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Rabbi Yoshua ben Levi has said a man should never utter an indecent
word, for the Scripture (Gen. vii. 6) uses eight letters more rather
than make use of a word which, without them, would be indecent.

_P'sachim_, fol. 3, col. i.

In the passage referred to, the words "that are not clean" are
used instead of "unclean"; but see verse 2; there another word
for not is used, which brings down the excess to five letters.

When the doors of the Temple were opened the creaking of the hinges was
heard at the distance of eight Sabbath days' journeys.

_Yoma_, fol. 39, col. 2.

It may be proper to remark that the journey is about nine
furlongs, or a mile and one-eighth, so that the distance alluded
to is nearly ten miles.

The eight princes alluded to in Micah (v. 5) are Jesse, Saul, Samuel,
Amos, Zephaniah, Zedekiah, the Messiah, and Elijah.

_Succah_, fol. 52, col. 2.

It is related of Rabbi Shimon, the son of Gamaliel, that at the
rejoicing during the festival of the drawing of water on the Feast of
Tabernacles, he threw eight flaming torches, one after the other in
quick succession, into the air, and caught them again as they descended
without suffering one to touch another. He also (in fulfillment of Ps.
cii. 14) stooped and kissed the stone floor, supporting himself upon his
two thumbs only,--a feat which no one else could perform. And this is
what is termed stooping properly.

Ibid., fol. 53, col. 1.

Levi once in the presence of Rabbi (the Holy) conjured with eight
knives. Samuel in the presence of Shavur the king (of Persia, Sapor I,
240-273) performed the same feat with eight cups of wine. Abaii in the
presence of Rava did likewise with eight eggs; some say with four only.

Ibid.

Eight prophets, who were priests as well, were descended from Rahab the
harlot, and these are they:--Neraiah, Baruch, Seraiah, Maaseiah,
Jeremiah, Hilkiah, Hanameel, and Shallum. Rabbi Yehudah says Huldah the
prophetess was one of the grandchildren of Rahab.

_Meggillah_, fol. 14, col. 2.

The last eight verses of the Law (Torah) were written by Joshua.

_Bava Bathra_, fol. 14, col. 1.

There is a touching story in this very same tract, fol. 15, col.
1, which is repeated in Menachoth, fol. 30, col. 1, and noticed
by Rashi in his commentary, to the effect that Moses himself
wrote the verses which record his own death at the dictation of
the Almighty. The account literally rendered is, "The Holy
One--blessed be He!--spake, and Moses wrote in tears."

There are eight sects of Pharisees, viz, these:--(1.) The shoulder
Pharisee, i.e., he who, as it were, shoulders his good works to be seen
of men. (2.) The time-gaining Pharisee, he who says, "Wait a while; let
me first perform this or that good work." (3.) The compounding Pharisee,
i.e., he who says, "May my few sins be deducted from my many virtues,
and thus atoned for" (or the blood-letting Pharisee, i.e., he who for
fear lest he should look by chance on a woman shuts his eyes and wounds
his face). (4.) The Pharisee who so bends his back, stooping with his
head toward the ground, that he wears the appearance of an inverted
mortar. (5.) The Pharisee who proudly says, "Remains there a virtue
which I ought to perform and have not?" (6.) The Pharisee who is so out
of love for the reward which he hopes to earn by his observances. (7.)
The Pharisee who is so from fear lest he should expose himself to
punishment. (8.) The Pharisee who is born so.

_Avoth d'Rab. Nathan_, chap. 37.

