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

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




"He prayed to the greatest of his idols, and waited in vain for a reply.
He called to the lesser gods, and remained unanswered. Then with
trembling heart he addressed the great Eternal.

"'O Eternal! God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their descendants,
the heavens and the earth are the works of Thy hand. Thou didst give to
the sea a shore, controlling with a word the power of the mighty deep.
Thou art merciful as Thou art great, and Thou hast promised to accept
the repentance of those who return to Thee with upright hearts. As
numerous are my sins as the sands which cover the seashore. I have done
evil before Thee, committing abominations in Thy presence and acting
wickedly. Bound with fetters I come before Thee, and on my knees I
entreat Thee, in the name of Thy great attributes of mercy, to
compassionate my suffering and my distress. Pardon me, O Lord, forgive
me. Do not utterly destroy me because of my transgressions. Let not my
punishment eternally continue. Though I am unworthy of Thy goodness, O
Lord, yet save me in Thy mercy. Henceforth will I praise Thy name all
the days of my life, for all Thy creatures delight in praising Thee, and
unto Thee is the greatness and the goodness forever and ever, Selah!'"

"God heard this prayer, even as it is written, 'And He permitted Himself
to be entreated by him, and brought him back to Jerusalem unto his
kingdom.'"

"From which we may learn," continued Akiba, "that affliction is an
atonement for sin."

* * * * *

Said Rabbi Eleazer, the great, "It is commanded 'thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy soul and with all that is loved by thee.'

"Does not 'with all thy soul' include 'with all that is loved by thee?'

"Some people love themselves more than they love their money; to them
'tis said, 'with all thy soul;' while for those who love their money
more than themselves the commandment reads, 'with all that is loved by
thee.'"

But Rabbi Akiba always expounded the words, "with all thy soul," to mean
"even though thy life be demanded of thee."

When the decree was issued forbidding the Israelites to study the law,
what did Rabbi Akiba?

He installed many congregations secretly, and in secret lectured before
them.

Then Papus, the son of Juda said to him:--

"Art not afraid, Akiba? Thy doings may be discovered, and thou wilt be
punished for disobeying the decree."

"Listen, and I will relate to thee a parable," answered Akiba. "A fox,
walking by the river side, noticed the fishes therein swimming and
swimming to and fro, never ceasing; so he said to them, 'Why are ye
hurrying, what do ye fear?'

"'The nets of the angler,' they replied.

"'Come, then,' said the fox, 'and live with me on dry land.'

"But the fishes laughed.

"'And art thou called the wisest of the beasts?' they exclaimed; 'verily
thou art the most foolish. If we are in danger even in our element, how
much greater would be our risk in leaving it.'

"It is the same with us. We are told of the law that it is 'our life and
the prolongation of our days.' This is it when things are peaceful with
us; how much greater is our need of it then in times like these?"

It is said that it was but shortly after this when Rabbi Akiba was
imprisoned for teaching the law, and in the prison in which he was
incarcerated he found Papus, who had been condemned for some other
offense.

Rabbi Akiba said to him:--

"Papus, what brought thee here?"

And Papus replied:--

"Joy, joy, to thee, that thou art imprisoned for studying God's law; but
woe, woe is mine that I am here through vanity."

When Rabbi Akiba was led forth to execution, it was just at the time of
the morning service.

"'Hear, O Israel! the Lord our God, the Lord is one,'" he exclaimed in a
loud and firm voice.

The torturers tore his flesh with pointed cards, yet still he repeated,
"The Lord is one."

"Always did I say," he continued, "that 'with all thy soul,' meant even
though life should be demanded of thee, and I wondered whether I should
ever be able to so observe it. Now see, to-day, I do so; 'the Lord is
one.'"

With these word he died.

* * * * *

Elishah ben Abuyah, a most learned man, became in after-life an
apostate. Rabbi Meir had been one of his pupils, and he never failed in
the great love which he bore for his teacher.

It happened upon one occasion when Rabbi Meir was lecturing in the
college, that some students entered and said to him:--

"Thy teacher, Elishah, is riding by on horseback on this holy Sabbath
day."

Rabbi Meir left the college, and overtaking Elishah walked along by his
horse's side.

The latter saluted him, and asked:--

"What passage of Scripture hast thou been expounding?"

"From the book of Job," replied Rabbi Meir. "'The Lord blessed the
latter days of Job more than the beginning.'"

"And how didst thou explain the verse?" said Elishah.

