Shabbat (Fol. 3b) "Son of nobles," said R. Chiya unto Rab, "did I not tell thee that when Rabbi is engaged on this treatise, ask him not about a subject treated in another treatise, for he may not have the subject matter in his mind. If Rabbi were not a great man thou mightest cause him shame, for he would give thee an answer which might not be the correct one. In this instance, however he gave thee the correct answer."
(Fol. 10a) Raba b. R. Huna was wont to put on fine gaiters for prayer, saying: It is written (Amos 4, 12.) Prepare thyself to meet thy God, O Israel. Raba was accustomed to throw off his mantle and fold his hands when praying, saying: "Like a servant before his master [should a man stand]." R. Ashi said: "I have noticed that R. Cahana in time of trouble was accustomed to throw off his mantle and fold his hands while praying, saying: 'Like a servant before his master [should a man stand],' and in time of peace he clothed, covered and wrapped himself up and then prayed, saying: 'Prepare thyself to meet thy God, O Israel.'" (Ib.) Raba observing that R. Hamnuna was prolonging his prayer, said: "They leave eternal life (Torah) and occupy themselves with transient life (prayer)." But R. Hamnuna contends that a separate time is provided for prayer and a separate time for study. R. Jeremiah was sitting before R. Zeira discussing traditional law, [and as] it was becoming late for prayer, R. Jeremiah hurried [his teacher], whereupon R. Zeira read to him the passage (Pr. 28, 9.) When one turneth away his ear so as not to listen to the Torah, even his prayer becometh an abomination.
R. Ami and R. Assi were accustomed to sit between the pillars [of the academy] and every now and then to rap [the bolt of the door] and say: "Is there any one who requires adjustment of a dispute? Let him come in." _ _„R. Chisda and Rabba b. R. "Huna were holding court the entire day and were becoming weak. R. Chiya b. Raba of Difty recited to them the passage: And the people stood about Moses from the morning unto the evening. (Ex. 18, 8.) How can we imagine that Moses was holding court the entire day? When did he study? We must therefore say that a Judge who, even for one hour, passes judgment according to its true equity, is credited by Scripture as if he had become a partner of God in the creation of the world, for it is written here (Ex. 18, 13.) From the morning unto the evening, and it is written, And it was morning and it was evening the first day. [Hence you need not hold court the entire day.] Until when should the work of justice continue? R. Shesheth said: "Until mealtime." Rami b. Chama said: "What is the Biblical passage for it? Woe to thee, O Land. when thy king is low-minded, and when thy princes eat in the morning. Happy art thou, O Land, when thy king is noble-spirited, and thy princes eat at the proper time for strengthening and not for gluttony (Ecc. 10, 16.) i.e., for strengthening of the Torah and not for the gluttony of wine." Our Rabbis taught: "The first hour [of the day] is the time when the Lydians eat; during the second hour robbers eat; during the third hour (rich) heirs eat; during the fourth hour laborers eat; during the fifth hour the people in general eat." Is this so? Has not R. Papa said that during the fourth hour the people in general eat? We must therefore say that "During the fourth hour the people in general eat; during the fifth hour laborers eat; during the sixth hour scholars eat; from this hour on eating is like throwing a stone into a skin-bottle (it has no effect)." Abaye said: "This applies only to a case where nothing was tasted in the morning; but if something were tasted in the morning then it matters little [how late he eats]."
(Ib. b) This will support R. Hamnuna who said in the name of Ulla: "A man is forbidden to salute his friend with Shalom (peace) while in the bath-house, for it is said (Jud. 6, 24.) And he called it 'God is Peace.'" According to your conclusion the word Hemnutha (faith) should also not be pronounced in a privy, because it is written (Deu. 7, 9.) The faithful God. And if thou wilt say that this is really the law, behold! Raba b. Mechasia in the name of R. Chama b. Guria who quoted Rab said: "Hemnutha (faith) is permitted to be pronounced in a privy." In the latter case it is different because the word (faith) is not used substantively but qualifiedly, for we explain it, The faithful God, whereas in the former case it is used substantively, as it is written He called it God is Peace.
