited bears against young children(see II Kings 2:23–25). bAnd onewas the illness bfrom which he died, as it is stated: “Now Elisha fell ill of his illness from which he was to die”(II Kings 13:14).,§ The mishna (83a) teaches that Rabbi Yoḥa ben Matya said to his son: bRather, before they beginengaging bintheir blabor, go out and say to them:The stipulation that food will be provided is bon the condition that you havethe right to claim bfrom me onlya meal of bbread and legumes,which is the typical meal given to laborers. bRav Aḥa, son of Rav Yosef, said to Rav Ḥisda:Did bwe learn: Bread of legumes [ ipat kitnit /i],i.e., inferior-quality bread made of legumes, bordid bwe learn: Bread and legumes [ ipat vekitnit /i]?Rav Ḥisda bsaid to him: By God!That word ivekitnit brequiresat its beginning the letter ivav /ias large bas an oar [ imordeya /i]made bof cypresswood [ ideliberot /i], i.e., ipat vekitnitis undoubtedly the correct version.,§ The mishna teaches that bRabban Shimon ben Gamliel says:The son of Rabbi Yoḥa ben Matya bdid not need to statethis, as the principle is: bEverything is in accordance with the regional custom.The Gemara asks: This term: bEverything,serves bto add what?What is the itannaincluding by this term? The Gemara answers: It serves bto add that which we learnedin a ibaraita /i: With regard to bone who hires a laborer and said to him:I will pay you bas one or two of the residents of the cityare paid, bhe gives himwages in accordance bwith the lowest wagepaid in that region. This is bthe statement of Rabbi Yehoshua. The Rabbis say: One dividesthe difference bbetweenthe highest and lowest paid wages, thereby giving the wages to this laborer according to the average of the regional custom. This ihalakhais alluded to in the statement of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel., strongMISHNA: /strong This mishna details the ihalakhathat a laborer is permitted to eat from the produce with which he is working. bAnd theselaborers bmay eat by Torah law:A laborer bwho works withproduce battached to the ground at the time of the completion ofits bwork,e.g., harvesting produce; banda laborer who works bwithproduce bdetached from the ground before the completion of its work,i.e., before it is sufficiently processed and thereby subject to tithes. bAndthis is the ihalakhaprovided that they are working bwith an item whose growth is from the land. And theseare laborers who bmay not eat:A laborer who bworks withproduce battached to the ground /b |
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18. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 7b. א"ר יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יוחי מיום שברא הקב"ה את העולם לא היה אדם שקראו להקב"ה אדון עד שבא אברהם וקראו אדון שנאמר (בראשית טו, ב) ויאמר אדני (אלהים) במה אדע כי אירשנה.,אמר רב אף דניאל לא נענה אלא בשביל אברהם שנא' (דניאל ט, יז) ועתה שמע אלהינו אל תפלת עבדך ואל תחנוניו והאר פניך על מקדשך השמם למען אדני למענך מבעי ליה,אלא למען אברהם שקראך אדון:,וא"ר יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יוחי מנין שאין מרצין לו לאדם בשעת כעסו שנאמר (שמות לג, יד) פני ילכו והנחותי לך:,ואמר ר"י משום ר"ש בן יוחי מיום שברא הקב"ה את עולמו לא היה אדם שהודה להקב"ה עד שבאתה לאה והודתו שנאמר (בראשית כט, לה) הפעם אודה את ה':,ראובן א"ר אלעזר אמרה לאה ראו מה בין בני לבן חמי דאילו בן חמי אע"ג דמדעתיה זבניה לבכירותיה דכתיב (בראשית כה, לג) וימכר את בכרתו ליעקב חזו מה כתיב ביה (בראשית כז, מא) וישטם עשו את יעקב,וכתיב (בראשית כז, לו) ויאמר הכי קרא שמו יעקב ויעקבני זה פעמים וגו',ואילו בני אע"ג דעל כרחיה שקליה יוסף לבכירותיה מניה דכתיב (דברי הימים א ה, א) ובחללו יצועי אביו נתנה בכורתו לבני יוסף אפי' הכי לא אקנא ביה דכתיב (בראשית לז, כא) וישמע ראובן ויצילהו מידם:,רות מאי רות א"ר יוחנן שזכתה ויצא ממנה דוד שריוהו להקב"ה בשירות ותשבחות,מנא לן דשמא גרים אמר רבי אליעזר דאמר קרא (תהלים מו, ט) לכו חזו מפעלות ה' אשר שם שמות בארץ אל תקרי שמות אלא שמות:,וא"ר יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי קשה תרבות רעה בתוך ביתו של אדם יותר ממלחמת גוג ומגוג שנאמר (תהלים ג, א) מזמור לדוד בברחו מפני אבשלום בנו וכתיב