zera

(Is., 49. 7): "Kings shall see and arise." "Princes will have to prostrate themselves," as it is written (ibid.): "Princes and they shall prostrate themselves." R. Zera or, as some say, R. Samuel b. Nahamani, raised an objection: If Scripture said, "they shall prostrate themselves," it would mean what you maintained, but since it says, "and they shall prostrate themselves," it indicates that they will have to do both. Said R. Naḥman: We say in addition that not all will share in light and not all in gladness, but the righteous will have light and the upright will have gladness. As to the righteous having light, it is written (Ps., 97. 11): "Light is sown for the righteous," and as for the upright having gladness, it is written (ibidem): "And gladness for the upright in heart."

Why do they put wood-ashes on the Torah scroll? Said R. Judah b. Pazzi, this means to say: "I will be with him in trouble" (Ps., 91. 15); Resh Laḳish said, it means to say: "In all their affliction He was afflicted" (Is., 63. 9). Said R. Zera: When I saw wood-ashes put on the Torah, I trembled in my whole body.

It is at all events generally admitted that a drunken priest is not allowed to raise his hands. Whence is this view derived? Said R. Simeon b. Pazzi in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi, who reported it in the name of Bar Ḳappara, Why is the portion dealing with the blessing priest placed (in the Bible) immediately after the portion dealing with the Nazir? In order to convey the lesson that as the Nazir is forbidden to drink wine, so is the priest who is to pronounce a blessing. An objection was raised against this statement by 'Ahabah, son of R. Zera, or, as some say, by Joshua b. Gizora: If this deduction is correct, we ought also to say that as the Nazir is forbidden to eat the kernel (Num 6.4), so is the blessing priest! Said R. Isaac, Scripture says (Deut., 10.8): "To minister unto Him, and to bless in His name," which indicates that as the ministering priest is allowed to eat the kernel, so is the priest who is to pronounce a blessing.

When R. Zera died, a certain eulogizer opened his eulogy thus: “The land of Shinar conceived and bore him, the beauteous land brought up her delight. Woe to me, says Rakat, for her precious instrument is lost.”

Rabbah and R. Zera joined together in a Purim feast. They became inebriated, and Rabbah arose and cut R. Zera’s throat. The next day he prayed on his behalf and revived him. Next year he said: Will the master come and we will have the Purim feast together. He replied: A miracle does not take place on every occasion.

Rabbah and R. Zera joined together in a Purim feast. They became inebriated, and Rabbah arose and cut R. Zera’s throat. The next day he prayed on his behalf and revived him. Next year he said: Will the master come and we will have the Purim feast together. He replied: A miracle does not take place on every occasion.

Rather R. Zera said: We derive it from here: “And so we worked on; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared” and it says, “That in the night they may be a guard for us, and that we may work in the day” (Nehemiah 4:15-16).

Zera said: One who says, “Hear, Hear” is like one who says, “We give thanks, we give thanks.”

“I have not accepted presents,” like R. Elazar, who, when presents were sent to him from the Patriarch’s [house], would not accept them and when he was invited there would not go. He said to them: Do you not want me to live, since it says, “He that hates gifts shall live?” (Proverbs 15:27). Zera, when presents were sent to him from the Exilarch, would not accept them, but when he was invited there he used to go, saying, “They are honored by my presence.”

Zera was asked by his disciples: How have you lived such a long life? He replied: Never in my life have I been overly demanding with my household, nor have I walked in front of one greater than myself, nor have I meditated on the Torah in filthy alleys, nor have I gone four cubits without Torah and tefillin, nor have I slept in the bet hamidrash, either a long or a short sleep, nor have I rejoiced in the downfall of my fellow, nor have I called my fellow by a disgraceful name, or, as some say, his family nickname.

Rafram eulogized his daughter-in-law in the synagogue, saying: For my honor and for the honor of the dead all the people will come. Zera eulogized a certain rabbinical student in the synagogue, saying: Either for my honor and for the honor of the dead all the people will come.