Both Talmuds as a rule enumerate only seven sorts of Pharisees
(T. Yerush, Berachoth, fol. 13, Soteh, fol. 20, T. Babli, fol.
22, col. 2, and elsewhere); but Rabbi Nathan, as above, adds a
new species to the genus. The freehand sketches of Pharisees
given in the Talmud are the reverse of complimentary. In the
words of the late E. Deutsch, who was a Talmudist of no mean
repute, "the Talmud inveighs even more bitterly and caustically
than the New Testament against what it calls the plague of
Pharisaism, 'the dyed ones,' 'who do evil deeds like Zimri, and
require a goodly reward like Phinehas,' 'they who preach
beautifully, but do not act beautifully.' Parodying their
exaggerated logical arrangements, their scrupulous divisions and
subdivisions, the Talmud distinguishes seven classes of
Pharisees, one of whom only is worthy of that name. The real and
only Pharisee is he 'who does the will of his Father which is in
heaven because he loves Him.'"

He who neglects to wear phylacteries transgresseth eight commandments.

_Menachoth_, fol. 44, col. 1.

The following extract states the occasion when the wearing of
phylacteries was prescribed as an equivalent that would be accepted
instead of the observance of the law:--"Rabbi Eliezer said the
Israelites complained before God one day, 'We are anxious to be occupied
day and night in the law, but we have not the necessary leisure.' Then
the Holy One--blessed be He!--said to them, 'Perform the commandment of
the phylacteries, and I will count it as if you were occupied day and
night in the law.'" (_Yalhut Shimeoni_). Phylacteries, fringes, and
Mezuzah, these three preserve one from sin; as it is said (Eccl. iv. 2),
"A threefold cord is not quickly broken;" as also in Ps. xxxiv. 7, "The
angel of the Lord encampeth about them that fear Him, and delivereth
them."

Ibid., fol. 43, col. 2.

The harp in the time of the Messiah will have eight strings; as it is
written (Ps. xii. 1), "The chief musician upon eight," etc.

_Eirchin_, fol. 13, col. 2.

On the ninth day of the month Ab (about August) both the first Temple
and the second were destroyed.

_Rosh Hashanah_, fol. 18, col. 2.

In 2 Kings xxv. 8, the seventh of Ab is the date given for the
first of these events, whereas Jeremiah (lii. 12) mentions the
tenth as the fatal day. Josephus (Wars of the Jews, Book vi.
chap. 4, sec. 15) coincides with the latter.

On the ninth of Ab one must abstain from eating and drinking, and
anointing one's self, and wearing shoes, and matrimonial intercourse. He
may not read the Bible, the Talmud, the Midrash, the Halachoth, or the
Haggadoth, excepting such portions as he is not in the habit of reading,
such he may then read. The lamentations, Job, and the hard words of
Jeremiah should engage his study. Children should not go to school on
this day, because it is said (Ps. xix. 8), "The statutes of the Lord are
right, rejoicing the heart."

_Taanith_, fol. 30, col. 1.

Nowadays, on the date referred to, Jews do not wear their
tallith and phylacteries at morning prayer; by this act laying
aside the outward signs of their covenant with God; but,
contrary to custom, they put them on in the evening, when the
fast is nearly over.

He who does any work on the ninth of Ab will never see even a sign of
blessing. The sages say, whoso does any work on that day and does not
lament over Jerusalem will never see her joy; for it is said (Isa. lxvi.
10), "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her; rejoice for joy,
all ye that mourn for her."

_Taanith_, fol. 30, col. 2.

If there be nine shops all selling the meat of animals which have been
legally butchered, and one selling the meat of animals which have not,
and if a person who has bought meat does not know at which of these
shops he bought it, he is not entitled to the benefit of the doubt; the
meat he has purchased is prohibited.

_Kethuboth_, fol. 15, col. 1.

A woman prefers one measure of frivolity to nine measures of Pharisaic
sanctimoniousness.

_Soteh_, fol. 20, col. 1.

