Hebraic Literature (1901) Reader

name of Rabbi Yochanan, " These are the sixty myriads of cities which King Yannai (Jatmaeus) possessed on the royal mount. The population of each equalled the number that went up out of Egypt, except that of three cities in which that number was doubled. And these three cities were Caphar Bish (literally, the village of evil), so called because there was no hospice for the reception of strangers therein; Caphar Shichlaiim (village of water-cresses), so called because it was chiefly on that herb that the people subsisted; Caphar Dichraya (the village of male children), so called, says Rabbi Yochanan, because its women first gave birth to boys, and afterward to girls, and then left off bearing.8 Ulla said, " I have seen that place, and am sure that it could not hold sixty myriads of sticks.

A Sadducee upon this said to Rabbi Chanina, "Ye do not speak the truth." The response was, " It is written (Jer. iii. 19), lThe inheritance of a deer,* as the skin of a deer, unoccupied by the body of the animal, shrinks, so also the land of Israel, unoccupied by its rightful owners, became contracted.

"And he sent forth a raven" (Gen. viii. 7). The raven remonstrated, remarking, " From all the cattle, beasts, and fowls thou sendest none but me. " What need has the world for thee? • retorted Noah; " thou art good neither for food nor for sacrifice." Rabbi Eliezer says God ordered Noah to receive the raven, as the world would one day be in need of him. " When? asked Noah. " When the waters are dried up from off the earth, there will in a time to come arise a certain righteous man who shall dry up the world, and then I shall want it." This explains what is written (1 Kings xvii. 6), "And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning.

" For Mine own sake, for Mine own sake, will I do it (Isa. xlviii. 11). Why this repetition? The Holy One — blessed be He! — said, "As I redeemed you when you were in Egypt for My name's sake" — (Ps. cvi. 8), " He saved them for His name's sake," — " so in like manner will I do it from Edom for My own name's sake. Again, as I redeemed you in this world, so likewise will I redeem you in the world to come;" for thus He saith (Eccles. i. 9), " The thing that hath been is that which shall be" (Isa. li. 11); " The redeemed of the Lord shall return; " not the redeemed of Elijah, nor the redeemed of the Messiah, but " the redeemed of the Lord."

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 mintering 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!

Rabbi Meir said, " When a man teaches his son a trade, he should pray to the Possessor of the world, the Dispenser of wealth and poverty; for in every trade and pursuit of life both the rich and the poor are to be found. It is folly for one to say, 'This is a bad trade, it will not afford me a living;) because he will find many well to do in the same occupation. Neither should a successful man boast and say, 'This is a great trade, a glorious art, it has made me wealthy; ' because many working in the same line as himself have found but poverty. Let all remember that everything is through the infinite mercy and wisdom of God."

Truth is heavy, therefore few care to carry it. Say little and do much. He who multiplieth words will likely come to sin. Sacrifice thy will for others, that they may be disposed to sacrifice their wills for thee. Study to-day, delay not. Look not upon thy prayers as on a task; let thy supplications be sincere. He who is loved by man is loved by God. Honor the sons of the poor; they give to science its splendor. Do not live near a pious fool. A small coin in a large jar makes a great noise. Use thy noble vase to-day; to-morrow it may break. The cat and the rat make peace over a carcass. He who walks each day over his estate finds a coin daily. The dog follows thee for the crumbs in thy pocket. The soldiers fight, and the kings are heroes.

from the service, and brought other parties from Alexandria, in Egypt, to prepare the sweet perfume. These latter were unable to afford satisfaction, however, and the directors were obliged to give the service back into the hands of the family of Abtinoss, who on their part refused to accept it again, unless the remuneration for their services was doubled. When asked why they so persistently refused to impart their skill to others, they replied that they feared they might teach some unworthy persons, who would afterward use their knowledge in an idolatrous worship. The members of this family were very particular not to use perfume of any kind themselves, lest the people should imagine that they put the sweet spices used in the manufacture of the incense to a baser use.

Maimonides simplified the Talmudical rules and traditions, making them clear to the comprehension of all. He was the author of an exhaustive work, entitled, Mislme Torah, the " Second Law, which was eagerly copied and extensively disseminated. He also wrote many philosophical treatises leveled against atheism, and designed to prove that God produced the world from naught, and at the age of fifty gave to the world his great work, Moreh Nebuchim ( " Guide of the Perplexed *), to which Rabbi Judah Charizi added an appendix.

