Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 9, scan section 39

league as regarding that of his master ? It is written [Numb, xii. 11]: ** Then said Aaron unto Moses, Alas, my lord." Was not (Moses) his younger brother ? Infer from this that he re- garded him as if he were his master. And whence do we know that one should be as particular in regard of the honor of his master as regarding that of Heaven ? As it is written [ibid. xi. 28]: ** And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses from his youth, answered and said. My lord Moses, forbid them." We see that Joshua equalled Moses to the Shekhina. At first they used to say: There is grain in Judea, straw in Galilee, and chaff on the other side of the Jordan ; afterward they changed it to: There is no grain in Judea; there is no straw in Galilee, but chaff; and on the other side of the Jordan there is neither. TRACT ABOTH. 97 Tosephtha — Aboth of R. Nathan, * R. Nathan said: " There is no love such as the love of the Torah ; there is no wisdom such as the wisdom of manners; there is no beauty such as the beauty of Jerusalem; there are no riches such as the riches of Modea; there is no strength such as the strength of Persia; there is no adultery such as the adul- tery of the Arabians ; there is no haughtiness such as the haughti- ness of Elam ; there is no hypocrisy such as the hypocrisy of Babylon, as it is written [Zech. v. 11]: * And he said unto me, To build for it a house in the land of Shinar ' ; and there is no witchcraft such as the witchcraft of Egypt." R. Simeon b. Elazar said: "A sage living in Palestine is praiseworthy. When he leaves it for a foreign country, his wis- dom diminishes; and although his wisdom diminishes, still he has preference to a sage who never lived in Palestine. This can be compared to metal of Nadai which is brought to the coun- tries of the sea: although depreciated in its original value, it is nevertheless more valuable than all other iron of the world." Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel said : " Whoever maintains peace in his own household, it is considered as if he maintains it among every one in Israel ; and whoso causes envy and contention in his household, it is considered as if he had done so among every one in Israel; for every one is king in his own house, as it is written [Esther, i. 22] : ' That every man should bear rule in his own house.' " Rabban Gamaliel said: " The following four regulations of the Romans annihilated the subjugated nations: the unlimited taxes, the high license on bath-houses, and theatres, and grain tithe." He used to say: " The words of the Torah are as difificult to acquire as silken garments, and are lost as easily as linen ones. Nonsense and foolish things are easily acquired, but are hard to lose as a sack is ; for sometimes one buys a sack in the market for a sela, and uses it for four or five years." R. Jehudah the Prince said: " Whoever indulges in the plea- sures of this world, the pleasures of the next are withheld from him; but one who does not, will not forego them there." He also used to say: " The upright who fare badly in this world can be compared to a cook who prepares a feast for him- * Chapter XXVIII. of the original. 98 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. self: although it had cost him much trouble, still he has done it for himself. The wicked, however, who fare badly in this world, are as the cook who prepared a feast for others: although it had cost him much trouble, nevertheless he has done nothing for himself, but for others." He further used to say: " All those things which are done in private shall be done as if they were done publicly." " Hillel said : 'Do 7tot isolate thyself from the community.' " He also used to say: " One who eats much, merely increases his excrement, and who (adds flesh to his body) multiplies worms and moths; but whoever increases his good deeds, secures bodily rest." R. Elazar b. Shamua said: " The disciples are divided into three classes: Hewn stones, corner-stones, and a polished stone. A disciple who has studied Midrash, and only knows how to answer the question of the scholar appertaining to Midrash, and answers in that is compared to a hewn stone which has only one surface; one who has studied Midrash as well as Halakhoth, and he is able to answer a scholar in both, is like a corner-stone which has two surfaces ; and one who has acquired a knowledge in Midrash, Halakhoth, Agadoth, and Tosephthas, and is enabled to answer in all four branches, is like a polished stone which has four surfaces, one on each of its four sides." R. Jehudah b. Ilai said: "Whoever constitutes the Torah as the chief good, and considers wordly affairs as a secondary thing, will attain importance in the world. If, however, he does the contrary, he will become insignificant in the world. This can be compared to a regiment which has to go between two roads, one of fire and the other of snow. If it keeps near that of fire, it will be scorched ; and if near that of snow, it will freeze. It is therefore best to go in the middle, and it will thus be guarded from heat and cold." Tosephtha — Aboth of R, Nathan, ^'* R. Simeon b. Elazar (in the name of R. Meir) said : * Con- ciliate not thy friend in the hour of his anger,' " etc. He used to say: " If some of thy neighbors praise, and others reprimand thee, love the latter and hate the former; for the latter are * Chapter XXIX. of the original. TRACT ABOTH. 99 bringing thee to a life in the world to come, and the others are withdrawing thee from it." He also used to say: " Wherever a righteous man goes his heart goes along; if he stands still, his heart does so also." He further used to say: " One who applies himself to the study of the Law is assisted in his application. However, if he neglects it, he is further prevented from it by such as a lion, wolf, tiger, hyena, and snake; or soldiers or robbers surround and punish him, as it is written [Ps. Iviii. 12]: ' Verily, there is a God that judgeth in the earth.' " Abba Saul (b. Nanes) said: " The scholars are divided into four classes : One studies, but does not teach others ; a second teaches others, but does not study himself; a third one both studies for hinisi^lf and teaches others; and a fourth neither studies himself nor teaches others. The first class learn a chap- ter, or two or three, study them repeatedly until they know them by heart, but do not teach them to others; the second learn an entire section two or three times, teach it to others, but not having studied it repeatedly forget it ; the third learn one, or two, or even three, entire sections, teach them to others, and study them themselves, and therefore do not forget them ; and the fourth class are those who have learned an entire section two or three times, but have not taught it to others, neither have