xviii

Therefore is it written, Lev. xviii. 7: “The nakedness of thy father thou shalt not uncover.” (For VD, Vau Daleth are the same as H, He; and when it is written IVD, it is the same as if it were called IH (namely if V, Vau, be inserted in D, Daleth). Woe! when Yod is taken away from He (that is, wisdom from understanding, which is the conceiving mother) because it is written, Lev. xviii. 7: “And the nakedness of thy mother thou shalt not uncover; she is thy mother, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.” Revere her; she is thy mother; because it is written, Prov. ii. 3: “Because thou shalt call understanding thy mother.” (This is arrived at by reading the word AM in this passage with the pointing Tsere, instead of with the usual Chireq pointing.)

Therefore is it written, Lev. xviii. 7: “The nakedness of thy father thou shalt not uncover.” (For VD, Vau Daleth are the same as H, He; and when it is written IVD, it is the same as if it were called IH (namely if V, Vau, be inserted in D, Daleth). Woe! when Yod is taken away from He (that is, wisdom from understanding, which is the conceiving mother) because it is written, Lev. xviii. 7: “And the nakedness of thy mother thou shalt not uncover; she is thy mother, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.” Revere her; she is thy mother; because it is written, Prov. ii. 3: “Because thou shalt call understanding thy mother.” (This is arrived at by reading the word AM in this passage with the pointing Tsere, instead of with the usual Chireq pointing.)

The nose of the Ancient of Days is life in every part. Concerning the nose of Microprosopus it is written, Ps. xviii. 8: “There went up smoke out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured,” &c.

For it is written, Ps. xviii. 8: “There went up a smoke out of His nose, and fire out of His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it.”

Also it is written, Ps. xviii. 24: “I will be upright before Him, and will keep myself from the sinner.”

Since concerning Him it is said, Ps. xviii. 9: “There ascendeth a smoke in His nose,” &c.

But yet from the letter the judgment dependeth, and judgment pertaineth unto the nose (of Microprosopus). Like as it is written, Ps. xviii. 9: “Smoke ascendeth out of His nose.”

Concerning this period it is said, Lev. xviii. 19: “Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman in the separation of her uncleanness.”

Also it is written, Ps. xviii. 26: “With the merciful man thou shalt show thyself merciful.”

But concerning this (nose of) Microprosopus it is written, Ps. xviii. 9: “A smoke ascendeth in His nose.”

Binah also, as it is written, 1 Sam. iii. 9, “Speak, for Thy servant heareth.” Also 2 Kings xviii. 26, “Because we have heard.” And hencefrom all things depend.

There is a teaching : Abba Benjamin said : Should two enter a Synagogue to pray, and one of them finishing before the other does not wait for him but goes out, his prayer is torn in his face ; as it is said, "Thou tearest thy soul in thine anger, shall the earth be forsaken for thee ?" (Job xviii. 4).

R. Helbo also said in the name of Rab Huna : A man should always be careful with the afternoon prayer, for behold, Elijah was only answered in the afternoon prayer; as it is said, "And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the afternoon offering, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, O Lord, the God of Abraham.... Hear me, O Lord, hear me" (I Kings xviii. 36 f.).

"For this let every one that is godly pray unto Thee in the time of finding" (Ps. xxxii. 6). R. Hannina said: "In the time of finding" refers to [the choice of] a wife ; as it is said, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a great good" (Prov. xviii. 22).

"Hear me, O Lord, hear me " (I Kings xviii. 37). R. Abbahu said: Why did Elijah exclaim "Hear me" twice? This teaches that Elijah spake before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Lord of the Universe, hear me, that fire may descend from heaven and consume all that is upon the altar; and hear me, that Thou mayest divert their mind so that they say not it was the effect of sorcery; as it is said, 'For Thou didst turn their heart backward' (ibid.)."

Rab Hamnuna said : What means that which is written, "Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation [pesher] of a thing?" (Eccles. viii. 1)? [It means]. Who is like the Holy One, blessed be He, Who knows how to make a reconciliation [pesharah] between the two righteous men, Hezekiah and Isaiah. Hezekiah said, "Let Isaiah come to me, for so we find that Elijah went to Ahab ; as it is said, 'And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab' (I Kings xviii. 2)." Isaiah said, "Let Hezekiah come to me, for so we find that Jehoram, son of Ahab, went to Elisha" (II Kings iii. 12).

Thou sayest "the fourth hour"; but perhaps it means the sixth hour ! When the Bible states "In the heat of the day" (Gen. xviii. 1) it means the sixth hour. How, then, am I to understand "As the sun waxed hot, it melted" ? That refers to the fourth hour. In accordance with whose opinion is this? It can be neither R. Judah's nor the Rabbis'. If it were R. Judah's, up to [and including] the fourth hour is still morning ; and if it were the Rabbis', up to midday is still morning !