"That the Lord increased his wealth twofold."

"But thy teacher, Akiba, said not so," returned Elishah. "He said that
the Lord blessed the latter days of Job with twofold of penitence and
good deeds."

"How," inquired Rabbi Meir, "wouldst thou explain the verse, 'Better is
the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.' If a man buys
merchandise in his youth and meets with losses, is it likely that he
will recover his substance in old age? Or, if a person studies God's law
in his youth and forgets it, is it probable that it will return to his
memory in his latter days?"

"Thy teacher, Akiba, said not so," replied Elishah; "he explained the
verse, 'Better is the end of a thing when the beginning was good.' My
own life proves the soundness of this explanation. On the day when I was
admitted into the covenant of Abraham, my father made a great feast.
Some of his visitors sang, some of them danced, but the Rabbis conversed
upon God's wisdom and His laws. This latter pleased my father, Abuyah,
and he said, 'When my son grows up ye shall teach him and he shall
become like ye; he did not cause me to study for God's sake but only to
make his name famous through me. Therefore, in my latter days have I
become wicked and an apostate; and now, return home.'"

"And wherefore?"

"Because, on the Sabbath day, thou art allowed to go so far and no
farther, and I have reckoned the distance thou hast traveled with me by
the footsteps of my horse."

"If thou art so wise," said Rabbi Meir, "as to reckon the distance I may
travel by the footsteps of thy horse, and so particular for my sake, why
not return to God and repent of thy apostacy?"

Elishah answered:--

"It is not in my power. I rode upon horseback once on the Day of
Atonement; yea, when it fell upon the Sabbath, and when I passed the
synagogue I heard a voice crying, 'Return, oh backsliding children,
return to me and I will return to ye; except Elishah, the son of Abuyah,
he knew his Master and yet rebelled against Him.'"

What caused such a learned man as Elishah to turn to evil ways?

It is reported that once while studying the law in the vale of Genusan,
he saw a man climbing a tree. The man found a bird's-nest in the tree,
and taking the mother with the young ones he still departed in peace. He
saw another man who finding a bird's-nest followed the Bible's command
and took the young only, allowing the mother to fly away; and yet a
serpent stung him as he descended, and he died. "Now," thought he,
"where is the Bible's truth and promises? Is it not written, 'And the
young thou mayest take to thyself, but the mother thou shalt surely let
go, that it may be well with thee and that thou mayest live many days.'
Now, where is the long life to this man who followed the precept, while
the one who transgressed it is unhurt?"

He had not heard how Rabbi Akiba expounded this verse, that the days
would be long in the future world where all is happiness.

There is also another reason given as the cause for Elishah's
backsliding and apostacy.

During the fearful period of religious persecution, the learned Rabbi
Judah, whose life had been passed in the study of the law and the
practice of God's precepts, was delivered into the power of the cruel
torturer. His tongue was placed in a dog's mouth and the dog bit it off.

So Elishah said, "If a tongue which uttered naught but truth be so used,
and a learned, wise man be so treated, of what use is it to avoid having
a lying tongue and being ignorant. Lo, if these things are allowed,
there is surely no reward for the righteous, and no resurrection for the
dead."

When Elishah waxed old he was taken sick, and Rabbi Meir, learning of
the illness of his aged teacher, called upon him.

"Oh return, return unto thy God." entreated Rabbi Meir.

"What!" exclaimed Elishah, "return! and could He receive my penitence,
the penitence of an apostate who has so rebelled against Him?"

"Is it not written," said Meir, "'Thou turnest man to contrition?' No
matter how the soul of man may be crushed, he can still turn to his God
and find relief."

Elishah listened to these words, wept bitterly and died. Not many years
after his death his daughters came, poverty stricken, asking relief from
the colleges. "Remember," said they, "the merit of our father's
learning, not his conduct."

The colleges listened to the appeal and supported the daughters of
Elishah.

* * * * *

Rabbi Judah, Rabbi Joseh, and Rabbi Simon were conversing one day, when
Judah ben Gerim entered the apartment and sat down with the three. Rabbi
Judah was speaking in a complimentary strain of the Gentiles (Romans).
"See," said he, "how they have improved their cities, how beautiful they
have made them, and how much they have done for the comfort and
convenience of the citizens; bath-houses, bridges, fine broad streets,
surely much credit is due them."

"Nay," answered Rabbi Simon, "all that they have done has been from a
selfish motive. The bridges bring them in a revenue, for all who use
them are taxed; the bath-houses are for their personal adornment--'tis
all selfishness, not patriotism."

