{
    "language": "en",
    "title": "Devarim Rabbah",
    "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org",
    "versionTitle": "Sefaria Community Translation",
    "status": null,
    "license": "CC0",
    "versionTitleInHebrew": "תרגום קהילת ספאריה",
    "actualLanguage": "en",
    "languageFamilyName": "english",
    "isBaseText": false,
    "isSource": false,
    "direction": "ltr",
    "heTitle": "דברים רבה",
    "categories": [
        "Midrash",
        "Aggadah",
        "Midrash Rabbah"
    ],
    "text": [
        [
            "\"These are the words\" (Deuteronomy 1:1), Halakhah: Is it permissible for a Jewish person to write a book of Torah in any language, etc? Thus the sages have said there is no difference between sacred books, tefillin, and mezuzahs, except that sacred books may be written in any language. Raban Gamliel says: Even sacred books are not permitted to be written [as a translation] in any language other than Greek. And what is the basis for Raban Gamliel to say it is permitted to write a book of Torah in Greek? Our Rabbis have taught thus: Bar Kapara said: according to what is written, \"May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem;\"(Genesis 9:27), Meaning, Let the words of Shem be spoken in the language of Japheth, therefore they permitted them to be written in the Greek language. The Holy One of Blessing said: See how the language of Torah is beloved, for it heals the tongue. Whence [in scripture is it said]? It is written thus: \"A healing tongue is a tree of life,\" (Proverbs 15:4), And  \"Tree of Life\" refers to none other than the Torah, as it is written: \"She is a tree of life to those who grasp her,\" (Proverbs 3:18). The language of Torah unties the tongue, which you may know from the fact that in the time to come the Holy One of Blessing will raise up praiseworthy trees from the Garden of Eden; that which what makes them praised is they heal the tongue. As it is written: \"All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream, etc.\" (Ezekiel 47:12) And what is the basis that it is healing of the tongue? As it is written: \"Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.\" (ibid.) Rabbi Yohanan and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi [discussed the matter]. [The first] one said, [it means] \"healing release,\" (cf. Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:12:4) and [the other] one said [it means] that anyone who is mute who devours them, his tongue will be cured and immediately cleansed with the words of the Torah; as it is written: \"on both sides\" (ibid.), and \"on both sides\" refers to none other than the Torah, since it is said: \"inscribed on both sides.\" (Exodus 32:15) Rabbi Levi responded: Why should we learn this from another passage? Rather let us learn from this passage, for of Moses before he merited receiving the Torah it is written: \"I am not a man of words...\" (Exodus 4:10),  yet since receiving the Torah, his tongue was healed and he spoke words fluently. Whence [in scripture is it said]? From what occurs in this very matter at hand! \"These are the words which Moses spoke...\""
        ],
        [
            "\"And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying: When a man of Israel stands and prays, what should be permissible for him in terms of raising his voice in prayer? The Sages have thus taught (Talmud Berachot 31a): When one stands and prays, he may make his voice heard. Hannah had already demonstrated this (1 Samuel 1:13): 'But Hannah was speaking in her heart.' One might think that she prayed all three blessings together. But Daniel had already clarified this (Daniel 6:11): 'He blessed his God three times a day.' One might think that one may pray whenever he wishes. But David had already clarified this (Psalms 55:18): 'In the evening, morning, and afternoon I express my grief and moan; and He hears my voice.' One might think that one may request his needs and they will be fulfilled immediately. But Solomon had already clarified this (1 Kings 8:28):\"To listen to the singing and to the prayer, the singing is the voice of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the prayer is for the needs of man. Abba Shaul says, this is a sign for prayer: if a person directs his heart towards prayer, he can be assured that his prayer will be heard, as it says (Psalm 10:17): You prepare their heart, You listen closely with Your ear. Rabbi Yochanan says, prayer is called by ten names, and these are they:\" \"Prepare your hearts, and listen, O you who hears. Rabbi Yochanan said there are ten types of speech that are called prayer, and these are they: crying out, shouting, groaning, singing, whispering, crying, a broken heart, supplication, and beseeching. Crying out and shouting, as it is said, 'And the children of Israel cried out' (Exodus 2:23). Groaning, as it is said, 'God heard their groaning' (Psalms 106:44). Singing and reciting, as it is said, 'Do not pray for this people… and do not raise up a cry or prayer on their behalf' (Jeremiah 7:16). Whispering and calling out, as it is said, 'In my distress, I called upon the Lord' (Psalms 18:7). Crying and brokenheartedness, as it is said, 'And I fell down before the Lord' (Deuteronomy 9:18). Supplication, as it is said, 'And Pinchas stood up and prayed' (Psalms 106:30). And of them all, Moses only prayed in the language of beseeching. Rabbi Yochanan said: 'From where did Moses learn this? From the verse, \"And now, let the strength of my Lord be great, as You have spoken, saying…\"' (Numbers 14:17).\" \"And I will show mercy to whomever I will show mercy,\" He said to him, \"and I will be gracious to whomever I will be gracious. For whoever has something in my hands, I will show mercy to him with the measure of mercy that I do, but for whoever does not have something in my hands, I will give freely to him as a gift. And at the time when Moses was seeking to enter the land of Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'It is enough for you.' He said before Him, 'Master of the Universe, did You not say to me that whoever does not have something in my hands, I will give freely to him as a gift?' Now I am not saying that I am seeking anything from You, but rather do something for me freely. From where do I know this? From what we have learned in the matter: 'And I pleaded with the Lord.'\" (Exodus 33:19; Deuteronomy 3:26)",
            "2...",
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            "12 Another explanation: \"Like the Lord, our God.\" This is [the meaning of] what Scripture stated (Psalms 69:14), \"As for me, may my prayer come to You, O Lord, at a favorable moment.\" Rabbi Chaninah bar Pappa asked Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman, \"What is that which is written, 'As for me, may my prayer come to You, O Lord, at a favorable moment?'\" He said to him, \"The gates of prayer are sometimes open, sometimes locked. But the gates of repentance are always open.\" He said to him, \"From where [do we know this]? Since it is written, (Psalms 65:6), 'Answer us with victory through awesome deeds, O God, our Deliverer, in whom all the ends of the earth and the distant seas put their trust.' Just like this mikveh (ritual bath) is sometimes open and sometimes closed, the gates of prayer are sometimes open and sometimes locked; but this sea is always open, so too is the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, always open to accept penitents.\" Rabbi Anan said, \"So too are the gates of prayer never locked, as it is written, 'like the Lord, our God, in all that we call to Him.' And 'calling' is only prayer, like the matter that it states (Isaiah 65:24), 'And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer.'\" Rabbi Chiya said that Rabbah said, \"It is written (Psalms 27:14), 'Look to the Lord, be strong and of good courage, O look to the Lord' - pray and pray [again], and there will be a time that They will give [your request] to you. A different explanation: \"As for me, may my prayer, etc.\" Because he was [only] an individual, David said, \"a favorable moment.\" However the prayer of a community never comes back empty. That is, \"like the Lord, our God, in all that we call to Him.\"",
            "13...",
            "14...",
            "15...",
            "16...",
            "17...",
            "18...",
            "19...",
            "20. Alternately, (Deuteronomy 4:25) <i> \"When you have begotten children...\" </i> This accords with what the verse says (Proverbs 10:16) <i> \"The labor of the righteous man makes for life; The produce of the wicked man makes for want.\" </i> \"The labor of the righteous man makes for life\"- Rabbi Tanchum says: This refers to Eliphaz, who grew up in Isaac's bosom. \"The produce of the wicked man makes for want\"- This refers to Amalek, who grew up in Esav's bosom. Alternately, \"The labor of the righteous man makes for life\"- All that David and his son Shlomo did, for life for Israel. Then what is meant by \"The produce of the wicked man makes for want (\"chatat\")\"? Through one act of entrance (\"biah\"), when Menashe went inside the Holy of Holies, all of Israel experienced a misdirection (\"chataya\"), since he made an image with four faces and placed it inside the Temple. Where is the source for this? As it is said, (Ezekiel 8:5) <i> \"And there, north of the gate of the altar, was that infuriating image on the approach (\"biah\").\" </i> Rabbi Acha says: What a great travesty (\"biya\") for the world that the visitor cleared out the master of the house. And why did he make an image with four faces? To parallel the four Chayot who carry the throne of the Holy Blessed One. Alternately, why four faces? To parallel the four directions in the world, as if to say: Anyone who comes from the four directions of the world will bow to this image. And what did the Holy Blessed One do to him? He gave him over to the hand of his enemies. Where is the source for this? As it is said (II Chronicles 33:11) <i> So the LORD brought against them the officers of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh captive in manacles, bound him in fetters.\" </i>  They made for him a mule of copper and put him inside it, and they would light a fire underneath it and he would be burned inside it. At that hour, Menashe called out to every deity in the world that he had sacrificed to, and not one of them answered him. As it is said, (Isaiah 46:7) <i> \"If they cry out to it, it does not answer; It cannot save them from their distress.\" </i> When Menashe saw that his distress was distressing, that not one of them had answered him, he began to call out to the Holy Blessed One. He said before Him, \"Master of the world, behold I have called out to every deity in the world, and I realize that there is nothing real to them. Master of the world, You are God over all gods, and if You do not answer me, I will say, Heaven forbid, that all of the options are the same [i.e. that you are not real either].\" The Holy Blessed One said to him, \"Oh wicked person! According to the rules, I should not answer you, since you angered Me. But in order not to lock the door before those who repent, so they do not say, 'Behold Menashe tried to repent and was not accepted,' for this reason I will answer you.\" As it is said, (II Chronicles 33:13) <i>  \"He prayed to Him, and He granted (\"ye'ater\") his prayer.\" </i> He tunneled (\"yachtor\") for him. This teaches that the ministering angels would close the windows of the firmament so that his [Menashe's] prayer would not rise up to the Heavens. What did the Holy Blessed One do? He tunneled through the firmament below the Throne of Glory and accepted his prayer. (II Chronicles 33:13) <i> \"And He returned him to Jerusalem to his kingdom.\" </i>  Rabbi Shmuel bar Onya says citing Rabbi Acha: He returned him through wind, as you say, \"Who makes the wind blow (literally 'return').\" At that hour, (II Chronicles 33:13) <i> \"Manasseh knew that the LORD alone was God.\" </i> Alternately,  (Proverbs 10:16) <i> \"The labor of the righteous man makes for life;\" </i> These are the righteous people who lived at the time of Moshe.  <i>  \"The produce of the wicked man makes for want.\" </i> (Deuteronomy 4:25) <i> \"When you have begotten children and children’s children and are long established in the land...\" </i>",
            "",
            "",
            "23. Another opinion. R' Elazar said: when Israel was redeemed from Egypt they were only redeemed from within these five things - suffering, repentance, the merit of the forefathers, mercy, and the end. From in the midst of suffering, as it is written \"...and the children of Israel groaned...\" (Exodus 2:23) From in the midst of repentance, as it is written \"...and their cry rose up...\" (ibid.) From in the midst of the merit of the forefathers, as it is written \"And God remembered His covenant...\" (Exodus 2:24) From in the midst of mercy, as it is written \"And God saw the children of Israel...\" (Exodus 2:25) From in the midst of the end, as it is written \"...and God knew.\" (ibid.) And so too in the time to come they will only be redeemed from in the midst of these five things. From in the midst of suffering, as it is written \"when you are in distress..\" (Devarim 4:30) - behold, from in the midst of suffering. \"...and you will return to the Lord your God...\" (ibid.) Behold, from in the midst of repentance. \"For the Lord your God is a compassionate God...\" (Devarim 4:31) Behold, from in the midst of mercy. \"He shall not forget the covenant which he made with your forefathers...\" (Devarim 4:31) Behold, from in the midst of the merit of the forefathers. \"...because all these things have befallen you in the end...\" (Devarim 4:30) Behold, from in the midst of the end. And David explained them all. \"When He saw that they were in distress...\" (Psalms 106:44) Behold, from in the midst of suffering. \"...when He heard their cry.\" (ibid.) Behold, from in the midst of repentance. \"He recalled His covenant...\" (Psalms 106:45) Behold, from in the midst of the merit of the forefathers. \"And He made their captors kindly disposed toward them.\" (Psalms 106:46) Behold, from in the midst of mercy. \"Deliver us, oh Lord God, and gather us from among the nations...\" (Psalms 106:47) Behold, from in the midst of the end.",
            "",
            "25..",
            "",
            "",
            "28...",
            "",
            "30...",
            "31 Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One: What is the law about a man of Israel who recited the reading of Shema but was not precise with its letters - did he fulfill his obligation? Thus did our Sages teach: [If] he read, but was not precise with its letters - Rabbi Yose said, \"He fulfilled [it]\"; Rabbi Yehudah said, \"He did not fulfill [it].\" And what is precision of the letters? Our Rabbis taught us, one must distinguish between the [first] <i>lamed</i> and the [second] <i>lamed</i> in (Deuteronomy 11:13), \"<i>bekhol levavchem</i> (with all of your heart)\"; one must distinguish between the [first] <i>mem</i> and the [second] <i>mem</i> in (Deuteronomy 11:17), \"<i>va'avadetem meherah</i> (and you shall perish quickly).\" And Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav, \"And if one was reciting Shema and walking, he needs to accept [upon himself] the kingdom of the Heavens standing up. And what is the kingdom of the Heavens? The Lord is our God, the Lord is One. From whence did Israel merit to recite the Shema? Rabbi Pinchas ben Chama said, \"Israel merited to recite the Shema from the giving of the Torah. How is this? You find that it was only with this thing that the Holy One, blessed be He, began at Sinai - He said to them, 'Hear, O Israel, \"I am the Lord your God\" (Exodus 20:2).' They [then] all answered and said, 'The Lord is our God, the Lord is One.' And Moshe said, 'Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom for ever and ever.'\" Our rabbis said, \"The Holy One blessed Be, said to Israel, ‘My children, all that I created, I created in pairs: Heaven and earth are a pair, sun and moon are a pair, Adam and Eve are a pair, this world and the world to come are a pair. But My glory is one and unique in the world.\" From where [do we know this]? From that which we read about the matter, \"Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.\"",
            " ",
            "",
            "",
            ".36.Another interpretation [of Hear O Israel]. Our rabbis say: When Moshe went up to heaven, he heard the ministering angels who were  saying to God: \"Praised be the Name of the glory of his kingdom forever and ever\" and he brought it down to the Jewish people. Why then does Israel not say it in public? Said Rabbi Yosei: To what can this be compared? It is like someone who stole a piece of jewelry from the king's palace and gave it to his wife; he said to her: \"Do not adorn yourself with this publicly, rather only in your house.\" However, on Yom Kippur, when they [the Jewish people] are pure like the ministering angels, they say it out loud: \"Praised be the Name of the glory of his kingdom forever and ever.\"",
            ".\"",
            "Another idea: \"Listen, O Israel-\" from where did Israel merit the [commandment of the] reading of Shema? From the time that Jacob spread out to die, he called to all the tribes and said to them: \"Maybe once I pass away, you will bow to another power?\" From where [can we learn this]? For so it is written: \"Gather and listen, sons of Jacob, [and listen to your father Israel] (Genesis 49).\" What is 'and listen to your father Israel (heb. V'shimu El Yisrael Avichem)'? He said to them: The G-d of Israel is your father (an alternate meaning of 'El Yisrael Avichem').\" They said to him: \"Listen O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is one.\" And he said in a whisper: \"Blessed be the glorious name of His Kingship (ie. G-d) forever.\" Rabbi Levi said: \"And what do Israel say today? 'Listen our forefather Israel, the same thing that you commanded us still abides among us, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is one.'\"",