( I see some fine figs in the garden; come, take me on thy shoulders, and we will pluck them and eat them. } By and by the lord of the garden came, and missing the fruit from the fig trees, began to make inquiry after them. The lame one, to excuse himself, pleaded, I have no legs to walk with; ' and the blind one, to excuse himself, pleaded, "I have no eyes to see with.* What did the lord of the garden do?

He caused the lame to mount upon the back of the blind, and judged them both as one." So likewise will God re-unite soul and body, and judge them both as one together; as it is written (Ps. 1. 4), " He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. " He shall call to the heavens from above, that alludes to the soul; "and to the earth, that He may judge His people," that refers to the body

carriages for lords and carriages for ladies, while we, says the Babylonish Talmud, interpret them to signify male demons and female demons. Whereupon, if this last is the correct rendering, the question arises, for -what purpose Solomon required them? The answer is to be found in i Kings vi. 7, where it is written, " And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither," etc. For before the operation commenced Solomon asked the Rabbis, "How shall I accomplish this without using tools of iron?* and they remembering of an insect which had existed since the creation of the world, whose powers were such ns the hardest substances could not resist, replied, " There is the Shameer, with which Moses cut the precious stones of the Ephod."

Solomon asked, "And where, pray, is the Shameer to be found? B To which they made answer, " Let a male demon and a female come, and do thou coerce them both; mayhap they know and will reveal it to thee." He then conjured into his presence a male and a female demon, and proceeded to torture them, but in vain, for said they, "We know not its whereabouts and cannot tell; perhaps Ashmedai, the king of the demons, knows."

On being further interrogated as to where he in turn might be found, they made this answer: " In yonder mount is his residence; there he has dug a pit, and, after filling it with water, covered it over with a stone, and sealed with his own seal. Daily he ascends to heaven and studies in the school of wisdom there, then he comes down and studies in the school of wisdom here; upon which he goes and examines the seal, then opens the pit, and after quenching his thirst, covers it up again, re-seals it, and takes his departure. "

A philosopher once posed Rabbi Eliezer with the question, "Does not the prophet say (Mai. i. 4), ( They shall build, but I will throw down)? and do not buildings still exist?" To which the Rabbi answered, "The prophet does not speak of buildings, but of the schemes of designers. Ye all think to contrive and build up devices, to destroy and make an end of us, but He bringeth your counsels to nought. He throweth them down, so that your devices against us have no effect. "By thy life," said the philosopher, " it is even so; we meet annually for the purpose of

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.

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.

So the two journeyed through the world together. They approached the house of a poor man, whose only treasure and means of support was a cow. As they came near, the man and his wife hastened to meet them, begged them to enter their cot, and eat and drink of the best they could afford, and to pass the night under their roof. This they did, receiving every attention from their poor but hospitable host and hostess. In the morning Elijah rose up early and prayed to God, and when he had finished his prayer, behold the cow belonging to the poor people dropped dead. Then the travelers continued on their journey.

There is a notion among the Rabbis that Adam was possessed originally of a bisexual organization, and this conclusion they draw from Gen. i. 27, where it is said, "God created man in his own image; male-female created He them." These two natures, it was thought, lay side by side; according to some, the male on the right and the female on the left; according to others, back to back; while there were those who maintained that Adam was created with a tail, and that it was from this appendage Eve was fashioned.

Other Jewish traditions tell us that Eve was made from "the thirteenth rib of the right side" (Targ. Jonath.), and that "she was not drawn out by the head, lest she should be vain; nor by the eyes, lest she should be wanton; nor from the mouth, lest she should be given to garrulity; nor by the ears, lest she should be an eavesdropper;

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.

Toward evening they arrived at a large and imposing mansion, the residence of a haughty and wealthy man- They were coldly received; a piece of bread and a glass of water were placed before them, but the master of the house did not welcome or speak to them, and they remained there during the night unnoticed. In the morning Elijah remarked that a wall of the house required repairing, and sending for a carpenter, he himself paid the money for the repair, as a return, he said, for the hospitality they had received.

thy Lord is upon thee.® Having thus secured him, Benaiah proceeded to lead him away to his sovereign master. As they journeyed along they came to a palm-tree, against which Ashmedai rubbed himself, until he uprooted it and threw it down. When they drew near to a hut, the poor widow who inhabited it came out and entreated him not to rub himself against it, upon which, as he suddenly bent himself back, he snapt a bone of his body, and said, "This is that which is written (Prov. xxv. 15), (And a gentle answer breaketh the bone.* Descrying a blind man straying out of his way, he hailed him and directed him aright.

