b) Two men again are pointed out to R. Beroka as worthy of Paradise. On enquiring he learned that wherever people were in grief and sorrow, those two used to go and cheer them and make them feel happy.

407 [f. 4a]. A king asked R. Joshua ben Hananyah whether God were just since he had created some blind and lame. R. Joshua replied, “These are marked men, because they are wicked,” and he proved it. He gave 1000 dinars to a blind man in the presence of two witnesses of the king. He asked the man to take care of the money, for the king had ordered him to be killed and he could therefore keep it, but should he by any chance be saved he would ask for it back. After a time he came again to the blind man who denied that he had ever received anything. He was brought before the king; the two witnesses testified but he still denied it. The king ordered him to be hanged. On the way to the gallows a man came and whispered into his ear that he had seen the condemned man's wife diverting herself with a young man and telling him to wait until her husband had been hanged, when they would marry and spend the 1000 dinars. When he heard it, he confessed to have taken the dinars and returned them to R. Joshua. The king acknowledged the truth of the latter's statement.

408 [f. nb]. Pupils ask R. Zakkai why he was granted long life. He answered, “Because I never neglected to sanctify the Sabbath with the blessing over wine.” Once being too poor to buy any his mother sold her cap and bought the wine. When she died she was able to leave many casks of wine.

409 [f. 12 a]. R. Hanina ben Dosa was very poor. His wife urged him to ask for some of his reward. A golden leg from his table in Paradise was given to him, but the wife fearing that his table might become unsteady in Paradise, urged him to pray that it be taken back, which happened.

410 [f. 12 b]. R. Eliezer and R. Joshua [ben Ilem] were going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem when they saw an angel carrying a luminous shirt. They asked for which of them

- 158

it was destined and he replied that it was for Joseph the Gardener in Askalon. After the festival, they went to that town, told him about the luminous shirt and mentioned that the seam was not complete. He told them that he had been rich, had spent his father’s money and now lived on the produce of his garden which he divided with the poor. The wife, having heard the conversation, asked him to sell her as a slave, promising to keep faithful and she told him to give away the money he received in alms so as to complete the shirt. He did so but she refused to obey the will of her master, who handed her over to his shepherd who ill- treated her. After a time her husband came and tried to tempt her. She indignantly refused, then he made himself known, having found her faithful, and a voice was heard from heaven saying, “Thy shirt is complete, but a more beautiful one is awaiting thy wife. Go to a certain place and there you will find a treasure which thy father has hidden away.” He did so, ransomed his wife and they continued to give alms to the poor.

411 [f. 15 a]. The wife of Rab always prepared the reverse of what her husband asked, for instance, beans instead of lentils, etc. Her son, R. Hiya, growing up, noticed her disposition and told her the reverse of his father’s wishes. She then prepared exactly what her husband wished. Rab was greatly surprised at the change; his son explained the reason and the father asked his son to discontinue lest he accustomed himself to tell untruths.

412 [f. 16 a]. A woman, pretending to be very pious, was, however, a witch who prevented women from giving birth. She used to come to the women in travail and say she would pray for them. Then she would go home and remove the spell and the women were easily delivered. One day she left a boy in the house, who heard a noise from a cask in the corner. He lifted the top and he found the spells which were thus broken. The people thus discovered her witchcraft and drove her from the town.

159 -

413 a [f. 20 aj. A pious man was told in a dream that Nanas the butcher would be his companion in Paradise. Grieved and surprised he went to find out the merits of that butcher. He was told that Nanas gave away half his property in charity. This did not satisfy the pious man and at last Nanas said that a long time ago, he had ransomed a young girl who had been carried away captive. She grew up in the house and he betrothed her to his son. Among the guests was a young man who was weeping all the time. He asked him the cause and learned that he was betrothed to that young girl who was now going to marry his son. When Nanas heard that he renounced the marriage and married the young man to the girl who was really his bride, gave them rich gifts and sent them home. The pious man was happy to have him as his companion in Paradise.

413b [f. 21 b]. Abbaye grieved on being told that his neighbour in Paradise would be the barber living nearby. He asked the reason and was told from Heaven that the barber had performed many good actions in secret; he had protected the modesty of women when venesecting, had a separate room for them and a mantle covering the whole body. Moreover, he had a box outside for customers to put in the money so that those who were unable to pay need not feel ashamed. In the evening he would open the box, feed his household and the distribute the surplus among the poor. Abbaye then rejoiced greatly.

