| M. VIII. 1; T. VI. 1, III. 8. Points in Dispute between the Schools of Shammai and Hillel: The Order of the Benedictions | Title page | I. The Names of Rabbis |
M.IX. I. He who sees a place in which miracles were wrought for Israel [^450] says: “Blessed be He who wrought miracles for our fathers in this place.” In the, case of a place from which idolatry was uprooted, he says: “Blessed be He who uprooted idolatry from our land.”
T. VII. 2. He that seeth idolatry says: Blessed be He who is slow to anger. [He that seeth] a place from which idolatry was uprooted says: Blessed be He who hath uprooted idolatry from our land; may it be pleasing in Thy sight, O LORD our God, that idolatry be uprooted from our land, and from all places in Israel, and mayest Thou turn the hearts of them that worship idols to worship Thee.
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T.
He that seeth hosts [1] says: Blessed be He who is wise in all these mysteries, for none of their countenances is alike, nor their knowledge alike. [2]
Ben Zoma saw hosts in the Temple area. He said: Blessed be He who created all these to serve me. How much did Adam toil, and tasted not one mouthful, until he had ploughed, and sowed, and reaped, and harvested, and threshed, and winnowed, and sifted, and ground, and bolted, and kneaded, and baked, and after that he ate! But I arise at dawn and I find all these things already done for me. How much did Adam toil, and clothed himself with not a single garment until he had shorn, and cleansed, and beaten, and dyed, and spun, and weaved, and sewed, and after that he clothed himself! But I arise at dawn and find all these things already done for me. How many trades (i.e. tradesmen) are anxious and rise early! But I arise at dawn and I find all these already done for me.
And so Ben Zoma used to say: “What does a good guest say? Remember the landlord for good! How many kinds of wine hath he brought before us! How many kinds of portions of meat hath he brought before us! How many kinds of fine bread hath he brought before us! All that he did, he did only for my sake. But what does an evil guest say? Well, what have I eaten of his? One bit of bread have I eaten of his; one portion of meat have I eaten of his; one cup have I drunk of his; all that he did, he did only for the sake of his wife and his children. And so it says ”Remember that thou magnify His work, whereof men have sung." [3]
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M. IX. 2. At [4] shooting stars, [5] and at earthquakes, and at lightnings, and at thunder, and at wind(s), one says: “Blessed be He whose power filleth the world.” At mountains and hills, at seas and rivers and at deserts, he says: “Blessed be the Maker of the works of creation.” R. Judah says: He who sees the Great Sea [6] says: “Blessed be He who made the Great Sea.” [This he says] when he sees it at intervals. [7] At rains, and at good tidings, he says: “Blessed be the Good and the Doer of good,” and at ill reports he says “Blessed be He who judgeth in truth.”
T. VII. 1. The Benediction in the invitation [8] is derived from the Law, for it is said: “And thou shalt eat and be full, and thou shalt bless” [9]—this is the Benediction in the invitation; “the LORD thy God”—this is the first Benediction; “for the. . . land”—this is the Benediction for the land; “good” this is [the Benediction for] Jerusalem; and so it says: “this goodly mountain, and Lebanon.” [10] “Which he hath given thee,” [11]—this is [the Benediction] “who art Good and doest good.” Whence do we learn that just as thou blessest Him after it (i.e. the meal), so thou blessest Him before it? It is expressly said: “which he gave thee,” i.e. from the [ p. 77 ] time that He is giving it thee and whence [do we learn that we bless Him] even for the mountains and for the hills? [12] It is expressly said: “for the land.” Whence even for the Law and even for the commandments? It is expressly said: “Who gave thee,” and in another place he says: “And I will give thee the tables of stone.” [13] R. Meir says: Whence [do we learn that] just as thou sayest a Benediction over what is good, so thou sayest a Benediction over what is evil. It is expressly said: “Which the LORD thy God gave thee,” [14]—“thy God” means “thy Judge,” in every judgment which He adjudges thee, whether for good or for punishment.
3. He who sees a negro, or a man with red spots, or one with white spots, or a humpback, or a dwarf, says: “Blessed be He who makes creatures different.” [He who sees] one who has lost a limb, or a lame man, or a blind man, or one afflicted with boils, says: “Blessed be He that judgeth in truth.”
4. If one sees beautiful persons and beautiful trees he says: “Blessed be He who has beautiful creatures thus in His world.” [15]
5. He who sees the bow in the cloud says: “Blessed be He who is faithful in His. covenant, remembering the covenant.” [16]
6. If one walks in a burial-ground one says: “Blessed be He who knows the number of you all; He will judge you; He will raise you up; Blessed be He who is faithful in His word, restoring the dead to life.”
