“Great [rabati] among the nations,” but was it not already stated [in the verse]: “greatly [rabati] crowded”? Why does the verse say: “Great [rabati] among the nations”? It means great in intellect. Rabbi Huna [said] in the name of Rabbi Yosei: In any province to which one of the residents of Jerusalem would go, they would offer a seat of honor for him to sit upon so they could hear his wisdom.An individual from Jerusalem went to a province, and the time arrived for him to die. He summoned his landlord and deposited his belongings with him. He said to him: ‘If my son comes from Jerusalem and performs three wise deeds, give him what is mine. If not, do not give him what is mine.’They14The residents of the province mentioned above. made an agreement between them that none of them would show another’s house to a visitor. He [the individual from Jerusalem] died and he passed to his eternal home. Some time later, his son came. When he entered the gate of the wall of that province, he saw one carrying a bundle of wood. He said: ‘Are you selling the bundle of wood?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ ‘Take its price from me and take it to so-and-so.’ He took its price and took it to so-and-so. He was going and [the deceased man’s son] was following him until he reached his residence. He said to him:15The wood seller said to the landlord. ‘Hey, so-and-so, come take a bundle of wood.’ He said to him: ‘Did I tell you to bring me a bundle of wood?’ He said to him: ‘True, you did not tell me, but it belongs to this person who followed me.’ Immediately, he opened his house before him, and they greeted one another. That is one [wise] deed.He said to him: ‘Who are you?’ He said: ‘I am the son of the man who died in your [house].’ He brought him in and prepared a cooked meal for him. That man16The landlord. had two sons and two daughters. When the time of the meal arrived, they brought before him for the meal five cooked pullets. When they were ready to eat, he said to him:17The host said to the guest. ‘Take and distribute it.’ He [the guest] said to him: ‘It is not mine.’ He [the host] said to him: ‘I want you to take and distribute it.’ He took and distributed it, and placed one pullet between the man and his wife. He took the second pullet and placed it between the two men who were his two sons. He took the third and placed it between his two daughters. He took two pullets and placed them before himself. He ate them and they did not say anything to him. This is the second [wise] deed.18It will be explained below why the guest did this and why it was considered a wise deed.At evening time, [the host] brought a fattened chicken for the meal. He said to [the guest]: ‘Take and distribute it.’ He said to him: ‘It is not mine.’ He said to him: ‘Take and distribute it, as that is my will.’ He took and distributed it and placed the head before the man. He took the innards and placed it before his wife. He took the two thighs and gave them to his two sons. He took the two wings and gave them to his two daughters. He took the entire body and placed it before himself. This is the third [wise] deed.[The landlord] said: ‘Is this how they distribute in your place? You distributed the first time and I did not say anything to you, and now you do this?’ He said to him: ‘Did I not say to you that it is not mine? Nonetheless, what I have distributed, I distributed properly. The first time, you brought five pullets for the meal. You, your wife, and the pullet equal three. Your two sons and the pullet equal three. Your two daughters and the pullet equal three. I and the two pullets equal three. Did I take anything from your portions? Now, you brought a chicken. I took the head and gave it to you, as you are the head of the household. I took the innards and placed them before your wife, because children emerge from her innards. I took the two thighs and placed them before your two sons, because they are the pillars of the house. I took the two wings and placed them before your daughters, as tomorrow they will depart, fly from your house, and go to their husbands. I took this ship,19When the body of the chicken without the extremities is cut open it resembles a ship. as I came in a ship and I will go in a ship. Rise and give me what is mine that my father deposited with you, and I will leave immediately.’ He gave him what was his and he went in peace. That is what is stated: “Great among the nations,” great in intellect.Four Jerusalemites came to Athens and were received by a certain person. In the evening he made a feast for them. After they ate and drank, he prepared four beds for them. One of them was broken and supported by the next one. When they got up from the feast to go to sleep, he said: ‘I heard that the residents of Jerusalem are extremely wise, let me hear some of what they are saying.’ He went and slept in [a room] adjacent to theirs.The one who was sleeping on the broken bed awoke during the night and said to the others: ‘What do you think, that I am sleeping on a bed? I am sleeping on the ground but I am suspended.’ Another said to them: ‘The meat that we ate this evening had the taste of dog.’ Another said to them: ‘And the wine that we drank tonight had the taste of a grave.’ Another said to them: ‘You are wondering about those [matters]? The man who is the homeowner is not even the son of his father.’When the man heard these matters, he said: ‘One is true and three are false.’ He arose in the morning and went to the butcher. He said to him: ‘Give me from the meat that you gave me last night.’ He said to him: ‘I have none.’ He said to him: ‘What was special about it?’ He said to him: ‘We had one lamb that was a suckling and its mother died. We had a female dog and the lamb suckled from it. At night, we were short on meat and I sought to bring some. I did not have any other, so I gave you from that [lamb].’ He said: ‘Two are true and two are false.’He went to the winemaker. He said to him: ‘Give me some of that wine that you gave me last night.’ He said to him: ‘I have none.’ He said to him: ‘What was special about it?’ He said to him: ‘We had one vine and it was planted over our father’s grave. I squeezed it and placed it in wicker baskets. I was short on wine and I sought to bring some. I did not have any other, so I gave you from that [vine].’ He said: ‘Three are true and one is false.’He went to his mother and said to her: ‘Whose son am I?’ She said to him: ‘My son, you are the son of your father.’ He said to her: ‘Tell me the truth, whose son am I, and if not I will sever your head.’ She said to him: ‘My son, your father was unable to beget children and I feared lest his relatives take my property.20After his death, as the wife was not considered an heir. Did I perform a sin that I went and engaged in an illicit relationship and brought you into all this wealth and property?’ He said to her: ‘What do we see here? Will the residents of Jerusalem come and render us illegitimate? Let us agree among ourselves that we will not receive any one of them.’