The Talmud has much to say, and does say a great deal, about women. And
although what it says tends rather to discountenance than to promote
their development, it is not insensible to what they might become under
refinement of culture, and occasionally enforces the duty of attending
to their higher education. In proof of both positions we appeal to the
following quotations:--

In the Mishna, from which the above quotation is taken, we are told that
Ben Azai (the son of impudence) says, a man is bound to instruct his
daughter in the law, although Rabbi Eliezer, who always assumes an
oracular air, and boasts that the Halachah is always according to his
decision (_Bava Metzia_, fol. 59, col. 2), insists, on the other hand,
that he who instructs his daughter in the law must be considered as
training her into habits of frivolity; and the saying above ascribes to
the sex such a power of frivolity as connects itself evidently with the
foregone conclusion that they are by nature incapable of being developed
into any solidity of worth or character. The Gemara, Tosephoth, and
Rashi as well all support Rabbi Eliezer in laying a veto on female
education, for fear lest, with the acquisition of knowledge, women might
become cunning, and do things on the sly which ought not to be done by
them. Literally the saying is:--For from it (i.e., the acquisition of
knowledge) she comes to understand cunning, and does things on the
quiet.

_Soteh_, fol. 21, col. 2, Rashi.

Another good reason for neglecting female education those who take the
Talmud as an authority find in these words: women are light-minded,
i.e., of shallow natural endowment, on which any serious discipline
would be thrown away.

_Kiddushin_, fol. 80, col. 2.

Another argument to the same effect is, that there is no distinct
command in the law of Moses inculcating the duty; for in Deut. xi. 19 it
is merely said, "And ye shall teach them to your children," a command
which, as it passes refracted through the Rabbinic medium, becomes your
sons, but not your daughters.

Ibid., fol. 29, col. 2.

As the immediately preceding command, so interpreted, cannot be carried
out by any one not favored with male children, the well-known Talmudic
dictum acquires force and point, "Blessed is the man whose children are
sons, but luckless is he whose children are daughters."

_Bava Bathra_, fol. 16, col. 2.

A man prefers one measure obtained by his own earning to nine measures
collected by the exertion of his neighbor.

_Bava Metzia_, fol. 38, col. 1.

Nine have entered alive into paradise, and these are they:--Enoch, the
son of Jared; Elijah; the Messiah; Eliezer, the servant of Abraham;
Hiram, king of Tyre; Ebed Melech, the Ethiopian; Jabez, the son of Rabbi
Yehuda the prince; Bathia, the daughter of Pharaoh; and Sarah, the
daughter of Asher. Some say also Rabbi Yoshua, the son of Levi.

_Derech Eretz Zuta_, chap. 1.

As the last-mentioned personage, Rabbi Yoshua, entered paradise
"not by the door," but some "other way," it may be interesting
to not a few to know how he succeeded, and here accordingly we
append the story of the feat. As Rabbi Yoshua's earthly career
drew to a close, the angel of death was instructed to wait upon
him, and at the same time show all respect for his wishes. The
Rabbi, remarking the courteous demeanor of his visitant,
requested him, before he despatched him, to favor him with a
glimpse of the place he was to occupy in paradise above, and
meantime commit to him his sword, as a gage that he would grant
his petition and not take advantage of him on the journey. This
request being granted and the sword delivered up, the Rabbi and
his attendant took the road, pacing along till they halted
together just outside the gates of the celestial city. Here the
angel assisted the Rabbi to climb the wall, and proceeded to
point out the place he would occupy some day in the future, when
deftly throwing himself over, he left the angel standing outside
and holding him fast by the skirt of his garment. When pressed
to return, he swore he would not go back, protesting that, as he
had never sought to be relieved of the obligation of his oath on
earth, he would not be cajoled or coerced into an act of perjury
within the precincts of heaven. He declined at first to give up
the sword of the angel, and would have stood to his point but
for the echo of a voice which peremptorily ordered its immediate
restoration. (See _Kethuboth_ fol. 77, col. 2.)

Where is it taught that when ten join together in prayer the Shechinah
is with them? In Ps. lxxxii. 4, where it is said, "God standeth in the
congregation of the mighty."

_Berachoth_, fol. 6, col. 1.

