(Fol. 87) We are taught in a Baraitha: R. Juda says: "A blind person has no sense of shame." And so also did R. Juda relieve him from the performance of all the positive commandments contained in the Scripture. Said R. Shesheth b. R. Juda: "What is the meaning of the passage (Deut. 6, 1) And this is the commandment, with the statutes and the ordinances? Whoever is eligible to be ordained as judge, has the obligation of observing the commandments, but whoever is not eligible to be ordained as judge, is exempt." R. Joseph said: "First I used to say: If there should come one and tell me that the Halacha prevails according to R. Juda, who says that a blind person is exempt from the performance of the positive commandments, I shall make a feast for the Rabbis, because I, who am under no obligation to do so, still do perform them; but since I heard of what R. Chanina said, that there is more reward for him who performs a commandment to which he has an obligation than for him who performs it without such obligation, I changed my mind, and I say that I shall make a feast if one should come and tell me that the Halacha does not prevail in accordance with R. Juda, for if I am required to perform the commandments, the reward will be greater."
(Fol. 93) MISHNA: Although the defendant pays the pecuniary damage, yet he is not pardoned until he begs forgivenness of the plaintiff, as it is said (Gen. 20, 7) And now restore the man's wife, etc. And whence is it deduced that if the defendant does not forgive he is considered cruel? From (Ib., ib. 17) And Abraham prayed unto God, etc.
GEMARA: Our Rabbis were taught: All that which was said concerning disgrace is only for the civil court, [as to how much the plaintiff should receive] but there can be no satisfaction for the injury to the feelings, for which, if he would even offer all the best rams of the world, they would not atone for it, unless he begs forgivenness of the plaintiff, as it is said. And now restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for thee. Is it only because she is the wife of a prophet that she must be restored, but the wife of an ordinary person ought not be restored? Said R. Simon b. Nachmeni, in the name of R. Jonathan: [Read thus] "Restore the man's wife, whoever he is; [and] because he is a prophet, he will pray for thee. And as to your claim (Ib., ib. 4, 5) Lord, wilt Thou slay even a righteous nation? Said he not himself unto me. She is my sister? is of no avail; for if a stranger comes to a city, what is he usually questioned? Is it concerning what he would eat or drink, or concerning his wife, whether she is his wife, or his sister? Infer from this that a descendant of Noah is punished even when he commits a crime through ignorance, because he ought to learn and know.
Said Raba to Rabba bar Mari: "Whence do we deduce the following people's saying: With the shrub the cabbage is smitten (the good suffer with the bad)?" He answered: "From the following verse (Jer. 2, 29) Wherefore will ye contend with me? Ye all (including the righteous) have transgressed against Me, saith the Lord." "You deduce it from this verse," said he to him, "but I deduce it from the following (Ex. 16, 28) How long refuse ye to keep My commandments," etc. (Ye includes also Moses and Aaron). Raba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "It is written (Gen. 47, 2) And from among his brothers, he took five men. Who were the five?" He replied: "Thus said R. Jochanan: Those whose names were mentioned twice in the benediction of Moses." But is not Judah's name also mentioned twice? Judah's name was mentioned twice for another purpose, as R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said in the name of R. Jonathan concerning the passage (Deut. 33, 6)
Raba questioned Rabba bar Mari again: "What is the origin of the following people's saying: 'Poverty follows the poor' (the man is always under disadvantage)." He answered: "In the following Mishnah: The rich bring the first fruit in golden or silver baskets [and take the baskets back], while the poor bring it in willow baskets, and the baskets remain with the fruit for the priests." "You find it in the Mishnah," said Raba to him, "but I find it (Ib. b) in the Scripture (Lev. 13, 45) And shall cry: Unclean, unclean. [It is not enough that he is afflicted, but he must himself call it out]."
