(Fol. 59) Eliezer the Little (Ib. b) once put on black shoes and stood in the marketplace of Nahardea. When the officers of the Exilarch asked him for the reason [of his wearing such shoes], he answered that it was because he was mourning the destruction of Jerusalem. They said to him: "Are you such a great man as to be worthy of mourning the destruction of Jerusalem?" And thinking that he was doing it in search of notoriety, they placed him under arrest. He, however, protested and said: "I am a scholarly man." When asked to prove it, he said: "Either you ask me some difficult question, or I will ask one of you." They said to him: "You had better ask the question." Thereupon he asked them: "One who destroys a young date-tree [on which the dates are not yet ripe], what amount of damages ought he to pay?" They answered: "He ought to pay the value of the tree." "But there are already dates on it?" He rejoined: "Then let him also pay the value of the dates." "But did he then take the dates with him; he only destroyed the tree?" he argued. "Well, let us then hear what you have to say to that." Whereupon he answered: "The damage is appraised as to one in sixty." They said to him: "But who agrees with you in that? "Samuel is still alive," came the answer, "and his college is in existence. They sent to inquire of Samuel and upon the verification of Samuel, they liberated him.
(Fol 60) R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said in the name of R. Jonathan: "No chastisement comes upon the world unless there are wicked ones in existence, yet its first victims are the righteous, as it is said (Ib., ib) If a fire breaks out and meet with thorns. When does a fire break out? When there are thorns prepared for it. Its first victims, however, are the upright, as it is said (Ib, ib.) So that stocks of corn had been consumed. It does not say, it shall consume, but, had been consumed, to signify that the stack of corn (the upright) were consumed first." R. Joseph taught: "What is the meaning of the passage, (Ex. 12, 22) And none of you shall go out from the door of his house until the morning? As soon as permission is given to the executioner he makes no distinction between righteous and wicked; and furthermore, he picks out his first victims from among the righteous, as it is said (Ezek. 21, 8) And I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked." R. Joseph cried, remarking: "To that extent are they not considered?" Said Abaye: "It is to their advantage, as it is written (Isa. 57, 1) That the righteous is taken away from the evil to come." (That he shall not see the evil which will come in the future). Our Rabbis were taught: When pestilence is raging in town, stay indoors, as it is said (Ex. 12, 22) And none of you shall go out from the door of his house until the morning, and it is also said (Isa. 26, 20) Go, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy door behind thee; and again it is said (Deut. 32, 25) Without shall the sword destroy, and terror within the chambers. Why the citation of the two additional passages? Lest one say that the first one refers only to nighttime but not to day time, hence, Go my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy door behind thee. And lest one will say that this refers only where there is no terror within the house, but when there is terror within the house, one might think that it is advisable to go out and associate with others, hence the last quoted verse, Without shall the sword destroy and terror within the chamber, i.e., although within the house terror reigns, yet without it is still worse, for Without the sword shall destroy. Raba in times of fury used to keep the windows shut, for it is written (Jer. 9, 20) For death is come up through our windows. Our Rabbis were taught: If there is a famine in town, do not spare your feet and leave town, as it is said (Gen. 12, 19) And there arose a famine in the land: and Abraham went down into Egypt to sojourn there. And it is also said (II Kings, 7, 4) If we say, we will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city; and we shall die there. For what purpose is the quotation of the additional passage necessary? Lest one say that this refers only where there is no risk of life, but where there is risk of life, it is not so, hence the quotation, which is followed by (Ib., ib.) Now therefore come, and let us fall into the host of the Arameans; if they let us live, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. Our Rabbis were taught: When there is a pestilence in town, a person shall not walk in the middle of the road; for so long as the Angel of Death has received his permission to rage, he does so high-handed. When there is peace in town, one must not walk on the sideways; for so long as the Angel has not the permission, he hides himself away.
R. Ami and R. Assi were sitting before R. Isaac Napcha. One was asking him to say some Halacha (traditional law) and the other to say some Agada (story). When he began to say some Halacha he was interrupted by the one [who desired Agada] and when he began Agada, he was interrupted by the other [who desired Halacha]. He then said: "I will tell you a parable: It is like unto a man who has two wives — an old one and a young one. The young one picks his gray hair and the old one, his black hair. The result is that he becomes bald-headed. I will tell you now, however, something which will be to the satisfaction of both of you, etc. (Agadah) It is written (Ex. 12, 5) If a fire breaks out and meet with thorns. This means, even if it should break out of itself. Yet he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. Said the Holy One, praised be He! I shall surely make restitution for the fire I kindled in Zion, as it is said (Lam. 4, 11) He kindled a fire in Zion, which had devoured her foundation; and, I shall also build it up again by fire, as it is said (Zech. 2, 9) For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her. ... a wall of fire round about, and will I be the glory in the midst of her. (Halacha) — why does the verse begin with the damage by one's property, etc?"