According to Rabbinic law, it takes at least ten men to
constitute a legally convened congregation. Nearly a thousand
pounds were expended every year by the synagogues of the
metropolis to hire (minyan) men to make up the congregational
number, and thus ensure the due observance of this regulation.

When the Holy One--blessed be He!--enters the synagogue, and does not
find ten men present, His anger is immediately stirred; as it is said
(Isa. i. 2), "Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? When I called,
there was none to answer?"

Ibid., fol. 6, col. 2.

The passion of anger here ascribed to God is by not a few
regarded as an attribute wholly alien to the proper nature of
the Deity. Such, however, is evidently not the judgment of the
Talmudists. Nor is this surprising when we see elsewhere how
boldly they conceive and how freely they speak of the Divine
Majesty. The Rabbis are not in general a shamefaced generation,
and are all too prone to deal familiarly with the most sacred
realities. The excerpts which follow amply justify this
judgment.

God is represented as roaring like a lion, etc., etc.

_Berachoth_, fol. 3, col. 1. See chap. iii.

God is said to wear phylacteries.

_Berachoth_, fol. 6, col. 1.

This is referred to in the morning service for Yom Kippur, where it is
said He showed "the knot of the phylacteries to the meek one" (i.e.,
Moses).

He is said to pray; for it is written (Isa. lvi. 7), "Them will I bring
to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in the house of my prayer." It
is thus He prays: "May it please me that my mercy may overcome my anger,
that all my attributes may be invested with compassion, and that I may
deal with my children in the attribute of kindness, and that out of
regard to them I may pass by judgment."

Ibid., fol. 7, col. 1.

He is a respecter of persons; as it is written (Num. vi. 26), "The Lord
lift up His countenance upon thee."

Ibid., fol. 20, col. 2.

When accused by Elijah of having turned Israel's heart back again (1
Kings xviii. 37), He confesseth the evil He had done (Micah iv. 6).

Ibid., fol. 31, col. 2.

God, when charged by Moses as being the cause of Israel's idolatry,
confesseth the justice of that accusation by saying (Num. xiv. 20), "I
have pardoned according to thy word."

Ibid., fol. 32, col. 1.

He drops two tears into the ocean, and this causes the earth to quake.

Ibid., fol. 59, col. 1.

He is represented as a hairdresser; for it is said He plaited Eve's hair
(and some have actually enumerated the braids as 700).

_Eiruvin_, fol. 18, col. 1.

In a Hagada (see Sanhedrin, fol. 95, col. 2), God is conceived as acting
the barber to Sennacherib, a sort of parody on Isaiah vii. 20.

He is said to have created the evil as well as the good passions in man.

_Berachoth_, fol. 61, col. 1.

God weeps every day.

_Chaggigah_, fol. 3, col. 2.

He dresses Himself in a veil and shows Moses the Jewish Liturgy, saying
unto him, "When the Israelites sin against me, let them copy this
example, and I will pardon their sins."

_Rosh Hashanah_, fol. 17, col. 2.

God is said to have regretted creating certain things.

_Succah_, fol. 52, col, 2.

God is represented as irrigating the land of Israel, but leaving the
rest of the earth to be watered by an angel.

_Taanith_, fol. 10, col. 1.

It is said that He will make a dance for the righteous, and as He places
Himself in the centre, they will point at Him with their fingers, and
say (Isa. xxv. 9), "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him;...
we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."

Ibid., fol. 31, col. 1.

God is said to have prevaricated in making peace between Abraham and
Sarah, which is not so surprising; for while one Rabbi teaches that
prevarication is under certain circumstances allowable, another asserts
it absolutely as a duty; for it is written (1 Sam. xvi. 2), "And Samuel
said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said,
Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord."

_Yevamoth_, fol. 65, col. 2.

This teaching may be easily matched by parallels from heathen
literature, but we have room only for two or three
examples:--Maximus Tyrius says, "There is nothing (essentially)
decorous in truth, yea, truth is sometimes hurtful and lying
profitable." Darius is represented by Herodotus (Book iii., p.
191) as saying, "When telling falsehood is profitable, let it be
told." Menander says, "A lie is better than an annoying truth."