            "Another idea:  \"Hear O Israel\" The rabbis said: When Moshe went up to the heavens, he heard the ministering angels saying to the Holy Blessed One, \"Blessed is the name of the glory of God's sovereignty for all time\" and brought it down to Israel.  And why doesn't Israel say it in public (aloud)? Rabbi Asi said:  To what is it similar?  To one who stole jewelry from the King's palace and gave it to his wife and said to her, \"Don't adorn yourself with it in public, rather (wear it) in your house.\"  However, on Yom Kippur when they are as clean as the ministering angels, they say it publicly, \"Blessed is the name of the glory of God's sovereignty for all time.\""
        ],
        [
            "Ch.3 [1]: Is it permitted for a person from Israel who has a menorah made in sections, what is the law regarding moving it on the Sabbath? So have the Sages taught: one who assembles the sections of a menorah on the Sabbath is liable for a sin-offering, and for what reason is he liable? Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: One who assembles the menorah on the Sabbath is as one who builds on the Sabbath, and one who builds on the Sabbath is liable. Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Chanina said: When did Israel observe the Sabbath properly? At first, when it was given to them at Alush. How do we know? As it is said (Exodus 16:30): 'So the people rested on the seventh day.' Do you think that perhaps I gave you the Sabbath to your detriment? I gave it to you only for your benefit. How so? Rabbi Chiya son of Rabbi Abba said: You sanctify the Sabbath with food and drink and clean clothing, enjoying yourself, and I will give you a reward. How do we know? (Isaiah 58:13): 'And you shall call the Sabbath a delight,' and what is written after it? (Isaiah 58:14): 'Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord' (Psalms 37:4): 'and He will give you the desires of your heart.' Israel said to Him: When will You give us the reward for the commandments that we perform? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: The commandments that you are performing, their fruits you are eating now, but their reward I am giving you later. How do we know? From what we read in our matter (Deuteronomy 7:12): 'And it shall come to pass, because you hearken.'\"",
            "[2]",
            "[3]",
            "[4] Another interpretation (Deuteronomy 7:2): \"And the LORD thy God will preserve thee,\" what does \"And will preserve\" mean? Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said, all that Israel eats in this world is from the power of the blessings that Balaam the wicked blessed them. But the blessings that the forefathers blessed them are kept for the future, as it is said: \"And the LORD thy God will preserve thee etc.\" ---Another interpretation, Rabbi Helbo said, to what is the matter similar? To an orphan who was growing up at the house of a homeowner, he was eating his, drinking his, and clothing himself from his, and he taught him a craft. That orphan would say, \"All that I eat, drink, and clothe myself is from my wages.\" The homeowner said to him, \"As your life, all that you eat and clothe yourself, is from the power of a barrel of water that you fill for me, from the power of one piece of wood that you split for me, but your wage is bundled and kept for you.\" ---So, all that Israel eats in this world is by the power of the sufferings that come upon them, but their reward is bundled and kept for the future, as it is said: \"And the LORD thy God will preserve thee etc.\" ---And what is \"the covenant and the kindness?\" Rabbi Hiyya said, \"There are three good qualities in the hands of Israel, and they are: they are bashful, merciful, and bestow kindness. Bashful from where, as it is said (Exodus 20:17): 'And that His fear may be before your faces.' Merciful from where, as it is said (Deuteronomy 13:18): 'And He will give thee mercy, and will be merciful to you.' Bestowing kindness from where, as it is said: 'And the LORD thy God will preserve thee, the covenant, and the kindness.'\" ---This piece appears to be exploring the concept of God's blessings and how they are manifested, drawing a distinction between the blessings enjoyed in the present world and those reserved for the future. It also discusses the character traits that are considered good and characteristic of the Israelites: bashfulness, mercy, and bestowing kindness.",
            "[5]",
            "[6] May you be the most blessed of all peoples (Deuteronomy 7:14), Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said, the praise of the matron is not when she is praised amongst her relatives, but rather when she is praised by her tribulations. (Deuteronomy 7:14): There will be no barren or infertile among you or among your livestock. This verse only speaks about humans. How do we know it also refers to animals? As it is written (Deuteronomy 7:14): 'and among your livestock.' Therefore, it refers to both humans and animals. How do we know it also refers to the land? As it is written (Exodus 23:26): 'There will be no miscarrying or infertile in your land.' Thus, it refers to humans, animals, and the land. How do we know it also refers to trees? As it is written (Malachi 3:11): 'The vine in the field will not fail to bear fruit.' --- Another interpretation, 'There will be no barren or infertile among you,' Rabbi Hanin ben Levi said, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: 'Your prayer should not be barren, but rather ascending and bearing fruit.' --- Another interpretation, Rabbi Yonatan said, 'There will be no barren or infertile among you' - from repentance. --- There is a story about Rabbi Yonatan who was going to the Neapolis of the Samaritans, he was riding a donkey, and the cattle driver was with him. A Samaritan joined them on the journey; they reached Mount Gerizim, the Samaritan said to Rabbi Yonatan, 'Rabbi, what is the law concerning this holy mountain?' Rabbi Yonatan said, 'Why is it holy?' The Samaritan replied that it was not struck by the flood waters. Rabbi Yonatan asked him how he knew that, and he quoted Ezekiel 22:24: 'Son of man, say unto her, Thou art a land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.' Rabbi Yonatan then countered, 'If so, then God could have told Noah to go up the mountain instead of building the Ark.' The Samaritan answered, 'God only did that to test him.' Rabbi Yonatan remained silent, then the cattle driver asked permission to say something, which was granted. It then said, 'This mountain is not under the heavens,' to which the Samaritan replied, 'It is outside the heavens.' The driver then pointed out Genesis 7:20: 'Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.' (implying that although the water did not flood it from above, it was covered from the rising waters below - Etz Yosef.) Immediately, Rabbi Yonatan descended from his donkey, and drove the cattle for four miles (out of respect for the driver), and then he quoted this verse (Isaiah 54:17) on it: 'And every tongue that accuses you in judgment shall be condemned.' Thus, 'There will be no barren or infertile among you or among your livestock.' What does 'or among your livestock' mean? Your cattle drivers. ",
            "[7] ",
            "[8] ",
            "[9]",
            "[10] Why did [Moses] see fit to say “Hear O Israel” at this point? The Rabbis say, “To what can this be compared? To a king who betroths a noblewoman with two pearls. She loses one of them. The king says to her, ‘You lost one, I will guard the other!’ So did the Holy One, blessed be He, betroth Israel with ‘Naaseh v’Nishma’ - ‘We will do and we will hear.’ They lost the ‘Naaseh’ at the Golden Calf. Moses said to them: You lost the Naaseh, guard the Nishma!",
            "[11]",
            "[12] \"Thereupon the LORD said to me, 'Carve out etc.'\" (Deut. 10:1).  A halachic question:  When a Jewish man betrothes a woman, who must provide the payment for the scribing of the marriage document?  Our Sages taught as follows:  Betrothal and marriage documents are written only with the assent of both parties, and the groom provides the payment.  From whom do we learn this?  From the Holy One Blessed be He, when He betrothed Israel on Sinai, as it is written (Ex. 19:10), \"Adonai said to Moses, “Go to the people and warn them to stay pure today and tomorrow.\"  And who wrote this document?  Moshe.  Whence?  As it says (Deut. 31:9), \"Moses wrote down this (Song) Teaching.\"  And what payment did the Holy One Blessed be He provide for him?  The splendor of his face, as it is written (Ex. 34:29), \"Moses was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant\" -- when? \"when He spoke with him.\"  Resh Lakish said, \"At the time he wrote the Torah, Moshe acquired the splendor of his face.\"  How?  Resh Lakish said,\"The Torah was given to Moshe, its skin of white fire and written with black fire, and sealed in fire, and wrapped with fire.  And while he was writing, he wiped his pen-reed on his hair, and from there he acquired the splendor of his face.\"  R' Shmuel bar Nahman said, \"It was from the tablets that Moshe acquired the splendor of his face.  While the tablets were being given to him from hand to hand, Moshe acquired the splendor of his face.  As soon as Israel did That Deed, he took them and broke them.  The Holy One Blessed be He said to him, 'When you made the arrangement with Israel, I gave you your payment, the splendor of your face. and now you have broken the tablets.'\"  R' Yitzhak said, \"Our Sages learned, 'If the barrel breaks, it breaks [to the account of] the middleman.'  The Holy One Blessed by He said to him, 'You were the middleman between Me and My children.  You broke; you replace.  Whence?  Because so it is written (Ex. 34:1-3): \"The LORD said to Moses: 'Carve two tablets of stone like the first, and I will inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you shattered.  Be ready by morning, and in the morning come up to Mount Sinai and present yourself there to Me, on the top of the mountain.  No one else shall come up with you, and no one else shall be seen anywhere on the mountain; neither shall the flocks and the herds graze at the foot of this mountain.” ",
            "[13]",
            "[14] Another matter, \"Carve for yourself,\" this is what the scripture says (Ecclesiastes 7:9): \"Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.\" And who was it that became angry? That was Moses, as it is said (Exodus 32:19): \"And Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands,\" God said to him, \"Moses, you vent your anger on the tablets of the covenant, do you seek that I vent my wrath and you see that the world cannot stand even for one hour?\" He said to Him, \"And what do I have to do?\" He said to him, \"(I want) to fine thee; thou hast broken them (the tablets) and thou must replace them,\" this is what is written: \"Carve for yourself two stone tablets.\"",
            "[15]",
            "[16] Another matter, \"Carve for yourself two tablets.\" Why two? The rabbis say: God said to him, \"These testify between Me and my children, corresponding to two witnesses, corresponding to two sponsors, corresponding to groom and bride, corresponding to heaven and earth, corresponding to this world and the world to come.\"",
            "[17] Another matter, carve for yourself. They asked Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai why the first tablets were the work of heaven and the second tablets were the work of man. He told them, \"What is this similar to? To a king who married a woman and brought her stationery and a scribe from his own possessions, crowned her with his own crown, and brought her into his house. The king saw her laughing with one of his servants, became angry with her and expelled her. Then her sponsor came to him and said, 'My lord, don't you know where you got her from? She was not raised among servants? and because she was raised among servants, her heart is haughty towards them.' The king said, 'What do you want, that I should be appeased towards her? Bring your own stationery and your scribe, and even there will be my handwriting.' So too, when Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, at the time when they came to that deed, he said to Him, 'Do you not know from where you took them out? From Egypt, from a place of idol worship.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'What do you want, that I should be appeased towards them? Bring your own tablets, and even there will be my handwriting (Exodus 34:1): And I will write on the tablets.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'Moses, by your life, just as you gave your life for them in this world, so too in the future, when I bring Elijah the prophet, both of you will come together. How do we know this? For it is written (Nahum 1:3-4): 'The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers: Bashan languishes, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languishes.' 'In the whirlwind' - this is Moses, as it is written (Exodus 2:3): 'And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with bitumen and with pitch; and she put the child therein, and laid it in the reeds by the river's brink.' 'And in the storm' - this is Elijah, as it is written (II Kings 2:11-12): 'And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof! And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.' At that time, he will come and comfort you. How do we know this? For it is written (Malachi 3:23-24): 'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children...'\" [END]"
        ],
        [
            "[1] HALACHA: \"A man from Israel, what, is he allowed to read the rebukes in multiple readings? So the sages taught: We do not interrupt during the curses, but one reads all of them. Our teachers taught us, why don't we interrupt the curses? Rabbi Chiya bar Gamda said, because it is written (Proverbs 3:11): 'My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary [TaKotz] of His reproof.' Do not make the rebukes in segments [Koitzin], but one reads all of them. Another thing, why don't we interrupt the curses? Rabbi Yehoshua of Siknin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I wrote for My honor (Psalms 91:15): 'I will be with him in trouble.' It is not proper that My children will be cursed and I will be blessed. How so? If they read the rebukes in multiple readings, there is no reading and reading without blessing twice, before and after, but one reads all of them. The sages said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I did not give them blessings and curses for their harm, but to inform them which good path they should choose, so they earn a reward. From where [do we derive this]? From what we read about (Deuteronomy 11:26): 'See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse.'\"",
            "[2] This which is written (Jeremiah 13:15), 'Hear and give ear; do not be haughty,' etc., what does 'hear and give ear' mean, etc.? Rabbi Tanhuma said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, says: 'Listen to the words of the Torah and do not speak haughtily.' (Jeremiah 13:15) 'For the LORD has spoken,' and where has He spoken? (Proverbs 16:5) 'Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD.' Another interpretation: Listen to the words of the Torah and do not raise your ear from hearing the words of the Torah. 'For the LORD has spoken,' and where has He spoken? (Proverbs 28:9) 'One who turns away his ear from hearing the Torah, even his prayer is an abomination.' Another interpretation: Listen to the words of the Torah and pay attention to the words of the Torah. What does 'do not be haughty' mean? Do not prevent the good from coming into the world. 'For the LORD has spoken,' and where has He spoken? (Isaiah 1:19-20) 'If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword,' for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. What does 'If you are willing and obedient,' etc., mean? Rabbi Elazar said: The sword and the book came down intertwined from heaven. God said to them, 'If you observe what is written in this book, you will be saved from this sword. If not, you will be slain by this sword.' Another interpretation: 'If you are willing and obedient,' etc., Rabbi Levi said: To what is this similar? To a servant whom his master told, 'Here is a golden neck-chain for you, and if not, here are iron chains.' Thus, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Israel, 'If you do My will, here are the good and the blessing, and if not, here is the curse,' 'See, I have set before you today blessing and curse.'\"",
            "[3] Another interpretation, 'Behold, I have set before you' - Rabbi Elazar said: Since the Holy One, blessed be He, uttered this statement at Sinai, at that very moment, it is as it's written in Lamentations 3:38: 'Do not both evil and good come from the mouth of the Most High?' It means, only from Him does adversity come upon those who commit wrong, and prosperity comes upon those who perform good deeds. Another interpretation, Rabbi Haggai said: Not only have I given you two paths, but I have gone beyond the strict line of judgment and said to you, as in Deuteronomy 30:19: 'and you shall choose life.'",
