zotra

R. Isaac said : Whoever reads the Shema' upon his bed is as though he holds a two-edged sword in his hand; as it is said, "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand" (Ps. cxlix. 6). How is this inferred ? Mar Zotra (another version : Rab Ashe) said : From what precedes ; for it is written, "Let the saints exult in glory, let them sing for joy upon their beds" (ibid. v. 5), and this is followed by "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand."

Mar Zotra said : The merit of a fast consists in dispensing charity.

Rab Zotra b. Tobiah said in the name of Rab : "May it be My will that My mercy may subdue My wrath ; and may My mercy prevail over My attributes, so that I may deal with My children in the quality of mercy and enter on their behalf within the line of strict justice."

Mar Zotra said : "In the time of finding" refers to a privy. In the West, they said that the interpretation of Mar Zotra was the best of all.

Mar Zotra said : "In the time of finding" refers to a privy. In the West, they said that the interpretation of Mar Zotra was the best of all.

There is a further teaching: "And these words... shall be" means one must not read [the sentences of the Shema'] out of order. "Upon thine heart" — R. Zotra says: Up to here the law of Kawwanah applies, but from here onward the commandment to recite applies. R. Josiah says : Up to here the commandment to recite applies, but from here onward the law requiring Kawwanah applies.

Mar Zotra (another version: Rab Ashe) said : Thou mayest infer that this is so from the fact that small vessels protect [the contents from contracting defilement] in the tent of the dead.

How, then, is it with reference to this matter ? It has been reported: When the excrement is like earthenware, Amemar said : It is forbidden ; Mar Zotra said : It is permitted. Raba said : The Halakah is — when the excrement is like earthenware it is forbidden ; and similarly with urine, so long as the ground is sufficiently wet to moisten.

spread over a chest [containing sacred books] is regarded as a receptacle within a receptacle. R. Joshua b. Levi said : For a scroll of the Torah it is necessary to make a partition of ten [hand breadths]. Mar Zotra paid a visit to Rab Ashe's house, and saw the sleeping accommodation of Mar b. Rab Ashe, whereby a scroll of the Torah was lying and for which he had made a partition of ten handbreadths. He asked him, "According to whose opinion [hast thou done this]?" "According to R. Joshua b. Levi." "Under which circumstances did R. Joshua b. Levi say that ? When there is no other room ; but the master has another room !" He said to him, "I did not think of that."

Mar Zotra objected : Let it be included in brief in the [shortened] Tefillah, thus: "Give us understanding, Thou Who dividest between holy and profane" ! The question [remained unanswered].

Rab Bebai b. Abbai said : The whole of the year one may say the prayer "Give us understanding" except during the rainy season, because it is necessary to add the request [for rain] in the benediction of "the Years." Mar Zotra objected : Let it be included in brief in the [shortened] prayer thus : "Satiate us on the pastures of Thy land, and give dew and rain" !

Maremar and Mar Zotra used to gather in their house ten men on the Sabbath preceding a Festival, say the prayers and then go to the study-session.

Rab Ashe used to say the prayers in the presence of the assembly alone and sitting, and when he returned to his house, he again said the Tefillah standing. The Rabbis said to him, "The master should act like Maremar and Mar Zotra." He replied, "It is too much trouble for me." "Then let the master act like Samuel's father and Levi." He replied, "We have not seen the Rabbis who are older than we acting in this manner."

Then let him say "...Who createst the fruit of the olive-tree." But said Mar Zotra : Wine nourishes, oil does not.

Mar Zotra made a meal of it and said the benediction "...Who bringest forth bread from the earth" and [afterwards] the three benedictions.

Rab Giddel said in the name of Rab : Over jasmine the benediction is "...Who createst fragrant woods." Rab Hananel said in the name of Rab: Over sea-rush the benediction is "...Who createst fragrant woods." Mar Zotra said : What is the Scriptural authority? "She had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax" (Josh. ii. 6).

Rab Mesharsheya said : Over the garden-narcissus the benediction is "...Who createst fragrant woods," but over the wild narcissus "...Who createst fragrant herbs." Rab Sheshet said : Over violets the benediction is "...Who createst fragrant herbs." Mar Zotra said : He who smells the citron or quince should say "Blessed be He Who setteth a beautiful fragrance in fruits."