He does not ? Behold it is written, "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity" (Ezek. xviii. 24)! That refers to a man who was originally wicked; but the man who is originally righteous does not.

R. Eleazar also said : Elijah spoke rebelliously to the Most High ; as it is said, heart, why have I not occasion to suckle with them? "For Thou didst turn their heart backward" (I Kings xviii. 37). R. Samuel b. Rab Isaac said : Whence [do we find] that the Holy One, blessed be He, replied and admitted [the plea of] Elijah ?

first, that which is written, "Her that I have afflicted" (ibid.); second, that which is written, "Behold as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in My hand, O house of Israel" (Jer. xviii. 6) ; third, that which is written, "I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh" (Ezek. xxxvi. 26).

The first tithe from, which Terumah has been taken. This is evident ! No ; it is necessary to state it for the case where [the Levite] anticipated with the ears of corn and separated therefrom the Terumah of the tithe before [the priest] had separated the great Terumah. This is in accord with R. Abbahu who said in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish : The first tithe, which [the Levite] anticipated and separated from the ears, is exempt from the great Terumah ; as it is said, "Ye shall set apart of it a gift for the Lord, even a tithe of the tithe" (Num. xviii. 26) — i.e. "a tithe of the tithe" I tell thee [to set apart], but not a great Terumah or a Terumah of a tithe of a tithe.

"Out of all your tithes ye shall set apart" (Num. xviii. 29). What, however, seest thou? The latter is corn but the other is not.

R. Johanan said : Because the Scriptures state, "And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord Who hath delivered you" etc. (Exod. xviii. 10). Do we say a benediction for the miracle wrought on behalf of the many but not for the miracle wrought on behalf of an individual?

There is a teaching: Rabbi says : A man should never multiply friends in his house; as it is said, "There are friends that one hath to his own hurt" (Prov. xviii. 24).

R. Abin the Levite also said : Whoever partakes of a meal at which a disciple of the wise is present is as though he partakes of the lustre of the Shekinah; as it is said, "And Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God" (Exod. xviii. 12). Did they eat before God? Was it not before Moses that they ate?

Thou saidst at first, Nor the Chariot with one, and again thou saidst, But if a man do so, he must be a wise man, and one who has much knowledge of his own. This is its meaning. Men are not to expound unlawful unions to three others, nor the work of Creation to two others, nor the Chariot to one other, but if they do, he must be a wise man, and one who has much knowledge of his own. Men are not to expound unlawful unions with three. What is the reason? Shall we say, It is on account of the passage, "each man to any that is near of kin" (Lev. xviii. 6)? "Each man" is equivalent to two, "that is near of kin" is equivalent to one; and the Merciful One said, "Ye shall not approach etc." But regard it thus; as it is written, "each man that curseth his God" (Lev. xxiv. 15), "each man that giveth of his seed unto Molech" (Lev. xx. 2), so it is with this passage also; but as these last must mean to include the strangers, who are cautioned for cursing the Lord, and for idolatry, like Israel, so that first quoted also must mean to include the strangers who are cautioned for unlawful unions, like Israel. But do we get it from the passage, "therefore shall ye keep my charge?" (Lev. xviii. 30) "Therefore shall ye keep" implies two, "my charge" one; for the Merciful One in this passage was forbidding the practice of "abominable customs" (ibid.). But as it is written, Ye therefore shall keep the Sabbath (Exod. xxxi. 14), "and ye shall keep the Unleavened Bread" (Exod. xii. 17), "and ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary" (Numb. xviii. 5), so it is with this passage also. But R. Ashi said, How are we to explain, Men are not to expound unlawful unions with three? It means that they are not to expound the details of the subject with three others. What is the reason? The probability is that when two sit before their Rabbi one is wholly occupied with his Rabbi, and the other inclines his ear to instruction, but if there are three, one is wholly occupied with his Rabbi, but the other two are wholly occupied with each other, and know not what their Rabbi is saying, and they go forth from his lecture to allow things that are prohibited in the matter of unlawful unions. But if this be so, the whole Law should also by parity of reason come under this rule. No, for unlawful unions are different from other subjects. For the Mishnah teacher said, As for robbery and unlawful unions, a man's soul coveteth and lusteth for them. But if it be so, robbery also should come under the rule. No, for in the case of unlawful unions, whether the temptation is visible or not visible, the man's propensity is strong, but in the case of robbery, when the temptation is visible, his propensity is strong; when it is not visible, the propensity is not strong.

