Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 9, scan section 22

uses it, he escapes the death penalty. R. Dostai said: " How can it happen that one who did no work all the six days shall finally be compelled to labor all seven days ? Strange as this appears, yet it may happen. For in- stance, a man who did no work during the week, Friday comes * I.e., do not get into such affairs as will cause the government to investigate about you. The commentators, however, interpret this otherwise. See Gemara. f Chapter XI. of the original. 44 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. and he has nothing to eat. He starts to look for work, but is seized by conscription officers, who, holding him by an iron chain, compel him to make up on Sabbath for what he neglected during the six days." R. Simeon b. Elazar said : Even Adam the First tasted noth- ing before he performed some work, as it is written [Gen. ii. 15]: ** And put him into the garden of Eden, to till it and to keep it"; and afterward he was commanded: " Of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat " [ibid., ibid. 16]. R. Tarphon said : Even the Holy One, blessed be He, rested not His Shekhina in the midst of Israel before some work was per- formed by them, as them is written [Ex. xxv. 8] : " And they shall inake me a sanctuary; and I will dwell in the midst of them.** Rabbi Jehudah b. Bathyra said: What shall one do who is without work ? (Let him seek it, and he will find it.) Let him see whether there is no demolition in his yard or field, and em- ploy himself in that manner, as it is written [ibid. xx. 9] : " Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work." Wherefore is it said, "And do all thy work"? R. Tarphon said: One is doomed to death only through idleness. R. Jose the Galilean explained (the saying of R. Tarphon) thus: If one through idle- ness stood upon the edge of a roof, castle, or building, or upon the edge of a river and fell down and died, his death was caused through idleness. R. Nathan said: Moses worked at the Tabernacle without consulting the princes of Israel, who right along thought that at any moment he might solicit their cooperation. When they heard the voice which went throughout the camp proclaiming that the material prepared was sufficient for all the work, they cried: ** Woe to us, that we have not participated in the work of the holy Tabernacle." They, therefore, rose and added a great thing of their own accord, as it is written [Ex. xxxv. 27] : " And the princes brought the onyx stones." " Do not care for superiority.'' It means that one must not place the crown merited by him upon his own head, but should let others do it, as it is written [Prov. xxvii. 2] : " Let another man praise thee, and not thy own mouth ; a stranger, and not thy own lips." R. Aqiba said: One that makes himself superior to the Law is compared to a putrefied carcass which lies in the road, so that every passer-by puts his hand to his nose and hastens away, as it is written [Prov. xxx. 32]: " If thou hast become TRACT ABOTH. 45 degraded by lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, put thy hand to thy mouth." Said Ben Azai to him: The sense of this passage seems to be thus : One who degrades himself for the sake of the Law, and eats decayed dates, and dresses in worn-out clothes, and is watching at the door of the sages, the passers-by call him an idiot, but be sure that in the end it will be found that he is full of knowledge. This is what people say: One who makes himself superior to the Law will finally be put down, and one who lowers himself for the sake of the Law will finally be greatly elevated. ** And see to it that your name be not known to the govern- ment.'' One should not have the ambition to be prominent among government officials, otherwise they will become jealous of him, slay him, and confiscate his property. Neither shall one proclaim his neighbor's name to the government ; that is, one shall not say: " May the Lord protect so and so, from whose house to-day went out a hundred oxen, a hundred ewes, and a hundred goats,'' etc., as it may happen that just at that time the ofificer passes by and hears this and reports it to his chief, and the latter surrounds his house and takes away all he has. As to this, the following passage applies [Prov. xxvii. 14] : " When one saluteth his friend with a loud voice ... it will be counted a curse to him." According to others, the word Rashuth means not the government but publicity, and the pas- sage is to be construed thus: If one's friends say publicly in the market: ** May God protect so and so; to-day he brought into his house many measures of wheat and barley," etc., etc., rob- bers may hear of it and come in the night, surround the house, and take away all he possesses, and in the morning he has noth- ing left. Of him it is said in Scripture: " When one saluteth his friend with a loud voice," etc. Others, again, say that it means the government, and the expression ** he shall not announce," etc., means one shall not endeavor to be a solicitor for the governor of the city or his vice, for they rob the money of Israel. Still another explanation is : One shall not seek any govern- ing power, for although in the beginning it appears very pleas- ing, in the end he will find it very burdensome. MiSHNA /. Abtalion was wont to say : " Ye wise, be guarded in your words ; lest you load upon yourselves 46 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. the penalty of exile and be exiled to the place of evil waters ; and the disciples that come after you may drink and die, and the name of Heaven be profaned." Tosephtha — Aboth of R. Nathan. " Ye wise meii^ be guarded in your words.'' Perhaps they will decide something in your name which will not be according to the teachings of Law, and ye will become liable to the pun- ishment of exile, and be banished to a place where the water is bad. What is meant by *' bad water" ? It is permissible to say that it has reference to the vices of that place, as it is writ- ten [Ps. xvi. 35] : " And they will mingle with the nations and will learn their doings." Some think that it is to be taken lit- erally. Others, however, think that it refers to hard labor. MiSHNA K, Hillel and Shammai received from them. Hillel said : '' Be a disciple of Aaron, love peace, pursue peace, love all men too, and bring them nigh unto the Law." Tosephtha — Aboth of R. Nathan. *'' Love peace.'* How so ? One should love to see peace in Israel and peace everywhere, as Aaron loved peace, about whom it is written [Mai. ii. 6] : ** The love of truth was in his mouth, and falsehood was not found on his lips; in peace and equity he walked with me, and many did he turn away from iniquity." When Aaron went on the highway and met a wicked man, he