1. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 2.7 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 2.7. וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן־הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה׃ | 2.7. Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Job, 38.5-38.6, 38.36 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 38.5. מִי־שָׂם מְמַדֶּיהָ כִּי תֵדָע אוֹ מִי־נָטָה עָלֶיהָ קָּו׃ 38.6. עַל־מָה אֲדָנֶיהָ הָטְבָּעוּ אוֹ מִי־יָרָה אֶבֶן פִּנָּתָהּ׃ 38.36. מִי־שָׁת בַּטֻּחוֹת חָכְמָה אוֹ מִי־נָתַן לַשֶּׂכְוִי בִינָה׃ | 38.5. Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it?" 38.6. Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner-stone thereof," 38.36. Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the mind?" |
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3. Hebrew Bible, Leviticus, 19.17-19.18 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 19.17. לֹא־תִשְׂנָא אֶת־אָחִיךָ בִּלְבָבֶךָ הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂא עָלָיו חֵטְא׃ 19.18. לֹא־תִקֹּם וְלֹא־תִטֹּר אֶת־בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה׃ | 19.17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart; thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbour, and not bear sin because of him." 19.18. Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." |
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4. Hebrew Bible, Proverbs, 11.7, 30.4 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 11.7. בְּמוֹת אָדָם רָשָׁע תֹּאבַד תִּקְוָה וְתוֹחֶלֶת אוֹנִים אָבָדָה׃ 30.4. מִי עָלָה־שָׁמַיִם וַיֵּרַד מִי אָסַף־רוּחַ בְּחָפְנָיו מִי צָרַר־מַיִם בַּשִּׂמְלָה מִי הֵקִים כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ מַה־שְּׁמוֹ וּמַה־שֶּׁם־בְּנוֹ כִּי תֵדָע׃ | 11.7. When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish, And the hope of strength perisheth." 30.4. Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest?" |
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5. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 9.19 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 9.19. כִּי לֹא לָנֶצַח יִשָּׁכַח אֶבְיוֹן תִּקְוַת ענוים [עֲנִיִּים] תֹּאבַד לָעַד׃ | 9.19. For the needy shall not alway be forgotten, Nor the expectation of the poor perish for ever." |
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6. Hebrew Bible, Isaiah, 40.12-40.14, 41.2, 41.26 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 40.12. מִי־מָדַד בְּשָׁעֳלוֹ מַיִם וְשָׁמַיִם בַּזֶּרֶת תִּכֵּן וְכָל בַּשָּׁלִשׁ עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ וְשָׁקַל בַּפֶּלֶס הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת בְּמֹאזְנָיִם׃ 40.13. מִי־תִכֵּן אֶת־רוּחַ יְהוָה וְאִישׁ עֲצָתוֹ יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ׃ 40.14. אֶת־מִי נוֹעָץ וַיְבִינֵהוּ וַיְלַמְּדֵהוּ בְּאֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט וַיְלַמְּדֵהוּ דַעַת וְדֶרֶךְ תְּבוּנוֹת יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ׃ 41.2. לְמַעַן יִרְאוּ וְיֵדְעוּ וְיָשִׂימוּ וְיַשְׂכִּילוּ יַחְדָּו כִּי יַד־יְהוָה עָשְׂתָה זֹּאת וּקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרָאָהּ׃ 41.2. מִי הֵעִיר מִמִּזְרָח צֶדֶק יִקְרָאֵהוּ לְרַגְלוֹ יִתֵּן לְפָנָיו גּוֹיִם וּמְלָכִים יַרְדְּ יִתֵּן כֶּעָפָר חַרְבּוֹ כְּקַשׁ נִדָּף קַשְׁתּוֹ׃ 41.26. מִי־הִגִּיד מֵרֹאשׁ וְנֵדָעָה וּמִלְּפָנִים וְנֹאמַר צַדִּיק אַף אֵין־מַגִּיד אַף אֵין מַשְׁמִיעַ אַף אֵין־שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵיכֶם׃ | 40.12. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, And meted out heaven with the span, And comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, And weighed the mountains in scales, And the hills in a balance?" 40.13. Who hath meted out the spirit of the LORD? Or who was His counsellor that he might instruct Him?" 40.14. With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of right, And taught Him knowledge, And made Him to know the way of discernment?" 41.2. Who hath raised up one from the east, At whose steps victory attendeth? He giveth nations before him, And maketh him rule over kings; His sword maketh them as the dust, His bow as the driven stubble." 41.26. Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? And beforetime, that we may say that he is right? Yea, there is none that declareth, Yea, there is none that announceth, Yea, there is none that heareth your utterances." |
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7. Hebrew Bible, Lamentations, 3.29 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 3.29. יִתֵּן בֶּעָפָר פִּיהוּ אוּלַי יֵשׁ תִּקְוָה׃ | 3.29. Let him put his mouth in the dust, If so be there may be hope." |