Raba b. Mechasia in the name of R. Chama b. Guria who spoke in the name of Rab said: "He who bestows a gift on his friend should let him know it; for it is said (Ex. 31, 13.) That ye may know that I am the Lord who doth sanctify you." We have also a Baraitha to the same effect: That ye may know that I am the Lord who doth sanctify you, i.e.. The Holy One, praised be He! said unto Moses "I have a good gift in my treasury; its name is Sabbath; this I wish to bestow on Israel; go, and announce it to them." "We learn from this then," said Rabban Simon b. Gamaliel, "that if one give a piece of bread to a child he ought to make it known to the child's mother." What shall one do [to inform the mother]? Abaye said: "He should put some oil around the child's eye or stain it with some dye" [so that his mother will ask him concerning it, and he will then tell her he also gave him bread]. Nowadays, however, when such is the apprehension of performing an act of witchcraft, what shall one do? R. Papa said: "He should put some of this very thing he gave to the child around his eyes." Is it so? [that a gift should first be told of]; has not R. Chama b. Chanina said: "He who bestows a gift on his friend should not let him know of it, for it is said (Ex. 34, 29.) And Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone, because He had spoken with him." This is not difficult to explain. The latter instance speaks of a thing that may become known by itself, but the former speaks of a thing that cannot become known by itself. Is not the Sabbath a thing that was to be known [and yet God informed Israel of it]? But the reward [for observing it] cannot be known.
R. Chisda held in his hand two priestly gifts from the meat of an ox and said: "I will give these to the man who will tell me one new law in the name of Rab." Whereupon Raba b. Mechasia said to him: "Thus, has said Rab, 'He who bestows a gift on his friend should inform him of it, for it is said (Ex. 31, 13.) That you may know that I am the Lord who doth sanctify you.'" So R. Chisda gave him the gifts. "Art thou so fond of the teachings of Rab?" asked Raba b. Mechasia. "Yea," he responded. Whereupon Raba b. Mechasia said: "This is what Rab said, 'Garments are precious to those who are invested with them, [because they know the value of it].'" "Did Rab indeed say so?" asked R. Chisda. "Surely the last thing is better than the first one, and if I had other gifts I would bestow them on you."
Further said Raba b. Mechasia in the name of R. Chama b. Guria who spoke in the name of Rab: "Never should a man show preference for one child over his other children, because for the sake of two selaim worth of silk which Jacob bestowed on Joseph in preference to his other sons, the brothers became jealous of him and brought about the migration of our ancestors into Egypt." Further said Raba b. Mechasia in the name of R. Chama b. Guria who spoke in the name of Rab: "A man should always try to make his residence in a city of recent settlement; for being a new settlement it has few sins; as it is said (Gen. 19, 20.) Behold now, this city is near to flee thereto, and it is little. What is meant by She is near. Shall I say it means it is near in distance and small in settlement? Every one sees that. But it means its settlement is near (recent) and therefore its sins are not many." R. Abin Said: "What is the Biblical passage to support this? It is written (Ib.) O Let me, I pray thee, escape thither, i.e., the word Nah (I pray thee) aggregates by its letters fifty-one, and Sedom was in existence fifty-two years; (Fol. 11a) twenty-six of which were tranquil, as it is written (Ib. 14, 4.) Twelve years had they served Kedarlaomer, but thirteen years they rebelled. And in the fourteenth year came Kedarlaomer," etc.
Furthermore said Raba b. Mechasia in the name of R. Chama b. Guria who spoke in the name of Rab: "Better to be under an Ishmaelite than under an idolater; better under an idolater than under a Charmer; better under a Charmer, than under a scholar: better under a scholar than under an orphan or a widow."
Rabba b. Mechasia in the name of R. Chama b. Guria who spoke in the name of Rab said further: "Rather any sickness than the sickness of the bowels; rather any pains than pains of the heart; rather any disorder than the disorder of the head; rather any evil than a bad wife."