He even did the same service to a man overcome with wine, who was in a similar predicament. At sight of a wedding party that passed rejoicing along, he wept; but he burst into uncontrollable laughter when he heard a man order at a shoemaker's stall a pair of shoes that would last seven years; and when he saw a magician at his work he broke forth into shrieks of scorn.

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zachai says, that coming once upon a man who was gathering wood, he addressed him, but at first he made no reply. Afterward, however, he came up and said, "Rabbi, I'm not a living man, but a dead one." "If thou art a dead man," said I, "what is this wood for?" He replied, "When I was alive upon earth, I and an associate of mine committed a certain sin in my shop, and when we were taken thence, we were sentenced to the punishment of mutual burning; so I gather wood to burn him, and he does the same to burn me."

I then asked him, "How long are you to be punished thus?" He replied, " When I came here my wife was enceinte, and I know she gave birth to a boy. May I beg thee, therefore, to see that the child is instructed by a teacher, for as soon as he is able to repeat, ( Bless ye the blessed Lord! > I shall be brought up hence and be free from this punishment in hell." Tanu d'bjy Eliyahu.

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 un walled 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, w but "Good Sabbath; M 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

Still another time, when Rabbi Eleazer was very sick and his friends and scholars were weeping for him, Rabbi Akiba appeared happy, and asked them why they wept. "Because,* they replied, "our beloved Rabbi is lying between life and death. " Weep not, on the contrary be glad therefor, he answered. " If his wine did not grow sour, if his flag was not stricken down, I might think that on earth he received the reward of his righteousness; but now that I see my teacher suffering for what evil he may have committed in this world, I rejoice. He hath taught us that the most righteous among us commit some sin, therefore in the world to come he will have peace.

Cold water morning and evening is better than all the cosmetics. The question is asked, " Why is man born with hands clinched, but has his hands wide open in death?" And the answer is: " On entering the world, man desires to. grasp everything; but when leaving it he takes nothing away. Two dry logs and one wet; the dry ones kindle the wet.

He who seeks for a faultless brother will have to remain brotherless. A town which has no school should be abolished. Jerusalem was destroyed because the instruction of the young was neglected. He who instructs a child is as if he had created it.

The teachers are the guardians of the State. Learn first and philosophize afterward. To what may he be compared who teaches a child? To one who writes on clean paper; and to what may he be compared who teaches an old man? To one who writes on blotted paper. Be eager to acquire knowledge; it does not come to thee by inheritance.

* Listen,* said Elijah, w and learn to trust in God, even though thou canst not understand His ways. We first entered the house of the poor man, who treated us so kindly. Know that it had been decreed that on that very day his wife should die. I prayed unto the Lord that the cow might prove a redemption for her; God granted my prayers, and the woman was preserved unto her husband.

The rich man, whom next we called up, treated us coldly, and I repaired his wall. I repaired it without a new foundation, without digging to the old one. Had he repaired it himself he would have dug, and thus discovered a treasure which lies there buried, but which is now forever lost to him. To the members of the synagogue who were inhospitable I said, (May you all be presidents,* and where many rule there can be no peace; but to the others I said, ( May you have but one president; ' with one leader no misunderstanding may arise. Now, if thou seest the wicked prospering, be not envious; if thou seest the righteous in poverty

Penitence is thus illustrated by a parable: — There was once a great ship which had been sailing for many days upon the ocean. Before it reached its destination, a high wind arose, which drove it from its course; until, finally, becalmed close to a pleasant-appearing island, the anchor was dropped. There grew upon this island beautiful flowers and luscious fruits in " great profusion; tall trees lent a pleasing, cooling shade to the place, which appeared to the ship's passengers most desirable and inviting.

They divided themselves into five parties; the first party determined not to leave the ship, for said they, " A fair wind may arise, the anchor may be raised, and the ship sail on, leaving us behind; we will not risk the chance of missing our destination for the temporary pleasure which this island offers.* The second party went on shore for a short time, enjoyed the perfume of the flowers, tasted of the fruit, and returned to the ship happy and refreshed, finding their places as they had left them; losing nothing, but rather gaining in health and good spirits by the recreation of their visit on shore. The third party also visited the island, but they stayed so long that the fair wind did

their sons. Thereupon Reuben the son of Istrubli trimmed his hair as a Gentile, and went among the Roman senators and plied them with wise remonstrance. " If one," said he, " has an enemy, does he wish him to be poor or rich? " To be poor," was the reply. " Then," he argued, " won't he be poorer if you prohibit him from working on the Sabbath? "It is well said," observed the senators; and they at once abolished their decree respecting the Sabbath.