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8. Hebrew Bible, Zechariah, 9.12 (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)
| 9.12. שׁוּבוּ לְבִצָּרוֹן אֲסִירֵי הַתִּקְוָה גַּם־הַיּוֹם מַגִּיד מִשְׁנֶה אָשִׁיב לָךְ׃ | 9.12. Return to the stronghold, Ye prisoners of hope; Even to-day do I declare That I will render double unto thee." |
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9. Anon., 1 Enoch, 75.2, 82.4-82.7 (3rd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 75.2. reckoned in the reckoning of the year. And owing to them men go wrong therein, for those luminaries truly render service on the world-stations, one in the first portal, one in the third portal of the heaven, one in the fourth portal, and one in the sixth portal, and the exactness of the year i 82.4. Blessed are all the righteous, blessed are all those who walk In the way of righteousness and sin not as the sinners, in the reckoning of all their days in which the sun traverses the heaven, entering into and departing from the portals for thirty days with the heads of thousands of the order of the stars, together with the four which are intercalated which divide the four portions of the year, which 82.5. lead them and enter with them four days. Owing to them men shall be at fault and not reckon them in the whole reckoning of the year: yea, men shall be at fault, and not recognize them 82.6. accurately. For they belong to the reckoning of the year and are truly recorded (thereon) for ever, one in the first portal and one in the third, and one in the fourth and one in the sixth, and the year is completed in three hundred and sixty-four days. 82.7. And the account thereof is accurate and the recorded reckoning thereof exact; for the luminaries, and months and festivals, and years and days, has Uriel shown and revealed to me, to whom the |
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10. Anon., Jubilees, 2.2-2.3, 6.32 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 2.2. Write the complete history of the creation, how in six days the Lord God finished all His works and all that He created, and kept Sabbath on the seventh day and hallowed it for all ages, and appointed it as a sign for all His works. 2.3. For on the first day He created the heavens which are above and the earth and the waters and all the spirits which serve before Him 6.32. this feast is twofold and of a double nature: according to what is written and engraven concerning it celebrate it. |
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11. Septuagint, Ecclesiasticus (Siracides), 3.30, 4.7-4.10, 5.13, 7.1-7.9, 7.11-7.14, 7.16-7.19, 7.24-7.25, 7.27, 7.32, 7.34, 10.29, 11.7-11.9, 11.14, 11.17-11.19, 11.21-11.28, 14.5, 14.18, 16.4, 16.17-16.21, 16.23, 16.26-16.28, 17.11-17.14, 17.17, 17.19-17.20, 17.22-17.23, 17.29-17.32, 18.3, 19.3-19.4, 19.9, 19.13-19.17, 20.5-20.7, 20.18, 20.20, 20.22, 20.24, 20.26-20.27, 20.29, 21.7, 22.27, 23.2, 23.7-23.11, 27.18, 28.12-28.15, 28.17-28.18, 28.25, 29.12, 33.7-33.15, 38.21, 39.11, 40.17, 40.24, 41.2, 43.6-43.8, 44.1, 44.3-44.7, 44.10-44.15, 46.19 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 4.7. Make yourself beloved in the congregation;bow your head low to a great man. 4.8. Incline your ear to the poor,and answer him peaceably and gently. 4.9. Deliver him who is wronged from the hand of the wrongdoer;and do not be fainthearted in judging a case. 5.13. Glory and dishonor come from speaking,and a mans tongue is his downfall. 5.13. Keep yourself far from your enemies,and be on guard toward your friends. 7.1. Do no evil, and evil will never befall you. 7.1. Do not be fainthearted in your prayer,nor neglect to give alms. 7.2. Stay away from wrong, and it will turn away from you. 7.2. Do not abuse a servant who performs his work faithfully,or a hired laborer who devotes himself to you. 7.3. My son, do not sow the furrows of injustice,and you will not reap a sevenfold crop. 7.3. With all your might love your Maker,and do not forsake his ministers. 7.4. Do not seek from the Lord the highest office,nor the seat of honor from the king. 7.5. Do not assert your righteousness before the Lord,nor display your wisdom before the king. 7.6. Do not seek to become a judge,lest you be unable to remove iniquity,lest you be partial to a powerful man,and thus put a blot on your integrity. 7.7. Do not offend against the public,and do not disgrace yourself among the people. 7.8. Do not commit a sin twice;even for one you will not go unpunished. 7.9. Do not say, "He will consider the multitude of my gifts,and when I make an offering to the Most High God he will accept it. 7.11. Do not ridicule a man who is bitter in soul,for there is One who abases and exalts. 