He who sees the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the planets, says: “Blessed be He who maketh the things of Creation.” R. Judah says: [ p. 78 ] He who says a Benediction over the sun—lo, this is another way. [17] And so R. Judah used to say: “He who seeth the sea continually, and any change takes place in it, must say a Benediction.” [18]
M… IX. 3. If a man has built a new house, or bought new tools, [19] he says: “Blessed be He who has allowed us to reach this time.” [20]
4. (3 cont.). One utters over evil the abstract for good, and over good the abstract [21] for evil [22] He that calleth out for what is already past—lo, this is a prayer in vain.
5. (3 cont.). How so? If his wife is with child and he says: “May it be Thy pleasure that my wife bears a male child”—lo, this is a prayer in vain. [23] Or if he is on a journey, and hears shrieks in the city, and says: “May it be Thy pleasure that these be not in my house”—lo, this is a prayer in vain. [24]
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T.
T. VII. 7. R. Meir used to say: Behold, it says, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart,” [25] etc.—with thy two natures, with thy good nature and with thy evil nature. “With all thy soul,”—even when He takes away thy soul. Another explanation is: “With all thy soul,” with [26] the soul which He created in thee, for it is said: “Let my soul live, and it shall praise Thee.” [27] And it says: “All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto Thee?” [28] Ben Azzai says: “With all thy soul,”—Give thy soul to His commandments. There are words which are foolish prayers. [29] How so? A man gathers a hundred kors, [30] and says, May it be Thy good pleasure that they be two hundred. A man collects a hundred flasks [31] and says: May it be Thy good pleasure that they be two hundred. Behold this is a prayer in vain. But he ought to pray that a blessing be gathered with them, and not a curse.
8. R. Dosethai bar Jannai, [32] says in the name of R. Meir: Behold, He saith in [the passage about] Isaac: [33] “And I will bless thee, and will multiply thy seed.” [34] Isaac expounded the words and said: Seeing that no blessing rests on one save by the work of one’s hands—he arose and sowed. [35] For [ p. 80 ] it is said: “And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in that year a hundred measures,” etc., and a hundred quantities. [36] A hundred measures, for they measured them a hundred times, for each one there was a hundred in what they measured. [37]
9. He who performs any commandment must say a Benediction. He who makes himself a sukkah [38] says: “Blessed be He who enabled us to reach this season.” [39] When he enters in to dwell in it he says: “Blessed be He who sanctified us by His commandments, and commanded us to dwell in a sukkah.” And when he has said the Benediction over it on the first day, he need not say the Benediction again.
10. He that makes himself a Lulab [40] says: “Blessed be He who brought us to this time,” and when he takes it up he says: “Blessed be He who sanctified us by His commandments, and commanded us concerning the taking up of the Lulab,” and he must say the Benediction over it, all the seven days (of the Festival).
He that makes for himself Tsitsith [41] says: “Blessed be He who brought us to this time,” when he wraps himself in (the shawl on which they are) he says: “to wrap oneself in Tsitsith.”
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T.
He that makes for himself Tephillin [42] says: “Blessed be he who brought us to this time,” and when he lays them [43] he says: “Who sanctified us by His commandments, and commanded us to lay Tephillin.” When does he begin to lay them? At dawn. If he has not laid them at dawn, he lays them at any time in the day.
11. He who kills an animal for food [44] needs a Benediction for himself. He says: “Who sanctified us by His commandments, and commanded us concerning slaughter.”
He who covers blood needs a Benediction for himself concerning the covering of blood.
12. He who performs the ceremony of circumcision [45] needs a Benediction for himself. He says: “Who sanctified us by His commandments, and commanded us concerning circumcision.”
The father of the boy needs a Benediction for himself: “Blessed be He who sanctified us by His commandments, and commanded us to make him enter into the covenant of Abraham our father.”
And they that stand by say: “As Thou hast made him enter the covenant, so mayest Thou make him enter the law and the marriage canopy.”
13. He who says the Benediction [46] says: “He who sanctified the beloved [47] from the womb set a statute in his flesh; his offspring did He seal [48] with the sign of the holy covenant. Therefore in reward for this did the living God, our Portion and our [ p. 82 ] Rock, give commandment to deliver [49] the beloved of our race for the sake of His covenant which He set in our flesh. Blessed be He who maketh the covenant!” [50]
14. He who makes a journey to separate Contributions [51] and Tithes says: “Blessed be He who sanctified us to separate Contribution and Tithes.” When does he begin to say the Benediction over them? At the moment that he separates them.
15. In the case of ten persons who are performing ten religious duties, each single person says a Benediction for himself. If all of them are performing one religious duty, one says the Benediction for them all. A single person who performs ten religious duties says a Benediction over each one. If he is performing one religious duty, the whole day, he says the Benediction only once. If he leaves off and then goes on performing it, he says one over each single time [that he begins afresh].