Judah ben Gerim repeated these remarks to his friends, and finally they
reached the ears of the emperor. He would not allow them to pass
unnoticed. He ordered that Judah, who had spoken well of the nation,
should be advanced in honor; that Joseh, who had remained silent instead
of seconding the assertions, should be banished to Zipore; and that
Simon, who had disputed the compliment, should be put to death.

The latter with his son fled and concealed himself in the college when
this fiat became known to him. For some time he remained there
comparatively safe, his wife bringing his meals daily. But when the
officers were directed to make diligent search he became afraid, lest
through the indiscretion of his wife his place of concealment might be
discovered.

"The mind of woman is weak and unsteady," said he, "perhaps they may
question and confuse her, and thus may death come upon me."

So leaving the city, Simon and his son took refuge in a lonely cave.
Near its mouth some fruit trees grew, supplying them with food, and a
spring of pure water bubbled from rocks in the immediate vicinity. For
thirteen years Rabbi Simon lived here, until the emperor died and his
decrees were repealed. He then returned to the city.

When Rabbi Phineas, his son-in-law, heard of his return, he called upon
him at once, and noticing an apparent neglect in the mental and physical
condition of his relative, he exclaimed, "Woe, woe! that I meet thee in
so sad a condition!"

But Rabbi Simon answered:--

"Not so; happy is it that thou findest me in this condition, for thou
findest me no less righteous than before. God has preserved me, and my
faith in Him, and thus hereafter shall I explain the verse of Scripture,
'And Jacob came perfect.' Perfect in his physical condition, perfect in
his temporal condition, and perfect in his knowledge of God."

* * * * *

Antoninus, in conversing with Rabbi Judah, said to him:

"In the future world, when the soul comes before the Almighty Creator
for judgment, may it not find a plea of excuse for worldly wickedness in
saying, 'Lo, the sin is the body's; I am now free from the body; the
sins were not mine'?"

Rabbi Judah answered, "Let me relate to thee a parable. A king had an
orchard of fine figs, which he prized most highly. That the fruit might
not be stolen or abused, he placed two watchers in the orchard, and that
they themselves might not be tempted to partake of the fruit, he chose
one of them a blind man, and the other one lame. But lo, when they were
in the orchard, the lame man said to his companion, 'I see very fine
figs; they are luscious and tempting; carry me to the tree, that we may
both partake of them.'

"So the blind man carried the lame man, and they ate of the figs.

"When the king entered the orchard he noticed at once that his finest
figs were missing, and he asked the watchers what had become of them.

"The blind man answered:--

"'I know not. I could not steal them; I am blind; I cannot even see
them.'

"And the lame man answered:--

"'Neither could I steal them; I could not approach the tree.'

"But the king was wise, and he answered:--

"'Lo, the blind carried the lame,' and he punished them accordingly.

"So it is with us. The world is the orchard in which The Eternal King
has placed us, to keep watch and ward, to till its soil and care for its
fruit. But the soul and body are the man; if one violates the precepts,
so does the other, and after death the soul may not say, 'It is the
fault of the body to which I was tied that I committed sins;' no, God
will do as did the owner of the orchard, as it is written:--

"'He shall call from the heaven above, and to the earth to judge his
people.'

"He shall call from the 'heaven above,' which is the soul, and to the
'earth below', which is the body, mixing with the dust from whence it
sprung."

A heathen said to Rabbi Joshua, "Thou believest that God knows the
future?"

"Yes," replied the Rabbi.

"Then," said the questioner, "wherefore is it written, 'The Lord said, I
will destroy everything which I have made, because it repenteth me that
I have made them'? Did not the Lord foresee that man would become
corrupt?"

Then said Rabbi Joshua, "Hast thou children?"

"Yes," was the answer.

"When a child was born, what didst thou?"

"I made a great rejoicing."

"What cause hadst thou to rejoice? Dost thou not know that they must
die?"

"Yes, that is true; but in the time of enjoyment I do not think of the
future."

"So was it with God," said Rabbi Joshua. "He knew that men would sin;
still that knowledge did not prevent the execution of his beneficent
purpose to create them."

One of the emperors said to Rabon Gamliel:--

"Your God is a thief, as it is written, 'And the Lord God caused a deep
sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept. And He took a rib from Adam.'"