7.12. Do not devise a lie against your brother,nor do the like to a friend. 7.13. Refuse to utter any lie,for the habit of lying serves no good. 7.14. Do not prattle in the assembly of the elders,nor repeat yourself in your prayer. 7.16. Do not count yourself among the crowd of sinners;remember that wrath does not delay. 7.17. Humble yourself greatly,for the punishment of the ungodly is fire and worms. 7.18. Do not exchange a friend for money,or a real brother for the gold of Ophir. 7.19. Do not deprive yourself of a wise and good wife,for her charm is worth more than gold. 7.24. Do you have daughters? Be concerned for their chastity,and do not show yourself too indulgent with them. 7.25. Give a daughter in marriage; you will have finished a great task. But give her to a man of understanding. 7.27. With all your heart honor your father,and do not forget the birth pangs of your mother. 7.32. Stretch forth your hand to the poor,so that your blessing may be complete. 7.34. Do not fail those who weep,but mourn with those who mourn. 10.29. Who will justify the man that sins against himself?And who will honor the man that dishonors his own life? 10.29. Do not bring every man into your home,for many are the wiles of the crafty. 14.5. If a man is mean to himself, to whom will he be generous?He will not enjoy his own riches. 14.18. Like flourishing leaves on a spreading tree which sheds some and puts forth others,so are the generations of flesh and blood:one dies and another is born. 16.4. For through one man of understanding a city will be filled with people,but through a tribe of lawless men it will be made desolate. 16.17. Do not say, "I shall be hidden from the Lord,and who from on high will remember me?Among so many people I shall not be known,for what is my soul in the boundless creation? 16.18. Behold, heaven and the highest heaven,the abyss and the earth, will tremble at his visitation. 16.19. The mountains also and the foundations of the earth shake with trembling when he looks upon them. 16.21. Like a tempest which no man can see,so most of his works are concealed. 16.23. This is what one devoid of understanding thinks;a senseless and misguided man thinks foolishly. 16.26. The works of the Lord have existed from the beginning by his creation, and when he made them, he determined their divisions. 16.27. He arranged his works in an eternal order,and their dominion for all generations;they neither hunger nor grow weary,and they do not cease from their labors. 16.28. They do not crowd one another aside,and they will never disobey his word. 17.11. He bestowed knowledge upon them,and allotted to them the law of life. 17.12. He established with them an eternal covet,and showed them his judgments. 17.13. Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,and their ears heard the glory of his voice. 17.14. And he said to them, "Beware of all unrighteousness." And he gave commandment to each of them concerning his neighbor. 17.17. He appointed a ruler for every nation,but Israel is the Lords own portion. 17.19. All their works are as the sun before him,and his eyes are continually upon their ways. 17.22. A mans almsgiving is like a signet with the Lord and he will keep a persons kindness like the apple of his eye. 17.23. Afterward he will arise and requite them,and he will bring their recompense on their heads. 17.29. How great is the mercy of the Lord,and his forgiveness for those who turn to him! 17.31. What is brighter than the sun? Yet its light fails. So flesh and blood devise evil. 17.32. He marshals the host of the height of heaven;but all men are dust and ashes. 18.3. Do not follow your base desires,but restrain your appetites. 19.3. Decay and worms will inherit him,and the reckless soul will be snatched away. 19.3. A mans attire and open-mouthed laughter,and a mans manner of walking, show what he is. 19.4. One who trusts others too quickly is lightminded,and one who sins does wrong to himself. 19.9. for some one has heard you and watched you,and when the time comes he will hate you. 19.13. Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it;but if he did anything, so that he may do it no more. 19.14. Question a neighbor, perhaps he did not say it;but if he said it, so that he may not say it again. 19.15. Question a friend, for often it is slander;so do not believe everything you hear. 19.16. A person may make a slip without intending it. Who has never sinned with his tongue? 19.17. Question your neighbor before you threaten him;and let the law of the Most High take its course. 20.5. There is one who by keeping silent is found wise,while another is detested for being too talkative. 