Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 9, scan section 40

they studied it themselves, and thus they forget it." R. Hanania b. Jacob said: " One who keeps awake at night studying the Law, it is a good omen for him ; however, if he spends the night only in conversation, it is a bad omen for him." R. Jacob b. Hananiah said: " One who is awake by night, but does not study, it were better for him not to have been born." R. Elazar the Kapar said: "If one honor his friend for pecuniary considerations, he will in the end be dismissed in dis- grace; but if he scorns him for a meritorious purpose, in the end he will be dismissed honorably. Whence is the former deduced ? From the case of Balaam the wicked, who honored Balak for a mercenary purpose, as it is written [Numb. xxii. 18]: "And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak: If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold." And whence do we know that he was dismissed in disgrace ? As it is written [ibid. xxiv. 11]: " And now flee thou to thy place . . . but, lo, the Lord hath kept them back from honor." Whence is the latter case derived ? From that of Moses our master, who loo THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. scorned Pharaoh for a meritorious purpose, as it is written [Ex. xi. 8] : " And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow themselves down unto me, saying." Was, then, Pharaoh standing upon the roof, and Moses on the ground ? Say, then, that Moses said to Pharaoh: " Even all thy servants who bow before thee on thy altar will come down and entreat me, but I will not listen to them." And whence do we know that he was dismissed honorably? It is written [ibid. xii. 31]: "And he called for Moses and Aaron by night." They answered: " Are we, then, thieves, that we shall go out in the night?" Wait till the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring us seven pillars of honors, and accompanied by them we will go forth joyfully and openly, as it is written [Numb, xxxiii. 3]: " On the morrow after the passover-sacrifice the children of Israel went out with a high hand." On account of the four different means of forgiveness, R. Mathia b. Heresh went to visit R. Ishmael b. Elazar the Kapar in Ladakia. He interrogated him: " Hast thou heard the four different means of forgiveness on which R. Ishmael used to lec- ture ? " He rejoined : " I have heard they are three, but repent- ance must be to every one of them." It is written [Jer. iii. 22]: " Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your back- slidings." And again [Lev. xvi. 30]: " For on that day shall (the high-priest) make an atonement for you to cleanse you." Also [Ps. Ixxxix. 33]: "Then will I visit with the rod their transgressions, and with plagues their iniquity." And also [Is. xxii. 14]: " Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven unto you until ye die." How can these four contradictory passages be explained ? Thus: If one has violated a positive precept, and has repented, he is forgiven immediately — to this case the first passage is applied. If one has violated a negative precept and has repented, the repentance is suspended until the Day of Atonement, when he is forgiven — to this the second passage is applied. If one has committed a sin for which he is liable to Kareth, or death by the court, and has repented, the repentance and the Day of Atonement are suspended until he is cleared by sufferings — to this case the third passage is applied. However, one who has profaned the name of heaven has not the power to repent, and no sufferings clear him, and the Day of Atonement does not atone for him ; but repentance and sufferings are sus- pended, and only death absolves him — to him is applied the last passage. TRACT ABOTH. loi Issi b. Jehudah said; " Wherefore do scholars die before their time ? Not because they commit adultery or robbery, only be- cause they condemn themselves." R. Itz'hak b. Pin'has said: " Whoever is versed in Midrash, but not in Halakha, has not tasted of wisdom ; and he who is the opposite, has not tasted of the fear of sin." He used to say: " One who is versed in Midrash, but not in Halakhoth, is like unto a strong man, but who is unarmed; one who is the opposite is like an armed weakling. One, however, who is versed in both is like unto a man who is both strong and armed." He further used to say: " Be careful in greeting thy neigh- bors. Do not enter a house of strife, neither strive to see it. Be among thy colleagues, and be thou a head to a fox rather than a tail to a lion." Tosephtha — Aboth of R, Nathan. *'* R. Nathan b. Joseph said : \ * He who neglects the words of the Law on account of his riches, he will finally do so on account of poverty ; but he who observes the Law even when he is poor, he will finally do so when rich.' " He used to say: " The consol- ing of the mourners, the visiting of the sick, and the bestowing of favors bring much good to the world." R. Meir said: "One who transgresses one precept doubt- fully, it is considered as if he had done it in certainty. How so ? One commits a sin and has cognition of it, he brings a sin- offering of the value of a sela, or the tenth part of an ephah of the value of a Diipondius. However, if he is in doubt whether he sinned or not, he must bring a trespass-offering of the value of two selaim. (So is the Law.) Now, let us see. It is certain that goodness of heaven exceeds considerably heavenly chastise- ment, is there not room to draw an a fortiori (iov\z\M'=\ox\ that if chastisement, which is less than goodness, still if one is in doubt whether he did or did not sin, heaven requires him to bring a trespass-offering to pacify his conscience and to be rewarded for bringing the offering, so much the more in case of goodness of heaven which exceeds chastisement, that heaven rewards him in case of doubt as if it were sure that he did it." * Chapter XXX. of the original. f In the Mishna, however, this saying is ascribed to R. Jonathan. I02 THE DABYLONIAN TALMUD. R. Nathan b. Joseph said : There is a case where one trans- gresses ignorantly, and nevertheless it is considered as if he had done it wantonly. How so ? If one has killed a person un- awares, and escapes to a city of refuge, and the avenger of the blood find him before he reach the city of refuge and kill him, he is free. However, if one killed a person wantonly, and the avenger of the blood kills him (before the court has pronounced sentence, not heeding the warning of witnesses), it is equal to ordinary murder, although the avenger thought that he might do so as a relative of the murdered person, and he may be killed for the crime. Now let us see : Which is in excess, goodness or chastisement of heaven ? Surely the former. Now, if chastise- ment, which is less, if one commits a sin erroneously, still in