The Rabbi's daughter said, "Let me answer this aspersion. Last night
robbers broke into my room, and stole therefrom a silver vessel: but
they left a golden one in its stead."

The emperor replied, "I wish that such thieves would come every night."

Thus was it with Adam; God took a rib from him, but placed a woman
instead of it.

Rabbi Joshua, of Saknin, said in the name of Rabbi Levi, "The Lord
considered from what part of the man he should form woman; not from the
head, lest she should be proud; not from the eyes, lest she should wish
to see everything; not from the mouth, lest she might be talkative; nor
from the ear, lest she should wish to hear everything; nor from the
heart, lest she should be jealous; nor from the hand, lest she should
wish to find out everything; nor from the feet in order that she might
not be a wanderer; only from the most hidden place, that is covered even
when a man is naked--namely, the rib."

The scholars of Rabbi Simon ben Jochai once asked him:--

"Why did not the Lord give to Israel enough manna to suffice them for a
year, at one time, instead of meting it out daily?"

The Rabbi replied:--

"I will answer ye with a parable. There was once a king who had a son to
whom he gave a certain yearly allowance, paying the entire sum for his
year's support on one appointed day. It soon happened that this day on
which the allowance was due, was the only day in the year when the
father saw his son. So the king changed his plan, and gave his son each
day his maintenance for that day only, and then the son visited his
father with the return of each day's sun.

"So was it with Israel; each father of a family, dependent upon the
manna provided each day by God's bounty, for his support and the support
of his family, naturally had his mind devoted to the Great Giver and
Sustainer of life."

When Rabbi Eleazer was sick his scholars visited him, and said, "Rabbi,
teach us the way of life, that we may inherit eternity."

The Rabbi answered, "Give honor to your comrades. Know to whom you pray.
Restrain your children from frivolous conversation, and place them among
the learned men, in order that they may acquire wisdom. So may you merit
life in the future world."

When Rabbi Jochanan was sick his scholars also called upon him. When he
beheld them he burst into tears.

"Rabbi!" they exclaimed, "Light of Israel! The chief pillar! Why weep?"

The Rabbi answered, "Were I to be brought before a king of flesh and
blood, who is here to-day and to-morrow in the grave; who may be angry
with me, but not forever; who may imprison me, but not forever; who may
kill me, but only for this world; whom I may sometimes bribe; even then
I would fear. But now, I am to appear before the King of kings, the Most
Holy One, blessed be He, who lives through all eternity. If He is wroth,
it is forever. If He imprisons me, it is forever; if He slays me, it is
for the future world; and I can bribe Him neither with words nor money.
Not only this, two paths are before me, one leading to punishment, the
other to reward, and I know not which one I must travel. Should I not
weep?"

The scholars of Rabbi Johanan, the son of Zakai, asked of their teacher
this question:--

"Wherefore is it, that according to the law, the punishment of a
highwayman is not as severe as the punishment of a sneak thief?
According to the Mosaic law, if a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills
it or sells it, he is required to restore five oxen for the one ox, and
four sheep for the one sheep; but for the highwayman we find, 'When he
hath sinned and is conscious of his guilt, he shall restore that he hath
taken violently away; he shall restore it and its principal, and the
fifth part thereof he shall add thereto.' Therefore, he who commits a
highway robbery pays as punishment one-fifth of the same, while a sneak
thief is obliged to return five oxen for one ox, and four sheep for one
sheep. Wherefore is this?"

"Because," replied the teacher, "the highway robber treats the servant
as the master. He takes away violently in the presence of the servant,
the despoiled man, and the master--God. But the sneak thief imagines
that God's eye is not upon him. He acts secretly, thinking, as the
Psalmist says, 'The Lord doth not see, neither will the God of Jacob
regard it.' Listen to a parable. Two men made a feast. One invited all
the inhabitants of the city, and omitted inviting the king. The other
invited neither the king nor his subjects. Which one deserves
condemnation? Certainly the one who invited the subjects and not the
king. The people of the earth are God's subjects. The sneak thief fears
their eyes, yet he does not honor the eye of the king, the eye of God,
which watches all his actions."

Rabbi Meir says, "This law teaches us how God regards industry. If a
person steals an ox he must return five in its place, because while the
animal was in his unlawful possession it could not work for its rightful
owner. A lamb, however, does no labor, and is not profitable that way;
therefore he is only obliged to replace it fourfold."

Rabbi Nachman dined with his teacher, Rabbi Yitzchak, and upon departing
after the meal, he said, "Teacher, bless me!"