20.6. There is one who keeps silent because he has no answer,while another keeps silent because he knows when to speak. 20.7. A wise man will be silent until the right moment,but a braggart and fool goes beyond the right moment. 20.22. A man may lose his life through shame,or lose it because of his foolish look. 20.24. A lie is an ugly blot on a man;it is continually on the lips of the ignorant. 20.26. The disposition of a liar brings disgrace,and his shame is ever with him. 20.27. He who speaks wisely will advance himself,and a sensible man will please great men. 20.29. Presents and gifts blind the eyes of the wise;like a muzzle on the mouth they avert reproofs. 21.7. He who is mighty in speech is known from afar;but the sensible man, when he slips, is aware of it. 22.27. O that a guard were set over my mouth,and a seal of prudence upon my lips,that it may keep me from falling,so that my tongue may not destroy me!Sir.23 22.27. Those who survive her will recognize that nothing is better than the fear of the Lord,and nothing sweeter than to heed the commandments of the Lord. 27.18. For as a man destroys his enemy,so you have destroyed the friendship of your neighbor. 28.12. If you blow on a spark, it will glow;if you spit on it, it will be put out;and both come out of your mouth. 28.13. Curse the whisperer and deceiver,for he has destroyed many who were at peace. 28.14. Slander has shaken many,and scattered them from nation to nation,and destroyed strong cities,and overturned the houses of great men. 28.15. Slander has driven away courageous women,and deprived them of the fruit of their toil. 28.17. The blow of a whip raises a welt,but a blow of the tongue crushes the bones. 28.18. Many have fallen by the edge of the sword,but not so many as have fallen because of the tongue. 28.25. make balances and scales for your words,and make a door and a bolt for your mouth. 29.12. Store up almsgiving in your treasury,and it will rescue you from all affliction; 33.7. Why is any day better than another,when all the daylight in the year is from the sun? 33.8. By the Lords decision they were distinguished,and he appointed the different seasons and feasts; 33.9. some of them he exalted and hallowed,and some of them he made ordinary days. 33.11. In the fulness of his knowledge the Lord distinguished them and appointed their different ways; 33.12. some of them he blessed and exalted,and some of them he made holy and brought near to himself;but some of them he cursed and brought low,and he turned them out of their place. 33.13. As clay in the hand of the potter -- for all his ways are as he pleases -- so men are in the hand of him who made them,to give them as he decides. 33.14. Good is the opposite of evil,and life the opposite of death;so the sinner is the opposite of the godly. 33.15. Look upon all the works of the Most High;they likewise are in pairs, one the opposite of the other. 38.21. Do not forget, there is no coming back;you do the dead no good, and you injure yourself. 39.11. if he lives long, he will leave a name greater than a thousand,and if he goes to rest, it is enough for him. 40.17. Kindness is like a garden of blessings,and almsgiving endures for ever. 40.24. Brothers and help are for a time of trouble,but almsgiving rescues better than both. 41.2. and of silence, before those who greet you;of looking at a woman who is a harlot 44.1. Let us now praise famous men,and our fathers in their generations. 44.1. But these were men of mercy,whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten; 44.3. There were those who ruled in their kingdoms,and were men renowned for their power,giving counsel by their understanding,and proclaiming prophecies; 44.4. leaders of the people in their deliberations and in understanding of learning for the people,wise in their words of instruction; 44.5. those who composed musical tunes,and set forth verses in writing; 44.6. rich men furnished with resources,living peaceably in their habitations -- 44.7. all these were honored in their generations,and were the glory of their times. 44.11. their prosperity will remain with their descendants,and their inheritance to their childrens children. 44.12. Their descendants stand by the covets;their children also, for their sake. 44.13. Their posterity will continue for ever,and their glory will not be blotted out. 44.14. Their bodies were buried in peace,and their name lives to all generations. 44.15. Peoples will declare their wisdom,and the congregation proclaims their praise. 46.19. Before the time of his eternal sleep,Samuel called men to witness before the Lord and his anointed:"I have not taken any ones property,not so much as a pair of shoes." And no man accused him. |