Again he asked, " If one has an enemy, does he wish him to be weak or strong?" " Why, weak, to be sure," was the inevitable answer. " Then, " said he, " let the Jews circumcise their children, then will they be weakened." "The argument is good," said they, and the decree against circumsion was rescinded. Again he asked, "If one has an enemy, does he wish him to increase or decrease?" "To decrease, of course," said they.

In response to his argument the decree against catamenia was accordingly abolished. When, however, they found out that he was a Jew, they at once re-enacted the decrees they had canceled. Upon this the question arose who should go to Rome and appeal against these enactments. It was resolved that Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, who was reputed experienced in miracles, should go, accompanied by Rabbi Elazar, the son of Rabbi Yossi....

As they journeyed along, the question was proposed to them, " Whence is it proved that the blood of a reptile is unclean? " Rabbi Elazar replied with a curl of the lip, and quoted Lev. ii. 29. " And these shall be unclean unto you." Rabbi Shimon said unto him, " By the curl of thy lip art thou recognizable as a disciple of the wise! May the son never return to his father! " for he was annoyed that he should presume to teach a Halachah in his presence, and then and there he condemned him to death. (See Berachoth, fol. 31, col. 2.)

Thereupon Ben Temalion (an evil sprite or imp) came, and greeting him, said, " Do ye wish me to accompany you?" Rabbi Shimon wept and said, "Alas! a maid-servant of my ancestor (Abraham) was assisted by three angels, and I have not one to attend me! However, let a miracle be worked for us anyhow." Then the evil spirit entered into the Emperor's daughter, and when the Rabbi was called in to

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 I^ife" 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.

There are three whom the Holy One — blessed be He! — Himself proclaims virtuous: — The unmarried man who lives in a city and does not sin; the poor man who restores a lost thing which he has found to its owner; and the rich man who pays the tithes of his increase unostentatiously. Rav Saphra was a bachelor, and he dwelt in a large city. A disciple of the wise once descanted upon the merits of a celibate life in the presence of Rava and this Rav Saphra, and the face of the latter beamed with delight.

Remarking which, Rava said to him, "This does not refer to such a bachelor as thou art, but to such as Rabbi Chanena and Rabbi Oshaia." They were single men, who followed the trade of shoemakers, and dwelt in a street mostly occupied by meretrices, for whom they made shoes; but when they fitted these on, they never raised their eyes to look at their faces. For this the women conceived such a respect for them, that when they swore, they swore by the life of the holy Rabbis of the land of Israel Psachim, fol. 113, cols. i, 2.

After the third day, he was introduced to the king; when measuring off four cubits upon the floor with the stick he held in his hand, hi said to Solomon, "When thou diest, thou wilt not possess in this world (he referred to the grave) more than four cubits of earth. Meanwhile thou has conquered the world, yet thou wert not satisfied until thou hadst overcome me also.® To this the king quietly replied, "I want nothing of thee, but I wish to build the Temple and have need of the Shameer.^ To which Ashmedai at once answered, <l The Shameer is not committed in charge to me, but to the Prince of the Sea, and he intrusts it to no one except to the great wild cock, and that upon an oath that he return it to him again.® Whereupon Solomon asked, "And what does the wild cock do with the Shameer?® To which the demon replied, "He takes it to a barren rocky mountain, and by means of it he cleaves the mountain asunder, into the cleft of which, formed into a valley, he drops the seeds of various plants and trees, and thus the place becomes clothed with verdure and fit for habitation.® This is the Shameer (Lev. xi. 19), Nagger Tura, which the Targum renders Mountain Splitter.

* 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! > "

The " ship is our good deeds, which bear us to our destination, heaven. The " island typifies the pleasures of the world, which the first set of passengers refused to taste or look upon, but which when enjoyed temperately, as by the second party, make our lives pleasant, without causing us to neglect our duties. These pleasures must not be allowed, however, to gain too strong a hold upon our senses.

True, we may return, as the third party, while there is yet time and but little bad effect, or even as the fourth party at the eleventh hour, saved, but with bruises and injuries which cannot be entirely healed; but we are in danger of becoming as the last party, spending a lifetime in the pursuit of vanity, forgetting the future, and perishing even of the poison concealed in the sweets which attracted us.

