Book: Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and

V >> Various >> Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and




_Kitzur Sh'lh_, fol. 9. col. 2.

A sage who was very sorrowful was once comforted thus: "If thy sorrow
relates to this world, may God decrease it; but if it relates to the
world to come, may God increase it and add sorrow to sorrow." (See 2
Cor. vii. 10.)

Ibid., fol. 10, col. 1.

A man should not wade through water or traverse any dangerous place in
company with an apostate, or even a wicked Jew, lest he be overtaken (in
the same ruin) with him. (Comp. Eph. v. 7, 8; Rev. xviii. 4.)

Ibid., fol. 10, col. 2.

The influence of the son is relatively greater and more blessed than
that of the father, for the merits of the father do not profit the son
except in matters relating to this world (as by bequeathing him worldly
inheritance); whereas the merits of the son do more than benefit the
father in this world; they benefit him also in the world to come (by
saying "Kadish"), which is enough to deliver his soul from purgatory.

Ibid., fol. 11, col. 2.

A common proverb says, "One father willingly maintains ten sons, but ten
sons are not willing to support one father."

Ibid., fol. 12, col. 2.

The proper use of money is that thou learn the art of dealing honestly,
so that thy No be no and thy Yes, yes; and as far as possible be
benevolent with the money. "And the liberal by liberal things shall
stand" (Isa. xxxii. 8).

Ibid.

The sage says, "The eye of a needle is not narrow enough for two
friends, but the world in not wide enough for two enemies."

Ibid., fol. 14, col. 1.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me"
(Ps. li. 10). Know thou that the heart is the source of life, and is
placed in the centre of the body as the Holy of holies, as stated in the
Book Zohar, is the central part of the world. Therefore one must have
his heart cleansed from evil and all evil thoughts, otherwise he
introduces an idol into the innermost part of the Temple, which ought to
be a dwelling-place for the Shechinah. (See 1 Cor. iii, 16, 17, and vi.
19.)

_Kitzur Sh'lh_, fol. 14, col. 2.

He who gazes even on the little finger of a woman is as if he looked on
her to lust after her. He should not give ear to a woman's voice, for
the voice of a woman is lewdness. This sin is much discussed in the
Zohar; it causes the husband to come to poverty, and deprives him and
her sons of all respect.

Ibid., fol. 17, col. 1.

The sages of the Kabbalah were not singular in this view. The
Talmud Yerush, Callah, fol. 58, col. 3, says, "He that looks
upon a woman's heel is guilty of an act of lewdness."

Eating meat after cheese or cheese after meat is a very serious sin; and
it is stated in the Zohar, section Mishpatim, that upon him who is
without scruple in this regard, an evil spirit will rest for forty days,
his soul will be from the spirit which has no holiness.

Ibid., fol. 18, col. 2.

The sages of the Kabbalah have written that it becomes him who has in
him the fear of Heaven to have a vessel of water near his bed, in order
that (on waking in the morning) he may not need to walk four ells
without washing his hands, for he who walks four ells without washing
his hands has forfeited his life as a divine punishment.

Ibid., fol. 43, col. 2.

When a man is dressing, he should first put on the right shoe and leave
it unfastened till he has put on and fastened the left; then he should
fasten the right, as it is explained in the Shulchan Aruch.

Ibid., fol. 44, col. 2.

The following are some of the many laws relating to the Shemonah-esreh,
or the eighteen blessings which form the most devotional part of daily
worship, and which are repeated three times on (ordinary) week-days, and
four times on Sabbaths, new moons, and on appointed feasts:--

Before commencing the Shemonah-esreh one should step back three paces,
in order to be able to advance three steps. The reason of this is that
Moses our Rabbi--peace be on him!--advanced before his prayer into the
three divisions, "darkness, clouds, and thick darkness" (Deut. iv. 11).
And this is also the reason why after finishing the Shemonah-esreh three
steps backward are to be made, returning through these three parts or
divisions.

This prayer is to be performed standing, and the feet so joined together
that they should seem as it were one foot only, in order to be like the
angels, of whom it is written (Ezek. i. 7), "And their feet were (so in
the original) a straight foot," that is to say, their feet appeared as
one foot.

This attitude is a sign that the power of locomotion is gone; he cannot
pursue and attain any other object than God. The Gentiles place their
hands together, intending to signify thereby that their hands are as it
were bound; but we, by placing our feet together, intend to signify that
they are as it were entirely bound, which is indicative of greater
humility; for with the hands bound one could still run away in search of
his own pleasure, which he cannot do when the feet are bound.