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12. Septuagint, Wisdom of Solomon, 11.20 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)
| 11.20. Even apart from these, men could fall at a single breath when pursued by justice and scattered by the breath of thy power. But thou hast arranged all things by measure and number and weight. |
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13. New Testament, Apocalypse, 9.1 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 9.1. The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him. |
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14. Anon., Genesis Rabba, 14.4 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
| 14.4. וַיִּיצֶר, שְׁנֵי יְצָרִים, יֵצֶר טוֹב וְיֵצֶר הָרָע. שֶׁאִלּוּ הָיָה לִבְהֵמָה ב' יְצָרִים, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיְתָה רוֹאָה סַכִּין בְּיַד אָדָם לְשָׁחֲטָהּ הָיְתָה מְפַחֶדֶת וּמֵתָה, וַהֲרֵי אָדָם יֵשׁ לוֹ ב' יְצָרִים, אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר אִידָא (זכריה יב, א): וְיֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם בְּקִרְבּוֹ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם צְרוּרָה בְּקִרְבּוֹ, אִלְּמָלֵא כֵּן כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיְתָה הַצָּרָה בָּאָה עָלָיו הָיָה שׁוֹמְטָהּ וּמַשְׁלִיכָהּ. | 14.4. Wayyiyzer: two formations, the good and the evil. For if an animal possessed two [such] formations, it would die of fright on seeing a man holding a knife to kill it. But surely a man does possess these two faculties! Said R. Hanina (rjinena) b. Idi: He bound up the spirit of man within him (Zechariah 12:1); for if that were not so, whenever a trouble came upon him he would remove and cast it from him." |
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15. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 61a. הכל לטובה:,ואמר רב הונא אמר רב משום ר' מאיר לעולם יהיו דבריו של אדם מועטין לפני הקב"ה שנאמר (קהלת ה, א) אל תבהל על פיך ולבך אל ימהר להוציא דבר לפני האלהים כי האלהים בשמים ואתה על הארץ על כן יהיו דבריך מעטים:,דרש רב נחמן בר רב חסדא מאי דכתיב (בראשית ב, ז) וייצר ה' אלהים את האדם בשני יודי"ן שני יצרים ברא הקב"ה אחד יצר טוב ואחד יצר רע,מתקיף לה רב נחמן בר יצחק אלא מעתה בהמה דלא כתיב בה וייצר לית לה יצרא והא קא חזינן דמזקא ונשכא ובעטא אלא כדר"ש בן פזי דאמר ר' שמעון בן פזי אוי לי מיוצרי ואוי לי מיצרי,אי נמי כדר' ירמיה בן אלעזר דאמר ר' ירמיה בן אלעזר דו פרצופין ברא הקב"ה באדם הראשון שנאמר (תהלים קלט, ה) אחור וקדם צרתני:,(בראשית ב, כב) ויבן ה' אלהים את הצלע,רב ושמואל חד אמר פרצוף וחד אמר זנב,בשלמא למאן דאמר פרצוף היינו דכתיב אחור וקדם צרתני אלא למאן דאמר זנב מאי אחור וקדם צרתני כדרבי אמי דאמר ר' אמי אחור למעשה בראשית וקדם לפורענות,בשלמא אחור למעשה בראשית דלא אברי עד מעלי שבתא אלא וקדם לפורענות פורענות דמאי אילימא פורענות דנחש והתניא רבי אומר בגדולה מתחילין מן הגדול ובקללה מתחילין מן הקטן,בגדולה מתחילין מן הגדול דכתיב (ויקרא י, יב) וידבר משה אל אהרן ואל אלעזר ואל איתמר בניו הנותרים קחו וגו' בקללה מתחילין מן הקטן בתחלה נתקלל נחש ולבסוף נתקללה חוה ולבסוף נתקלל אדם,אלא פורענות דמבול דכתיב (בראשית ז, כג) וימח את כל היקום אשר על פני האדמה מאדם ועד בהמה ברישא אדם והדר בהמה,בשלמא למאן דאמר פרצוף היינו דכתיב וייצר בשני יודי"ן אלא למאן דאמר זנב מאי וייצר,כדר"ש בן פזי דאמר ר' שמעון בן פזי אוי לי מיוצרי אוי לי מיצרי,בשלמא למאן דאמר פרצוף היינו דכתיב (בראשית ה, ב) זכר ונקבה בראם אלא למאן דאמר זנב מאי זכר ונקבה בראם כדר' אבהו דרבי אבהו רמי כתיב זכר ונקבה בראם וכתיב (בראשית ט, ו) כי בצלם אלהים עשה את האדם הא כיצד בתחלה עלה במחשבה לבראת ב' ולבסוף לא נברא אלא אחד,בשלמא למאן דאמר פרצוף היינו דכתיב (בראשית ב, כא) ויסגור בשר תחתנה אלא למאן דאמר זנב מאי ויסגור בשר תחתנה א"ר ירמיה ואיתימא רב זביד ואיתימא רב נחמן בר יצחק לא נצרכה אלא למקום חתך,בשלמא למ"ד זנב היינו דכתיב ויבן אלא למ"ד פרצוף מאי ויבן,לכדר"ש בן מנסיא דדרש ר"ש בן מנסיא מאי דכתיב ויבן ה' את הצלע מלמד שקלעה הקב"ה לחוה והביאה לאדם הראשון שכן בכרכי הים קורין לקליעתא בנייתא,דבר אחר ויבן אמר רב חסדא ואמרי לה במתניתא תנא מלמד שבנאה הקב"ה לחוה כבנין אוצר מה אוצר זה קצר מלמעלה ורחב מלמטה כדי לקבל את הפירות אף אשה קצרה מלמעלה ורחבה מלמטה כדי לקבל את הולד,ויביאה אל האדם א"ר ירמיה בן אלעזר מלמד שנעשה הקב"ה שושבין לאדם הראשון מכאן למדה תורה דרך ארץ שיחזור גדול עם קטן בשושבינות ואל ירע לו,ולמאן דאמר פרצוף הי מינייהו סגי ברישא אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק מסתברא דגברא סגי ברישא דתניא לא יהלך אדם אחורי אשה בדרך ואפי' אשתו נזדמנה לו על הגשר יסלקנה לצדדין וכל העובר אחורי אשה בנהר אין לו חלק לעולם הבא,תנו רבנן המרצה מעות לאשה מידו לידה כדי להסתכל בה אפילו יש בידו תורה ומעשים טובים כמשה רבינו לא ינקה מדינה של גיהנם שנאמר (משלי יא, כא) יד