            "[4] Another matter, what is written above the subject (Deuteronomy 11:22): \"If you will surely observe…\" What does \"all this commandment\" mean? Rabbi Levi says it refers to the recitation of the Shema prayer. The Sages say it refers to the Sabbath, which is equivalent to all the commandments of the Torah. Another interpretation of \"If you will surely observe\" is given by Bar Kappara. The soul and the Torah are likened to a lamp. The soul, as it's written (Proverbs 20:27): \"The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord.\" And the Torah, as it's written (Proverbs 6:23): \"For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light.\" The Holy One, blessed be He, says to man: \"My lamp is in your hands and your lamp is in My hands. My lamp in your hands is the Torah, and your lamp in My hands is the soul. If you guard My lamp, I will guard your lamp. But if you extinguish My lamp, I will extinguish your lamp.\" How do we know this? It's written (Deuteronomy 4:9): \"But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously,\" which can be understood as \"If you will surely observe.\" Another analogy, given by Rabbi Shimon, compares this to two people, one who had a vineyard in the Galilee, and another…[the text cuts off here, so the analogy is incomplete] Another matter, Rabbi Yehuda bar Sima says, if you observe the 248 [positive commandments]… [the text is cut off again] Yet another interpretation: What does \"If you will surely observe\" mean? The Holy One, blessed be He, says: \"If you observe the words of the Torah, I will guard you from harmful spirits.\" Rabbi Abba bar Zeira says that there isn't a space of four cubits in the world that doesn't have thousands of harmful spirits. Each one has a cover before it so that it doesn't look at a person and harm him. But when a person's sins cause it, the cover is removed, and it looks at him and harms him. How do we know this? As it's written (Psalms 55:19): \"He redeemed my soul in peace from battles against me…\" When? \"For many were with me.\" And who are they? These are the angels who guard a person. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says there is an image that walks before a person and heralds precede him. What do they announce? \"Make way for the image of the Holy One, blessed be He.\" See how many protect and guard you, when you safeguard the words of the Torah. Behold, I have set before you two paths, blessing and curse; blessing if you listen to my words, curse if you do not listen to my words.",
            "[5]\"The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Listen to Me, for no man listens to Me and loses.' The Rabbis said, 'You find that some listen [to their wife and lose, and some listen] to their wife and gain. How so? Adam, the first man, listened to his wife and lost. How do we know this? For it is written (Genesis 3:17), \"And to the man He said, 'Because you listened to the voice of your wife...'\" Rabbi Yitzhak said, 'What can this be compared to? To a king who said to his servant, \"Do not taste anything until I return from the bathhouse.\" His wife said to him, \"Taste this dish, so that he does not ask to add salt or fish sauce to it.\" The king came and found him tasting it. The king said, \"Did I not tell you not to eat, and you ate?\" The man said, \"My lord, your maidservant gave it to me.\" The king said, \"So you listened to my maidservant more than to me?\" Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Adam (Genesis 2:17), \"Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat.\" What did Eve do? She fed him. Rabbi Avin said, 'She wanted only to cry and wail over him with her voice, and he ate from it. For it is written \"to the voice of your wife,\" not \"to the words of your wife.\" It just says \"to the voice of your wife.\"' The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (Genesis 3:11), \"From the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, did you eat?\" Adam said, \"My lord, the woman you placed with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.\" God said, \"So you listened to Eve more than to me?\" Immediately, he was banished, as it says (Genesis 3:24), \"He drove out the man, and He placed cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden, with a revolving flaming sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.\" Thus, he listened to his wife and lost. And there are those who listen to their wife and gain, like Abraham. How so? For it is written (Genesis 16:2), \"Sarai said to Abram, 'Look, the Lord has kept me from bearing. Consort with my maidservant; perhaps I shall have a son through her.' And Abram listened to Sarai.\" Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said, \"To what can this be compared? To a man who had a son. One astrologer saw the son and said, 'This boy is destined to be a bandit. His father should cast him away.' When the boy's father heard this, he said, 'I will cast my son away.' But the astrologer's own father heard and said, 'Whatever my son told you, listen to him.' In the same way, Sarah saw Ishmael leading a corrupt lifestyle and she said to Abraham, 'Expel this maid and her son,' and this displeased him. Then the Holy One, Blessed be He, revealed Himself to him and said (Genesis 21:12), 'Do not be displeased over the boy and over your maidservant; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her voice,' etc. He listened to her voice and benefited, for his offspring was named after Isaac, as it says (Genesis 21:12), 'For it is through Isaac that offspring shall be continued for you.' The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: 'If one who listens to his wife thus benefits, how much more so one who listens to Me!' King Solomon came and elucidated (Proverbs 1:33), 'But he who listens to me shall dwell securely, and be tranquil without fear of harm.'\"",
            "[6] When the LORD your God enlarges your border...\" (Deuteronomy 12:20), what is the law regarding an Israelite? What is permitted for him regarding covering the blood of slaughtering on a festival? Thus, the sages taught: one who slaughters a beast or bird on a festival, the House of Shammai says he should dig with a knife and cover [the blood]. But the House of Hillel says: he should not slaughter unless he has prepared dust [in advance for covering]. Rabbi Haggai said in the name of Rabbi Acha: one who does not have prepared dust does not need to slaughter. Why? Because the only difference between a festival and the Sabbath is the preparation of food alone. Therefore, if one slaughtered on a festival, he needs to have dust prepared for covering [the blood]. Rav Bisna said in the name of Rabbi Acha: come and see what the Holy One, blessed be He, said: what I prohibited you with a domesticated animal, I permitted you with a wild animal, and so on, until all with fish. The rabbis say: there are many things that the Holy One, blessed be He, prohibited and then permitted elsewhere. How do you know? The Holy One, blessed be He, prohibited the Israelites to slaughter and eat until he brings it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. From where do we know? As it is written (Leviticus 17:9): \"And does not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, to offer it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from his people.\" What is written there (Leviticus 17:4): \"And does not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, to offer it as a gift to the LORD, before the LORD's Tabernacle, that man shall be regarded as having shed blood; he has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people.\" But here, He permitted it to them, as it is written (Deuteronomy 12:15): \"However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, whatever you desire, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it,\". From where? From what we read on the matter: \"When the LORD your God expands your border.",
            "[7] Alternatively, \"when [the Lord] enlarges [your territory]\" (Deuteronomy 20:12). \"Let me exult and rejoice in Your loving-kindness  when You notice my affliction,  are mindful of my deep distress, and do not hand me over to my enemy,  but grant me relief\" (Psalms 31:8-9). The Rabbis say, this verse refers to Joseph. Joseph said, \"Master of the universe, let me exult and rejoice in your loving-kindness that you have done for me. Had you [only] called Potiphar's wife to account for me, but not given me the powers of a sovereign, I would have been joyful and happy, now that you've also given me the powers of a sovereign, I will exult and rejoice in your loving-kindness.\" \"When you notice my affliction\", this [too] refers to Joseph, about whom it is written, \"His feet were afflicted in fetters; an iron collar was put on his neck\" (psalms 105:18). \"and did not hand me over to my enemy\" - this is Potiphar [who sought to imprison Joseph for life]. \"but grant me relief\", since he caused me to rule over the entire land of Egypt. From where is this derived? From the verse: \"Now Joseph was the vizier of the land; it was he who dispensed rations to all the people of the land...\" (Genesis 42:6). Alternatively \"Let me exult and rejoice\" is speaking about [the Children of] Israel. The Children of Israel said, \"Master of the universe, let me exult and rejoice in your loving-kindness that you have done unto us, for had you [only] freed us from the Egyptians and not given us their money, we would have be gladdened, [but] what joy and happiness we have [now] that you have given us [also] their wealth. \"when you notice my affliction\" this refers to the Israelites about him it was written: \"The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. We cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our plea and saw our affliction, our misery, and our oppression\" (Deuteronomy 26:6-7). \"are mindful of my deep distress\" this refers to the Israelites, about whom it is written \"they made life bitter for them\" (Exodus 1:14). \"and do not hand me over to my enemy\" - this refers to the evil Pharaoh, as it is written \"The foe said, “I will pursue\"\" (Exodus 15:9). \"But grant me relief\", that you widened our borders, as it says, \"when [the Lord] enlarges [your territory]\" (Deuteronomy 20:12).",
            "[8] For when the LORD your God expands your boundary, as it is written (Proverbs 18:16): 'A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.' What is meant by 'A man's gift makes room for him'? An incident occurred with Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua, who went out to collect for many of our mitzvahs. They went to a squadron (fortress) in Antioch, where there was a man named Abba Yudan. He was known to generously support our rabbis. But at that time, Abba Yudan had become poor. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua, seeing that they were headed in his direction, saw that he hid from them and went to his house. For two days he didn’t go to the market. His wife asked him, 'Why haven’t you gone to the market for two days?' He replied, 'Our rabbis have come to collect for charity and the labor of Torah, and I have no doubt that I have nothing to give them, and I’m embarrassed to go to the market.' His wife, who loved the commandments, said, 'We still have one field left. Sell half of it and give the proceeds to them.' He did so, selling half the field for five gold coins, which he then gave to our rabbis. He asked them to pray for him. They prayed for him and said, 'May God replenish what you lack.' Later, our rabbis went to another place. That same Abba Yudan plowed in the half-field and found a large treasure there, becoming richer than he was before. By the time our rabbis returned and passed through that place, they asked to meet Abba Yudan. Someone said to them, 'Who can you stand before? Possibly the king, certainly you can not with him.' (he became quite powerful.) They replied, 'We only want to ensure that he not find out we passed through here without inquiring after his welfare.' Abba Yudan came to know of this and approached them, giving them a thousand gold coins. He said, 'Your prayers bore fruit.' They replied, 'We also knew of your good deeds and put you at the forefront. We cited the verse about you: \"A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men. Another matter, there is a story about Rabbi Chiya who made a donation in the great synagogue of Tiberias, and a person set aside a gold coin. Rabbi Chiya took it, placed it next to him, and recited over it: \"A person's gift makes room for him.\" Another matter, there is a story about Reish Lakish who went to Batzra. There was a man there named Avin the Deceiver. Not that he was deceitful, God forbid, but he was deceptive in performing mitzvot, for the community would donate and then he would donate matching the entire community's contributions. There, Reish Lakish made a donation matching the entire community. Reish Lakish took it (the matching funds), placed it next to him (gave it back to him), and recited over it: \"A person's gift makes room for him, and he will stand before great ones.\" Rabbi Abbahu said: What relevance does this place have over another? What is written above (Deuteronomy 12:19)? \"Be careful, lest you neglect the Levite,\" and then it says, \"For the Lord your God will enlarge your territory as He has promised you.\"",
            "[9] And you shall say, 'I will eat meat,' because you desire to eat meat; according to every desire of your soul, you may eat meat\" (Deuteronomy 12:20). This is what the Scripture says (Psalms 146:7), \"Who executes justice for the oppressed; Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free,\" speaking about Israel. Rabbi Pinchas bar Chama said, \"This teaches that there were more than seventy nations in Egypt, and only the Israelites were enslaved from among them all. And who did justice for them? '[He] executes justice for the oppressed.' 'Gives food to the hungry' – this refers to the Israelites. How do we know? As it is said (Deuteronomy 8:3-5), 'And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. You should know in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.' 'The Lord sets the prisoners free' refers to Israel. How? The rabbis say: Eight things God prohibited them from and then permitted them in those eight. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'I prohibited you from the fat, etc.' up to the 'linen in tzitzit (ritual fringes)', hence, 'The Lord sets the prisoners free.' Similarly, He had forbidden them meat out of desire and here permitted it to them. How do we know? (Deuteronomy 12:15) 'Only according to every desire of your soul, you may slaughter and eat meat.'",
            "[10] Another interpretation, what is written above in the context (Deuteronomy 12:19): \"Beware lest you forsake the Levite,\" and afterwards: \"When the LORD your God enlarges your territory\"? Rabbi Levi said, to what is this matter comparable? To someone who said to his friend, \"Lend me one gold piece.\" The friend replied, \"I am unfamiliar with your financial situation.\" The first one said, \"Test me.\" He gave it, and he repaid him immediately. The lender then said, \"Even if you need up to twenty or thirty gold pieces, take them.\" The borrower responded, \"What made you trust to lend me whatever I request? It's because I established a good financial record with you.\" Similarly, this person, when he is properly tested and separates his tithes as appropriate, God enlarges his territory. This implies that because of your generosity, your boundaries are expanded. ",
            "[11] Another matter, when the LORD expands [the boundaries], perhaps the Holy One, blessed be He, expands the land of Israel, Rabbi Yitzchak said: this scroll [or revelation], no one knows how long and how wide it is, but when it is revealed, its dimensions are known. Similarly, with the Land of Israel, despite all its mountains and hills, where is it said? As it's written (Deuteronomy 11:11-12): 'But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.' When the Holy One, blessed be He, levels it, where is it said? As it's written (Isaiah 40:4): 'Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground will become level, the rugged places a plain.' At that moment, its [nature] will be known. Another matter, when [He] expands, the Rabbis say [it's] speaking about Jerusalem. Who can behold the peace of Jerusalem when the Holy One, blessed be He, expands it? Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: To what can this be likened? To a province etc. (Malachi 3:4): 'Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD as in days gone by, as in former years.' (Malachi 3:23-24): 'See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.' (Malachi 3:1): 'See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,' says the LORD Almighty. (Zechariah 1:16-17): 'Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,' declares the LORD Almighty. 'Proclaim further: This is what the LORD Almighty says: My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.'' (Zechariah 9:9): 'Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
        ],
        [
            "[1] (Deuteronomy 16:18) \"You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.\" - Halacha: Can one sit in judgement for one's relative? Such taught the sages: These are the relatives: his father, his brother, his paternal uncle, his maternal uncle, etc. Why is this so? Because just like a relative is invalid to testify [regarding him], so too he is invalid to judge. What did you see to say this? Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: It is written (Deuteronomy 21:5), \"Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and by their word every dispute and every skin affliction shall be settled.\" - Come and see the relationship between skin afflictions and disputes. Just like skin afflictions [are examined] during the day, so too judgement [are done] during the day. Just like disputes are to the exclusion of relatives [as witnesses], so too skin afflictions are to the exclusion of relatives [as examiners]. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said: Do not mock the law, for it is one of the three legs of the world. Why? For the sages taught, (Pirkei Avot 1:18) \"On three things the world stands: On law, on truth, and on peace.\" Pay attention that if you pervert the law, you have shocked the world, for it is one of its legs. Our rabbis say: The power of the law is fierce, for it is one of the legs of the Chair of Glory. How do we know? (Psalms 89:15) \"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.\" The Holy One, blessed be He, says: Since the punishment of the law is fierce, be careful. From where do we know this? From that which we read on the subject, (Deuteronomy 16:18) \"Judges and officer",