בתריה (תהלים ג, ב) ה' מה רבו צרי רבים קמים עלי ואילו גבי מלחמת גוג ומגוג כתיב (תהלים ב, א) למה רגשו גוים ולאומים יהגו ריק ואילו מה רבו צרי לא כתיב:,מזמור לדוד בברחו מפני אבשלום בנו מזמור לדוד קינה לדוד מיבעי ליה,אמר ר' שמעון בן אבישלום משל למה הדבר דומה לאדם שיצא עליו שטר חוב קודם שפרעו היה עצב לאחר שפרעו שמח,אף כן דוד כיון שאמר לו הקב"ה (שמואל ב יב, יא) הנני מקים עליך רעה מביתך היה עצב אמר שמא עבד או ממזר הוא דלא חייס עלי כיון דחזא דאבשלום הוא שמח משום הכי אמר מזמור:,וא"ר יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יוחי מותר להתגרות ברשעים בעולם הזה שנאמר (משלי כח, ד) עוזבי תורה יהללו רשע ושומרי תורה יתגרו בם,תניא נמי הכי רבי דוסתאי בר' מתון אומר מותר להתגרות ברשעים בעוה"ז שנא' עוזבי תורה יהללו רשע וגו' ואם לחשך אדם לומר והא כתיב (תהלים לז, א) אל תתחר במרעים אל תקנא בעושי עולה אמור לו מי שלבו נוקפו אומר כן אלא אל תתחר במרעים להיות כמרעים אל תקנא בעושי עולה להיות כעושי עולה,ואומר (משלי כג, יז) אל יקנא לבך בחטאים כי אם ביראת ה' כל היום,איני והאמר ר' יצחק אם ראית רשע שהשעה משחקת לו אל תתגרה בו שנאמר (תהלים י, ה) יחילו דרכיו בכל עת ולא עוד אלא שזוכה בדין שנאמר (תהלים י, ה) מרום משפטיך מנגדו ולא עוד אלא שרואה בצריו שנאמר (תהלים י, ה) כל צורריו יפיח בהם,לא קשיא הא במילי דידיה הא במילי דשמיא,ואיבעית אימא הא והא במילי דשמיא ולא קשיא הא ברשע שהשעה משחקת לו הא ברשע שאין השעה משחקת לו,ואב"א הא והא ברשע שהשעה משחקת לו ולא קשיא הא בצדיק גמור הא בצדיק שאינו גמור דאמר רב הונא מאי דכתיב (חבקוק א, יג) למה תביט בוגדים תחריש בבלע רשע צדיק ממנו וכי רשע בולע צדיק והא כתיב (תהלים לז, לג) ה' לא יעזבנו בידו וכתיב (משלי יב, כא) לא יאונה לצדיק כל און אלא צדיק ממנו בולע צדיק גמור אינו בולע,ואב"א שעה משחקת לו שאני:,וא"ר יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי כל הקובע מקום לתפלתו אויביו נופלים תחתיו שנאמר (שמואל ב ז, י) ושמתי מקום לעמי לישראל ונטעתיו ושכן תחתיו ולא ירגז עוד ולא יוסיפו בני עולה לענותו כאשר בראשונה,רב הונא רמי כתיב לענותו וכתיב לכלותו,בתחלה לענותו ולבסוף לכלותו:,וא"ר יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי גדולה שמושה של תורה יותר מלמודה שנא' (מלכים ב ג, יא) פה אלישע בן שפט אשר יצק מים על ידי אליהו למד לא נאמר אלא יצק מלמד שגדולה שמושה יותר מלמודה:,א"ל רבי יצחק לרב נחמן מ"ט לא אתי מר לבי כנישתא לצלויי אמר ליה לא יכילנא א"ל לכנפי למר עשרה וליצלי אמר ליה טריחא לי מלתא ולימא ליה מר לשלוחא דצבורא בעידנא דמצלי צבורא ליתי ולודעיה למר,א"ל מאי כולי האי א"ל דאמר ר' יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יוחי | 7b. Until now, the Gemara has cited statements made by Rabbi Yoḥa in the name of the itanna /i, Rabbi Yosei. Now, the Gemara begins to cite what bRabbi Yoḥa said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: From the day that the Holy One, Blessed be He, created the world there was no person who called him “Lord” until Abraham came and called him Lord. As it is stated: “And he said, ‘My Lord, God, by what shall I know that I will inherit it?’”(Genesis 15:8).,The Gemara cites another statement extolling that virtue of Abraham is mentioned, as bRav said: Even Daniel’s prayers were only answered on account of Abraham, as it is stated: “And now listen, God, to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication; and cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate Temple, for the sake of the Lord”(Daniel 9:17). The verse bshould have said:And cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate Temple, bfor Your sake,as Daniel was addressing the Lord., bRather,this verse contains an allusion that the prayer should be accepted bfor the sake of Abraham, who called You, Lord.Daniel utilized that name of God in order to evoke Abraham’s virtue and enhance his prayer., bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: From whereis it derived bthat one must not placate a person whilethe person in the throes of bhis anger? As it is stated: “My face will go, and I will give you rest”(Exodus 33:14)., bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: From the day the Holy One, Blessed be He, created the world, no one thanked the Holy One, Blessed be He, until Leah came and thanked Him, as it is stated:“And she became