ליד לא ינקה רע לא ינקה מדינה של גיהנם,א"ר נחמן מנוח עם הארץ היה דכתיב (שופטים יג, יא) וילך מנוח אחרי אשתו,מתקיף לה רב נחמן בר יצחק אלא מעתה גבי אלקנה דכתיב וילך אלקנה אחרי אשתו וגבי אלישע דכתיב (מלכים ב ד, ל) ויקם וילך אחריה הכי נמי אחריה ממש אלא אחרי דבריה ואחרי עצתה הכא נמי אחרי דבריה ואחרי עצתה,א"ר אשי ולמאי דקאמר רב נחמן מנוח עם הארץ היה אפי' בי רב נמי לא קרא שנאמר (בראשית כד, סא) ותקם רבקה ונערותיה ותרכבנה על הגמלים ותלכנה אחרי האיש ולא לפני האיש,א"ר יוחנן אחורי ארי ולא אחורי אשה אחורי אשה ולא אחורי עכו"ם אחורי עכו"ם ולא אחורי בהכ"נ בשעה שהצבור מתפללין,ולא אמרן אלא דלא דרי מידי ואי דרי מידי לית לן בה ולא אמרן אלא דליכא פתחא אחרינא ואי איכא פתחא אחרינא לית לן בה ולא אמרן אלא דלא רכיב חמרא אבל רכיב חמרא לית לן בה ולא אמרן אלא דלא מנח תפילין אבל מנח תפילין לית לן בה:,אמר רב יצר הרע דומה לזבוב ויושב בין שני מפתחי הלב שנא' (קהלת י, א) זבובי מות יבאיש יביע שמן רוקח ושמואל אמר כמין חטה הוא דומה שנאמר (בראשית ד, ז) לפתח חטאת רובץ,ת"ר שתי כליות יש בו באדם אחת יועצתו לטובה ואחת יועצתו לרעה ומסתברא דטובה לימינו ורעה לשמאלו דכתיב (קהלת י, ב) לב חכם לימינו ולב כסיל לשמאלו:,תנו רבנן כליות יועצות לב מבין לשון מחתך פה גומר ושט מכניס ומוציא כל מיני מאכל קנה מוציא קול | 61a. bHe does for the best. /b, bAnd Rav Huna saidthat bRav said in the name of Rabbi Meir: One’s words should always be few before the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is stated: “Be not rash with your mouth and let not your heart be hasty to utter a word before God; for God is in heaven, and you upon earth. Therefore, let your words be few”(Ecclesiastes 5:1)., bRav Naḥman bar Rav Ḥisda interpreted homiletically: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Then the Lord God formed [ ivayyitzer /i] man”(Genesis 2:7), bwith a double iyod /i?This double iyodalludes to that fact that bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, created two inclinations; one a good inclination and one an evil inclination. /b, bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak strongly objects to this: If that is so,does ban animal, with regard to whom ivayyitzeris not writtenwith a double iyod /i, bnot have an inclination? Don’t we see that it causes damage and bites and kicks? Rather,interpret the double iyodhomiletically, bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Shimon ben Pazi, as Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said:This alludes to the difficulty of human life; bwoe unto me from my Creator [ iyotzri /i] and woe unto me from my inclination [ iyitzri /i].If one opts to follow either his Creator or his inclination, woe unto him from the other., bAlternatively,this duplication in the language of creation can be explained bin accordance withthe statement of bRabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar, as Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, created two faces [ idu partzufin /i] on Adam the firstman; he was created both male and female in a single body, bas it is stated: “You have formed me [ itzartani /i] behind and before”(Psalms 139:5); itzartaniis derived from the word itzura[face]. God formed two faces on a single creation, back and front.,It is stated: b“And the itzelawhich the Lord, God,had taken from the man, bHe madea woman, and brought her unto the man” (Genesis 2:22)., bRav and Shmueldisagree over the meaning of the word itzela /i: bOne said:It means bface.Eve was originally one face or side of Adam. bAnd one said:It means btail,which he explains to mean that the itzelawas an appendage, i.e., one of the ribs in Adam’s chest.,The Gemara analyzes this dispute: bGranted,according bto the one who saidthat itzelameans bface; that iswhy bit is written: “You have formed me [ itzartani /i] behind and before.” However,according bto the one who saidthat itzelameans btail, what ismeant by the verse: b“You have formed me [ itzartani /i] behind and before”?The Gemara answers: It can be explained bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Ami, as Rabbi Ami said: Behindmeans Adam was created at the end of bthe act of creation; and beforemeans that he was first bfor punishment. /b,The Gemara asks: bGranted,Adam was bbehind,or last, bin the act of creation,meaning that bhe was not created untilthe sixth day, bShabbat eve; however, before,or first, bfor punishment,to bwhat punishmentdoes this refer? bIf you saythat he was first bfor punishmentin the wake of the episode with bthe snake, wasn’t it taughtin a ibaraitathat, with regard to punishment, bRabbiYehuda HaNasi bsays: Inconferring bhonor, one begins with the greatest; in cursing, one begins with the least significant. /b,The Gemara explains: bInconferring bhonor, one begins with the greatest, as