Rab Judah said : He who goes out during the days of Nisan and sees the trees budding should say "Blessed be He Who has caused nothing to be lacking in His Universe and created therein beautiful creations and beautiful trees where-from men may derive pleasure." Rab Zotra b. Tobiah said in the name of Rab : Whence is it learnt that one should pronounce a benediction over a fragrant smell? As it is written, "Let every soul praise the Lord" (Ps. cl. 6). From what is it that the soul, but not the body, derives enjoyment? Say it is a fragrant smell.

Rab Zotra b. Tobiah also said in the name of Rab : The young men of Israel will in the future give forth a sweet fragrance like Lebanon ; as it is said, "His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his fragrance as Lebanon" (Hosea xiv. 7).

Rab Zotra b. Tobiah also said in the name of Rab : What means that which is written, "He hath made everything beautiful in its time" (Eccles. iii. 11)? It teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, makes every occupation agreeable in the eyes of those who follow it.

Rab Zotra b. Tobiah also said in the name of Rab : [Walking by the light of] a torch is equal to two; by moonlight is equal to three. The question was asked : Is the light of the torch equal to two, including himself ; or perhaps it is equal to two excluding himself? Come and hear: [It is stated,] "By moonlight is equal to three." That is quite right if thou sayest it means including himself, well and good ; but if thou sayest it means excluding himself, why are four necessary? For lo, the teacher has said : To a single person an evil spirit appears and injures him ; to two it appears but does not injure them ; to three it does not appear at all ! Certainly it is to be concluded that the expression "torchlight is equal to two" means including himself. Draw that conclusion.

Rab Zotra b. Tobiah also said in the name of Rab (another version : Rab Hanna b. Bizna in the name of R. Simeon Hasida ; still another version : R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon b. Johai) : It were better for a man to cast himself into the midst of a fiery furnace rather than cause the face of his fellow-creature to blanche in public. Whence is this derived ? From Tamar ; as it is said, "When she was brought forth" etc. (Gen. xxxviii. 25).

He should not go out with patched sandals. This supports the statement of R. Hiyya b. Abba who said : It is a disgrace for a disciple of the wise to go out with patched sandals. But it is not so; for R. Hiyya b. Abba went out thus! Mar Zotra b. Rab Nahman said : It means with a patch on top of a patch, and it refers only to the legging ; but as for the sole, we have no objection. And even in the case of the legging, it means only when walking by the way ; but as for wearing such in the house, we have no objection. It further refers to the days of Summer, but in the days of Winter we have no objection.

Mar Zotra acted in accord with Rab Isaac b. Abdemi, and Rab Shimi b. Ashe in accord with R. Isaac. (A mnemonic for thee is : One in accord with two and two in accord with one.)

Amemar, Mar Zotra and Rab Ashe were sitting [at table], and they set before them raw herbs before the fourth hour. Amemar and Rab Ashe ate, but not so Mar Zotra. They said to him, "What is thy opinion ? Is it because R. Isaac declared : It is forbidden to converse with him who has eaten [raw] herbs before the fourth hour of the day on account of the evil odour ? Behold we have eaten, and still thou talkest with us!"

Amemar, Mar Zotra and Rab Ashe were sitting [at table], and they set before them raw herbs before the fourth hour. Amemar and Rab Ashe ate, but not so Mar Zotra. They said to him, "What is thy opinion ? Is it because R. Isaac declared : It is forbidden to converse with him who has eaten [raw] herbs before the fourth hour of the day on account of the evil odour ? Behold we have eaten, and still thou talkest with us!"

Mar Zotra said : This teaching only applies to three ; but with ten [they cannot include him] unless he comes back.

But the Halakah is in agreement with Mar Zotra. What is the reason ? Since it is necessary to mention the Divine Name, which is not customary with less than ten.

Mar Zotra visited the house of Rab Ashe whom some bereavement had befallen. [In the Grace after meals] he opened with the benediction : "Who art kind and dealest kindly, true God and Judge, Who judgest with righteousness and in judgment takest [the souls of men unto Thyself], Who rulest in Thy world, doing therein according to Thy will, for all Thy ways are judgment and all is Thine. We are Thy people and Thy servants, and in all circumstances it is our duty to give thanks unto Thee and to bless Thee. O Thou Who repairest the breaches in Israel, mayest Thou also repair this breach in Israel, granting us life."