_Kitzur Sh'lh_, fol. 48, col. 2, and fol. 49, col. 1.

It is lawful for him who rides upon an animal to pray the eighteen
benedictions, and when he comes to the point when he should retrace
three steps, he is to back the animal he is mounted on three steps. And
so also it is lawful to pray the eighteen blessings when sitting and
traveling in a wagon.

Ibid., fol. 49, col. 1.

It is necessary to pay attention to the feet when the worshiper repeats
"Holy! holy! holy!" and he is to lift up his eyes toward heaven. At the
instant the Kiddushah is repeated he needs only lift up his heels, and
thereby his body from the earth toward heaven.... According to Tanchuma
it is necessary to lift up the feet from the earth altogether, after the
example of the angels, of whom it is written (Isa. vi. 2), "And with two
he did fly." It is from this text that the sages have ordained that a
man should fly up (as it were) when he repeats "Holy! holy! holy!" And
let the chooser choose, i.e. it is optional either to lift up the heels
only or to jump.

Ibid.

Any one who visits a synagogue may notice the observance of this
practice. In the synagogues of the Chassidim, jumping is
preferred to lifting up the heels.

It is written (Ps. cii. 17), "He will regard the prayer of the
destitute," and it is not written, "He will hear." What else can the
term "regard" mean than that there is a distinction between the prayer
of an individual and the prayer of a community? For when a community
prays, their prayer enters before the Holy One--blessed be He!--and He
is not particular to regard and criticise their works and their
intentions and thoughts, but receives their prayers immediately. But
when an individual prays, the Holy One--blessed be He!--regards and
scrutinizes his heart, whether it be devout and whether he be a
righteous man. Therefore, one should always pray with the community, and
this is why the text (Ps. cvii. 17) ends with the words, "And not
despise their prayer." Although there are some of the community whose
prayers, on account of their evil deeds, deserve to be despised, He,
nevertheless, does not despise their prayer.

_Kitzur Sh'lk_, fol. 51, col. 1.

A man should study less on Friday, that he may occupy himself with the
preparation for the Sabbath. And accordingly we find in the Gemara that
some of the great and esteemed sages occupied themselves on that day in
preparing what was needed for the Sabbath. Therefore, though one may
have many servants to wait upon him, it is a great merit personally to
prepare for the wants of the Sabbath in order thus to honor it; and let
him not think it derogatory to his own honor to honor the Sabbath thus,
for it is his honor to honor the Sabbath. It is written of H'A'ree of
blessed memory, that he was in the habit of sweeping away the cobwebs in
his house (in honor of the Sabbath), and it is well known to the
initiated what a wonderful mystery it is to abolish the unclean spirits
from the house, "And this is enough for him that understands."

Ibid., fol. 61, col. 1.

One should trim his finger-nails every Friday, never on Thursday,
otherwise the nails will commence growing on the following Sabbath. He
should pare the nails of the left hand first, beginning at the fourth
finger and ending with the thumb; and then he should pare the nails of
the right hand, beginning with the thumb and ending with the fourth
finger; he should not vary the following order: 4th, 2d, 5th, 3d, 1st of
the left hand; then the 1st, 3d, 5th, 2d, 4th of the right hand. Never
pare two (contiguous) fingers one after the other, for it is dangerous,
and it also impairs the memory. The reason and mystery about the order
for paring the nails are well known to the expert.

_Kitzur Sh'lh._

In the Zohar it is explained that the benefit of immersion on Friday
amounts to the restoration of the soul to her proper place, for he who
is bodily unclean has no soul.

Ibid., fol. 61, col. 2.

Before entering the plunging-bath, he is to repeat (Gen. i. 10), "And
God called the dry land earth, and the gathering together of the waters
called He seas." When he stands in the water he is to repeat seven times
(Ps. li. 10), "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right
spirit within me," for the initials of "Create in me a clean heart,"
form the word "to dip," i.e., to immerse. For it is through immersion
that the unclean spirits and the "other side," are separated from him,
and he becomes a new creature by examining and confessing his (evil)
deeds, and forsaking them, and by engaging himself in repentance, and
immersing himself, and meditating on elevating subjects, and especially
so if he has immersed himself fourteen times.

Ibid., fol. 61, col. 1.