            "[2] This is what Scripture says, \"Lazybones, go to the ant; study its ways and learn. Without leaders, officers, or rulers, it lays up its stores during the summer, gathers in its food at the harvest.\"(Proverbs 6:6-6:8) What did Solomon see to learn from the ant regarding the lazy person? Our rabbis say that the ant has three houses (or floors), and it does not congregate in the top (floor) because of rain, nor does in the bottom because of mud, but rather in the middle. And it only lives for six months. Why? Because anything that does not have sinews or bones only lives six months. And all of its food is a grain and a half. And it goes and gathers in the summer all that it finds, grain and barley and lentils. Rabbi Tanchuma said: All of its life is a grain and a half and (yet) it gathers these? And why does it do this? Because it says: Perhaps the Holy One Blessed Be He will decree life and it will be prepared for me to eat. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: It once happened that they found a pit of it (an ant) that had three hundred kor (of food grains). What they gather from the summer is for the winter, therefore Solomon said: \"Lazybones, go to the ant; study its ways and learn.\" So to you shall fix for yourselves mitzvot from this world for the world to come. And what is \"study its ways and learn\"? Our rabbis say study its manners, because it flees from theft. Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta said: It once happened that  a single ant  dropped a grain. And all of them (the ants) were coming by and smelling it, and yet not one of them took it. The one who it belonged to came and took it. See the wisdom that there is in it (the ant). And all of this praise that it has it did not learn from a creation, and it does not have a judge or an officer. As it is stated, \"Without leaders, officers, or rulers.\" You for whom I have designated judges and officers, all the more-so that you shall listen to them, and there will be judges and officers set for you in all of your gates.",
            "[3] This is what Scripture says. \"To do what is right and just is more desired by the Lord than sacrifice.\" (Prov. 21:3) Scripture does not say, \"as much as sacrifice\", but \"more than sacrifice.\" How so? Whereas sacrifices could only function inside the Temple, to do what is right and just is mandated inside and outside the Temple. Another opinion: whereas sacrifices could only atone for unintentional, accidental sins, acts of righteousness and justice atone even for intentional sins. Another opinion: whereas sacrifices are offered only by humanity, even God is obligated to practice justice and righteousness. Another opinion: whereas sacrifices are significant only in this world, righteousness and justice will remain a cornerstone in the Coming World. Rabbi Shmuel ben Nachmani said: When the Holy One of Blessing said to Natan (I Chronicles 17:3-5): \"Go and tell David My servant: Thus saith the LORD: Thou shalt not build Me a house to dwell in for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel, unto this day; but have [gone] from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle [to another]\" Anyone who wished to curse David, what would he do? He would say to him, \"It's good that the Temple is being built.\" Know this, what did David say (Psalms 122:1)? \"I rejoiced when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD'.\" They sought to mock him, saying, \"You won't be the one to build it.\" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, \"By your life, I will not miss a moment of your life.\" How do we know? As it's said (Samuel II 7:12): \"When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.\" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, \"The acts of charity and justice that you perform are dearer to me than the Temple.\" How do we know? As it is written (Samuel II 8:15): \"David administered justice and righteousness to all his people.\" What is meant by \"justice and righteousness\"? Rabbi Yehuda and Rav Nachman have differing opinions. One says: David would judge the case, vindicating the innocent and condemning the guilty. If the guilty had nothing to pay, David would pay from his own pocket. Hence, \"justice and righteousness.\" Rav Nachman said to him, \"If so, you're essentially making Israel susceptible to deceit.\" What then is \"justice and righteousness\"? David would judge the case, vindicating the innocent and condemning the guilty. That is \"justice and righteousness,\" for he would ensure that stolen property was returned. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, \"My children, since such judgments are precious to me, be careful with them.\" ",
            "[4]Another matter, judges and officers you shall appoint for yourself. This is what the verse says (Deuteronomy 32:41-42): 'If I whet my glittering sword, and my hand takes hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to my enemies, and will reward those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.' What is this verse about? Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Nachman [disagree]. Rabbi Yehuda says: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'If I sharpen my sword like lightning, I will destroy my world. What should I do so that my hand takes hold on judgment?' Rabbi Nachman said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'If I change the attribute of strict justice, with one lightning [strike] I can destroy my world. What should I do so that my hand takes hold on judgment?' Rabbi Yitzhak said: Two things are in the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, righteousness and Torah. Righteousness, as it is written (Psalms 48:11): 'Righteousness fills your right hand.' Torah, as it is written (Deuteronomy 33:2): 'From His right hand was a fiery law for them.' Two things are in His hand, and they are: the soul and justice. The soul, as it is written (Job 12:10): 'In whose hand is the soul of every living thing.' And justice, as it is written: 'and my hand takes hold on judgment.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said: 'The soul and the justice are given into My hand. Keep the justice and I will keep your souls. Be judges and officers.'\"",
            "[5] What is meant by \"judges and officials\"? The Rabbis say that the official (court officer) should be like the judge, that deeds correspond to the stick and the lash and the one delivering the punishment should not need to receive lashes.  Another matter:  Rabbi Eliezer says, \"In a place where there is justice, there is no judge; in a place where there is no justice, there is a judge.\" And what is this?  Rather, says Rabbi Eliezer,\"If we make justice below, there will be no justice above.  And if we do not make justice below, there will be justice above.\"  ",
            "[6] Another matter, judges and officers, said Rav Aha: 'Come and see. There were six steps to Solomon's throne, as it says (Kings I 10:19), \"six steps to the throne.\" And in this section six prohibitions are written: \"You shall not pervert justice, nor show partiality, nor take a bribe, you shall not plant for yourself an Asherah, nor set up a stone pillar, nor sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep.\" That makes six. And a herald stood before Solomon's throne. As he ascended the first step, he would proclaim (Deuteronomy 16:19), \"You shall not pervert justice.\" On the second step, he would proclaim (Deuteronomy 16:19), \"nor show partiality.\" On the third, he would proclaim (Deuteronomy 16:19), \"nor take a bribe.\" On the fourth (Deuteronomy 16:21), \"You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah.\" On the fifth (Deuteronomy 16:22), \"nor set up a stone pillar.\" And on the sixth (Deuteronomy 17:1), \"nor sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep.\" Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said: \"The order of judgment is as follows: The claimant presents his case, the defendant responds, and the judge decides. Rabbi Sima said that the judge should repeat their claims himself. From whom do you learn this? From Solomon, as it is written (Kings I 3:23), \"The king said, 'This one says, \"This is my son who is alive, and your son is dead,\" and this one says, \"No, your son is dead, and my son is the living one.\"'\" Rabbi Yehuda in the name of Rabbi Ilai said, \"I heard that if the judge wishes to seat the defendant, he may. But what is forbidden is for one to sit while the other stands, for Rabbi Yishmael said: 'When a judge has two people come before him for judgment, one rich and one poor, he should either tell the rich man to dress as the poor man is dressed, or have the poor man dress as the rich man.' As it is written (Deuteronomy 1:17), 'You shall not show partiality.' Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman differed on this: Rabbi Elazar said if you know the ruling is in his favor, do not show him favor so he doesn't think you wanted to rule in his favor from the start. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said if you know the ruling is not in his favor, show him favor so he doesn't think you wanted to rule against him from the start. Rabbi Chanina said: 'One verse says (Deuteronomy 1:16), \"You shall judge righteously,\" and another says (Deuteronomy 13:15), \"You shall inquire, investigate, and ask thoroughly.\" How can this be? If you see the judgment is suspect, investigate it.' If you see that the judgment has been issued according to truth, affirm it. ",
            "[7] Another matter, judges and officers, Rabbi Levi said, to what is this matter likened? To a king who had many sons, and he loved the youngest more than all of them. He had one orchard and he loved it more than everything else he had. The king said, 'I will give this orchard that I love more than anything else I have to my youngest son, whom I love more than all my other sons.' So said the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Of all the nations I have created, I only love Israel,' as it is stated (Hosea 11:1): 'For Israel is a youth, and I love him.' 'Of everything that I have created, I only love justice,' as it is stated (Isaiah 61:8): 'For I am the Lord, who loves justice.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'I am giving what I love to the nation I love: judges and officers.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, 'My children, in the merit that you observe justice, I am exalted,' as it is stated (Isaiah 5:16): 'And the Lord of Hosts is exalted in justice.' 'And by you exalting me through justice, I, too, will perform charity and will spread my holiness among you,' as it is stated (Isaiah 5:16): 'And the Holy God is sanctified through righteousness.' 'And if you observe both of them, charity and justice, I will immediately redeem you with a complete redemption,' as it is stated (Isaiah 56:1): 'Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice and perform righteousness, for my salvation is close to coming, and my righteousness to be revealed.'\"",
            "[8] (Deuteronomy 17:14) \"When you enter the land...\" - Halacha: A king who has a business dealing, can he be judged before a Bet Din? Thus teaches our sages: A king does not judge, nor is judged. He does not testify, nor is testified about. Our rabbis learned: Why can he not be judged? Rabbi Yirmiya said: For it is written by King David, (Psalms 17:2) \"Let my sentence come forth from before You...\" This means no living thing may judge the king, except for the Holy One, blessed be He. Our rabbis say: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, \"My children! I have thought to let you free from kingship.\" How do we know? For it is stated, (Jeremiah 2:24), \"A wild donkey that is used to the wilderness [sniffing the wind in its desire]...\" Just like a wild donkey grows up in the wilderness and doesn't fear man, so have I thought that you should not have the fear of kingship upon you. But you did not want that, but rather \"sniffing the wind in its desire...\", and \"wind\" refers only to kingship. How do we know? For it is stated, (Daniel 7:2) \"...the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea.\" Said the Holy One, blessed be He: And if you say that I don't know that you will end up abandoning Me, I have already warned you through Moses, and I said to him: Since they will end up requesting a human king, from their own shall they crown a king, not from the nations. How do we know this? From that which we read on the subject, (Deuteronomy 17:14) - \"And you will say, 'I will appoint for myself a king.'\"",
            "[9] This is what Scripture says: (Job 34:30) \"That the godless should not reign, lest the people be trapped (memokshei am).\" [An argument between] Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish: Rabbi Yochanan says, \"If you see a godless and wicked person as the leader of the generation, it would be better for the generation to fly into the air and not to serve him, and the language of \"memokshei am\" only means to be trapped, as it similarly says (Amos 3:5) \"Can a bird fall into a trap if there is no lure (mokesh) for it?\". \"That the godless should not reign...\" Our rabbis stated: Once kings were appointed in Israel, they started to be enslave them. Says the Holy One, blessed be He, \"You haven't abandoned Me, yet you want kings?\" That's what it means, (Deuteronomy 17:14) \"I will appoint for myself a king.\" This is what Scripture says: (Psalms 146:3) \"Do not place trust in important people...\" Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: Anyone who trusts in God merits to be like Him. How do we know? As it says: (Jeremiah 17:7) \"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.\" But anyone who places trusts in pagan worship, he becomes indebted to be like it. How do we know? As it says, (Psalms 115:8) \"May they who make them become like them, [and everyone who trusts in them.]\" Our rabbis said: Anyone who relies on man transgresses, even for his protection, he transgresses, for it says, (Psalms 146:3), \"...in humans who cannot save.\" What does it say afterwards? (Psalms 146:4) \"His breath goes forth, he returns to his earth.\" Says the Holy One, blesses be He: They know that humans are nothing, yet they put aside My Glory and say: \"Appoint for us a king\"? What do you want a king for? By your lives, your end will be to feel what will happen to you in the future under the reign of your kings!\" How do we know? As it says, (Hosea 7:7) \"All their kings have fallen; there is none among them who call me.\"",
            "[10] Alternatively: (Deuteronomy 17:14) \"And you will say, 'I will appoint for me a king...\" - Rabbi Yehudah said in the name of Rabbi Ilai: Israel was commanded about three things in their entrance to the land, and these are they: to erase the memory of Amalek, to appoint for them a king, and to build for them the Holy Temple. They appointed a king and they erased the memory of Amalek, why did they not [immediately] build the Holy Temple? Because there were informers amongst them. You should know, that Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: Achav's generation were pagan worshippers, yet they went out to war and won. Why was this so? Because they did not have informers amongst them. Therefore they went out to war and won. You should know that when Ezevel wanted to murder all of the prophets of God, what did Ovadia do? He hid them in caves, as it says, (I Kings 18:13) \"...how I hid a hundred men if the Lord's prophets by fifties in a cave...\" And there wasn't anybody who told Achav, \"Such and such did Ovadia do.\" But in Shaul's generation, they were all informers. You should know, that when Shaul was chasing after David, they all tattled to Shaul, as it says, (Psalms 52:2) \"When Doeg the Adamite came...\" (Psalms 54:2) \"When the Ziphites came and said to Shaul...\" Therefore, they fell in war. Differently: Said Rabbi Minah: Anyone who speaks ill [of others] causes the Presence to leave from below to above. You should know, what does David say? (Psalms 57:5) \"My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows And their tongue a sharp sword.\" And what does it state afterwards? (Psalms 57:6) \"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens...\" Said David, \"Master of the World! What is the Presence doing below? Remove the Presence to the firmament!\" Differently: Said Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman: Why is speaking ill of others called \"the third speaking\"? Because it murders three: The speaker, the accepter, the person spoken about. How do we know this? Doeg the speaker, Shaul the accepter, and Nov, the city of priests that was spoken about. Alternatively: Said Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman: They asked the snake, \"Why are you found amongst the fences?\" It responded, \"For I breached the fence of the world!\" They said to him, \"Why do you walk on the ground and have your tongue drink up the ground?\" He said, \"It was caused to me for I spoke ill about the Creator.\" \"What was his ill speaking? Rabbi Yehoshua of Siknin said in the name of Rabbi Levi, \"The first snake spoke like a human. Since Adam and Eve did not want to eat from that tree, it began to speak ill of its Creator. It said: The Creator ate from that tree and created His world, so He commanded you not to eat from it and create another world (Cf. Genesis 3:5). So what did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He cut off its legs, and mutilated its tongue so that it could not speak. Alternatively: They asked the snake, \"How do you benefit, that you bite so?\" It said, \"Before you ask me why, ask why of those who speak ill of others!\" As its says, (Ecclesiastes 10:11) \"If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the person who speaks [ill of others] (alt: charmer).\" How did he benefit? By speaking ill of others. Alternatively: They said to the snake, \"Why do you bite one limb, yet your poison spreads to all the limbs?\" It said to them, \"Before you ask me why, ask why of those who speak ill of others, who stand in Rome and murder in Syria, who stand in Syria and murder in Rome!\" Come and see how harsh the power of ill speech is, that they were commanded to build a Holy Temple, but because their generation spoke ill of others, it was not built in their day.",