it is written: “And Moses said unto Aaron, and Elazar and Itamar, his remaining sons: Takethe meal-offering that remains” (Leviticus 10:12). Aaron, who was the greatest among those involved, is mentioned first. And bin cursing, one begins with the least significant,as bfirstthe bsnake was cursed, then Eve was cursed, and ultimately Adamhimself bwas cursed.The punishment did not begin with Adam., bRather,this refers to bthe punishment of the flood, as it is written: “And He blotted out every living substance which was upon the face of the ground, both man and cattle,creeping things and fowl of the heaven” (Genesis 7:23); the punishment bbegan with man, then the animals,and ultimately all the other creatures.,Returning to interpretation of ivayyitzer /i, the Gemara asks: bGranted, according to the one who saidthat Eve was originally a bfaceor side of Adam; bthat iswhy bit is written ivayyitzer /i,with a double iyod /i, which allude to the two formations. bHowever, according to the one who saidthat she was a btail,or appendage, of Adam, bwhat isconveyed by spelling ivayyitzer /iwith a double iyod /i?,The Gemara responds: This is interpreted homiletically bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Shimon ben Pazi, as Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said:This comes to emphasize that which a person says to himself in every circumstance: bWoe unto me from my Creator and woe unto me from my inclination. /b, bGranted, according to the one who saidthat Eve was a bface, that iswhy bit is written: “Male and female, He created them”(Genesis 5:2). bHowever, according to the one who saidthat Eve was a btail, what isthe meaning of the verse: b“Male and female, He created them”?The Gemara answers: It can be explained in accordance with the opinion of bRabbi Abbahu.As bRabbi Abbahu raised a contradictionbetween the verses: On the one hand bit is written: “Male and female, He created them,” andon the other hand bit is written: “For in the image of God He made man”(Genesis 9:6), indicating that man was created alone. bHow, then,does he resolve the contradiction? bAt first, the thought enteredGod’s mind bto create two, and ultimately, only one wasactually bcreated. /b,The Gemara asks: bGranted, according to the one who saidthat Eve was a bface, that iswhy bit is written:“And He took one of his sides band closed up the place with flesh in its place”(Genesis 2:21), as it was necessary to close the side that was open. bHowever, according to the one who saidthat Eve was originally a btail, what ismeant by the verse: b“And closed up the place with flesh in its place”? Rabbi Yirmeya said, and some say Rav Zevidsaid, band some say Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥaksaid: bIt was necessaryto say that bonly with regard to the place of the incision. /b,The Gemara challenges the other opinion: bGranted, according to the onewho said that Eve was a btail, that iswhy bit is written: “Andthe Lord God bbuiltthe itzela /i” (Genesis 2:22); it was a completely new building. bHowever, according to the one who saidthat Eve was a complete bfaceor side, bwhat isthe meaning of: b“And He built”?What needed to be built?,The Gemara responds: This must be interpreted homiletically, bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Shimon ben Menasya, as Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya interpreted homiletically: What isthe meaning of bthat which is written: “And the Lord God built the itzela /i”?This verse bteaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, braided Eve’shair, bandthen bbrought her to Adam, as in the coastal towns, they call braidinghair, bbuilding. /b, bAlternatively,the verse: bAnd He built,could be understood as a description of her basic shape, as bRav Ḥisda said, and some say that it is taught in a ibaraita /i:This verse bteaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, built Eve like the structure of a storehouse. Just as a storehouse isbuilt bnarrow on top and wide on the bottom, in order to hold producewithout collapsing; bso too a womanis created bnarrow on top and wide on the bottom, in order to hold the fetus. /b,With regard to the verse: b“And brought her unto the man”(Genesis 2:22), bRabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said:This verse bteaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, was Adam the firstman’s bbest man. From here, the Torah taught that it is a desired mode of behavior for a greater individual to seek out a lesser individual toassist him and bserve as his best man.The greater individual should help the lesser band should not feel badlyabout it, that it might be beneath his dignity.,The Gemara asks: bAnd according to the one who saidthat Eve was a bfaceor side of Adam, bwhich one of them walked in front? Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: It is reasonableto say bthat the man walked in front, bas it is taughtin a ibaraita /i: bA man should not walk behind a woman on a path,as he will look at her constantly, beven if it is his wife.If a womanhappens upon him along a bridge, he shouldwalk quickly in order to bmove her tohis bsideso that she will not walk in front of him. bAnd anyone who walks behind a woman in a riverin order to see her exposed skin when she lifts her clothing as she passes through the water bhas no portion in the World-to-Come./b, bThe Sages taught: One who counts money for a woman from his hand to her hand in order to look upon her, even if he has accumulated Torah and good deeds like Moses our teacher, he will not be absolved from the punishment of Gehenna, as it is stated: “Hand to hand, the evil man shall not go unpunished”(Proverbs 11:21); one who hands money from his hand to her hand, even if he received the Torah from God’s hand to his own, like Moses, bhe will not be absolved from the punishment of Gehenna,which is called evil., bRav Naḥman said:From the following verse we know that Samson’s father, bManoah, was an ignoramus, as it is written: “And Manoah…went after his wife”(Judges 13:11)., bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak strongly objects to this: If that is sothat you understand the verse literally, what do you say about the verse bwith regard to Elkana,the father of the prophet Samuel, bas it is written: “And Elkana walked after his wife,”and what of the verse bwith regard tothe prophet bElisha, as it is written: “And he arose and followed her”(II Kings 4:30)? bDoesthis verse bmeanthat he bliterally walked after her? Rather,certainly this verse means that bhe followed her words and advice. bHere, too,then the verse concerning Manoah may be similarly interpreted; he bfollowedhis wife’s bwords band followed her advice,and did not literally walk behind her., bRav Ashi said: And according to what Rav Naḥman said,that bManoah was an ignoramus; he did not evenlearn to breadthe basic Torah stories that even children learn bin school, as it is stated: “Rebecca arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man”(Genesis 24:61); they followed him and did bnotwalk bbefore the man. /b,On this topic, bRabbi Yoḥa said:It is preferable to walk bbehind a lion and not behind a woman,and preferable to walk bbehind a woman and not behind idolatry,for then it will appear as if he is accompanying the idolatry. It is preferable to walk bbehind idolatry and not behind a synagogue when the congregation is praying,as he appears to separate himself from the community in that he does not wish to join them in prayer.,This last ihalakhahas numerous caveats: bAnd we only saidthis bin a case where he is not carrying something, and if he is carrying something, this does not apply,as everyone will understand why he did not enter the synagogue. bAnd we only saidthis bin a case where there is no other entranceto the synagogue, band if there is another entrance, this does not apply. And we only saidthis bin a case where he is not riding a donkey, and if he is riding a donkey, this does not apply. And we only saidthis bin a case where he is not donning phylacteries, but if he is donning phylacteries, this does not apply. /b, bRav said: The evil inclination is like a fly and it sits between the two entrances of the heart, as it is stated: “Dead flies make the ointment of the perfumer fetid and putrid”(Ecclesiastes 10:1). bAnd Shmuel said:The evil inclination bis like a type of wheat, as it is stated: “Transgression [ iḥatat /i] couches at the door”(Genesis 4:7); iḥatatis interpreted homiletically as related to iḥitta /i, wheat., bThe Sages taughtin a ibaraita /i: bA person has two kidneys; one advises him todo bgood and one advises him todo bevil. And it stands to reasonthat the one advising him to do bgood is to his right andthe one that advises him to do bevil is to his left, as it is written: “A wise man’s understanding is at his right hand, but a fool’s understanding is at his left”(Ecclesiastes 10:2).,Tangential to the subject of kidneys, the Gemara cites that which bthe Sages taughtin a ibaraitawith regard to the roles of various organs: bThe kidneys advise, the heart understands, the tongue shapesthe sounds that emerges from the mouth, the bmouth completesthe shaping of the voice, the besophagus takes in and lets out all kinds of food,the btrachea produces the voice, /b |
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