Amemar, Mar Zotra and Rab Ashe dined together, and dates and pomegranates were placed before them. Mar Zotra took [some of the fruit] and threw it before Rab Ashe as his portion. The latter said to him, "Does not the master agree with that which has been taught : One may not throw articles of food?" [He replied], "That refers to bread." "But there is a teaching; Just as one may not throw bread, so one should not throw any article of food!" He replied, "But there is a teaching : Although one may not throw bread, other articles of food may be thrown!"

Amemar, Mar Zotra and Rab Ashe dined together, and dates and pomegranates were placed before them. Mar Zotra took [some of the fruit] and threw it before Rab Ashe as his portion. The latter said to him, "Does not the master agree with that which has been taught : One may not throw articles of food?" [He replied], "That refers to bread." "But there is a teaching; Just as one may not throw bread, so one should not throw any article of food!" He replied, "But there is a teaching : Although one may not throw bread, other articles of food may be thrown!"

Rab Jemar b. Shelamya said to Mar Zotra (another version : Rab Jemar b. Shezbi to Mar Zotra) : Did R. Simeon b. Lakish say that? For lo, R. Ammi declared in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish : What is the length of time for food to be digested ? Sufficient time for a person to walk four Mil !

Rab Jemar b. Shelamya said to Mar Zotra (another version : Rab Jemar b. Shezbi to Mar Zotra) : Did R. Simeon b. Lakish say that? For lo, R. Ammi declared in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish : What is the length of time for food to be digested ? Sufficient time for a person to walk four Mil !

What benediction should he utter? Rab Judah said, "Blessed ...Who bestowest lovingkindnesses." Abbai said : It is necessary for him to offer his thanksgiving in the presence of ten ; for it is written, "Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people" etc. (ibid. 5:32). Mar Zotra said : Two of them must be Rabbis ; as it is said, "And praise Him in the seat of the elders" (ibid.).

Amemar, Mar Zotra and Rab Ashe were sitting together; they said: Let each one of us relate something which the others have not heard. One of them commenced and said : He who has seen a dream and knows not what he has seen, let him stand before the Kohanim at the time that they spread their hands [to pronounce the priestly benediction] and utter the following : "Lord of the universe ! I am Thine and my dreams are Thine ; a dream have I dreamed and I know not what it is. Whether I dreamed concerning myself, or my fellows dreamed concerning me, or I dreamed concerning others, if they be good dreams, strengthen and fortify them [and may they be fulfilled] like the dreams of Joseph ; but if they require to be remedied, heal them as the waters of Marah [were healed] by the hands of Moses our teacher, as Miriam [was healed] from her leprosy, as Hezekiah from his illness, and like the waters of Jericho [sweetened] by the hands of Elisha. And as Thou didst turn the curse of the wicked Balaam into a blessing, so do Thou turn all my dreams for me into good." He should conclude [his prayer] simultaneously with the Kohanim, so that the Congregation responds "Amen." But if not, let him say the following: "Thou majestic One in the heights, Who abidest in might, Thou art peace and Thy name is peace. May it be Thy will to grant us peace."

he is bound as regards the rejoicing; but as for him who does not hear and does not speak and as for a fool and a child, they are exempt also from the rejoicing, inasmuch as these are exempt from all the commandments which are contained in the Law. What is the difference in the nature of holocaust, that they are exempt, and in the nature of rejoicing, that they are bound? As regards the nature of holocaust we are taught by the recurrence of the word from the passage intitled "Assemble," as it is written, "Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones" (Deut. xxxi. 12), and it is written, "when all Israel is come to appear" (Deut. xxxi. 11). And that point, whence do we get it? Because it is written, "that they may hear and that they may learn" (Deut. xxxi. 12). And there is a Baraitha as follows, "That they may hear," this expression excludes him who speaks and does not hear; "and that they may learn," this expression excludes him who hears and does not speak. Is this to say, that he who cannot talk cannot learn? No; for this suggests the case of the two dumb men who were in the neighbourhood of Rabbi, viz., the sons of R. Jochanan ben Gudgodah's daughter; and the sons of R. Jochanan's sister say concerning it, that every time that Rabbi went up to the College, they went up and sat before him, and shook their heads, and moved their lips, and Rabbi asked for mercy for them, and they were examined, and it was ascertained that they were perfect in knowledge of Halachah and Siphra and Siphre and all the Talmud. Mar Zot'ra said, The reading there is, "in order that they may teach." R. Ashi said, Assuredly it is, "in order that they may teach"; for, if you imagine that it is, "in order that they may learn," then, since he who does not talk does not learn, and since he who does not hear does not learn, this sense of learn comes out of the words, "in order that they may hear," but assuredly it is here, "in order that they may teach."