pregt and gave birth to a son, and she said, b‘This time I will give thanks to God,’and thus he was called Judah” (Genesis 29:35).,Tangential to the mention of Leah’s son, Judah, and the reason for his name, the Gemara explains the sources for other names, including bReuben. Rabbi Elazar said:Reuben’s name should be considered a prophecy by Leah, as bLeah said: See [ ire’u /i] the difference between my son [ ibeni /i] and the son of my father-in-law,Esau, son of Isaac. bEven thoughEsau bknowingly sold his birthrightto his brother Jacob, bas it is written: “And he sold his birthright to Jacob”(Genesis 25:33), nonetheless, bbehold what is writtenabout bhim: “And Esau hated Jacob”(Genesis 27:41).,Esau was not only angry over Isaac’s blessing, but he was angry about another matter as well, bas it is written: “And he said, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me twice?He took my birthright, and behold, now he has taken my blessing’” (Genesis 27:36). Despite having sold his birthright, he refused to relinquish it., bWhile my son,Reuben, beven though Joseph took his birthright from him by force, as it is written:“And the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, for he was the firstborn; bbut, since he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph,son of Israel” (I Chronicles 5:1). bNevertheless, he was not jealous of him, as it is writtenwhen Joseph’s brothers sought to kill him: b“And Reuben heard and he saved him from their hands,saying ‘Let us not take his life’” (Genesis 37:21).,Continuing on the topic of names, the Gemara asks: bWhat isthe meaning of the name bRuth? Rabbi Yoḥa said: That she had the privilege that David, who inundated the Holy One, Blessed be He, with songs and praises, would descend from her.The name Ruth [ iRut /i] is etymologically similar in Hebrew to the word inundate [ iriva /i].,Regarding the basic assumption that these homiletic interpretations of names are allusions to one’s future, the Gemara asks: bFrom where do wederive bthat the name affectsone’s life? bRabbi Eliezer saidthat bthe verse says: “Go, see the works of the Lord, who has made desolations [ ishamot /i] upon the earth”(Psalms 46:9). bDo not readthe word as ishamot /i, ratheras ishemot /i, names.The names given to people are, therefore, “the works of the Lord upon the earth.”, bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa saidother aggadic statements bin the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai:The existence of bwaywardchildren bin a person’s home is more troublesome than the war of Gog and Magog,the ultimate war, the climax of the travails of Messianic times. bAs it is stated: “A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son, Absalom”(Psalms 3:1). bAnd it is written thereafter: “Lord, how numerous are my enemies, many have risen against me”(Psalms 3:2). bWhile concerning the war of Gog and Magog,which is alluded to in the second chapter of Psalms, bit is written: “Why are the nations in an uproar? And why do the peoples speak for naught?The kings of the earth stand up and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed…He that sits in heaven laughs, the Lord mocks them” (Psalms 2:1–4). bYetin this chapter describing the war of Gog and Magog b“how numerous are my enemies” is not written,as it is not as difficult as raising a wayward son like Absalom.,Regarding the opening phrase of the psalm, which serves as its title, the Gemara wonders: It is said: b“A Psalm of David, when fleeing his son, Absalom.” A Psalm of David? It should havesaid: bA lament of David. /b, bRabbi Shimon ben Avishalom said a parable: To what is this similar?It is similar bto a person about whom a promissory note was issuedstating that he must repay a debt to the lender. bBefore he repaid it,he bwas despondent,worried how he will manage to repay the debt. bAfter he repaid it, he was glad. /b, bSo toowas the case with bDavid. When the Holy One, Blessed be He, told him,through Natan the prophet, after the incident with