When standing in the water he is to stoop four times, so that the water
may reach his neck, answering to the four modes of legal execution.
After that he is to repeat the form of confession, and while the water
reaches up to his throat he is to repeat these three texts--Micah vii.
18-20, Jer. x. 24, and Ps. cxviii. 5, and then say, "As I cleanse my
body here below, which is formed of clay, so may the ministering angels
cleanse my soul, spirit, and ghost above in the river Dinor; and as I
sanctify my body here below, so may the angels of the Most High, the
ministering angels, sanctify my spirit, soul, and ghost in the river
Dinor above! In the name of Jehovah, He is the God and in the name of
Adonai, the Rock of all Ages. Blessed be the name of the glory of His
kingdom forevermore!"

_Kitzur Sh'lh_, fol. 62, col. 1.

According to the Kabbalah, the thoroughgoing orthodox Jew has
his hands full on Erev Shabbath, i.e., Friday. We cannot here go
over the entire proceeding prescribed, but we will briefly touch
upon its salient features in the order as we find them.

After having prepared himself for immersion, as above described,
he is to turn his face and bow first toward the west and then
toward the east, repeating a certain formula, and then dip
himself under the water. This over, he is to turn again east and
west and repeat a different formula, and while meditating on
certain given letters of certain mystical divine names and other
known words, and their respective numerical values, he is to dip
a second time under the water. Then turning and bowing again
west and east, repeating the while a different formula, he
proceeds to meditate on different letters of the divine names,
and dips for the third and last time. As dipping fourteen times
is the exception and not the rule, no farther directions are
given about the matter, except a few additional formulae and
meditations.

When he comes out of the water he is to step backward in the
same respectful manner as when he leaves the synagogue, and is
to repeat Isa. iv. 3, 4, and Rabbi Akiva's commentary on the
text Ezek. xxxvi. 25.

When he begins dressing he is to repeat Isa. liv. 17, and when
he subsequently washes his face and hands and feet in warm
water, to which is attached a great mystery, he is to say,
"Behold, here I am, washing myself in honor of Sabbath the
queen;" and add also Isa. iv. 4, and also, "I have washed my
feet; how shall I defile them?" (Cant. v. 3.)

Happy is he who is able to provide himself with a complete suit
of apparel down to the girdle, the shoes, and the hat for
wearing on the Sabbath, different from those worn on week-days.
Then he is to repeat the Book of Solomon's Song, and if unable
to repeat the whole, he is, at all events, to repeat these four
verses, the initials of the first word in each of which taken
together form the word Jacob, Cant. i. 2, ii. 10, ii. 8, v. 1.
After this he is to repeat certain portions of the Mishnah, and
something of the Zohar or some other Kabbalistic work.

This over, the devout Israelite goes to the synagogue to meet
his God as the bridegroom, and to receive the Sabbath as the
bride. The service is well worthy of rehearsal, but we must
refer for details to the Liturgy.

The Israelite returns home from the synagogue accompanied by two
angels, one good and the other evil; and according to the
condition of the domestic arrangements when he re-enters, he is
blessed by the good angel or cursed by the evil one.

The Israelite is solemnly warned not to quarrel with his wife on
Sabbath-eve, for the devils are very busy then to stir up more
strife, as is illustrated by the story of Rabbi Meir.

Having repeated the usual hymn appointed for the Sabbath-eve,
and pronounced the form of blessing over the cup of wine, he and
his family commence their supper, which is carefully prepared of
the very choicest viands, flesh and fish included. Hymns and a
certain form of blessing after the meal complete the family
duties of the day, and all retire to rest. The head of the
family, if he be a pious Israelite, and especially a disciple of
the wise, has a particular duty to perform--a duty which is
based on Scripture and on the following text (Exod. xxxi. 16),
"Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath."
(_Kitzur Sh'lh_, fol. 64, col. 1.)

Of the laws relating to the Sabbath we can here only enumerate a few; we
shall, however, take them in order as detailed in the book before us.

Jewish women, maid-servants and girls are warned not to order a Gentile
woman on the Sabbath to do this or that, but they may instruct her on a
work-day what she is to do on the Sabbath.

Geese, fowl, cats, dogs, etc., are not to be handled on the Sabbath.
Neither are pocket-handkerchiefs, spectacles, etc., to be carried on the
Sabbath in an unwalled town or village. Radishes are not to be salted in
quantities, but each piece is to be dipped separately in salt and eaten.
After dinner the Israelite is to take a siesta, for each letter forms
the initial of a word, and the words thus formed are "Sleep on the
Sabbath is a delight." (See Isa. lviii. 13.) Before he dozes off he is
to repeat the last verse of the 90th and the whole of the 91st Psalm.
The salutation should not be, as on working-days, "Good morning," but
"Good Sabbath;" for respecting this it is said (Exod. xx. 8), "Remember
the Sabbath-day to keep it holy." He is not to rise on the Sabbath as
early as on the other days of the week, and this is based on Scripture.
He is to be very careful with the fur garments that he may be wearing,
lest he should pluck a hair therefrom, and for the same reason he is not
to scratch his head or touch his beard on the Sabbath. He is not to wash
his hands with salt or soap on the Sabbath, nor may he play at ball; he
is not to knock with a rapper on a door, or ring the house-bell; nor, if
he has married a widow, is he to co-habit with her on that day.