Thou saidst at first, Nor the Chariot with one, and again thou saidst, But if a man do so, he must be a wise man, and one who has much knowledge of his own. This is its meaning. Men are not to expound unlawful unions to three others, nor the work of Creation to two others, nor the Chariot to one other, but if they do, he must be a wise man, and one who has much knowledge of his own. Men are not to expound unlawful unions with three. What is the reason? Shall we say, It is on account of the passage, "each man to any that is near of kin" (Lev. xviii. 6)? "Each man" is equivalent to two, "that is near of kin" is equivalent to one; and the Merciful One said, "Ye shall not approach etc." But regard it thus; as it is written, "each man that curseth his God" (Lev. xxiv. 15), "each man that giveth of his seed unto Molech" (Lev. xx. 2), so it is with this passage also; but as these last must mean to include the strangers, who are cautioned for cursing the Lord, and for idolatry, like Israel, so that first quoted also must mean to include the strangers who are cautioned for unlawful unions, like Israel. But do we get it from the passage, "therefore shall ye keep my charge?" (Lev. xviii. 30) "Therefore shall ye keep" implies two, "my charge" one; for the Merciful One in this passage was forbidding the practice of "abominable customs" (ibid.). But as it is written, Ye therefore shall keep the Sabbath (Exod. xxxi. 14), "and ye shall keep the Unleavened Bread" (Exod. xii. 17), "and ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary" (Numb. xviii. 5), so it is with this passage also. But R. Ashi said, How are we to explain, Men are not to expound unlawful unions with three? It means that they are not to expound the details of the subject with three others. What is the reason? The probability is that when two sit before their Rabbi one is wholly occupied with his Rabbi, and the other inclines his ear to instruction, but if there are three, one is wholly occupied with his Rabbi, but the other two are wholly occupied with each other, and know not what their Rabbi is saying, and they go forth from his lecture to allow things that are prohibited in the matter of unlawful unions. But if this be so, the whole Law should also by parity of reason come under this rule. No, for unlawful unions are different from other subjects. For the Mishnah teacher said, As for robbery and unlawful unions, a man's soul coveteth and lusteth for them. But if it be so, robbery also should come under the rule. No, for in the case of unlawful unions, whether the temptation is visible or not visible, the man's propensity is strong, but in the case of robbery, when the temptation is visible, his propensity is strong; when it is not visible, the propensity is not strong.

Thou saidst at first, Nor the Chariot with one, and again thou saidst, But if a man do so, he must be a wise man, and one who has much knowledge of his own. This is its meaning. Men are not to expound unlawful unions to three others, nor the work of Creation to two others, nor the Chariot to one other, but if they do, he must be a wise man, and one who has much knowledge of his own. Men are not to expound unlawful unions with three. What is the reason? Shall we say, It is on account of the passage, "each man to any that is near of kin" (Lev. xviii. 6)? "Each man" is equivalent to two, "that is near of kin" is equivalent to one; and the Merciful One said, "Ye shall not approach etc." But regard it thus; as it is written, "each man that curseth his God" (Lev. xxiv. 15), "each man that giveth of his seed unto Molech" (Lev. xx. 2), so it is with this passage also; but as these last must mean to include the strangers, who are cautioned for cursing the Lord, and for idolatry, like Israel, so that first quoted also must mean to include the strangers who are cautioned for unlawful unions, like Israel. But do we get it from the passage, "therefore shall ye keep my charge?" (Lev. xviii. 30) "Therefore shall ye keep" implies two, "my charge" one; for the Merciful One in this passage was forbidding the practice of "abominable customs" (ibid.). But as it is written, Ye therefore shall keep the Sabbath (Exod. xxxi. 14), "and ye shall keep the Unleavened Bread" (Exod. xii. 17), "and ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary" (Numb. xviii. 5), so it is with this passage also. But R. Ashi said, How are we to explain, Men are not to expound unlawful unions with three? It means that they are not to expound the details of the subject with three others. What is the reason? The probability is that when two sit before their Rabbi one is wholly occupied with his Rabbi, and the other inclines his ear to instruction, but if there are three, one is wholly occupied with his Rabbi, but the other two are wholly occupied with each other, and know not what their Rabbi is saying, and they go forth from his lecture to allow things that are prohibited in the matter of unlawful unions. But if this be so, the whole Law should also by parity of reason come under this rule. No, for unlawful unions are different from other subjects. For the Mishnah teacher said, As for robbery and unlawful unions, a man's soul coveteth and lusteth for them. But if it be so, robbery also should come under the rule. No, for in the case of unlawful unions, whether the temptation is visible or not visible, the man's propensity is strong, but in the case of robbery, when the temptation is visible, his propensity is strong; when it is not visible, the propensity is not strong.