M.IX. 6 (4). He that enters into a town prays two prayers—one on his entrance, and one on his exit. 4 Ben Azzai [52] says: Four, two on his entrance, and two on his exit. And one gives praise for [ p. 83 ] what is past, and calleth out for what is about to come. [53]
T.
T. VII. 16. He that entereth into a town prays two prayers, one on his entrance and one on his exit. Ben Azzai says, Four; two on his entrance and two on his exit. What does he say on his entrance? “May it be pleasing before Thee, O LORD our God, that Thou wilt cause me to enter this town in peace.” If he has entered in peace he says: “I acknowledge [54] before Thee that Thou hast caused me to enter in peace. May it be pleasing before Thee, O LORD my God, that Thou wilt bring me out of this town in peace.” If he has gone out in peace he says: “I acknowledge before Thee, O LORD my God, that Thou hast brought me out of this town in peace, and even as Thou hast brought me out in peace so mayest Thou cause me to walk in peace and mayest uphold me in peace until I reach my home in peace.”
17. He that entereth into a [public] bath [55] prays two prayers, one when he enters and one when he goes out. When he enters he says: "May it be pleasing before Thee, O LORD my God, that Thou wilt cause me to enter in peace, and wilt bring me out in peace And let no mischief happen to me, [56] and if any mischief happen to me let my death be [ p. 84 ] an atonement [57] for all my iniquities, and deliver Thou me from this and all like it in the future that is to come.“ [58] If he has gone out in peace he says: ”I acknowledge before Thee, O LORD my God, that Thou hast brought me out in peace. Even so may it be pleasing before Thee, [59] O LORD my God, that I may come to my home in peace.”
18. R. Judah says: There are three Benedictions which one must say every day: “Blessed be He who did not make me a Gentile”; “Blessed be He who did not make me a woman”; “Blessed be He who did not make me an uneducated man.” [60] Blessed be He who did not make me a Gentile—“All the nations (Gentiles) are as nothing before Him.” [61] Blessed be He who did not make me a woman—for a woman is under no obligation to keep the commandments. [62] Blessed be He who did not make me an uneducated person—for no uneducated person fears sin. [63]
They say in parables, To what is the matter like? To a king of flesh and blood who told his servant to boil him some broth, though he had never boiled him broth in his life. The result was he burnt the broth and provoked his master. [He told him] to make him a fold to his shirt, though he had never made him a fold to a shirt in his life.
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The result was that he soiled the shirt, and T. provoked his master. [64]
M.IX. 7 (5a). A man is under “obligation to say a Benediction for evil just as he does for good. For it is said: ”And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all Mine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.“ [65] ”With all Mine heart“— with thy two natures, [66] with thy good nature and with thy evil nature. ”And with all thy soul“—even if He taketh away thy soul (life). ”And with all thy might“—with all thy wealth. [67] Another explanation is: ”With all thy might (m’odeka)"—With every single quality (middah) that He measures (môdēd) out to thee, in all [ever] acknowledge (môdeh) Him very exceedingly (bm’ôd m’ôd). [68]
8_a_ (5_b_). A man must not behave irreverently when opposite the eastern gate, [69] for it is set opposite the Most Holy Sanctuary. He must not enter the Temple area with his staff, and his
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M.shoe(s), 1 and with his purse, and with the dust on his feet. 2 Nor should he make it a short cut, 3 much less spit there. What of wearing shoes? For this is out of respect; it is forbidden to enter with them. And spitting? For this comes from contempt. It is the regulation. 4
T.
T. VII. 19. A man may not enter the Temple area with money tied up in his linen cloth, 5 or with dust which is on his feet, or with his money-bag tied to him on the outside [of his dress]. For it is said: “Keep thy feet when thou goest to the house of God.” 6 R. Jose, son of R. Judah, says: Behold, He says: “For none might enter within the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.” 7 How many arguments from the less to the greater are there in this case! And so spitting (is forbidden) by the same argument. For as with a shoe, in connexion with which there is no customary contempt, the Law says: 8 Do not enter in—with a shoe, how much less with spitting in which there is customary contempt.