_Kitzur Sh'lh_, fols. 65-67.

At the close of the Sabbath he is to pronounce over a cup of wine what
is technically termed the "Separation," for the departure of the
Sabbath, as given in the prayer-book. He is then to fold up his Tallith
or veil and sing "Hamavdil," the first verse of which runs thus:--

"May He who maketh a distinction between the holy (Sabbath) and the
profane (days of the week) pardon our sins and multiply our children and
our money as the sand and as the stars in the night!"

Should he forget to fold his veil (Tallith), he is to shake it
thoroughly the next morning, in order to get rid of the evil spirits
that have harbored there during the night, and the reason is known to
the lords of the Kabbalah.

Ibid., fol. 71, col. 1.

It is customary then to repeat a number of hymns and songs and legends
wherein Elijah the Prophet is mentioned, because he it is that is to
come and bring the tidings of redemption, for it is thus stated in
Tosephta, that on the exit of the Sabbath Elijah of blessed memory sits
under the "Tree of Life" and records in writing the merits of those that
keep the Sabbath. Those that are particular repeat, and the very pious
write, "Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Prophet," a
hundred and thirty times, for "Elijah the Prophet," by Gematria equals
120, to which add 10, the number of the letters, and the total is 130.

Ibid.

The word Elijah is written a hundred and thirty times in tabular form,
with the letters transposed. This can be understood better by forming a
Kabbalistic table of the same word in English.

Elijah Ehlija Ejahli Eijahl Elhija
Elahij Eljahi Elhaji Eljiah Ealijh
Eahlij Eajhli Eaijhl Ealhij Ehalij
Ehlaij Ehijla Ehjial Ehialj Ehjail

and so on.

The last day of the month is called, "The little Day of Atonement," and
it is fit and proper to do penance on that day. On the first day of the
month it is a pious act to prepare an extra dish for dinner in honor of
the day. God has given the first of the month (as a festival) more for
women than for men, because the three annual festivals are according to
the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and because the twelve
months are according to the twelve tribes; and as the tribes sinned in
the matter of the golden calf, and the women were unwilling to give up
their golden earrings for that idolatrous purpose, therefore they
deserved that God should give them as their reward the first days of the
twelve months, according to the number of the tribes.

_Kitzur Sh'lh_, fol. 72, col. 1.

It is a very pious act to bless the moon at the close of the Sabbath,
when one is dressed in his best attire and perfumed. If the blessing is
to be performed on the evening of an ordinary week-day the best dress is
to be worn. According to the Kabbalists the blessings upon the moon are
not to be said till seven full days after her birth, but, according to
later authorities, this may be done after three days. The reason for not
performing this monthly service under a roof, but in the open air, is
because it is considered as a reception of the presence of the
Shechinah, and it would not be respectful so to do anywhere but in the
open air. It depends very much upon circumstances when and where the new
moon is to be consecrated, and also upon one's own predisposition, for
authorities differ. We will close these remarks with the conclusion of
the Kitzur Sh'lu on the subject, which, at p. 72, col. 2, runs thus:--

"When about to sanctify the new moon, one should straighten his feet (as
at the Shemonah-esreh) and give one glance at the moon before he begins
to repeat the ritual blessing, and having commenced it he should not
look at her at all. Thus should he begin--'In the united name of the
Holy and Blessed One and His Shechinah, through that Hidden and
Concealed One! and in the name of all Israel!' Then he is to proceed
with the 'Form of Prayer for the New Moon;' word for word, without
haste, but with solemn deliberation, and when he repeats--

"'Blessed is thy Former, blessed is thy Maker, blessed is thy
Possessor, blessed is thy Creator.'