Further said Raba b. Mechasia in the name of R. Chama b. Guria who said in the name of Rab: "If all the seas were ink; all the reeds were producing pens; the expanse if heaven were sheets of parchment, and all the children of men were scribes, yet it would not suffice to write the devices of political government." What is the Biblical passage [that refers to this]? R. Mesharshia said (Pr. 25, 3.) As the height of the heavens, and the depth of the earth, so is the heart of kings unsearchable.
R. Joshua the son of R. Ide happened once to visit the house of R. Ashi. They prepared for him a calf, the third to its mother, and they said to him: "Let the master taste something." Whereupon he answered: "I am fasting." They asked him: "Does not the master hold with R. Juda who said: 'A man can lend his fast (day) and repay it later.'" "This," he answered, "is a fast on account of a (bad) dream, and Raba b. Mechasia in the name of R. Chama b. Guria quoted Rab, and said: 'Fasting is as good to avert a bad dream as fire to consume flax,' and R. Chisda said: 'It should be [kept] the same day,' to which R. Joseph added, 'That if a bad dream occurs it should be kept even on the Sabbath."
(Fol. 12a) It was taught in the academy of R. Ishmael: "A man may go out with Tephilin on Friday when it is almost dark." Why? For Rabba b. Huna said: "We conclude that a man must feel his Tephilin every now and then, by the rule of a fortiori (from minor to major), concerning the Tzitz; If with respect to the Tzitz in which God's name is mentioned but once, the Torah says (Ex. 28, 38.) And it shall be upon his forehead always so that he shall not escape his attention from it; how much more should a man feel the Tephilin in which God's name is mentioned many times? Hence [by feeling it] he will remind himself of the time when he has to remove it." It is taught that R. Chanania said: "A man must examine the pockets of his garments on Friday evening when it is getting dark." R. Joseph said: "This is a most important traditional law concerning the Sabbath."
Our Rabbis taught: "He who comes to visit a sick man on the Sabbath shall say: 'It is Sabbath and we are not allowed to cry but relief will soon come'; R. Meier said, he should say: 'The Sabbath [if respected] may bring mercy.' (Fol. 12b) R. Juda said [one should say]: 'May the Omnipotent have mercy on thee and on the sick of Israel'; R. Jose said [one should say]: 'May the Omnipotent have mercy on thee amongst the sick of Israel.' " Shebnah, of Jerusalem, upon entering said: Shalom, and upo leaving he would say: "It is Sabbath and we are not allowed to cry, but relief will soon come, for His mercies are great, rest [meantime] in peace." In accordance with whom did R. Chanina say that he who has a sick person in his house should include him [while praying for his health] amongst the sick of Israel? It is in accordance with R. Jose. Further said R. Chanina: "It is with reluctance that they (the sages) allowed the visit of condolence to mourners and the visit to the sick on the Sabbath [because it disturbs the Sabbath joy]." Rabba b. b. Chana said: "When I accompanied R. Eliezer while visiting the sick, I sometimes heard him say [in Hebrew]. Hamakom Yiph-Kedach Leshalom. and sometimes he said [in Aramaic] Rachmanah Yedachrinach Lishlam." How could he do this? Did not R. Juda say: "Never should a man ask [of God] for his necessities in the Aramaic language," and R. Jochanan said: "He who asks for his necessities in the Aramaic tongue will not be attended to by the ministering angels because the ministering angels do not understand Aramaic." The case of a sick person is different because the Shechina is with him; for R. Anan said in the name of Rab: "Whence do we learn that the Shechina strengthens the sick? It is said (Ps. 41, 4.) The Lord will sustain him upon the bed of painful disease." We have also a Baraitha to the same effect: "He who visits the sick shall sit neither on the bed [of the sick] nor on a chair, but he shall wrap himself and sit in front of the sick because the Divine Presence rests above the head-side of the sick; as it is said (Ib.) The Lord will sustain him upon the bed of painful disease."