Bathsheba, b“Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your house”(II Samuel 12:11), David bwas despondent. He said: Perhapsit will be ba slave or a imamzer /iwho will rise up in my house, a person of such lowly status, who bwill have no pity on me. But onceDavid bsaw that Absalom was the onethrough whom the prophecy was to be fulfilled, bhe rejoiced,as he was certain that Absalom would show him mercy. bThat is whyDavid bsaid a psalm,not a lament, thanking God for punishing him in the least severe manner possible., bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: One is permitted to provoke the wicked in this world.Though the ways of the wicked prosper, one is still permitted to provoke them and need not fear (Maharsha), bas it is stated: “Those who abandon the Torah will praise wickedness, and the keepers of the Torah will fight them”(Proverbs 28:4)., bThatstatement bwas also taughtin a ibaraita,as bRabbi Dostai, son of Rabbi Matun, says: One is permitted to provoke the wicked in this world, as it is stated: “Those who abandon the Torah will praise wickedness,and the keepers of the Torah will fight them.” bAnd if someone whispered to you, saying,on the contrary, bisn’t italso bwritten: “Do not compete with evil-doers, and do not envy the unjust”(Psalms 37:1), meaning that one should avoid provoking the wicked, bsay to him:Only bone whose heart strikes himwith pangs of conscience over sins that he committed bsays this. Rather,the true meaning of the verse is: bDo not compete with evil-doers, to be like the evil-doers, and do not envy the unjust to be like the unjust. /b,The Gemara cites proof from another verse. bAnd it says: “One shall not envy the unjust, but be in fear of the Lord all the day”(Proverbs 23:17). In this context, to envy means to seek to emulate the unjust.,From these verses in Psalms and Proverbs, it would seem that one is encouraged to provoke the wicked. The Gemara asks: bIs this so? Didn’t Rabbi Yitzḥak say: If you see a wicked person upon whom the hour is smiling, do not provoke him.As long as he is enjoying good fortune, there is no point in confronting him. bAs it is stated: “His ways prosper at all times;Your judgments are far beyond him; as for his adversaries, he snorts at them” (Psalms 10:5). The verse teaches us that the ways of the wicked will always succeed. bAnd not only that, but he emerges victorious in judgment, as it is stated: “Your judgments are far beyond him,”meaning that even when he is brought to justice, it does not affect him. bAnd not only that, but he witnesses his enemies’downfall, bas it is stated: “As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.” /b,To resolve this contradiction with regard to whether or not one may provoke the wicked, the Gemara offers several explanations: bThis is not difficult,as it can be understood that bthis,which says that one may not provoke the wicked, is referring bto hispersonal bmatters, while that,which says that it is a mitzva to confront them, is referring bto matters of Heaven. /b, bAnd if you wish, sayinstead bthat this,which says not to confront the wicked band that,which says to confront the wicked, are both referring bto matters of Heaven, and,nevertheless, bit is not difficult. This,which says that one may not provoke the wicked, is referring bto a wicked person upon whom the hour is smiling,who is enjoying good fortune. bWhile that,which says that it is a mitzva to confront them, is referring bto a wicked person upon whom the hour is not smiling. /b, bAnd if you wish, sayinstead bthat this,which says not to confront band that,which says to confront, are both referring bto a wicked person upon whom the hour is smiling,but the question of whether one is permitted to confront him depends on who is confronting him. bAndnevertheless, this is bnot difficult. This,which says that it is a mitzva to confront them, is referring bto a completely righteous person, while this,which says that one may not confront the wicked, is referring bto one who is not completely righteous, as Rav Huna said: What isthe meaning of bthat which is written: “Why do You look on those who deal treacherously and hold Your peace? When the wicked swallows the man more righteous than he?”