God utters a curse against those who remain single after they are twenty
years of age; and those who marry at sixteen please him, and those who
do so at fourteen still more.

_Kiddushin_, fol. 29, col. 2.

Elijah binds and God flogs the man who marries an unsuitable wife.

Ibid., fol. 70, col. 1.

God acknowledges His weakness in argument, "My children have vanquished
me! my children have vanquished me!" He exclaims. "They have defeated me
in argument."

_Bava Metzia_, fol. 59, col. 2.

God's decision was controverted by the Academy in heaven, and the matter
in debate was finally settled by a Rabbi, who had to be summoned from
earth to heaven expressly to adjudicate in the case.

_Bava Metzia_, fol. 86, col. 1.

The classical student will recognize in this a parallel to the
Greek myth in which the Olympian divinities refer their debate
in the matter of the apple of discord to the judgment of Paris.
May there not in both fables lie a dim forefeeling of the time
when Justice shall transfer her seat from the skies, so that
whatever her ministers bind on earth may be bound in heaven?

God will bear testimony before all the nations of the earth that His
people Israel have kept the whole of the law.

_Avodah Zarah_, fol. 3, col. 1.

God is occupied for twelve hours every day in study, at work, or at
play.

Ibid., fol. 3, col. 2.

God does not act without first consulting the assembly above; as it is
said (Dan. iv. 17), "This matter is by the decree of the watchers and
the demand of the word of the Holy One," etc.

_Sanhedrin_, fol. 38, col. 2.

God Himself is described as exacting an atonement for His own
miscreations; as, for instance, His diminishing the size of the moon.

_Shevuoth_, fol. 9, col. 1.

The general height of the Levites was ten ells.

_Shabbath_, fol. 92, col. 1.

Ten things cause hemorrhoids:--Eating cane leaves, the foliage and
tendrils of the vine, the palate of cattle, the backbones of fish,
half-cooked salt fish, wine lees, etc.

_Berachoth_, fol. 55, col. 1.

Ten things provoke a desperate relapse in a convalescent:--Eating beef,
fat meat, broiled meat, fowl, or roasted eggs, shaving, eating cress,
taking milk or cheese, or indulging in a bath. Some say also eating
walnuts, others say eating cucumbers, which are as dangerous to the body
as swords.

Ibid., fol. 57, col. 2.

Ten curses were pronounced against Eve:--The words "greatly multiply,"
"thy sorrow" (alluding to rearing a family), "thy conception," "in
sorrow shalt thou bring forth," "thy desire shall be to thy husband,"
"he shall rule over thee," express six of these. The remainder are:--She
should be wrapped up like a mourner (that is, she should not appear in
public without having her head covered); she was restricted to one
husband, though he might have more wives than one, and was to be kept
within doors like a prisoner.

_Eiruvin_, fol. 100, col. 2.

Ten things were created during the twilight of the first Sabbath-eve.
These were:--The well that followed Israel in the wilderness, the manna,
the rainbow, the letters of the alphabet, the stylus, the tables of the
law, the grave of Moses, the cave in which Moses and Elijah stood, the
opening of the mouth of Balaam's ass, the opening of the earth to
swallow the wicked (Korah and his clique). Rav Nechemiah said, in his
father's name, also fire and the mule. Rav Yosheyah, in his father's
name, added also the ram which Abraham offered up instead of Isaac, and
the Shameer. Rav Yehudah says the tongs also, etc.

_Psachim_, fol. 54, col 1.

To the ten things said to have been created on Sabbath-eve some add the
rod of Aaron that budded and bloomed, and others malignant demons and
the garments of Adam.

Ibid.