(Fol. 13a) At the academy of Elijah it was taught: "Once it happened that a scholar who read (the Scripture) to a great extent and studied a great part (of the Talmud) and devoted much of his time in attendance upon the scholars, died very young, and his wife took his Tephilin and went around with them to every place of worship and study saying to the audience: 'Behold it is written in the Torah (Deu. 30, 20.) For He is thy life, and the length of thy days. My husband studied and read so much and (Fol. 13b) gave so much of his time to attendance upon the scholars; why did he die so young?' And there was none who could give her answer. I happened once to stop at her house and she told me everything that had happened to her. I said to her: 'My daughter, how did he conduct himself during the days in which you were a Niddah?' She answered: 'God forbid! He refrained even from touching my little finger.' 'And during the days when you were a Lebuna, how was his conduct towards thee?' I asked her again. Whereupon she answered: 'He ate with me, drank with me, and did not refrain from touching me.' I then said to her: 'Praised be the Holy One, who spared him not for the sake of scholarship, for the Torah says (Lev. 18, 19.) And a woman in the separation of her uncleanliness shalt thou not approach.' " When K. Dimi came he said: "They were together in one bed [while in her Lebuna"]." In Palestine it was said, in the name of R. Isaac b. Joseph, that she wore breech cloth [while with him in one bed].
Our Rabbis taught: "Who wrote the scroll of Taanith?" They said: "Chananiah b. Hezekiah and his associates who cherished the memories of past troubles [because of the miraculous redemption], wrote the scrolls of Taanith." Rabban Simon b. Gamaliel said: "We also cherish the trouble [on account of its miraculous redemption] but what shall we do? If we were to record all the troubles, we would never be in a position to finish. It may also be said that a fool never feels trouble; or dead flesh feels not the pain of the knife" (i. e., We have grown indifferent through the frequency of persecutions). Is it so? Behold! R. Isaac said: "Worms are as painful to the dead body as is the pain when a needle is stuck into healthy flesh, for it is written (Job. 14, 22.) But his body on him feeleth pain." [hence we understand that a dead body feels pain]." Rabban Simon b. Gamaliel must have meant this: "The dead flesh in a living body feels not the pain of the knife." R. Juda in the name of Rab said: "However, we should remember for good the memory of Chananiah b. Hezekiah. Had it not been for him, the book of Ezekiel would have been suppressed because of the contradictions it offers to the words of the Torah. What did he do? Three hundred garabs of oil [for food and light] were brought up to him in an upper chamber and he stayed there until he succeeded in reconciling all the contradictions."
(Fol. 14b) R. Juda in the name of Samuel said: "When (King) Solomon ordained the rule for washing hands [before every meal] a heavenly voice came forth and said (Pr. 23, 15.) My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, and again (Ib. 27, 11.) My son, make my heart glad that I may answer him who approacheth me."
(Fol. 15a) R. Cahana said: When R. Ishmael the son of R. Jose took sick the Rabbis sent to him saying: "Rabbi, tell us the two or three things which you said in your father's name." He sent back word to them: "Thus said my father, 'One hundred and forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the idolatrous (Roman) empire began the invasion upon Israel; eighty years before the destruction of the Temple, a decree was issued by the Rabbis to the effect that all heathen territory and glassware were to be considered [levitically] unclean: forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the Sanhedrin were exiled and took their seat in chanuyoth.'" For what practical purpose was the last statement made [as the Sanhedrin had not been in existence since the destruction of the Temple]? R. Isaac b. Abdimi said: "To inform us that they abandoned the administration of mulct laws." How can you imagine that it refers to mulct law? But say that they stopped administering capital laws; [they noticed that criminal acts happened so often that they abandoned its practice altogether].
(Fol. 19a) We are taught: Thus it was the custom of the house of Rabban Gamaliel to give away white clothes to the laundry three days before the Sabbath, but dyed garments they gave away even on a Friday. And from this we infer that white garments are harder to wash than colored ones. Abaye once gave away dyed clothes to the laundry and he asked how much he would be charged for them. "As much as for white," answered the laundry-man, so Abaye said to him: "The Rabbis decided it long ago."