"He is to meditate on the initials of the four divine epithets which
form 'Jacob,' for the moon, which is called 'the lesser light,' is his
emblem or symbol, and he is also called 'little' (see Amos vii. 2). This
he is to repeat three times. He is to skip three times while repeating
thrice the following sentence, and after repeating three times forward
and backward: thus (forward)--'Fear and dread shall fall upon them by
the greatness of Thine arm; they shall be as still as a stone;' thus
(backward)--'Still as a stone may they be; by the greatness of Thine arm
may fear and dread fall on them;' he then is to say to his neighbor
three times, 'Peace be unto you,' and the neighbor is to respond three
times, 'Unto you be peace.' Then he is to say three times (very loudly),
'David, the king of Israel, liveth and existeth!' and finally, he is to
say three times--

"'May a good omen and good luck be upon us and upon all Israel!
Amen.'"




RABBINICAL ANA


It was said of Rabbi Tarphon, that though a very wealthy man, he was not
charitable according to his means. One time Rabbi Akiba said to him.
"Shall I invest some money for thee in real estate, in a manner which
will be very profitable?" Rabbi Tarphon answered in the affirmative, and
brought to Rabbi Akiba four thousand denars in gold, to be so applied.
Rabbi Akiba immediately distributed the same among the poor. Some time
after this Rabbi Tarphon met Rabbi Akiba, and asked him where the real
estate which he had bought for him was situated. Akiba led his friend to
the college, and showed him a little boy, who recited for them the 112th
psalm. When he reached the ninth verse, "He distributeth, he giveth to
the needy, his righteousness endureth forever."

"There," said Akiba, "thy property is with David, the king of Israel,
who said, 'he distributeth, he giveth to the needy.'"

"And wherefore hast thou done this?" asked Tarphon.

"Knowest thou not," answered Rabbi Akiba, "how Nakdimon, the son of
Guryon, was punished because he gave not according to his means?"

"Well," returned the other, "why didst thou not tell me this; could I
not have distributed my means without thy aid?"

"Nay," said Akiba, "it is a greater virtue to cause another to give than
to give one's self."

Rabbi Jochanan, the son of Lakkai, was once riding outside of Jerusalem,
and his pupils had followed him. They saw a poor woman collecting the
grain which dropped from the mouths and troughs of some feeding cattle,
belonging to Arabs. When she saw the Rabbi, she addressed him in these
brief words, "O Rabbi, assist me." He replied, "My daughter, whose
daughter art thou?" "I am the daughter of Nakdimon, the son of Guryon,"
she answered.

"Why, what has become of thy father's money?" asked the Rabbi; "the
amount which thou didst receive as a dowry on thy wedding day?"

"Ah," she replied, "is there not a saying in Jerusalem, 'The salt was
wanting to the money?'"

"And thy husband's money," continued the Rabbi; "what of that?"

"That followed the other," she answered; "I have lost them both."

The Rabbi turned to his scholars and said:--

"I remember, when I signed her marriage contract, her father gave her as
a dowry one million golden denars, and her husband was wealthy in
addition thereto."

The Rabbi sympathized with the woman, helped her, and wept for her.

"Happy are ye, oh sons of Israel," he said; "as long as ye perform the
will of God naught can conquer ye; but if ye fail to fulfill His wishes,
even the cattle are superior to ye."

Nachum, whatever occurred to him, was in the habit of saying, "This too
is for the best." In his old age he became blind; both of his hands and
both of his legs were amputated, and the trunk of his body was covered
with a sore inflammation. His scholars said to him, "If thou art a
righteous man, why art thou so sorely afflicted?"

"All this," he answered, "I brought upon myself. Once I was traveling to
the house of my father-in-law, and I had with me thirty asses laden with
provisions and all manner of precious articles. A man by the wayside
called to me, 'O Rabbi, assist me.' I told him to wait until I unloaded
my asses. When that time arrived and I had removed their burdens from my
beasts, I found to my sorrow that the poor man had fallen and expired. I
threw myself upon his body and wept bitterly. 'Let these eyes, which had
no pity on thee, be blind,' I said; 'these hands that delayed to assist
thee, let them be cut off, and also these feet, which did not run to aid
thee,' And yet I was not satisfied until I prayed that my whole body
might be stricken with a sore inflammation. Rabbi Akiba said to me, 'Woe
to me that I find thee in this state! But I replied, 'Happy to thee that
thou meetest me in this state, for through this I hope that my iniquity
may be forgiven, and all my righteous deeds still remain recorded to
gain me a reward of life eternal in the future world.'"

* * * * *

Rabbi Janay upon seeing a man bestowing alms in a public place, said,
"Thou hadst better not have given at all, than to have bestowed alms so
openly and put the poor man to shame."

Copyright (c) 2007. knowncrafts.net. All rights reserved.