R. Chasda enquired, What is the meaning of this verse? "And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt-offerings," lambs, "and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the LORD" (Exod. xxiv. 5). Or perhaps both these and those were oxen. What comes out of it all then? Mar Zot'ra says, It depends upon the division of the verse by the accents. R. Acha, the son of Rabba, said, It is important for a man who says, Behold, I vow a burnt-offering like the burnt-offering which Israel offered in the wilderness. What was it? Were they oxen or lambs? The matter was left undecided.

R. Zot'ra bar Tobiah said that Rab said, By ten things the world was created, by wisdom and by understanding and by knowledge, and by strength and by rebuke and by might, by righteousness and by judgment, by mercy and by compassion: by wisdom and by understanding; for it is written, "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens," (Prov. iii. 19) and by knowledge; for it is written, "By his knowledge the depths were broken up;" (Prov. iii. 20) by strength and might; for it is written, "Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains, being girded about with might;" (Ps. lxv. 7; E.V. 6) by rebuke; for it is written, "The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at his rebuke;" (Job xxvi. 11) by righteousness and judgment; for it is written, "Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of thy throne;" (Ps. lxxxix. 15; E.V. 14) by mercy and compassion; for it is written, "Remember thy compassion, O Lord, and thy mercies, for they are from of old" (Ps. xxv. 6).

There is a certain passage which says, "Thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him" (Dan. vii. 10), and there is a certain passage which says, "Is there any number of his armies?" (Job xxv. 3) There is no difficulty. The one was at the time when the Holy House was standing, and the other was at the time when the Holy House was not standing. As though it were possible to say that the family of the Most High was diminished. There is a Baraitha, Rabbi says in the name of Abba Jose ben Dosai, "Thousand thousands ministered unto him," this is the number of one troop, but of His troops there is no number. And R. Jeremiah bar Abba said, Thousand thousands ministered unto him at the fiery stream, as it is said, "A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him" (Dan. vii. 10). Whence does it come forth? From the perspiration of the living creatures. And upon what is it poured? R. Zot'ra bar Tobiah said that Rab said, Upon the heads of wicked men in Gehenna, as it is said, "Behold the tempest of the LORD, even his fury, is gone forth, yea, a whirling tempest; it shall burst upon the head of the wicked" (Jer. xxiii. 19). And R. Acha bar Jacob said, Upon those who were held back, as it is said, "Who were held back before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream" (Job xxii. 16). There is a Baraitha to the effect that R. Simeon the Holy said, These are nine hundred and seventy-four generations, which were held back from being created

Quoties velim, coire sine sanguine possum. Or perhaps it may be said, This case of Samuel is not a usual thing. He (Ben Zoma) said to them, This case of Samuel is not a usual thing. But we take into consideration the possibility eam in balneo gravidam factam esse. But against this view Samuel said, Omne semen coitus quod non velut sagitta emittitur, non generat. But this may only mean quod primo velut sagitta emissum est. Our Rabbis have taught thus, There is a story about R. Joshua ben Chănaniah, that he was standing upon a high ridge of the Temple mountain, and Ben Zoma saw him and did not stand up before him. He said to him, Whence and whither tend thy thoughts, Ben Zoma? He said to him, I was considering the interval between the upper and the lower waters, and there is only between the two a bare three fingers' breadth, as it is said, "And the spirit of God was brooding upon the face of the waters" (Gen. i. 2), like a dove which broods over her young without touching them. R. Joshua said to his disciples, Ben Zoma is certainly still out of his mind. "And the spirit of God was brooding upon the face of the waters." When was it doing so? On the first day? But the division between the upper and lower waters was on the second day, for this is what is written, "and let it divide the waters from the waters" (Gen. i. 6). And about what is the interval? R. Acha bar Jacob said, About the thickness of a hair. And our Rabbis say, The interstices between closely fitting planks of a bridge. Mar Zot'ra, or, if you like, I will say Rab Asi, said, Like two cloaks that are spread out together, and there are some who say with regard to it, Like two inverted cups that are pressed together.