(Habakkuk 1:13). This verse is difficult to understand. bDo the wicked swallow the righteous? Isn’t it written:“The wicked looks to the righteous and seeks to kill him; bthe Lord will not leave him in his hand,nor allow him to be condemned when he is judged” (Psalms 37:32–33), band it is written: “No mischief shall befall the righteous”(Proverbs 12:21)? bRather,in light of these verses, the verse: “The wicked swallows the man more righteous than he” means: bTheman who is bmore righteous than he,but not completely righteous, bhe swallows. The completely righteous he does not swallow. /b, bAnd if you wish, say:In general, the wicked cannot swallow the righteous, but bwhen the hour is smiling upon him, it is different.When the wicked are enjoying good fortune, even the righteous can be harmed ( iBirkat Hashem /i)., bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai:Setting a fixed place for prayer is so important that bone who sets a fixed place for his prayer, his enemies fall beneath him, as it is said: “And I will appoint a place for My nation, Israel, and I will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place.”Through setting aside a place for prayer, they will merit to b“be disturbed no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them anymore, as in the beginning”(II Samuel 7:10).,This verse, cited by the Gemara, leads to an additional point. bRav Huna raised a contradiction:In the book of Samuel, in this verse it is written b: “To afflict them,”while in the parallel verse in I Chronicles (17:9) it is written b: “To destroy them.” /b,The Gemara resolves this contradiction: The enemies of Israel intend first bto afflict them, and, ultimately,to bdestroy thementirely., bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Service of Torah is greater than its study,i.e., serving a Torah scholar and spending time in his company is greater than learning Torah from him. Torah study is one component of a Torah life, but one who serves a Torah scholar learns about every aspect of life from his actions. This is derived from the verse that speaks in praise of Elisha, bas it is stated: “Here is Elisha son of Shafat, who poured water over Elijah’s hands”(II Kings 3:11). The verse bdoes not saythat bhe learnedfrom Elijah, bratherthat bhe pouredwater, which bteachesthat bthe service of Torahrepresented by Elisha pouring water over Elijah’s hands bis greater than its study. /b,As a prelude to another of the statements by Rabbi Yoḥa in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, the Gemara relates the following incident. bRabbi Yitzḥak said to Rav Naḥman: Why did the Master not come to the synagogue to pray?Rav Naḥman bsaid to him: I wasweak and bunableto come. Rabbi Yitzḥak bsaid to him: Let the Master gather tenindividuals, a prayer quorum, at your home band pray.Rav Naḥman bsaid to him: It is difficult for meto impose upon the members of the community to come to my home to pray with me ( iSefer Mitzvot Gadol /i). Rabbi Yitzḥak suggested another option: bThe Master should tell the congregationto send a bmessenger when the congregation is praying to come and inform the Masterso you may pray at the same time.,Rav Naḥman saw that Rabbi Yitzḥak was struggling to find a way for him to engage in communal prayer. bHe asked: What isthe reason for ball thisfuss? Rabbi Yitzḥak bsaid to him: As Rabbi Yoḥa said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: /b |
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19. Cassian, Conferences, 14.4, 18.6 (4th cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
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20. Anon., 4 Baruch, 9.18
| 9.18. And what is crimson will become white as wool -- the snow will be blackened -- the sweet waters will become salty, and the salty sweet, in the intense light of the joy of God. |
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