Benaiah asked Ashmedai why, when he saw the blind man straying, he so promptly interfered to guide him? " Because,8 he replied, " it was proclaimed in heaven that that man was perfectly righteous, and that whosoever did him a good turn would earn a title to a place in the world of the future. ** "And when thou sawest the man overcome with wine wandering out of his way, why didst thou put him right again? ** Ashmedai said, " Because it was made known in heaven that that man was thoroughly bad, and I have done him a good service that he might not lose all, but receive some good in the world that now is.8 "Well, and why didst thou weep when thou sawest the merry wedding-party pass? ** " Because, ** said he, " the bridegroom was fated to die within thirty days and the bride must needs wait thirteen years for her husband's brother, who is now but an infant ** (see Deut. xxv. 5-10).

"Why didst thou laugh so when the man ordered a pair of shoes that would last him seven years?8 Ashmedai replied, " Because the man himself was not sure of living seven days.8 "And why,8 asked Benaiah, " didst thou jeer when thou sawest the conjuror at his tricks?8 " Because,8 said Ashmedai, " the man was at that very time sitting on a princely treasure, and he did not, with all his pretension, know that it was under him.**

A certain Sadducee asked Rabbi Abhu, "Since your God is a priest, as it is written (Exod. xxv. 2), ( That they bring Me an offering,* in what did He bathe Himself after He was polluted by the burial (Num. xix. 11, 18) of the dead body of Moses? It could not be in the water, for it is written (Isa. xl. 12), <Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand? which therefore are insufficient for Him to bathe in.* The Rabbi replied, " He bathed in fire, as it is written (Isa. lxvi. 15), "For behold the Lord will come with fire. } Ibid.

* And Solomon's wisdom excelled (1 Kings iv. 30). Thou findest that when Solomon desired to build the Temple he sent to Pharaoh Necho a request to send him artisans on hire. Pharaoh assembled his astrologers, who pointed out to him such artisans as were destined to die in the course of that year, and these he despatched to Solomon; but he, through the Holy Ghost, seeing the fate that impended, provided each of them with a shroud and sent them back to Pharaoh with the message, " Hast thou no shrouds in which to bury thine own dead? Behold here I have provided them with them! " For he was wiser than all men" (1 Kings iv. 31); "than all men,® even than the first man, Adam Yalkut Eliezer, fol. 65, col. 2, n. 36.

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: —

PROVERBIAL SAYINGS 34 1. I never call my wife " wife," but " home/' for she, indeed, makes my home. He who possesses a knowledge of God, and a knowledge of man, will not easily commit sin. The Bible was given us to establish peace. He who wrongs his fellow-man, even in so small a coin as a penny, is as wicked as if he should take life. He who raises his hand against his fellow in passion is a sinner. Be not the friend of one who wears the cloak of a saint to cover the deformities of a fool. One who gives way to passion is as bad as an idolater. Hospitality is as great a virtue as studying the law. "Never put thyself in the way of temptation, }> advised Rabbi Judah; " even David could not resist it.

As Abraham plays so important a part both in the history and the imagination of the Jewish race, we may quote here a score or so of the Talmudic traditions regarding him. The traditions, as is like, contributed quite as much, if not more, to give character to his descendants as his actual personality and that spirit of faith which was the central fact in his history. Races and nations often draw more inspiration from what they fancy about their ancestry and early history than from what they know; their fables therefore are often more illuminative than the facts.

thus: — The daughter of a Roman emperor took a fancy to have the skin of Rabbi Ishmael's face, and it accordingly, when he was dead, was taken off, and so embalmed as to retain its features, expression, and complexion, and the Jews say that it is still preserved among the relics at Rome. The able-bodied man in this prophetic mystery-play represents Esau, and the limping man is intended for Jacob. Rome (or Bsau) is uppermost in that ceremonial, but the time is coming when Jacob will rise and invest himself in the blessingshe so craftily obtained the reversion of.

" And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord (Isa. lxvi. 23). But how is it possible that all flesh shall come every new moon and Sabbath to Jerusalem? Rabbi Levi saith, " In the future Jerusalem will be as the land of Israel, and the land of Israel will be as the whole world." But how will they come from the end of the world every new moon and Sabbath? " The clouds will come and carry them and bring them to Jerusalem, where they will perform their morning prayer, and will carry them back to their several homes; and this is the meaning of the prophet's saying (Isa. lx. 8), c Who are these that fly as a cloud (in the morning), and as the doves to their windows (in the evening)? ' • Pesikta.