He replied: I would rather you teach me something. If so learn from me this statement that was said by R. Zera: The daughters of Israel were stringent upon themselves that even if they saw [on their garments] a spot of blood no bigger than a mustard seed, they waited for seven clean days [before taking a ritual bath].

Zera said: The halakhah is that the place where they leave off in the morning service on Shabbat is the place where they begin at Minhah, on Monday, on Thursday and on the next Shabbat. Why does he not say, “the halakhah follows Rabbi Judah”?

Zera said in the name of R. Matanah: The halakhah is that he opens and looks, then says the blessing and reads. Let him say, “The halakhah follows R. Judah”? Because he might reverse the names.

Zera said in the name of R. Matanah. The boards and the platforms do not have any sanctity in them.

What is the definition of a child? Every one who is not able to ride upon his father's shoulders. Rabbi Zera objects to this, and enquires,

Who brought him hither? Abai said to him, As his mother was bound by the law of rejoicing, his mother brought him hither. Henceforward, if he can go up, holding by the hand of his father, from Jerusalem to the mountain of the House, he is bound; but if not, he is free. R. [Zera] replied, I take the side of the house of Hillel against the words of the house of Shammai. For we read, "But Hannah went not up; for she said to her husband, Not until the child be weaned, then I will bring him" (1 Sam. i. 22). But Samuel was able to ride upon his father's shoulders. Abai said to him, Even according to thine own argument there is a difficulty for thee. How was not Hannah in her own person bound by the law of rejoicing? But the real explanation is that Hannah saw great delicacy in Samuel, and was uneasy about Samuel in respect to the fatigue of the journey.

And what about postponed offerings? R. Jochanan says, Postponed offerings are from the first day; but R. Oshaia says, Postponed offerings are on any one day for another. What practical difference is there between them? R. Zera said, If a man is lame on the first day and cured on the second day, here is a difference between them. R. Jochanan said, Postponed offerings are from the first day. Inasmuch as he was not fit on the first day, he is not fit on the second day; but R. Oshaia said, Postponed offerings are one day for another; although he was not fit on the first day, he was fit on the second.

Nor the Chariot with one. R. Chia teaches, But you may impart to him the heads of the divisions. R. Zera said, You may only impart the heads of the divisions to the chief of a college, and to every one whose heart within him yearns for knowledge. There are others who say, Even to him you are to impart these, only if his heart within him yearns for knowledge.

Nay, but shall I tell you on what authority this depends? This is the teaching of R. Chănaniah ben Akbia; for he said, They have only made this restriction as regards Jordan or a ship, and in accordance with the matter that occurred. What was that? There is a Baraitha, viz., A man shall not take up the waters of sin and the ashes of sin, and carry them away over Jordan or in a ship, and he shall not stand on this side and throw them to the other side, and he shall not make them to swim upon the face of the waters, and he shall not ride upon the back of a beast nor upon the back of his comrade, but if he do, his feet must touch the ground; but he may bear them over a bridge, and he need not regard whether it be Jordan or any other river. R. Chănaniah ben Akbia says, They have only made this restriction as regards Jordan and the case when the man is in a ship, and in accordance with the matter that occurred. What was the matter that occurred? R. Jehudah said that Rab said, A matter occurred with a certain man, who was carrying the waters of sin and the ashes of sin over Jordan and in a ship, and a piece of a dead body as large as an olive was found fixed in the bottom of the ship. In the same hour they said, A man shall not bear waters of sin and ashes of sin and carry them over Jordan in a ship. This question was put by them. In the case of an unclean sandal the law is clear, but what if the case be one of a clean sandal? In the case of an open cask the law is clear, but what if the case be one of a closed cask? What also if it be the case of a man who has passed over and borne it? R. Ela said, If he has passed over and borne it, he is unclean. R. Zera said, If he has passed over and borne it, he is clean.