Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 9, scan section 33

ments to operate with but has no drugs to heal the wound up.* MisHNA J. R. Hanina b. Dosa said : " He in whom fear of sin precedes his wisdom, (may be sure that) his wisdom will endure ; and he in whom wisdom precedes his fear of sin, (may be sure that) his wisdom will not endure." He also used to say : "He whose works are in excess of his wisdom, (it is certain that) his wisdom will endure ; and he whose wisdom is in excess of his works, (it is certain that) his wisdom will not endure." He also said : " He who has earned man's esteem and love, will also receive the favor of Heaven ; but he who is not worthy of such esteem, cannot expect to find favor with God." MiSHNA K, R. Dosa b. Horkhinas said : ** Sleeping away the morning, carousing at noonday, childish trifling, 78 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. and the company of the vulgar waste a man's life away." MiSHNA L. R. Elazar the Modai said : '' He that pro- fanes things sacred and contemns the festivals ; he who causes his neighbor to blush in public, and annuls the covenant of Abraham our father, and acts barefacedly against the Torah,* even though he is possessed of Torah and good deeds, he has no share in the world to come." MiSHNA M. R. Ishmael said : '* Be pliant with thy chief (although he is not deserving) and yielding to the impressment, f and receive every man with cheerfulness." MiSHNA N, R. Aqiba said : " Mockery and frivolity are the forerunners of immorality. Tradition is the rampart about the Law ; tithes (charity) are the rampart of wealth ; good resolutions are the preservative of ab- stinence ; and the safeguard of wisdom is — silence." MiSHNA O, He used to say : " Beloved is man, that he was created in His image, and, moreover, that he was notified that he was so created, as it is written [Gen. ix. 6] : * For in the image of God made he man.' " MiSHNA P. " Beloved are Israel, that they are called children of God ; moreover, that it was made known to them that they are so called, as it is written [Deut. xiv. i] : ' Ye are the children of the Lord your God.' " MiSHNA Q, " Beloved are Israel, that there was given to them a precious article ; moreover, that it was made known to them that there was given to them the precious article " [as it is stated elsewhere that with this the world was created, as it is written [Prov. iv. 2] : *' For good information do I give you ; my teaching must ye not forsake "]. MiSHNA R, " Everything is foreseen and free-will is given. And the world is judged by grace ; and every one * This is according to Maimonides ; Rashi, however, says it means : one who says that Moses wrote in the Pentateuch ridiculous things, as, for instance, that Thimna was the concubine of Eliphaz [Gen. xxxvi. 12]. f Maimonides explains it otherwise. TRACT ABOTH. 79 is judged according to the majority of his deeds " {i.e., if one has done more good than evil, he is judged more favorably — Rashi). MiSHNA S, He (Aqiba) used to say : '* All that we possess is merely a trust, and over all life a net is spread out. The storehouse is open, the proprietor sells on credit ; the ledger lies ready and the purchaser's hand makes the entry ; whoever wishes may come and borrow, but the collectors are continually going the rounds of the debtors, and obtain payment from them voluntarily or involun- tarily ; they know whereupon they base their claims, and their court is a tribunal of justice, and everything is pre- pared for the banquet " [i.e., even the wicked have a share in the world to come — Rashi). MiSHNA T. R. Elazar b. Azariah was wont to say : " Without knowledge of religion there can be no true culture, and without true culture there is no knowledge of religion. Where there is no wisdom, there is no fear of God ; and without fear of God there is no wisdom. Without learning there can be no counsel, and without counsel there will be lack of learning. Where there is a dearth of bread, culture cannot thrive, and lack of culture causes dearth of bread." MisHNA U, He also used to say : " With what is he to be compared, who can boast of more learning than char- itable deeds ? With a tree of many branches and but few roots — there comes a storm that uproots and prostrates it, as it is written [Jen xvii. 6] : ' And he shall be like a lonely tree in the desert, which feeleth not when the good Cometh ; but abideth in the parched places in the wilder- ness, in a salty land which cannot be inhabited. * But what does he resemble, who can show more deeds than learning? A tree of few branches and many roots: all the storms and winds may bear down and rage upon it, they cannot move it from its place. As it is written [Jen xvii. 8] : * And he shall be like a tree that is planted by the waters, and by a stream spreadeth out its roots, which 8o THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. feeleth not when heat cometh, but its leaf remaineth green, and in a year of drought it is undisturbed by care, and ceaseth not from yielding fruit.' " MisHNA V. R. Elazar b. 'Hasma said: " * Qinim ' * and ' Pitteche Niddah ' f are essentials of Torah ; canons of astronomy and geometry are after-courses of wisdom." Tosephtha — A both of R. Nathan. X" Sleeping away the morning,'' It means: One shall not wilfully sleep till past the hour of reading the Shema, for by so doing he neglects the Law, as it is written [Prov. xxvi. 13]: " As a door turneth upon its hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. The slothful saith, There is a leopard in the way: a lion is between the streets." ** Carousing at noonday'' means: One should not make a practice of drinking wine at midday, for by so doing he is pre- vented from observing the Law, as it is written [Eccl. x. 16] : " Woe to thee, O land! when thy king is low-minded, and when thy princes eat in the morning." Also: " Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is noble-spirited, and thy princes eat in proper time." When is the proper time? Say, then, in the world to come, as it is written [Is. Ix. 22]: " I the Lord will hasten it in its time"; also: " At the proper time shall it be said to Jacob and to Israel," etc. [Numb, xxiii. 23]. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Balaam : " At the time, but not in the time; not in your time, but at the time when I will redeem Israel. " Childish trifling." By this is meant, that one should not make a practice of talking to his wife, sons, or daughters when he is studying at home ; for by so doing he neglects the Torah, as it is written [Josh. i. 8]: " This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein, day and night." The company of the vulgar " means: One should not lounge with idlers in the market, lest he neglect the Torah, as it is writ-