            "[11] Alternatively: (Deuteronomy 17:14) \"And you will say, 'I will appoint for me a king...\" - Our rabbis said: Said the Holy One, blessed be He, \"You want kings in this world. Jewish kings will be appointed, and they will make you fall by the sword.\" Shaul caused them to fall at Mt. HaGilboa. How do we know? (I Samuel 4:17) \"And Israel fled from before the Philistines...\" David caused a plague to be sent, as it says, (II Samuel 24:15) \"And God sent a pestilence to Israel...\" Achav stopped up the rains from them, as it says (I Kings 17:1) \"...there shall not be dew nor rain these years...\" Tzidkiyahu caused the destruction of the Holy Temple. Once Israel saw what happens under the rule of their kings, they all began to cry out, \"We don't want a king of Israel! We want our furst King: (Isaiah 33:22) \"For God is our judge, God is our law-giver, God is our king, He will save us!\" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, \"By your lives, thus will I do.\" How do we know? As it says, (Zachariah 14:9) \"And God will be the king over all the earth...\"",
            "[12]  When you approach a city (Deuteronomy 20:10), these are the things the Sages said for the sake of peace, so the Sages taught these things were said for the sake of peace: The priest reads first, then the Levite, and then an Israelite. See how great the power of peace is. Rabbi Yochanan said: In her days, the sun did not damage the moon. Why? For the sake of peace, as it says (Job 25:2): 'He establishes peace in His heights.' Rabbi Levi said: None of these constellations moving in the firmament sees what is in front of them but only what is behind them, like a person descending from a ladder and his face is behind him, so that every constellation says, 'I am the first,' thus making peace in His heights. Another interpretation, 'He makes peace in His heights,' said Resh Lakish: Michael is all snow, and Gabriel is all fire, and they stand next to each other without harming one another. Bar Kappara said: What if the celestial beings, who have no jealousy, hate, or competition, need peace? The earthly beings, filled with hatred, competition, and jealousy, how much more do they need peace? The Sages said: You should know how great the power of peace is, even in war, where people enter only with swords and spears, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: 'When you go to wage war, do not start but with peace.' How do we know this? From what we read about 'When you approach a city,' etc",
            "[13] Another matter, when you approach a city, this is what the verse (Job 22:28) says: \"You will decree a thing, and it will be established for you,\" etc. The Rabbis say that this verse is speaking about the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with Israel over the Golden Calf. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (Numbers 14:12): \"I will strike them with a plague and dispossess them.\" What is meant by \"I will strike them with a plague and dispossess them\"? The Holy One, blessed be He, said, \"Do they think that I need swords and spears to kill them? Just as I created My world with speech, as it is stated (Psalms 33:6): 'By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host,' so do I do to them. I bring forth speech from My mouth and kill them, hence 'I will strike them with a plague and dispossess them.'\" Another interpretation, what does \"and dispossess them\" mean? He said to him, \"I will dispossess them for you and establish others from you.\" Where do we find this? As it is stated (Numbers 14:12): \"And I will make you into a great nation.\" When Moses heard this, he began to seek mercy for them. What did Moses say at that time (Numbers 14:14)? \"You have been seen eye to eye, O Lord.\" What is meant by \"eye to eye\"? Rabbi Acha said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: Moses said, \"Master of the Universe, behold the attribute of justice is weighed in the balance; You say 'I will strike them with a plague,' and I say (Numbers 14:19): 'Pardon, I pray.'\" He said to him, \"The matter is decided. Let's see who wins, You, Lord, or me.\" Rabbi Berechiah said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, \"By your life, you have nullified My will, and yours has been fulfilled.\" Where do we find this? As it is stated (Numbers 14:20): \"And the Lord said, 'I have pardoned according to your word.'\" Hence, \"You will decree a thing, and it will be established for you.\" Another matter, \"You will decree a thing.\" Rabbi Joshua of Siknin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Everything that Moses decreed, the Holy One, blessed be He, agreed with him. How so? The Holy One, blessed be He, did not tell him to break the tablets; Moses broke them on his own. How do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, agreed with him? As it is written (Exodus 34:1): \"Which you broke.\" May your strength be true that you broke them. The Holy One, blessed be He, told him to wage war against Sihon, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 2:24): \"Begin the battle with him.\" But he did not do so; rather (Deuteronomy 2:26): \"And I sent messengers,\" etc. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: \"Thus I told you to wage war against him, but you...\" [text cuts off]",
            "[14] Who fulfilled this section (Deuteronomy 20:10-15)? Yehoshua bin Nun. Said Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman: What did Yehoshua do? He put out an edict everywhere he went to conquer, and this is what was written in it: \"Anyone who wants to leave, can leave. Anyone who wants to make peace, make it. Anyone who wants to wage war, wage it.\" What did the Gergashites do? They turned and left from before them, giving the Holy One, blessed be He, a land as beautiful as His land, called Africa. The Gibeonites made peace him, Yehoushua made peace with them. But the 31 kings came to wage war with him, the Holy One, blessed be He, made them fall into his hand. How do we know? As it says, (Deuteronomy 3:3) \"We struck them down, leaving no survivors.\"",
            "[15] Alternatively, \"proclaim peace unto it\" (Deuteronomy 20), See how great is the power of peace. Come see, a human of flesh and blood, if one has an enemy and wonders what to do to the enemy. What does one do? One goes and honors another greater than the enemy so that as to do evil to the enemy. But the Holy One of Blessing is not like that, rather all the idol worshipers anger God, and they sleep and all the souls rise up to him. From where do we know this? As it says, \"He in Whose hand is the spirit of all life\" (Job 12:10). And in the morning God returns to each and every one their soul. From where do we know this? As it says \"He gives breath to the people upon it\" (Isaiah 42:5). Alternatively: A human of flesh and blood, if one's friend does evil to them, it does not leave their heart for ever. But the Holy One of Blessing is not so, rather Israel was in Egypt and the Egyptians enslaved them with mortar and brick, and after all the evil they did to Israel, the Torah has mercy on them and it says \"You shall not abhor an Egyptian for you were a stranger in his land\" (Deut.23:8), but rather pursue peace as it is written \"seek peace and pursue it\". (Psalms 34:15) Another interpretation: what is \"seek peace and pursue it\"? A story about Rabbi Meir: he was sitting and teaching, etc, that woman went home and it was Friday evening, and she discovered that her [Shabbat] light had gone out and her husband asked her: 'where were you, out this late?' and she answered: 'I was listening to Rabbi Meir expound on Torah.' And that man was a nincompoop, and told her: 'the only way you are getting into my house is if you spit on the face of Rabbi Meir'. And he expelled her from the house. Eliahu Hanavi, may he be mentioned for good, revealed all this to Rabbi Meir, and said to him: 'it was because of you that this woman was expelled from her house.' And Eliahu Hanavi, may he be mentioned for good, informed him of all the drama. What did Rabbi Meir do?He went and sat in the big Beit Midrash, and that woman came to pray and he saw her, and pretended to be blinking [with discomfort], and said in a loud voice: 'who here knows an incantation over the eye? And she said: I know. And she spit on his face. He said to her: now go and tell your husband: I did spit on Rabbi Meir's face, he said: go back to your husband. See! How great is the power of peace. Another word: Rabbi Akiva said: know how great is the power of peace! The Holy One of Blessing said that when a man feels jealous towards his wife the very Holy Name of God which is written in sanctity is to be erased in water, in order to send [a bomb of] peace between a sotah and her husband. Resh Lakish said: so great is peace that Scripture said lying words in order to set peace between Yosef and his brothers. At the time of their father's death they were afraid that he would take revenge upon them, and what did they say \"your father commanded before his death to say: such you will say to Yosef [please forgive your brothers' offense and guilt] (Gen. 50:16-17) and we do not find such a command from Yaakov our father, rather, scripture said lying words because of the ways of peace. Another interpretation: Beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing gave it to Tzion, as it says: \"Ask for the peace of Jerusalem\" (Ps. 122:6). Another interpretation: So beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing gave it to the heaven, as it says: \"The Maker of Peace on His heights / oseh shalom bimromav\" (Job 25:2). Alternatively: So beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing gave it to near ones and far ones, as it says \"Peace peace, to the far and to the near\" (Isaiah 57:19). Alternatively: so beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing did not give it to the wicked, as it says \"There is no peace, said Ad-nai, for the wicked\" (Isaiah 48:22). Alternatively: so beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing  gave it to Pinchas as his reward, as it says \"Behold I give him my covenant of peace\". (Numbers 25:12). Alternatively: So great is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing doesn't announce to Jerusalem that they will be redeemed except in peace, as it says \"Announce peace...\" (Isaiah 52:7). Alternatively: R. Levi said: so beloved is peace, that all the closings of blessings are in peace. The reading of the Shema closes in peace: \"Spread a sukah of peace\", prayer closes in peace, the priestly blessing closes in peace \"And He shall give to you peace\". Alternatively: so beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing only comforts Jerusalem with peace. From where do we know this? As it is written \"Behold I will extend peace to her like a river\" (Isaiah 66:12). David said, 'I asked to hear what the Holy One of Blessing says about Israel, and I heard that God busies Godself with their peace', as it says \"I will hear what God Ad-nai will speak, God will speak peace to His people, and unto his followers\" (Psalms 85:9). R. Shimon Ben Chalafta said: See how beloved peace is, when the Holy One of Blessing wanted to bless Israel he found no vessel that could hold all the blessings to bless them with except for peace. From where do we know this? As it says \"Ad-nai will give strength to his people, Ad-nai will bless his people with peace\" [Ad-nai oz l'amo yiten.] (Psalms 29:11)"
        ],
        [
            "[1] \"When you go out. (Deuteronomy 22:6): When a bird's nest happens to be before you. What is the law regarding a child that is born circumcised? Is it permissible to circumcise him [on the Sabbath] ? The sages taught: A child born circumcised must have a drop of covenant blood drawn from him, on account of Abraham's covenant. And from where do you derive this from the Torah? As it is said (Genesis 17:13): 'He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised.' Another interpretation: 'He who is circumcised must be circumcised'—do not read it thus, but rather as two circumcisions, meaning circumcision and uncovering. Rabbi Levi said: 'He who is circumcised must be circumcised'—from here we derive that the circumciser must himself be circumcised, as it is written: 'He who is circumcised must be circumcised.' Rabbi Yudan ben Pazi said: What is written regarding Zipporah, the wife of Moses (Exodus 4:26): 'Then she said, \"A bridegroom of blood,\" etc.'? It does not say 'for the circumcision' here but 'for the circumcisions,' meaning two circumcisions, one for the circumcision and one for the uncovering. And why is the child circumcised on the eighth day? The Holy One, blessed be He, gave mercy to him to wait for him until he has strength. And just as the Holy One's mercy is upon man, so is His mercy upon animals. From where do we know this? As it is said (Leviticus 22:27): 'And from the eighth day and onwards,' etc. And not only this, but the Holy One said (Leviticus 22:28): 'It and its offspring you shall not slaughter on the same day.' And just as the Holy One had mercy on the animals, so did He fill with mercy upon the birds, from where? As it is said: 'When a bird's nest happens to be before you.'",
            "[2] Scripture says (Proverbs 5:6): \"She is far from measuring [פלס] her way of life; her paths wander, and she is ignorant. .\" What is the meaning of \"far from measuring her way of life\"? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said, \"The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Do not weigh [פלס] the commandments of the Torah,' as it is said (Isaiah 40:12), 'and weighed the mountains in scales [פלס].' Do not say, 'Since this commandment is great, I will do it because its reward is great, and since this commandment is light, I will not do it.' What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He did not reveal to the creatures what the reward for each commandment is, so that they would perform all the commandments with integrity. Why? As it is said, 'Her ways are unstable, you cannot know.' [Commentary: note that [פלס] can also be translated as 'balanced' see Psalms  78:50, so that one should act balanced in Torah; Jastrow translates it as 'split-up' in Talmudic language, see B. Kam. 19B; meaning not to make the Torah piecemeal; Another meaning is make 'smooth', that one should make the words of Torah easy to understand, see Proverbs 4:26.] To what is this similar? To a king who hired workers and brought them into his orchard without revealing to them the wage for the orchard, so that they would not leave something whose wage is small and go and do something whose wage is great. In the evening, he called each one and said to him, 'Under which tree did you work?' He said, 'Under this one.' He said to him, 'Its wage is one gold piece.' He called another and said to him, 'Under which tree did you work?' He said, 'Under this one.' He said to him, 'Its wage is half a gold piece, it is a white flower.' He called another and said to him, 'Under which tree did you work?' He said, 'Under this one.' He said to him, 'It is an olive tree; its wage is two hundred zuz.' They said to him, 'You should have told us which tree's wage is great so that we would work under it.' The king said to them, 'Had I told you, how would my entire orchard have been done?' Thus, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not reveal the reward for the commandments, except for two commandments, the most stringent and the lightest, honoring father and mother, the most stringent, and its reward is long life, as it is said (Exodus 20:12), 'Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long.' And the lightest, sending away the mother bird, and what is its reward? Long life, as it is said (Deuteronomy 22:7), 'You shall surely send away the mother, etc., and you shall lengthen your days,' when a bird's nest happens to be before you.\"",