And R. Jehudah said that Rab said, Ten things were created on the first day, and they are these; heaven and earth, chaos and desolation, light and darkness, wind and waters, the measure of the day and the measure of the night: heaven and earth; for it is written, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth;" (Gen. i. 1) chaos and desolation; for it is written, "And the earth was chaos and desolation;" (Gen. i. 2) light and darkness; darkness, for it is written, "and darkness was upon the face of the deep," (ibid.) light, for it is written, "And God said, Let there be light;" (Gen. i. 3) wind and water; for it is written, "and the wind of God was brooding upon the face of the waters;" (Gen. i. 2) the measure of the day and the measure of the night; for it is written, "And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Gen. i. 5). There is a Baraitha, Chaos is a green line encompassing all the world, and from it darkness springs, as it is said, "He made darkness his hiding place round about him" (Ps. xviii. 12; E.V. 11). Desolation—this means the stones covered with mud, which are sunk in the deep, from which waters come forth, as it is said, "and he shall stretch upon it the line of chaos and the stones of desolation" (Is. xxxiv. 11). And was light created on the first day? But there is against this view the passage, "and God set them in the firmament of the heaven" (Gen. i. 17), and the passage, "and there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day" (Gen. i. 19). But it is as R. El'azar says; for R. El'azar said, The light which the Holy One created on the first day, Adam saw by its means from one end of the world to the other. When the Holy One considered the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Dispersion, and saw that their works were vain, He stood up and took it from them, as it is said, "and from the wicked their light is withholden" (Job xxxviii. 15). And for whom did He take it away? For the righteous of the time to come, as it is said, "And God saw the light, that it was good" (Gen. i. 4), and there is nothing good but a righteous man, as it is said, "Say ye of a righteous man, that he is good" (Is. iii. 10). When He saw that He had taken away the light for the righteous, He rejoiced, as it is said, "He rejoiceth at the light of the righteous" (Prov. xiii. 9). And this is in accordance with the Baraitha which says, The light which the Holy One, blessed be He, created on the first day, Adam observed and saw by its means from one end of the world to the other. These are the words of R. Jacob. But wise men say, These are the luminaries, which were created on the first day, but were not hung up until the fourth day.

Araboth is that in which are righteousness and judgment and grace, the treasures of life and the treasures of peace and the treasures of blessing, and the souls of the righteous, and the spirits and souls which are about to be created, and the dew with which the Holy One, blessed be He, is about to quicken mortals: righteousness and judgment; for it is written, "Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of thy throne:" (Ps. lxxxix. 15; E.V. 14) grace; for it is written, "And he put on grace as a coat of mail:" (Is. lix. 17) the treasures of life; for it is written, "For with thee is the fountain of life:" (Ps. xxxvi. 9) and the treasures of peace; for it is written, "and called it, The LORD is peace:" (Jud. vi. 24) and the treasures of blessing; for it is written, "He shall receive a blessing from the LORD:" (Ps. xxiv. 5) the souls of the righteous; for it is written, "Yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God:" (1 Sam. xxv. 29) the spirits and souls which are about to be created; for it is written, "For the spirit before me shall join itself to a body, and the souls which I have made:" (Is. lvii. 16) and the dew with which the Holy One, blessed be He, is about to quicken mortals; for it is written, "Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary" (Ps. lxviii. 10; E.V. 9). There there are celestials and seraphs and holy beings and ministering angels, and the throne of glory, and the King, the Living God, high and lifted up, sitting over them among the clouds, as it is said, "Cast up a highway for him that rideth upon the clouds (Araboth); his name is Jah" (Ps. lxviii. 4). And whence do we get it that they are called heaven? Because mention of riding occurs in two passages. It is written in one place, "Cast up a highway for him that rideth upon the clouds," and it is written in another, "who rideth upon the heaven for thy help" (Deut. xxxiii. 26). And darkness and cloud and thick darkness surround Him, as it is said, "He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion round about him; darkness of waters, thick clouds" (Ps. xviii. 12; E.V. 11). And how is there darkness in the presence of the Lord? For against this, there is the passage, "He revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness and the light dwelleth with him" (Dan. ii. 22). There is no difficulty.

A daughter of Acher came to Rabbi. She said to him, Rabbi, give me some food. He said to her, Whose daughter art thou? She said to him, I am the daughter of Acher. He said to her, Is there still of his seed in the world? And yet it is written, "He shall have neither son nor son's son among his people, nor any remaining where he sojourned" (Job xviii. 19). She said to him, Remember his study of the Law, and remember not his deeds. Immediately there came down fire, and consumed the seat of Rabbi. Rabbi wept and said, And if those who disgrace themselves through it are honoured thus, how much more those who obtain praise through their use of it?