(Fol. 127a) R. Jochanan said: "Great is hospitality even more than early attendance at the place of learning, for the Mishnah teaches us: 'For hospitality and for the attendance at the house of study,' putting the two on a par." The Nehardaen and R. Dimi said that hospitality is a greater virtue even than to visit a place of study, for the Mishnah mentions "Hospitality" first and then "attendance at the place of study." R. Juda, in the name of Rab, said: "Hospitality is a greater virtue than receiving the Shechina, for it is written (Gen. 18, 3.) And he said. My Lord, if now I have found favor in thine eyes, pass not away, I pray Thee." R. Elazar said: "Come and see, that the nature of the Holy One, praised be He! is unlike that of frail man! The nature of a frail man is that an insignificant person would not dare say to a great man 'Stay here until I return,' whereas to the Holy One, praised be He! Abraham said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thine eyes, pass not away." R. Juda b. Shila, in the name of R. Assi, who spoke in the name of R. Jochanan, said: "The interest on six things man enjoys in this world, while the principal remaineth for him in the world to come, viz., hospitality, visiting the sick, calculation of the efforts of prayer [expecting the granting of his demands], early attendance at the place of learning, rearing children to the study of the Torah, and judging his associate [in doubtful acts] with an inclination in his favor." Is this really so? Are we not taught [in a Mishnah]: "These are the things of which a man enjoys the interest for his reward in this world, while the principal remaineth for him for the world to come? viz., honoring one's father and mother, the practice of loving kindness, making peace between a man and his associate, and above all, the study of the Torah." Are these not the only things? Nay, the six things mentioned before are included with those subsequently enumerated.(Ib. b) Our Rabbis taught: "He who judges his associates [in questionable acts] with an inclination in his favor, will be judged with favor [from above]. It happened once that a man who came from upper Galili hired himself to a master in the southern part, for a term of three years. On the eve of the Day of Atonement when his term expired the workman said to his master: 'Give me my wages so that I may return home and support my wife and children.' The master replied: 'I have no money just now.' 'Then give me my money's worth in grain,' said the man. The master responded: 'I have none.' Again the hired man begged him: 'Give me then my money's worth in land.' 'I have none,' the master answered. 'Give me then the amount in cattle.' he said, but the master again refused saying, 'I have none.' 'Give me my money's worth in furniture,' the man pleaded. 'I have none,' was the reply. The man then put his bundle on his back and went away sorrowfully. After the holiday the master took the wages of the hired man and in addition, three asses, one laden with foodstuffs, the second with liquors and the third with spices and went to the hired man's house in Galili. After they ate and drank together, the master paid him his wages and asked him: 'When I told thee that I had not the money to pay thy wages, what didst thou suspect me of?' The man said: 'I thought perhaps thou hadst come across a bargain and hadst paid out all thy ready money.' 'And when thou asked me to give thee thy money's worth in cattle and I answered thee that I had no cattle, of what didst thou suspect me then?' 'I thought perhaps thou hadst leased it to others and couldst not touch it.' 'And when I said to thee I have no fruit, of what didst thou suspect me then?' 'I thought perhaps thou hadst not yet paid the tithes. 'And when I said to thee that I have no furniture, of what didst thou suspect me then?' 'I thought perhaps thou hadst dedicated all thy possessions unto Heaven,' Then said the master: 'I swear to thee, that such was really the case; I had made a vow to give away all my possessions because my son Hurkanius did not want to study the Torah. Afterwards, when I came to my associates in the South, they released me from my vow. And as thou didst judge me with favor, so may God judge thee favorably."
(Fol. 129b) R. Nachman b. Isaac in the name of Rabba b. Abuhu, who speaks in the name of Rab, said: "All that is mentioned' in the chapter of reproof may be done for a woman in confinement on the Sabbath, as it is said (Ez. 16, 4.) And as for thy birth, on the day thou wast born, thy navel was not cut nor wast thou washed in water to be cleansed, and thou wast not rubbed with salt, nor wrapt in swaddling clothing, i.e., And as for thy birth, on the day thou wast born, from this we may infer that one may assist in the birth of a child on the Sabbath; Thy navel was not cut, we infer that the navel may be cut on the Sabbath. Nor wast thou washed in water, we infer from this that a child just born may be washed on the Sabbath. And thou wert not rubbed with salt, we infer from this that a child just born may be rubbed with salt on the Sabbath. Nor wrapt in swaddling clothes, we infer that a child just born may be wrapt in clothes on the Sabbath.