Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 8, scan section 66

out a goblet of wine: it happened once I had no money to buy with, and my old mother sold the cap from her head and brought me wine for Kiddush. [It is taught in a Boraitha:] when she died she left three hun- dred cans of wine, and when he died he left to his heirs three thousand cans of wine. R. Huna stood in the presence of Rabh, girdled with a piece of rubber gum. And Rabh asked him: Where is thy girdle? He said: I had not wine for Kiddush, and pawned my girdle to get it. Rabh answered him: May it be God's will that you should be wrapped in silk. When he mar- ried his son Rabha, he slept on a bed ; as he was not tall, his daughters and daughters-in-law threw their silken clothes upon him, and he was wholly hid. When Rabh heard of this, he was sorry, and said: When I blessed you, why did you not answer me: and the same to the Master. The disciples of R. Elazar b. Shamua asked him: In reward of what have you lived so long ? He replied: I never used the house of learning as a passage {compendiariusy thoroughfare) ; I never trod on the heads of the holy people (he used to come earlier than his disciples, and did not make them rise from their seats on the ground, as it is in the East) ; and I never raised my hands (for he was a priest) to bless Israel without pronouncing first a benediction. R. Preda was asked the same question by his disciples. He told them it never happened a man should come to the house of learning earlier than I ; I never pronounced a benediction at a meal in the presence of a priest; and I never ate of an animal of which the gifts had not been separated, as R. Itz'hak said in the name of R. Johanan: It is not allowed to eat of an animal of which gifts have not been made to the priest even in these days. The Master says: " I have pronounced no benediction in the presence of a priest." Is that a merit? Did not R. Johanan say a scholar for whom a priest, even a high- 76 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. priest, who is an ignorant man pronounces a benediction (which properly the scholar had to pronounce, and the latter had not protested, he) deserves death, because it is written [Prov. vii. 36]: " All those that hate me love death" ? Do not read " Mesanai," etc. (see Sabbath, p. 236). R. Preda means when the priest was equal to him in scholarship. The disciples of R. Nehunia b. Haqana put to him the same question, and he answered: I never honored myself by the dis- grace of my neighbor, and I never went to bed with the curse of my neighbor (but reconciled myself to him before), and was liberal with my money. [" I never honored," etc. As it happened, R. Huna bore a pickaxe. R. Hana bar Hanailai took it away from him, and he wanted to carry it. He said to him: If it is your custom to carry such a thing in your town, do it ; but otherwise, if I will be honored by your disgrace, I do not want it. "I never went to bed." As Mar Zutra, when he went to bed, used to say: I pardon all the men who have vexed me. " I was liberal." As the Master said elsewhere that Job was liberal with his money; that is, he allowed the storekeepers larger profits than was nec- essary.] R. Aqiba asked R. Nehunia the Great the reason for his longevity. His servants came and beat him (for the question). R. Aqiba fled from them, and went to the top of a tree, and said : Rabbi, when it is written [Num. xxviii. 4] " one sheep," if it is not in the plural why should " one " be written in addi- tion ? And he said to his servants: He is a young scholar ; do not hit him. And he answered to him: " One" is added to signify that it shall be the best in its flock. (Then he answered to him to the first question thus 🙂 I never accepted in my life presents, I never was obstinate, and I was liberal with my money. [" I accepted no presents." As happened to R. Elazar, when gifts were sent to him from the house of the Nasi, he did not take them ; and when he was invited, he used not to go. He used to say: When they send to me gifts, they do not wish that I shall live, for it is written [Prov. xv. 27]: " He that hateth gifts will live." And R. Zera, when gifts were sent to him, he did not accept; but went when he was invited, saying: ' They only want to honor me." " And I was not obstinate." As Rabha said: Who yields from his obstinacy has his sins can- celled. As it is written [Micah, vii. 18]: " Pardoning iniquity TRACT MEGILLA. 77 and forgiving transgression"; and that is interpreted in Tract Rosh Hashana : To whom does God pardon iniquity ? Him who pardons the wrongs of his neighbor toward him. Rabbi asked R. Joshua b. Korha: In reward of what have you lived so long ? He answered to him : Does it grieve you that I live so long ? He rejoined him : Rabbi, it is a study, and I want to learn it from you. He replied : I never in my life looked into the face of a wicked man [as R. Johanan said : One shall not look at the appearance of a wicked man, as it is written (II Kings, iii. 14)] : " Surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehosha- phat the King of Judah, I would not look toward thee nor see thee." Rabha says: From the following passage [Prov. xviii. 5]: " It is not good to favor the countenance of the wicked." When R. Joshua b. Korha was dying, Rabbi asked him : Bless me! And he said to him: It shall be the will of God you should reach the half of my age. Said he to him : Rabbi, and not your whole age ? Do you not wish I should live as long as you ? He replied to him : And what will your sons do ? will they tend sheep ? If you will live so long, you will survive them (Rabbi was a Nasi). The disciples of R. Adda bar Ahba* asked him: Why have you lived so long ? He answered : I never was angry in my house, I never preceded a superior, I never thought of Divine subjects in unclean alleys, and I never walked four ells without thinking about the Law and without phylacteries, and I never took a nap in the house of learning; I never rejoiced when my neighbor was in misfortune, and I never called my fellowmen nicknames.] MISHNA: Furthermore, R. Jehudah says: No funeral ora- tions may be delivered in a house of prayer which had become ruinous, nor may it be used as a rope-walk, nor to spread nets therein, nor to spread fruit on its roof, nor to use it as a passage — compendiarium — (by a shorter route), as it is said [Lev. xxvi. 31]: "I will bring your sanctuaries into desolation." That means, they remain sanctuaries even in their desolation. If grass spring up therein, it may not be pulled up, that the view may contribute to the affliction (of the beholder). GEMARA: The rabbis taught: The house of prayer must not be treated with levity: one must not eat therein, drink,