Rav Yehuda said, in the name of Rav, ten things were created on the
first day:--Heaven and earth, chaos and confusion, light and darkness,
wind and water, the measure of day and the measure of night. "Heaven and
earth," for it is written, "In the beginning God made the heavens and
the earth." "Chaos and confusion," for it is written, "And the earth was
chaos and confusion." "Light and darkness," for it is written, "And
darkness was upon the face of the abyss." "Wind and water," for it is
written, "The wind of God hovered over the face of the waters." "The
measure of day and the measure of night," for it is written, "Morning
and evening were one day."

_Chaggigah_, fol. 12, col. 1.

Ten facts witness to the presence of a supernatural power in the
Temple:--No premature birth was ever caused by the odor of the
sacrifices; the carcasses never became putrid; no fly was ever to be
seen in the slaughter-houses; the high-priest was never defiled on the
day of atonement; no defect was ever found in the wave-sheaf, the two
wave-loaves, or the shewbread; however closely crowded the people were,
every one had room enough for prostration; no serpent or scorpion ever
stung a person in Jerusalem; and no one had ever to pass the night
without sleeping-accommodation in the city.

_Yoma_, fol. 21, col. 1.

Tradition teaches that Rabbi Yossi said:--The Shechinah has never
descended below, nor did Moses and Elijah ever ascend on high; for it is
said (Ps. cxv. 16), "The heavens, even the heavens, are the Lords; but
the earth hath he given to the children of men." True, it is written, he
admitted (Exod. xix. 20), "And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai;" but
that, he remarked, was ten handbreadths above the summit. And true, too,
is it written (Zech. xiv. 4), "And His feet shall stand in that day upon
the Mount of Olives;" but that, too, he added, is ten handbreadths above
it. And so, in like manner, Moses and Elijah halted ten handbreadths
from heaven.

_Succah_, fol. 5, col. 1.

What entitles a place to rank as a large town? When there are in it ten
unemployed men. Should there be fewer than that number, it is to be
looked upon as a village.

_Meggillah_, fol. 3, col. 2.

In places where there are not ten Batlanim, men of leisure, that
is, men always free to be present at every synagogue service, a
minyan (number) has to be hired for the purpose. The notion that
ten constitutes a congregation is based on the authority of Num.
xiv, 27, "How long shall I bear with this congregation?" As the
term "congregation" here refers to the ten spies who brought the
evil report, it is concluded forsooth that ten men, and never
less, is the orthodox minimum for a congregation.

Ten lights, said he, could not extinguish one; how shall one extinguish
ten?

Ibid., fol. 16, col. 2.

These words are said to have been spoken by Joseph to his
brethren, who, after the death of their father Jacob, feared
lest Joseph should revenge himself upon them (Gen. l. 21). The
Midrash and the Targums as usual furnish much additional
information.

Rav Assi said:--Nowadays, if a Gentile should betroth a Jewess, there is
reason for regarding the betrothal as not therefore invalid, for he may
be a descendant of the ten tribes, and so one of the seed of Israel.

_Yevamoth_, fol. 16, col. 2.

Rabbi Yochanan said:--If, after the death of her husband, a woman should
remain unmarried for ten years and then marry again, she will have no
children. Rav Nachman added:--Provided she have not thought of marrying
all the while; but if she had thought of marrying again, in that case
she will have children. Rava once said to Rav Chisda's daughter (who
bore children to Rava, though she did not marry him until ten years
after her first husband's death), "The Rabbis have their doubts about
you." She replied, "I had always set my heart upon thee." A woman once
said to Rav Yoseph, "I waited ten years before I married again, and then
I had children." "Daughter," said he, "do not bring the words of the
wise into discredit. It is thou, not they, that are mistaken." Then the
woman confessed that she had been a transgressor.

Ibid., fol. 34, col. 2.

The Rabbis teach that if a man live with a wife ten years without issue
he should divorce her and give her the prescribed marriage portion, as
he may not be deemed worthy to be built up by her (that is, to have
children by her).

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