"Listen," replied Rabbi Yitzchak. "A traveler was once journeying
through the desert, and when weary, hungry, and thirsty, he happened
upon an oasis, where grew a fruitful tree, wide-branched, and at the
foot of which there gushed a spring of clear, cool water.

"The stranger ate of the luscious fruit, enjoying and resting in the
grateful shade, and quenching his thirst in the sparkling water which
bubbled merrily at his feet.

"When about to resume his journey, he addressed the tree and spoke as
follows:--

"'Oh, gracious tree, with what words can I bless thee, and what good can
I wish thee? I cannot wish thee good fruit, for it is already thine; the
blessing of water is also thine; and the gracious shade thrown by thy
beauteous branches the Eternal has already granted thee, for my good and
the good of those who travel by this way. Let me pray to God, then, that
all thy offspring may be goodly as thyself.'

"So it is with thee, my pupil. How shall I bless thee? Thou art perfect
in the law, eminent in the land, respected, and blessed with means. May
God grant that all thy offspring may prove goodly as thyself."

A wise man, say the Rabbis, was Gebiah ben Pesisah. When the children of
Canaan accused the Israelites of stealing their land, saying, "The land
of Canaan is ours, as it is written, 'The land of Canaan and its
boundaries belong to the Canaanites,'" and demanded restitution, Gebiah
offered to argue the case before the ruler.

Said Gebiah to the Africans, "Ye bring your proof from the Pentateuch,
and by the Pentateuch will I refute it. 'Cursed be Canaan; a servant of
servants shall he be unto his brethren.' To whom does the property of a
slave belong? To his master. Even though the land belonged to ye,
through your servitude it became Israel's."

"Answer him," said the ruler.

The accusers asked for three days' time to prepare their reply, but at
the end of the three days they had vanished.

Then came the Egyptians, saying, "'God gave the Israelites favor in the
eyes of the Egyptians, and they lent them gold and silver.' Now return
us the gold and silver which our ancestors lent ye."

Again Gebiah appeared for the sages of Israel.

"Four hundred and thirty years," said he, "did the children of Israel
dwell in Egypt. Come, now, pay us the wages of six hundred thousand men
who worked for ye for naught, and we will return the gold and silver."

Then came the children of Ishmael and Ketura, before Alexander of
Mukdon, saying, "The land of Canaan is ours, as it is written, 'These
are the generations of Ishmael, the son of Abraham;' even as it is
written, 'These are the generations of Isaac, the son of Abraham.' One
son is equal to the other; come, give us our share."

Again Gebiah appeared as counsel for the sages.

"From the Pentateuch, which is your proof, will I confound ye" said he.
"Is it not written 'Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac, but unto the
sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts?' The man
who gives his children their inheritance during his life does not design
to give it to them again after his death. To Isaac Abraham left all that
he had; to his other children he gave gifts, and sent them away."




PROVERBIAL SAYINGS AND TRADITIONS


Do not to others what you would not have others do to you.

The ass complains of the cold even in July (Tamuz.)

First learn and then teach.

Few are they who see their own faults.

A single light answers as well for a hundred men as for one.

Victuals prepared by many cooks will be neither hot nor cold.

Truth lasts forever, but falsehood must vanish.

This is the punishment of the liar, that when he tells the truth nobody
believes him.

Use thy best vase to-day, for to-morrow it may, perchance, be broken.

When Satan cannot come himself he sends wine as a messenger.

Woe to the children banished from their father's table.

A handful of food will not satisfy the lion, neither can a pit be filled
again with its own dust.

Pray to God for mercy until the last shovelful of earth is cast upon thy
grave.

Cease not to pray even when the knife is laid upon thy neck.

Open not thy mouth to speak evil.

To be patient is sometimes better than to have much wealth.

The horse fed too liberally with oats becomes unruly.

Happy the pupil whose teacher approves his words.

When the cucumbers are young we may tell whether they will become good
for food.

Poverty cometh from God, but not dirt.

Our kindly deeds and our generous gifts go to heaven as messengers, and
plead for us before our Heavenly Father.

The noblest of all charities is in enabling the poor to earn a
livelihood.

The camel wanted to have horns and they took away his ears.

The egg of to-day is better than the hen of to-morrow.

The world is a wedding.

Youth is a wreath of roses.

A myrtle even in the desert remains a myrtle.

Teach thy tongue to say, "I do not know."

The house which opens not to the poor will open to the physician.

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