            "[3] The text says (Proverbs 1:9): \"For they are a graceful garland for your head.\" The Rabbis say, \"Make the words of the Torah a grace for your head.\" How so? When a Torah scholar is injured, everyone comes and surrounds him and asks him questions about the Torah (and so it relieves his spirit). Another interpretation: What is meant by \"a graceful garland\"? Rabbi Pinchas bar Chama said, \"Wherever you go, the commandments accompany you. When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof (Deuteronomy 22:8). If you make a door for yourself, the commandments accompany you, as it is said (Deuteronomy 6:9), 'You shall write them on the doorposts of your house.' If you wear new garments, the commandments accompany you, as it is said (Deuteronomy 22:11), 'You shall not wear a garment of diverse kinds.' If you go to shave, the commandments accompany you, as it is said (Leviticus 19:27), 'You shall not round off the edges of your head.' If you have a field and you go to plow it, the commandments accompany you, as it is said (Deuteronomy 22:10), 'You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.' If you sow it, the commandments accompany you, as it is said (Deuteronomy 22:9), 'You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed.' If you reap it, the commandments accompany you, as it is said (Deuteronomy 24:19), 'When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Even if you were only walking on the road, the commandments accompany you.' From where? As it is said, 'If a bird's nest chance to be before you in the way.'\"",
            "[4] Another interpretation: Ben Azzai says, \"A commandment leads to a commandment, and a transgression leads to a transgression.\" How so? It is written above (Deuteronomy 21:10-11): \"When you go out to war... and you see among the captives...\" The Holy One, blessed be He, said, \"Even though I have permitted her to you, I have told you (Deuteronomy 21:12): 'She shall shave her head and do her nails,' so that she shall not find favor in your eyes, and you'll send her away. If you do not do so, what is written afterward (Deuteronomy 21:18): 'If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son,' from this (Deuteronomy 21:22): 'If a man has committed a sin worthy of death,' behold, a transgression leads to a transgression. And where do we learn that a commandment leads to a commandment? Initially, 'If a bird's nest chance to be before you' (Deuteronomy 22:6), from this (Deuteronomy 22:8): 'When you build a new house,' from this (Deuteronomy 22:9): 'You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed,' from this (Deuteronomy 22:10): 'You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together,' from this (Deuteronomy 22:12): 'You shall make yourself twisted threads,' behold, a commandment leads to a commandment.",
            "[5] Another interpretation (Deuteronomy 22:7): \"You shall surely send away the mother,\" Rabbi Elazar said, \"It was not necessary to say this, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Since you have dealt with the honor of the world and the improvement of the world, you shall be saved.'\" Another interpretation, Rabbi Chiya said, \"And what if a bird, which has neither the merit of ancestors, nor covenants, nor oaths, has its children atone for it, how much more so the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who have the merit of ancestors, that if one of them goes astray, he atones for them in the future to come.\"",
            "[6] Another interpretation, \"You shall surely send away the mother\" (Deuteronomy 22:7), Rabbi Berechiah said, \"There is a harmful [spirit] that shoots like an arrow and flies like a bird; where is this from? As it is said (Psalms 91:5), 'You shall not fear the terror of the night, [nor] the arrow that flies by day,' the Holy One, Blessed be He said, 'If you fulfill the commandment of sending away the mother bird, I will save you from it.'\" Another interpretation, \"There are commandments whose reward is wealth, and there are commandments whose reward is honor; what is the reward for this commandment? If you have no children, I will give you children; where is this from? As it is said, 'You shall surely send away the mother, and the young you may take for yourself' (Deuteronomy 22:7), and what reward will you take? 'And the children you may take for yourself.'\"",
            "[7]  Another interpretation, \"You shall surely send away the mother\" (Deuteronomy 22:7), the Rabbis say, \"Why is it mentioned twice? If this commandment occurs to you a second time, do not say 'I have already fulfilled my obligation,' but rather, every time it occurs to you, you must fulfill it.\" Another interpretation, \"You shall surely send away the mother,\" the Rabbis say, \"If you fulfill the commandment of sending away the mother bird, you merit to send away a Hebrew servant; where is this from? As it is said (Deuteronomy 15:13), 'And when you send him away free from you.'\" Another interpretation, what is the meaning of \"You shall surely send away the mother?\" If you fulfill this commandment, you hasten the coming of the Messiah King, for it is written concerning sending; where is this from? As it is said (Isaiah 32:20), \"Those who send out the feet of the ox and the donkey.\" Another interpretation, Rabbi Tanhuma said, \"If you fulfill this commandment, you hasten the coming of Elijah the prophet, may he be remembered for good, for it is written concerning sending; where is this from? As it is said (Malachi 3:23), 'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet,' and he will come and comfort you; where is this from? As it is said (Malachi 3:24), 'And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children.'\"",
            "[8] <b>Remember that which the Lord, your God, did to Miriam:</b> Halacha: A  person who has a blemish and a priest was his relative, what is [the law as to whether it is] permitted for him to see (inspect) it? So did the sages learn: All [<i>tzaraat</i>] blemishes can a man see except for his own blemishes. Rabbi Meir said, “Also not the blemishes of his relatives.” And through what do blemishes come? Through an evil (stingy) eye. Rabbi Yitschak said, “It is customary in the world that a man should say to his fellow, ‘Lend me your pickaxe, that I should chop this wood.’ And he says [back] to him, ‘I don’t have [one],’ due to an evil eye. So does [the first one] say, ‘By your life, [so] lend me your sieve’; and he has one. And he says, ‘I don’t have [one],’ due to an evil eye. Immediately a blemish comes to his house first. From where [do we know this]? As it states (Leviticus 14:37), ‘And he will see the blemish, and behold the blemish is in the walls.’ And what would they do to him? They would clear out everything that he had inside his house. From where [do we know this]? As it states (Leviticus 14:36), ‘And the priest will command and they will clear out his house.’ When he would remove all of what he had inside his house – his pickaxes and his sieves – they would say, ‘Did you see the evil eye, since he had in his hand that which was in his house [and] he didn’t want to lend [it]. What caused him to clear [it] out? Through his having an evil eye.’” Another [understanding]: Rabbi Chaninah said, “Blemishes only come through evil speech. And our rabbis say, ‘You should know that blemishes come from evil speech; behold, Miriam the righteous – through her speaking evil speech about Moshe, her brother, did blemishes approach her. From where [do we know this]? As it states (Leviticus 14:37), \"Remember that which the Lord, your God, did to Miriam.\"'\"",
            "[9] This is what is written (Psalms 50:20): 'You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son,' Rabbi Yochanan said, 'If you have accustomed your tongue to speak against your brother who is not of your mother, in the end, you will slander your own mother's son.' Rabbi Yehudah ben Levi said, 'If you have accustomed your tongue to speak against your brother, who is perhaps from your father but not from your mother, your end will be to slander your mother's son, for anyone who hardens his heart to speak against someone greater than himself causes afflictions to come upon him, and if you don't believe it, behold Miriam the righteous is a sign for all those who speak evil, remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam.'",
            "[10] This is what is written (Ecclesiastes 5:5): 'Do not let your mouth bring guilt upon your flesh.' The Rabbis say that this verse is speaking about those who engage in lashon hara (evil speech). How so? 'Do not let your mouth,' what does this mean? Since the mouth speaks lashon hara, it sins against the body by causing it to be afflicted. This is what it means by 'bringing guilt upon your flesh,' that the mouth sins against the flesh. What does it say (Ecclesiastes 5:5): 'Do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake,' meaning, do not say, 'I will go and speak lashon hara, and no creature will know.' God said to him, 'Know that I send a messenger, and he stands beside you and writes all that you speak against your friend.' From where do we know this? As it says (Ecclesiastes 10:20): 'Do not curse the king even in your thoughts.' Why (Ecclesiastes 10:20)? 'For a bird of the sky may carry your voice.' What is (Ecclesiastes 10:20) 'the master of the wings will tell the matter'? These are the angels that are written about (Isaiah 6:2): 'Six wings, six wings to one,' (Ecclesiastes 5:5): 'Why should God be angry at your voice,' at that voice that comes out of your mouth. (Ecclesiastes 5:5) 'And destroy the work of your hands,' for that person is struck with afflictions. And if you don't believe, behold Miriam, who, because she spoke lashon hara against Moses, her brother, was afflicted. Remember what was done, etc., and as a result, she was afflicted.",
            "[11] Rabbi Yitzchak said: To what is this matter comparable? To a scorpion sitting at the crossroads, stinging those who pass and those who return. The police officer came and sat opposite it. A friend came and saw them and said: This is the scorpion's nature to sting; I am astonished that he came and clung to it. So too, Moses said concerning Miriam, who spoke thusly: Such is the way of talkative women; even the righteous Aaron needed to speak with me. Moses said (Numbers 12:1): \"And Miriam spoke,\" perhaps (Numbers 12:1): \"And Aaron.\" Once Moses knew that Aaron also spoke, he began to cry out (Psalms 41:10): \"Even my trusted friend, who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.\" What is \"even my trusted friend?\" This is Aaron, who placed peace upon me, as it is said (Numbers 6:26): \"And place peace upon you,\" the one I trusted in, at the time when he stopped the Angel of Death. From where [do we know this]? As it is said (Numbers 17:15): \"And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.\" \"Who ate my bread,\" these are the twenty-four priestly gifts that he ate from Israel; and after all this praise, he raised his heel against me. \"And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses.\" Rabbi Levi said: There are four traits in women, and these are: chattering, meddling, jealous, and lazy. Chattering – from where? From Eve, as it is written (Genesis 3:6): \"And the woman saw that the tree was good for food,\" etc. Meddling – from where? As it is written (Genesis 18:10): \"And Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent,\" as she was eavesdropping on the angel. Jealous – from where? As it is said (Genesis 30:1): \"And Rachel was jealous of her sister.\" Lazy – from where? As it is written (Genesis 18:6): \"Quickly, three measures of fine flour.\" The Rabbis say: There are two more [traits], self-important and intrusive. Self-important – from where? (Genesis 16:5): \"And Sarai said to Abram: My wrong is upon you.\" Intrusive – from where? As it is written: \"And Miriam spoke.\" Furthermore, Miriam spoke, Rabbi Joshua of Siknin said: when the Holy One, blessed be He, came to create Eve from Adam, He contemplated from where to create her, as it is said (Genesis 2:22): \"And the LORD God built the rib etc.\" The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I will not create her from the eye, lest she be haughty of eye; nor from the ear, lest she be an eavesdropper; nor from the mouth, lest she be talkative; nor from the hand, lest she be a thief; nor from the foot, lest she be a gadabout; from where shall I create her? From a modest organ which is hidden, from the thigh. Nevertheless, it availed nothing, and all that the Holy One, blessed be He, intended that she should not have, she did have, and they are virtues [within her]. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I will not create her from the eye, lest she be haughty of eye; it is written of Eve (Genesis 3:6): \"And the woman saw etc.\"; I will not create her from the ear, lest she be an eavesdropper (Genesis 18:10): \"And Sarah was listening etc.\"; I will not create her from the hand, lest she be a thief (Genesis 31:19): \"And Rachel stole the teraphim\"; I will not create her from the foot, lest she be a gadabout, and it is written of Leah (Genesis 30:16): \"And Leah went out to meet him etc.\"; I will not create her from the mouth, lest she be talkative, and of the righteous Miriam it is written: \"And Miriam spoke,\" and see what reached her, \"Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam.\"",
            "[12] Another matter, remember, the Rabbis say: What can this matter be compared to? To a king who returned from war, and his matron praised him. The king said, \"Bring the Artisans of the Counselors and Senators.\" [To give her a gift.] [Alternative: \"let her be called the mother of the senate.\" - R. Jastrow]  After some days, she began to disturb the king's pleasure [by mismanaging the kings assets]. The king said, \"Is this what you did? You will be banished to prison.\" Similarly, when the Holy One, Blessed be He, waged the war of the sea, Miriam sang a song and was called a prophetess, as it is said (Exodus 15:20), \"And Miriam the prophetess took...\" But when she spoke ill of her brother, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said, \"You will be banished to prison,\" as it is said (Numbers 12:15), \"And Miriam was shut out.\"",
            "[13]",
            "[14] Another thing, said Rav Assei, a person does not speak slander until he denies the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is said (Psalms 12:5): 'Who have said: \"With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are with us: who is lord over us?\"' Rabbi Shimon said, 'And if about Miriam the righteous who did not intend to speak slander but spoke for the sake of procreation, so it came upon her. The wicked who intend to speak slander about their friends to destroy their lives, how much more so will the Holy One, Blessed be He, cut off their tongues, as it is said (Psalms 12:4): \"May the Lord cut off all flattering lips.\"' The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: 'In this world, because there were among you speakers of slander, I removed My presence from among you, as it is said (Psalms 57:6): \"Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens.\" But in the future to come, when I remove the evil inclination from among you, as it is said (Ezekiel 36:26): \"And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,\" I will return My presence among you, from where do we know this? As it is said (Joel 3:1): \"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh,\" and because I pour My presence upon you, all of you merit Torah and sit in peace in the world, as it is said (Isaiah 54:13): \"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.\""
        ],
        [
            "The law: If a Jewish person who passes before the ark [to lead the prayer], what is the law, should it be permitted for him to answer \"Amen\" after the [blessings of] the Kohanim? Such taught the sages: One who passes before the ark, he should not answer \"Amen\" after the Kohanim because of distraction. Our rabbis taught us: If he can answer without being distracted, he may answer. Why? Because nothing is greater before the Holy One, blessed be He, more than the \"Amen\" that the Jews answer. Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon: This \"Amen\" has three intentions. Oath, acceptance, faithfulness. How do we know \"oath\"? As its says, (Numbers 5:19-22) \"The Kohen should put her under oath... and the woman is to say, Amen Amen.\"",
            "",
            "This is what Scripture says: \"Your oils yield a sweet fragrance\" (Songs 1:3) the sages say: \"there are five things that are metaphors for Torah: water, and wine, and honey, and milk, and oil. Water, as it says: \"Ho, all who are thirsty, go to water\" (Isaiah 55:1). Wine, as it says: \"Come, eat my food, and drink the wine that I have mixed\" (Proverbs 9:5). Honey and milk, as it says: \"Honey and milk under your tongue\" (Songs 4:11). Oil, form where? \" Your name is like finest oil\" (Songs 1:3). Just as like with oil, which begins bitter and ends sweet, so too the words of Torah: a person suffers in the beginning, but in the end it is sweet for them, as it is written \"Though your beginning be constricted/painful, in the end you will grow very great\" (Job 8:7). Another interpretation: just as oil lives forever (never spoils) so too the words of Torah never spoil. Just as oil gives light to the world so too the words of Torah give light to the world. Another interpretation: just as oil does not mix with other liquids, so too Israel cannot mix with idolaters. From where do we get this? Because it is written \"I have separated you from the [other] peoples to be mine!\" (Lev. 20:26). Another interpretation: Just as oil, even if you put it in many different liquids, it comes on top, so too Israel are higher than the idolaters, just as it is written \"\" (Deut. 28:1). Another interpretation: \"and it will be, if you hear\" (Deut. 11:13) - Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin says, in the name of Rabbi Levi: the Holy Blessed One said - if you (singular) listen to My mitzvot, I will listen to your (singular) prayers. Another interpretation: Rabbi Yehoshua says, in the name of Rabbi Nachman - everyone who comes to the synagogue and listens to words of Torah will merit to sit among sages in the world to come, as it is written \"A ear that listens the directions of life will dwell among sages\" (Prov. 15:31)."