414 [f. 23 b]. A rich man, tired of his wealth, refuses to distribute it among the poor. Goes out of town, finds a poor man sitting in the dust, clad in rags, and offers his money because he believes him to have given up every hope of this world. The poor man hearing the reason refuses to take it. God is merciful, forsakes no one; only the dead have no hope. Rich man decides to bury his wealth with the dead. After a time he gets poor, remembers the money in the cemetery and goes to dig it up. He is caught by the guardians and brought before the governor, who is no one else but that poor man. He was of noble family and had

i6o—

been elected to that post. He recognises the rich man, who is accused of stripping the dead, who however, does not recognise the governor. The prisoner tells his story; the governor makes himself known, lets him recover his wealth and teaches him the lesson: No one should despair.

415 [f. 24a]. A poor man, urged by his wife and starving children, went to market to see what he could get. So he prayed, and prophet Elijah was sent by God, who told the man to sell him as a slave. The man was frightened, but Elijah re-assured him; he told him of the money received to give him one coin. The man sold him for 80 dinars, gave a coin to the prophet who returned it to him and told him, henceforth he would be very rich. Elijah was brought as a slave to the king and was asked what he could do. Prophet said he was a builder. The king just then had bought slaves and all the material for building a new palace and promised the prophet freedom if he could finish the palace in six months or any time before. In the night prophet built the palace and disappeared. He met the man who had sold him and told him that the king had profited a thousand times more from him than he had paid for him. He then told the man to thank God for the mercy shown to him.

416 [f. 27b]. A rich man, possessing 1000 dinars, took an oath to leave 100 dinars to each one of his ten sons. He lost fifty dinars. Before dying, he gave 900 to the nine sons. The youngest asked him what he would leave him and the father replied, “I must keep my oath. To you I leave 20 dinars out of the fifty, for 30 are required for burial/' I leave you ten friends worth more than 1000 dinars.” The nine took their money, went away and the youngest invited the ten friends, who were pleased with his attention, thus continuing the friendship of the father. Each one gave him a cow and money and he soon became much richer than his father had been, proving the truth of his father's statement.

417 [f. 34b]. R. Yudan was very rich and very charitable. He used to run after the collectors of charity. He became

161—

poor at last and had only a small piece of land and a cow. The Rabbis Eliezer, Joshua and Akiba were one day collecting alms. Yudan was greatly ashamed at having nothing to give, but upon the advice of his wife, he sold half of his field and gave to the collection. While ploughing the field, the cow fell into a hole and broke its leg. He found in the hole a great treasure and was thus rewarded for his charity.

Here follows the list mentioned above:

f. 3b. Burial of Taxgatherer: No. 332. f. 4b. R. Joshua ben Levi and the Prophet Elijah: Nos. 301 and 393.

f. 8a—b. Nahum ish Ganzo: Nos. 25 and 102. f. 9a. R. Elazar b. Shimeon: No. 95. f. 10 a. Joseph Mokir Shabba: No. [118 and] 380. f. 10 b. Pupil and Hetaera: No. 35. f. 10 b. Story of Kamhith: No. 39. f. 11 b—12a. Four stories of Hanina b. Dosa: No. 163. f. 16 b. R. Akiba and his Wife: No. 148 (147). f. 17a. Hillel’s poverty: No. 91. f. 18b. Hillel and Irrelevant Questions: No. 84. f. 19b. Nakdimon and Wells: No. 85. f. 21 b. Child and Book of Genesis: No. 38. f. 22a. The two boys, death: No. (147) 146. f. 22b. Judith Legend: No. 251. f. 25a. Money Recovered by Trick: No. 123. f. 26a. Neglect of Washing Hands: No. 159. f. 26a. R. Meir and Kidor: No. 315. f. 26b. Neglect of Washing Hands: No. 158. f. 26b. Antoninus and Rabbi: No. (149) 148. f. 27b. Corn left with Pinehas b. Yair sown, reaped and returned: No. 331.

f. 28a. R. Meir and Butcher's Wife: v. No. 384. f. 29a. R. Akiba in Prison: No. 160. f. 29b—30b. Natan de Susita and Hannah: Nos. [310 and] 333.

1 1

162—

f. 34a. King cured by Citrons: No. 368.

f. 36b. Seven Good Years when Young: No. 317.

f. 37b. R. Akiba and the Dead: No. 134.

f. 38a. Solomon and the Thief: Nos. in—112.

f. 38b. Joshua ben Levi and the Angel of Death. No. 138.

R.-DIVERSE SOURCES.