Again said Raba to Rabba b. Mari: "Where is the origin for the Rabbis' saying: Arise early in the morning and eat something, in the summer because of the heat and in the winter because of the cold; and people say: Sixty men were running after one who used to eat early in the morning,and could not overtake him?" He answered: "In the following verse (Is. 49, 10) They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them." Whereupon Raba said: "I find the origin in the following (Ex. 23, 25) And ye shall serve the Lord; this refers to the reading of the Sh'ma and prayer; And He will bless thy bread, and thy water, refers to the bread and salt and the pitcher of water one takes immediately thereafter; hence I will remove sickness from the midst of thee.
Again said Raba unto Rabba b. Mari: "What is the origin of the Rabbis' saying: 'If thy neighbor calls thee an ass, put a saddle on.'" He replied: "Gen. 16, 8) And he said, Hagar, Sarah's maid. ... And she said, From the face of my mistress."
Raba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom is the people's saying: 'What blemish there be in thee, be the first to tell it?" He replied: "From (Ib. 24, 34) And he said, I am Abraham's servant." Raba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom is the people's saying: 'A duck while it keeps its head down, its eyes still look at a distance?'" He answered: "From (I Samuel, 25, 31) And when the Lord will do good unto my lord, then do thou remember thy handmaid."
Raba said again unto Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following people's saying: 'Although the wine belongs to the owner, thanks is nevertheless due to the waiter?'" He answered: "From (Num. 27, 19) And thou shalt lay thy hand upon him; and also (Deut. 34, 9) And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him," etc. (The whole credit is given to Moses). Raba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following people's saying: 'The bad palm will travel to meet a barren can (like meets like)?'" He answered: "This is written in the Pentateuch, repeated in the Prophets, mentioned a third time in the Hagiographa, also learned in a Mishnah and taught in a Baraitha: Pentateuch, the following passage (Gen. 38, 9) And Esau went unto Ishmael; Prophets (Jud. 11, 3) And then gathered themsleves to Yiphthach idle men, and they went out with him; Hagiographa (Ben Sira, 13) Every fowl associates with its kind and man with his equal; Mishnah, "All that is attached to an unclean article is unclean and all that is attached to a clean article is clean." Baraitha: R. Eliezer said: "Not in vain did the gladiator go to the raven, because it is of its kind."
Raba said again unto Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following saying: 'If thou wilt lift the burden, I shall [also] lift (if you will share the responsibility, then I will lead); and if not, I will not touch it?" He answered: "From (Judges 4, 8) If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go." Raba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following saying: 'When thou hast called thy neighbor [cautioning him], and he would not answer, push down a big wall and throw it at him?'" He answered: "From (Ezek. 24, 13) Because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more." Raba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following saying: 'Do not spit in the well from which you drank water?'" He answered: "From (Deut. 23, 8) Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother; thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land." Rabba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following: When we were young, we were esteemed as men, now that we are old we are considered as children?" He replied: "In the beginning it is written (Ex. 13, 21) And the Lord went before them … and by night in a pillar of fire, to give light to them; and thereafter (Ib. 23, 20) Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee by the way."
Raba said again to Rabba bar Mari: "Wherefrom the following: Behind a man of wealth chips are dragged along?" He answered: "From (Gen. 13, 5) And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds and tents." R. Chanin said: "Whoever surrenders a case against his associate [to Providence] will be punished first, as it is said (Ib. 16, 5) And Sarah said unto Abram, 'My wrong be upon thee.'" And it is also written (Ib., ib.) And Sarai said unto Abram, my wrong, etc. R. Isaac added to this: "Woe to him who cries for such, even more than to him upon whom the judgment is called down." We are also taught in the following Baraitha: Both are punished [by the Divine Court], only the one who calls down the judgment is punished first.
R. Isaac said further: "Do not hold light the curse of a common man, etc." R. Abahu said: "Always shall a man try to be of the persecuted but not of the persecutors, as there are no more persecuted birds than doves and pigeons, and yet Scripture made them fit for the altar."