        ],
        [
            "[1] Law: A Jewish person who does not pray the morning prayer, or the Musaf prayer, or the afternoon prayer, many times; that he didn't have time for prayer, or he abridged it to take care of his [toilet] needs, or he had traveled and forgot to pray: Which time is permitted for him to pray and fulfill his obligation? What is he required to do? So taught the sages: The morning prayer is til midday, the afternoon prayer til nightfall, evening prayer has no fixed [time]. But for the Musaf [prayers], all day. Rabbi Elazar said: [If] he forgot and did not pray the Musaf prayer, and he came to pray the afternoon prayer, he should pray the afternoon prayer and afterward the Musaf prayer. Why? For everything was created for its time. The evening prayer has no fixed [time], until dawn. Why? As it is written, (Proverbs 8:17), \"I love those who love me and those who seek me find me.\" And all those who pray and set their hearts [in concentration] for prayer, it is a good sign that his prayer is accepted, as it says, (Psalms 10:17) \"You hear the desire of the afflicted...\" Great is prayer before the Holy One, blessed be He. Rabbi Elazar said, \"Do you want to know the power of prayer? If it does not accomplish the whole [request], it accomplishes half of it. [To illustrate, when] Cain overtook his brother Abel and murdered him, a [divine] decree went out, (Genesis 4:12) 'You will be a restless wanderer (na v'nad) on earth.' Immediately, he stood and confessed before the Holy One, blessed be He, as it says, (Genesis 4:13) 'My punishment is more than one can bear.' He said before Him: Master of the World! You bear the whole world, yet my sin You cannot bear? You wrote, (Micah 7:18) 'Who bears sin and forgives the transgression,' forgiving the great sinner. Immediately, he found kindness before the Holy One, blessed be He, and He held back the \"restlessness\" (na), half the decree, and so it is written (Genesis 4:16) 'And he dwelled in the land of Nod [wandering, but not na, restlessness]. From here you learn that prayer is held great before the Holy One, blessed be He. And so for Hezekiah, when He told him, (II Kings 20:1) 'Put your house in order, because you are going to die...' immediately (II Kings 20:2) 'Hezekiah turned his face to the wall [and prayed to God]...' The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: (II Kings 20:5-6) 'I have heard your prayer... I have added 15 years for your life...' So is it written, (Psalms 145:19) 'He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.'\"",
            "[2] For this mitzvah (Deuteronomy 30:11) - Halacha: a person in Israel that stands to read from the Torah, how does that person bless? This is what the sages taught: the one who begins and the one who ends say a blessing before and after the Torah (Mishnah Megillah 4:2). And from where do we know that [reading the Torah] needs a blessing before and after? As it is written \" Blessed are You, Ad-nai; train me in Your laws. \" (Psalms 119:12) - here is the blessing before. And from where do we know that [reading the Torah] needs a blessing after? Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: it is written after the song (Deuteronomy 33:1) \"and this is the blessing - [so too] one who taught Torah to them and afterwards blessed: here is the blessing afterwards. Another explanation: the Holy Blessed One said \"if you merited to bless the Torah, I too will bless you, as it is written \"in every place you call My name, I will come to you and bless you\" (Exodus 20:21). The rabbis said another explanation: the Holy Blessed One said: if you bless the Torah, you bless your own self. From where [do they know this?] \"For through me your days will increase, and years be added to your life\" (Proverbs 9:11). And if you say that I gave the Torah to you for your detriment, that is not true, I only gave Torah to you for your benefit since the ministering angels desired Torah and it was hidden from them, as it says, \"She has been hidden from the eyes of all living,\" (Job 28:21) these are the animals, \"and from the birds of the sky it has been hidden,\" these are the angels. How do we know this? As it says, \"One of the serafim (type of angel) flew to me,\" (Isaiah 6:6) God said to Israel: My children! From the ministering angels this thing is out of reach, but from you it is not. From where do we know this? From what is written regarding this issue: \"this mitzvah which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach\" (Deuteronomy 30:11).",
            "[3] This is what is written: Wisdom is too lofty for a fool; He does not open his mouth in the gate (Proverbs 24:7). What \"Wisdom is too lofty for a fool\" mean? Rabbi Tanhuma said: This fool walks into a synagogue and sees those that are involved in Talmud[study], and he doesn't understand what they are saying. He is embarrassed, as it says: \"He does not open his mouth in the gate.\" The gate is Sanhedrin, as it is written: \"his brother’s widow shall appear before the elders in the gate\" Deuteronomy 25:7 (they are studying Levirite Marriage). Another Interpretation: The rabbis tell of a fool who walks into the synagogue and sees those that are involved in Torah [study].  He says to them: \"How does one learn Torah at first?\" They say to him: \"First you read Megillah (Esther), then the Torah, then the Prophets, then the Writings. When he completes the Written Torah, he studies the Talmud, then the laws, then the allegorical passages.\" When he hears this, he says in his heart, \"When am I going to learn all of this?\" and leaves the \"gate\" [i.e. the synagogue], as the verse says: \"He openeth not his mouth in the gate\". Rabbi Yannai said: This is comparable to a loaf suspended in the air. The fool says, \"who could bring it down [to earth]?\" The alert one says, \"No one took it?\" He gets a ladder or pole and brings it down. Similarly, all fools say, \"When will I read the entire Torah?\" Whereas the alert one, what does he do? - he studies one chapter each day, until he concludes the entire Torah. God says: \"It is not mysterious\", and if it is, it is \"from you\" [i.e. due to you]. This explains the verse (Deut 30:11) \"This commandment[...]\".",
            "[4] The verse from Proverbs 4:22 states, \"For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.\" Rabbi Chiya expounded that it is like a drop of vinegar is a remedy is for the eye, and a bandage for the wound. As it is written, \"The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes\" (Psalms 19:9). A bandage for healing a wound, as it is written, \"It shall be health to your navel\" (Proverbs 3:8). Another interpretation of \"For they are life to those who find them\" pertains to those who utter them from their mouths. There was an incident with one of Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov's students who quickly learned all his studies in one hour but then fell ill and forgot everything. Why did this happen? Because he did not repeat them verbally. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov prayed for him, and he regained all his knowledge. Another explanation of \"For they are life to those who find them\" is for those who teach them to others. Another matter, for they are life to those who find them, to anyone who discovers them, whence it is said (Deuteronomy 8:1): 'All the commandment,' what is 'all the commandment,' until you complete all the commandments. And healing to all his flesh, for the 248 organs in him. Behold, this commandment. Another Matter, Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Chama bar Chanina: Anyone who begins a commandment but does not complete it, it is attributed to him as if he had buried his wife and children. How do we know this? From Judah, who commenced a commandment but did not complete it. For when Joseph's brothers wanted to kill him, as it is said, \"Come, let us kill him\" (Genesis 37:20), Judah intervened and said, \"What profit will it be if we kill our brother?\" (Genesis 37:26). He saved Joseph from being killed, but because he did not finish the commandment, his wife and children died, as it is written, \"And the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died\" (Genesis 38:12). Another interpretation of \"For they are life to those who find them\" is for those who begin a commandment but do not complete it, and then someone else comes and completes it. It is credited to the one who completes it. How so? When Moses took the bones of Joseph with him from Egypt, it is not written here, \"And Moses took the bones of Joseph\" (Exodus 13:19), but rather, \"The children of Israel did as Moses commanded, and they asked the Egyptians for silver and gold articles and for clothing. And the Lord gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they gave them what they requested. So, they plundered the Egyptians\" (Exodus 12:35-36). Since Moses did not bring the bones up from Egypt, Scripture credits it to the Children of Israel because they completed it. Thus, it is considered as if they had done it from the outset. This is why it is called, \"For they are life to those who find them.\" And because they did not bring them into the land of Israel, it is called by the name of Israel, for they buried them there, as it is said (Joshua 24:32): 'And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem.' It does not say here that Moses brought them from Egypt, but rather that the children of Israel brought them. And why did they bury them in Shechem? It is comparable to thieves who stole a barrel of wine; the homeowner sensed them and said to them, 'As long as you live, from the moment you drink this wine, return the barrel to its place.' Similarly, when the tribes sold Joseph, they sold him from Shechem, as it is said (Genesis 37:13): 'And Israel said to Joseph, are not your brothers tending the flock in Shechem?' God said to them, 'From Shechem you sold him; return his bones to Shechem.' Once they completed the commandment, it was called by their name. Thus, \"this commandment.\"",
            "[5] Another matter: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, \"If you engage with the Torah, you are fulfilling a commandment that sustains the universe. For without Torah, the world would revert to chaos and void.\" Another interpretation: What is \"the commandment?\" The Rabbis say it is a difficult thing. To what is this compared? To a king who had a precious stone and entrusted it to his friend. The king said to him, \"I beseech you, pay attention to it and keep it properly. If it is lost, you have no means to repay me, nor do I have another like it. You would thus sin against both me and yourself. Rather, fulfill a commandment for both of us and keep it as it ought to be kept.\" Similarly, Moses said to Israel, \"If you keep the Torah, you're not just doing a righteous act for yourselves, but for me and for yourselves as well.\" From where do we derive this? As it is said (Deuteronomy 6:25): \"And it shall be righteousness for us, for me and for you, when (Deuteronomy 6:25) we are careful to do all this commandment.\"",
            "[6] Another explanation: \"This commandment etc... is not in heaven.\"  Moses said to them, \"Do not say that another Moses stood and brought to us a different Torah from the Heavens, I  already informed you all that it is not in Heaven, nothing of it remains in the Heavens.\"  Another explanation:  Rabbi Chanina said, It (the Torah) and all the vessels of belief in It were given; \"its' humility, its' justice, its' integrity, and the gift of its' reward.  Another possibility: What does, \"It is not in Heaven\" mean?  Shmuel said, The Torah was not commanded in astrological signs since belief in them is in the heavens.  They said to Shmuel, but hey, aren't you an astrologer and also great in Torah?  He said to them, I only look at the astrological signs when I am free from the Torah.  When is that?  When I enter the bathhouse.  Another possibility, \"It is not in Heaven.\"  They said to Moses our Teacher, but you said to us, \"It's not in Heaven, it's not on the other side of the sea, but where is it?  he said to them, it is in a close place: (Deuteronomy 30, 14): \"in your mouths, and in your hearts to do it\", it is not far from you, it is close to you all.  Another matter, 'it is in your mouth and in your heart to do it.' The Sages say that Solomon spoke seven things about the sluggard. And what Moses said was greater than all of them. How so? They said to the sluggard, 'Your teacher is in the city, go and learn Torah from him.' He responds and says to them, 'I am afraid of the lion on the way.' How do we know? As it is written (Proverbs 26:13), 'The sluggard says, \"There's a lion in the road.\"' They said to him, 'Your teacher is in the middle of the town, stand and go to him.' He said to them, 'I'm afraid there might be a lion in the streets.' As it is written (Proverbs 26:13), 'A lion is in the streets.' They said to him, 'He lives near your house,' he said to them, 'And the lion is outside,' as it is written (Proverbs 22:13), 'The sluggard says, \"There's a lion outside.\"' They said to him, 'Inside the house.' He responded and said, 'And if I go and find the door locked, I'll turn back.' They said to him, 'It is open.' How do we know? Because it is written (Proverbs 22:13), 'The door turns on its hinge, and the sluggard on his bed.' In the end, when he did not know what to answer, he said to them, 'Either the door is open or locked, I wish to sleep a little longer.' As it is written (Proverbs 6:9), 'How long will you sleep, O sluggard?' In the morning he got up from his sleep; they put food in front of him. He is too lazy to put it in his mouth. How do we know? As it is written (Proverbs 26:15), 'The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.' And the seventh [proverb] is (Proverbs 20:4), 'The sluggard does not plow in the winter; he will beg at harvest and have nothing.' Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said, this refers to one who does not study Torah in his youth and wishes to study in his old age but can't; this is, 'He will beg at harvest and have nothing.' And what Moses said was greater than all of them, how do we know? (Deuteronomy 30:14) 'For the matter is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart to do it.' Take the word out of your mouth.\"",
            "[7] Another thing, because it is close to you: Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Nachman said, what is this like? It's like a princess unrecognized by people. The king had a favored friend who was constantly in his presence. The king's daughter also stood before him. The king said, \"See how much I favor you; no one recognizes my daughter, yet she stands before you.\" Similarly, God said to Israel, \"See how beloved you are to me; no one in my realm recognizes the Torah, yet I gave it to you.\" As it says, \"It is hidden from the eyes of all living\" (Job 28:21). But for you, \"The thing is very close to you.\" God said, \"My children, if the Torah is close to you, I too will call you close,\" as it is written, \"For the children of Israel, a people close to Him. Hallelujah.\" (Psalms 148:14)."
        ],
        [
            "[1] \"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, your days are approaching [to die]' (Deuteronomy 31:14). What is the law for a Jewish person who has a corpse before him? What may he pray? The sages taught that one who has a corpse before him is exempt from reciting the Shema and from prayer. Why have our Rabbis taught so? Because when he sees his suffering before him, his mind is disturbed. But after the burial, he is obligated to all commandments for the seven days of mourning. How do you derive the seven days of mourning? Rabbi Abba bar Avina said: For it is found with Joseph (Genesis 50:10), 'And he observed a seven-day mourning period for his father.' The Sabbath counts towards the seven days. Rabbi Yosei bar Zavida said in the name of Resh Lakish: You can learn it from another place, where it says (Amos 8:10), 'I will turn your festivals into mourning.' Just as the days of the festival are seven, so are the days of mourning seven. Our Rabbis said, a story occurred during the days of Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta, who went to a circumcision, supported the baby's father, and the father gave them aged wine of seven years. He told them, 'From this wine I will save for my son's joyous occasion.' They dined until midnight. Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta, confident in his strength, left at midnight to go to his city. He encountered the Angel of Death on the way and saw it looking strange. He asked, 'Who are you?' It replied, 'I am a messenger from the Holy One.' 'Why do you look strange?' 'Because I am astonished by the behavior of humans; they say they will do this or that and do not know when their time will come. That man you were dining with said from this wine he will save for his son's joy, but his time has come to die in thirty days.' He asked, 'Show me my time.' It replied, 'I have no dominion over you or your likes. Sometimes God wants to favor the righteous and adds years to them.' The verse states (Proverbs 10:27): 'The fear of the Lord adds days.' The Rabbis say it is difficult for the Holy One, blessed be He, to decree death upon the righteous, from where [do we know this]? For it is said (Psalms 116:15): \"Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones.\" You should know, therefore, [that] He had to say to Moses, \"Behold, you will die,\" and He did not say this, but rather left it open and suspended the death in ta matter of days. From where [do we know this]? From what we read in the matter: \"Behold, your days are approaching [to die].\"",
            "[2] This that the verse says (Ecclesiastes 9:11): \"I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, etc.,\" and what is \"the race is not to the swift\"? Rabbi Tanchuma said: This verse speaks of Moses. How so? Yesterday, he was ascending to the heavens like an eagle; now, he wishes to cross the Jordan and cannot, as it is said (Deuteronomy 3:27): \"For you shall not cross this Jordan.\" And not to the strong is the battle; yesterday, angels trembled before him, and now he says (Deuteronomy 9:19): \"For I was afraid of the anger and fury.\" Nor even to the wise is bread; yesterday (Proverbs 21:22): \"A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust,\" from heaven; and now it has been taken from him and given to Joshua son of Nun. Nor even to the discerning is wealth; yesterday, he was pleading as a rich [man] (Exodus 32:12): \"Turn from Your fierce anger,\" (Numbers 14:19): \"Pardon the iniquity of this people,\" and now he pleads as a poor [man] (Deuteronomy 3:23): \"I beseech You, show favor to me gratuitously.\" Nor even to the knowledgeable is favor; yesterday, he knew how to please his Creator (Numbers 10:35): \"Arise, O Lord,\" (Numbers 10:36): \"Return, O Lord,\" and now after he had pleaded for seven days, in the end, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: \"Behold, your days are approaching [to die].\"...",
            "[3] It is said in the Scriptures (Ecclesiastes 8:8), 'No one has power over the wind to contain the wind.' Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Nehemiah [interpret this]: Rabbi Yehuda says, 'No one has power over the Angel of Death to restrain it.' And 'wind' means nothing but an angel, as it is said (Psalms 104:4), 'He makes his angels winds.' Rabbi Nehemiah says, 'No one has power over the wind, meaning the exiles, to end them from the world,' for 'wind' means nothing but exiles, as it is said (Daniel 7:2), 'I saw the four winds of heaven.' Another interpretation, Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says, 'No one has power over his own soul to end it,' because God has mixed it throughout the body. Were God to mix it in one limb, when suffering would come to a man, he would cut off that limb and die. Therefore, it is throughout the body so that he cannot end it. Hence, 'No one has power over the wind.' What does it mean, 'and no one has a discharge in war' (Ecclesiastes 8:8)? No one can say at the time of his death, 'Let my servant die in my place.' Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta says, 'No one can make weapons and be saved from the Angel of Death,' as it is said (II Chronicles 32:5), 'He made many spears and shields.' What does it mean, 'and no one has authority on the day of death'? No one has power to say, 'Wait for me until I settle my accounts, until I give instructions to my household, and then I will come.' Another thing, what does 'and no one has authority' mean? The Angel of Death doesn't say, 'Since this person is a king, let him remain one more day or two.' There is no favoritism before Him on that day. You should know that all the days of David, he was called 'king,' as it is said (I Kings 1:1), 'And King David was old.' Once he approached his death, kingship is not mentioned regarding him, as it is said (I Kings 2:1), 'And the days of David drew near to die.' (Ecclesiastes 8:8), 'And the wicked shall not escape his master,' no one can present an advocate before Him, no one can say an excuse before Him. Behold, after all the praise Moses saw, as soon as the day of his death arrived, he could not delay; immediately it was said to him, \"Behold, your days are drawing near to die.\"",
