(Fol. 49) We are taught that R. Simon said: "A scholar is not permitted to partake of any feast that is not served in consequence of some religious duty." What kind of a feast does this refer to? R. Jochanan said: "It refers to a meal given at the wedding of a priest's daughter who is married unto an Israelite, or the daughter of a scholar who is married unto an ignorant man," for R. Jochanan said: "The alliance of a priest's daughter with an Israelite will not prosper." In what respect will it not prosper? R. Chisda said: "The wife will become either a widow, a divorced woman, or she will be childless." In a Baraitha, it was taught that either she or her husband will die [before the usual time], or it will cause him to be afflicted with poverty. Is this so? Has not R. Jochanan said: "He who desires to become rich, shall ally himself with the descendants of Aaron, so much the more will the union of the Torah and the priesthood make him rich"? This is not difficult to explain. The latter case deals with a scholar who allies himself with a priest, while the former deals with an ignorant man [who is not fit company for a priest]. R. Joshua married a priestess and became ill. He said: "Is that Aaronite not content with having secured me as a son-in-law and that I should be connected with his descendants?" R. Ide b. Abin wedded a daughter of a priest and there came forth from them two sons who were ordained as Rabbis. They were R. Shesheth, the son of R. Ide, and R. Joshua, the son of R. Ide. R. Papa said: "Had I not wedded a priestess, I would not . But R. Cahana said: "Had I not married a priestess, I should never have gone into exile." "Wert thou not exiled to a place of the Torah?" he was asked. Whereupon he answered: "But I was not exiled voluntarily, as all scholars go into exile."
R. Isaac said: "Whoever partakes of a feast which is not served for any religious purpose will, at the end, incur upon himself [the punishment of] exile; for it is said (Amos 6, 4) , . . and eat lambs out of the flock, and calves out of the midst of the stall, and immediately following. Therefore now shall they go into exile at the head of the exiles. Our Rabbis taught: "A scholar who indulges in too many feasts at every place, will, in the end, cause the destruction of his home, make his wife like unto a widow, and his children like unto orphans; he will forget his learning, become involved in various strifes, his words will be disregarded, he will defame the name of the Lord, as well as the name of his father and the name of his teacher, and he will cause an evil reputation unto himself and to his children and grand-children unto endless generations." What reputation may be implied? Abaye said: "People will call his child, 'the son of the stove-heater.'" R. Huna said: "The son of one who lays his cloak under and lies down at any place."
Our Rabbis were taught: "A man shall always sell all that he possesses to marry the daughter of a scholar. For even if he dies, or is exiled, he may rest assured that his sons will also be learned men; but he shall not take in wedlock a daughter of an Am Ha'aretz; for if he die or be exiled, his children will also be Amai Ha'aretz." Our Rabbis were taught: "A man shall always sell all that he possesses to marry the daughter of a scholar; and he shall also try to marry his daughter to a learned man. The latter act is likened unto clusters of grapes combined with berries of a thorn, which combination is improper (Ib. b) and unbecoming." Our Rabbis were taught: "A man shall always sell all that he possesses to marry the daughter of a learned man. If he cannot find the daughter of a learned man, let him marry the daughter of one of the prominent men of his day. If he cannot find the daughter of a prominent man of his day, let him marry the daughter of one of the chiefs of the congregation. If he cannot find the daughter of one of the chiefs of the congregation, let him marry the daughter of a manager of a charity organization. If he cannot find the daughter of a manager of a charity organization, then let him marry the daughter of a school master (teacher); but he shall not marry the daughter of au Am Ha'aretz, for they are abominable and their wives, creeping things. Concerning their daughters, the passage says (Deu. 27, 21) Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. Our Rabbis were taught: "Six things are said respecting the Am Ha'aretz: No testimony is to be intrusted to him; no testimony is to be accepted from him; no secret is to be disclosed to him; he is not to be appointed administrator over the Kuppah; and he shall not be used as an escort on a journey. Some say also that no public notice is to be given of his lost property." But the former Rabbi contends that he may happen to have good children, to whom the passage would apply (Job 26, 17) He may prepare, but the righteous will clothe himself [therewith].
(Fol. 50) And it shall come to pass in that day, that there shall not be light, but heavy clouds and thick darkness. (Zech. 14,6) What is meant by heavy clouds and thick darkness? R. Elazar said: "This means that light, which is weighty (rare) in this world, shall be lightly esteemed in the world to come." R. Jochanan says: "This refers to the part of Negaim and Ahaloth which are difficult [to be understood and taught] in this world, but shall be very easy to comprehend in the world to come." R. Joshua b. Levi said: "This refers to those men who are weighty [important merely on account of their wealth] in this world, but shall be lightly esteemed in the world to come," as happened with R. Joseph, the son of R. Joshua b. Levi, who once became sick and fell in a trance, and upon awakening, was asked by his father what he had seen [while in his apparently lifeless state]: and he answered "I saw a world reversed; the uppermost, below, and those below, uppermost." "My son," said his father, "thou hast seen a rightly-conducted world! But how do we scholars appear there?" "Just as we are esteemed here, so are we esteemed there," was R. Joshua's answer. "And I heard also that it was there said, 'Happy is the man who hath brought his learning with him,' and further, I heard said, 'Happy are those martyrs who have been killed by the [Roman] government; no creature can enter their abode.' " Who are they [the martyrs]? Shall I say R. Akiba and his associates? Were they then accorded that place merely because they were martyrs and for no other merits? Nay, we must say this refers to the martyrs of Lud.
(Zech. 14, 9) And the Lord will be king over all the earth; on that day shall the Lord be (acknowledged) One, and His name be One. Is He then not One to-day? R. Acha b. Chaninah said: "This world is not like the world to come; in this world, when good tidings are received, a man says: Blessed be He who is good and beneficent and upon the information of bad tidings, he says: Blessed be He, the true Judge. But in the world to come, only the first benediction will be pronounced [for there shall be no more bad tidings]." His name shall be One. What means this passage? Is then His name not One even today? R. Nachman b. Isaac said: "Not as this world is the world to come; in this world His name is written Yud, Hay, and pronounced Alef, Daleth, while in the world to come it will be pronounced as it is written, with Yud, Hay." Raba wanted to lecture [concerning the explanation of God's name] from the pulpit; so a senior scholar warned him against it, saying: "It is written (Ex. 3, 14) [This is my name] Le'olam [hence you must not openly discuss it]." R. Abina raised the following contradiction: "It is written, This is my name, Le'olam (to de concealed), and then it is written, This is my memorial unto all generations [showing that it should be read without concealing it];" i.e., "Thus said the Holy One, blessed be He! Not as My name is written shall it be pronounced: it is written Yud, Hay, but is prononced Alef Daleth."