            "[4] Another interpretation: Moses said to the Master of the Universe, \"After all the honor and power that I have seen with my own eyes, am I to die?\" The Holy One, Blessed be He, replied to Moses, quoting Psalms 89:49: \"Who is the man that shall live and not see death?\" What does \"Who is the man\" mean? Rabbi Tanhuma explained: Who is the man like Abraham, who descended into the fiery furnace and was saved, and afterwards (Genesis 25:8) it is written: \"And Abraham expired and died.\" Who is the man like Isaac, who bared his neck on the altar, and later said (Genesis 27:2): \"Behold, I am old, I do not know the day of my death.\" Who is the man like Jacob, who encountered the angel, and then later (Genesis 47:29) it states: \"And the time drew near that Israel must die.\" Who is the man like Moses, who spoke with his Creator face to face, and yet after that, \"Behold, your days are drawing near to die.\"",
            "[5] Another interpretation: All creatures descend to the grave with dimmed eyes, but your eye has not dimmed. All creatures are attended to with tools made by flesh and blood - a coffin, a bier, and shrouds. But you [Moses], are with shrouds made by Heaven, a coffin made by Heaven, and a bier made by Heaven. Another interpretation: When all creatures die, they are attended to by their relatives and neighbors. But with you [Moses], I [God] and my entourage attend to you. From where do we know this? As it is written (Deuteronomy 34:6): \"And He buried him in the valley.\"",
            "[6] Another interpretation: “Behold, your days are approaching [to die]”. Why was death decreed upon him with the expression \"behold\"? The Rabbis say: To what can this be compared? To a person who honored the king and brought him a sharp sword as a gift. The king said, “Behead him with it!” The man said, “My lord, the king! With this, with which I honored you, you decree my death?” Similarly, Moses said, “Master of the Universe! With ‘behold’ I praised You, as it is written (Deuteronomy 10:14), ‘Behold, to the Lord, your God, belong the heavens and the heaven of heavens…,’ and with ‘behold’ You decree my death?” The Holy One, Blessed be He, replied, “Such is the way of the world. One sees what is coming in but does not see what is going out.” He [God] said to him [Moses], “Do you not recall when I sent you to redeem them from Egypt, and you said to me (Exodus 4:1), ‘But behold, they will not believe me’? Therefore, ‘behold, your days are approaching [to die].’”",
            "[7] Another interpretation: Rabbi Abin said, “What does ‘behold’ signify?” To what is this similar? To a matron who made a distinguished purple robe for the king. The king took it and set it aside. When the matron’s days to die approached, the king said, “She should be taken with that very purple robe with which she honored me.” Similarly, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses, “You praised me with ‘behold’, and with ‘behold’ I decree your death upon you.”",
            "[8]  Another interpretation: Rabbi Levi said, “To what can this be compared? To a pregnant woman who was imprisoned. She gave birth in prison, and her son grew up there. Once, the king passed by the prison, and the child began to cry out, ‘My lord the king, why am I confined in this prison?’ The king responded, ‘You are here because of your mother's sin.’ Similarly, Moses said, ‘Master of the Universe, there are thirty-six offenses for which, if a person commits any of them, he incurs the death penalty. Perhaps I have transgressed one of them, hence why you decree death upon me.’ God replied, ‘You die because of the sin of the first man, Adam, who brought death into the world.’ What does 'behold' signify here? It refers to the sin regarding which it is written, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of us’ (Genesis 3:22).”",
            "[9] Furthermore, what does 'behold' mean? Rabbi Sima said that today is predetermined before the Almighty. The 'day' said, \"Master of the Universe, I shall neither decline nor fade as long as Moses endures.\" In another interpretation, the sages said that when Moses realized he was to die that day, what did he do? Rabbi Yannai said he wrote thirteen Torahs. Twelve for the twelve tribes, and one he placed in the Ark. So if someone attempted to distort the Torah, they would reference the one in the Ark. Moses thought that as long as he engaged with the Torah, which is entirely life, the day would not wane and the decree would be nullified. What did the Almighty do? He hinted to the sun, and it stood harsh against Moses. The 'day' said, \"I will not set and Moses remains in the world.\" Hence, Job explained (Job 30:25) \"Have I not wept for him that was in trouble?\" [same word as harshness of the day.] implying the day resisted. Behold, \"the time is near for you,\" like a man telling his friend to present himself before the king. (Deuteronomy 31:14) \"Call Joshua,\" Moses responded to God: \"Let Joshua take my position, and I live.\" The Almighty told him to treat Joshua as Joshua had treated him. Moses rose early and went to Joshua's home. Joshua was startled and said, \"My teacher comes to me.\" They went out, Moses to Joshua's left. They entered the Tent of Meeting; the Cloud descended and separated them. When the Cloud lifted, Moses approached Joshua and asked, \"What did He say to you?\" Joshua replied, \"When He revealed Himself to you, I knew what He said to you.\" At that moment, Moses exclaimed, stating: \"a hundred deaths to one moment of jealousy.\" And Solomon explained it (Song of Songs 8:6) \"For love is as strong as death; jealousy is as cruel as the grave.\" This refers to Moses' love for Joshua and Moses' jealousy of Joshua. Once Moses accepted his fate, the Almighty comforted him, saying, \"By your life! As you led My children in this world, so too in the future I shall lead them by  your merit, from where [do we learn this]? As it is said (Isaiah 63:11): 'And He remembered the days of old, Moses His people.'\""
        ],
        [
            "[1] According to Jewish law, if an Israeli person is worried about his ear, what is the ruling on whether he is permitted to heal it on the Sabbath? The sages have taught that any doubt regarding life-threatening situations overrides the Sabbath. Thus, if there's a danger related to an ear injury, one may treat it on the Sabbath. The rabbis have said, \"You want to avoid suffering in your ears or any other limb? Turn your ear to the Torah, and you will inherit life. From where [do we derive this]? As it is said (Isaiah 55:3): 'Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live.' Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa said: 'Anyone who turns his ear away from hearing the Torah, his prayers are detestable, as it is said (Proverbs 28:9): 'One who turns his ear away from hearing the Torah, even his prayer is an abomination.' Rabbi Levi said, 'The ear to the body is like a latch to instruments. Just as many instruments hang on the latch, and you put a finished product beneath it, and they all function, so too, the 248 limbs in a person live by the ear. From where [do we know this]? As it is said: 'Listen and your soul shall live.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said: 'If you turned your ear to the Torah, when you come to teach words of Torah, everyone submits to you and listens to your words, just as you turned your ear to hear words of Torah.' And from where do you learn this? From Moses our teacher, because by turning his ear to the Torah, when he came to speak words of Torah, both the upper and lower beings submitted and listened to his words. Where do we learn this from? From what we read in the matter (Deuteronomy 32:1): 'Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak.'",
            "[2] It is written (Ecclesiastes 3:14): 'I know that, whatsoever God does, it shall be forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it.' Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra asked: What is meant by 'nothing can be added to it'? Thus said the Holy One, Blessed be He, from the very beginning of the world's creation (Genesis 1:9): 'Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place.' And why is it written (Amos 5:8): 'He calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the face of the earth – the Lord is His name'? So that they should fear before Him, that the creatures should fear Him. To what can this be compared? To a kingdom that rebelled against its king. What did the king do? He brought a tough legion and surrounded them, so that the inhabitants of the kingdom would see and fear him. Another interpretation: Thus did the Holy One, Blessed be He, create His world – day to be day, night to be night. Jacob came and turned day into night, for the Holy One, Blessed be He, caused the sun to set for him not in its usual time, as it is written (Genesis 28:11): 'He encountered the place and spent the night there because the sun had set.' Joshua came and turned night into day, as it is written (Joshua 10:12): 'Sun, stand still at Gibeon.' Thus, the righteous subtract and add to the words of the Holy One, Blessed be He, so that the creatures might fear before Him. Another interpretation: Thus did the Holy One, Blessed be He, create – that the sea be sea, and the land be land. Moses came and turned the sea into land, as it is written (Exodus 14:29): 'The Israelites walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea.' Elisha came and turned the dry land into sea, as it is written (2 Kings 3:16-17): 'Thus said the Lord: Make this wadi pools of water...and this wadi shall be filled with water.' Thus did the Holy One, Blessed be He, create – that winter be winter, and summer be summer. Elijah came and made the winter summer, for it is written (1 Kings 17:1): 'As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, there will be no dew or rain except at my bidding.' Samuel came and made the summer winter, as it is written (1 Samuel 12:17): 'Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord and He will send thunder and rain.' Another interpretation: Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, created the higher realms for the higher beings and the lower realms for the lower beings, as it is written (Psalms 115:16), 'The heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to mankind,' Moses came and transformed the lower realms to the higher and the higher realms to the lower. This is as it's written (Exodus 19:3), 'And Moses went up to God,' and (Exodus 19:20), 'And the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai.' Another interpretation: The Holy One, blessed be He, created the heavens and the earth to declare His glory. How do we know this? For it is said (Psalms 19:2), 'The heavens declare the glory of God.' However, when Moses came, he silenced them. How do we know this? As it is said, 'Hear, O heavens...'",
            "[3]  \"Scripture said (Samuel II 23:3): 'The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.' And what is (Samuel II 23:3): 'A ruler among men, shall be the just, ruling in the fear of God,' the righteous rule as if the Holy One, blessed be He, rules. How so? Whatever the Holy One, blessed be He, does, the righteous do. How so? The Holy One, blessed be He, visits the barren women, and Elisha visited the Shunammite. Where is it said? It is written (Kings II 4:16): 'At this season, at the time of life, you will embrace a son.' The Holy One, blessed be He, resurrects the dead, and Elisha resurrected the son of the Shunammite. The Holy One, blessed be He, split the seas, and Elijah and Elisha split the rivers. Where is it said? It is written (Kings II 2:14): 'He also struck the waters and they split here and there.' The Holy One, blessed be He, heals without an herb, and Elisha healed Naaman without an herb. The Holy One, blessed be He, sweetens the bitter, and Elisha sweetened the bitter, as it is written (Kings II 2:20): 'And he said, Bring me a new cruse, etc.', and it is written (Kings II 2:22): 'And the waters were healed.' The Holy One, blessed be He, withholds rain, and Elijah withheld the rain, as it is written (Kings I 17:1): 'As the Lord, the God of Israel, liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, etc.' The Holy One, blessed be He, brings down rain, and Samuel brought down rain, as it is written (Samuel I 12:17): 'Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call unto the Lord, etc.' The Holy One, blessed be He, brings down fire, and Elijah brought down fire, as it is written (Kings I 18:38): 'Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt-offering.'\"",
            "[4] Another interpretation, 'Give ear, O heavens,' said Rabbi Joshua of Siknin, from here you learn that the heavens have a mouth, a heart, and an ear. How do we know of a mouth? As it is written (Psalms 19:2), 'The heavens declare the glory of God.' And the heart? As it is written (Deuteronomy 4:11), 'And the mountain burned with fire unto the heart of heaven.' And the ear, wherefrom? As it is written, 'Give ear.' Another interpretation, why to the heavens and not to the earth? Said Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman, to what is this matter similar? To a general who served in two provinces, Persia and Cappadocia, he made a holiday, he said, if I call to these, these will be angry, and if I call to these, these will be angry, what did he do? He called to both. So was Moses from the earth and raised in the heavens, how so? As it is written (Exodus 34:28), 'And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights,' he said, if I call to the heavens, the earth will quake, and if I call to the earth, the heavens will quake, he said, I will call to both, to the heavens and to the earth, as it is written, 'Give ear, O heavens.' Another interpretation, why to the heavens and not to the earth? Said Rabbi Tanhuma because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not redeem Israel but by them, as it is written (Isaiah 44:23), 'Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it.' Another interpretation, why to the heavens and not to the earth? For the Torah was not given but by them, as it is written (Deuteronomy 4:36), 'Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he showed thee his great fire.' Another interpretation, the Manna and the quail were given but by them, how so? As it is written (Exodus 16:4), 'Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.' And quail from the earth, as it is written (Exodus 16:13), 'And at evening the quails came up.' Another interpretation, the Holy One, blessed be He, compared Israel to the stars of the heaven and the dust of the earth, to the stars of the heaven, how so? As it is written (Genesis 15:5), 'Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them.' And to the dust of the earth, how so? As it is written (Genesis 28:14), 'And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth.' \"Another matter, why [reference] to heaven and earth, for they are the witnesses of Israel, as it is written (Deuteronomy 4:26): 'I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day...' To what is this matter comparable? To a prince whose father assigned him two guardians, and every crown his father crowned him, was crowned only by their hands, and when he entered his bridal chamber, he gave them to the witnesses, to be between him and his father. So too, every miracle that the Holy One, Blessed be He, performed for Israel, He did by the means of heaven and earth, and when they entered the land of Israel, they sang a song by their means, for they bear witness between Him and us. How so? For it is said (Isaiah 1:2): 'Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD hath spoken'; what is written thereafter (Isaiah 1:2): 'I have reared children, and brought them up.' Thus, let the heavens hear.\" Another matter, “Why to the heavens and to the earth”, Rabbi Hanina said, “To what is this matter likened? To one who deposited a deposit with his friend; his friend who he deposited the deposit with died, his son of that one who deposited the deposit stood, and he honored the one who the deposit was deposited with, and honored his wife. They said to him, ‘Why do you honor both of them?’ He said to them, ‘I have a deposit with them, and it is not clear to me with whom the deposit is, whether with him or with his wife; wherever my deposit is laid, may it be well guarded. So too, they said to Moses, why do you command [regarding] heaven and earth? He said to them, 'I am destined to die, and I do not know where my soul is going, whether to heaven or to earth. How so? For it is said (Ecclesiastes 3:21): “Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward…” Therefore, I command both of them, wherever my soul rests, may it be well.' The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him, 'By your life, no creature has dominion over your soul, and where will it rest? Beneath the Throne of Glory in heaven.' As Abigail says (1 Samuel 25:29): 'And the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord your God.' Another interpretation, why [mention] heaven and earth? For in them, the Holy One, Blessed be He, testified about Israel, and in them, they sinned, and in them, they were punished, and in them, they are comforted. He testified in them, how do we know? For it is written (Deuteronomy 4:26): 'I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day...' And they sinned in them, as it is written (Jeremiah 7:18): '… to make cakes for the queen of heaven...' And they were punished in them, how do we know? It is written (Jeremiah 4:23): 'I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light.' \"In the land, from where is it derived? As it is written (Deuteronomy 4:26): 'And [I will scatter you among the nations, and I will leave you in small numbers among the nations where I will lead you. And there, you will serve gods, the handiwork of man, of wood and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.] And the Earth,' and they sinned in the land, as it is written (Hosea 10:8): 'Even their altars will be like stone heaps on the plowed fields.' And they will be punished in the land, as it is written (Jeremiah 4:23): 'I looked at the earth, and behold, it was chaotic and void; and at the heavens, and their light was gone.' And in the heavens and the earth, they are comforted, as it is written (Isaiah 66:22): 'For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall endure by My will—declares the Lord—So shall your seed and your name endure.'"
        ],
        [
            "Law: If a Jew passes before the ark [to lead prayers for the Amidah] and errs, what does he need to do? Such do our sages teach: \"Someone who passes before the ark and errs, he has someone pass instead of him.\" Our rabbis taught us: \"Rabbi Yossi bar Chanina says: If he errs during the first 3 blessings, he should go back to the beginning of the \"magen\" [blessing]. Rab Huna said: If he errs during the middle 3 blessings, he goes back to \"the Holy God\" [blessing]. Rav said: If he errs during the last 3, he should go back to the beginning of \"modim\" [blessing].",
            "",
            "<b>This is the bracha</b> - that is what the verse says, <b>Many girls have done valiantly, but you have exceeded them all</b> (Mishlei 31:29). What is <b>you have exceeded them all</b>? It speaks of Moshe - since he exceeded them all. How so? Primordial Adam said to Moshe, I am greater than you, for I was created in the image of the Holy Blessed One. From whence? As it is said, <b>And God created Adam in Their image</b> (Bereishit 1:27). Moshe said to Adam, I am more exalted than you: the glory that was given to you was taken from you, as it says <b>Man [adam] does not abide in honour</b> (Tehillim 49:13). But I, the splendour of face that the Holy Blessed One gave me is still with me. From whence? As it says, <b>his eyes had not dimmed nor his vigour fled</b> (Devarim 34:7). Another take: Noach said to Moshe, I am greater than you, for I was saved from the generation of the Flood. Moshe said to him, I am more exalted than you - you saved yourself and were unable to save your generation. But I, I saved myself and I saved the generation who were liable for distruction because of the calf. From whence? As it is said, <b>And God repented of the evil that They had said to do to Their people</b> (Shemot 32:14). To what is the matter similar? To two ships which were in the sea, and had two captains. One of them saved himself but not his ship, and one saved himself and his ship. Who did they praise? Not the one who saved himself and not his ship! So too with Noach, who only saved himself - but Moshe saved himself and his generation. Thus, <b>But you have exceeded them all</b>.  ..."
        ],
        [],
        [],
        [],
        [],
        [],
        []
    ],
    "sectionNames": [
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}