M.IX. 8_b_ (5_c_). All the “seals” [70] of the Benedictions which were in the Temple were [i.e. were closed [ p. 87 ] with] “from ever.” [71] (But) from the time that the Heretics [72] spoiled things, and said, “There is no world save one,” they ordered that [men] should say: “from ever to ever.” [73]
T. VII. 21. All the “seals” of the Benedictions which were said in the Temple were “to everlasting.” From the time that the Heretics [minim] spoiled things, and said, There is no world save one, they ordained that men should say, “from everlasting and to everlasting,” and [so] acknowledge that this world is when compared to the world to come only like the vestibule in front of the dining-hall. [74]
22. They did not answer “Amen” in the Temple. And whence do we know that they did not answer “Amen” in the Temple? Because it is said: “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from ever to ever;” [75] and it says [then] “And let them bless thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise,” above every single Blessing and above every single [ascription of] praise. [76]
20. He that openeth [his Benediction] with Yôd, Hê, [77] and closeth [78] with Yôd, Hê—behold, this is a wise man, [He that openeth] with the Aleph but [ p. 88 ] not with Daleth, [79] and closeth with Yôd, Hê—behold, this is a middling man. [He that openeth] with Yôd, Hê, and closeth with Aleph but not with Daleth—behold, this is an uneducated man. [He that openeth] with Aleph but not with Daleth, and closeth with Aleph but not with Daleth—behold, this is another Way [altogether]. [80]
M.IX. 8_c_ (5_d_). And they ordered that a man should salute his companion in the Name. [81] For it is said: “And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers: The LORD be with you, and they said to him: The LORD bless thee.” [82] And it says: “The LORD be with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” [83] And it says: “Despise not thy mother when she is old.” [84]° And it says: “It is time to work for the LORD; they have made thy law void.” [85] R. Nathan says: They break Thy law, at a time when they work for the LORD. [86]
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T.
T. VII. 23. In ancient times when the Law was being forgotten of Israel the elders used to dry-nurse it them, [87] for it is said: “And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you,” [88] and it says: “The LORD be with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” [89]
24. Hillel the Elder [90] says: At a time when men gather do thou scatter, and at a time when men scatter do thou gather. [That means] At a time when thou seest that the Law is precious to Israel, and all rejoice in it, do thou be scattering with it. [91] For it is said: “There is that scattereth, and increaseth yet more.” [92] And at a time when thou seest that the Law is forgotten of Israel, and none pay attention to it, do thou be gathering in it. [93] For it is said: “It is time to work for the LORD; [when] they have made thy law void.” [94] R. Meir used to say: “They have made thy law void, therefore it is time for the LORD to work.” [95]
R. Meir used to say: Thou hast no man in Israel who is not performing a hundred commandments every day. He recites the Shma‘; he says Benedictions before it and after it; he eats his bread, and says a Benediction before it and after it; he prays the Eighteen Benedictions three times, and he does the rest of all the commandments and says Benedictions over them.
25. And so R. Meir used to say: Thou hast no man in Israel whom the commandments [96] do not [ p. 90 ] surround. Tephillin are on his head; and Tephillin on his arm; and a Mezuzah on his door; and four Tsitsith surround him. And concerning them said David: “With seven a day do I praise thee, because of thy righteous judgments.” [97] When he entered into the public bath, circumcision was on his flesh, for it is said: “For the Chief Musician; set to the Eighth. A Psalm of David.” [98] And it says, “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” [99]
| M. VIII. 1; T. VI. 1, III. 8. Points in Dispute between the Schools of Shammai and Hillel: The Order of the Benedictions | Title page | I. The Names of Rabbis |
74:5 in which miracles were wrought for Israel, e.g. “the fords of the Red Sea, the streams of Arnon, the fords of Jordan, and the stone on which Moses sat when he made war with Amalek, and the like” (Bartenora). These and others are mentioned in the Gemara, T.B. 54. ↩︎
75:1 hosts (ὄχλος). Israelites, Gemara T.B. 58a. ↩︎
75:2 alike. Yet God knows each. ↩︎
75:3 Job 3624. For God is the landlord, who has provided all, ↩︎
76:1 SA, pp. 291 sq., has similar, but not quite identical, forms. Cf. Abrahams’ notes. ↩︎
76:2 shooting stars, or, “comets.” ↩︎
76:3 the Great Sea. The Mediterranean. ↩︎
76:4 at intervals. Cf. T. VII. 6 (p. 78). At intervals of thirty days (Bartenora), thus excluding persons who live on the coast. ↩︎
76:6 Deut. 810. ↩︎
76:7 Deut. 325. ↩︎
76:8 Deut. 810. ↩︎
77:1 for the mountains and for the hills. i.e. on seeing them. ↩︎
77:2 Exod. 2412. ↩︎
77:3 the LORD thy God gave thee. This is the sense of Deut. 810, but verbally the quotation is found in 2611, where it refers to “good,” and also in 2853, where it refers to punishment. ↩︎
77:4 The common text has, “who created beautiful creatures.” ↩︎
77:5 remembering the covenant. His faithfulness is seen in His remembering it. The reference is to Gen. 915. ↩︎
78:1 another way. For this common use of “way” in the sense of manner of life ordered by religion, and so religion itself, cf. Acts 92, 199-23, 224, 2422, and the all—comprehensive John 146. Even the word Halaka is properly, we may suppose, “method of walk.” ↩︎
78:3 tools. The word includes vessels and implements of all kinds. ↩︎
78:4 has, “who has given us life, and has established us, and has allowed us to reach this time.”—A service for the consecration of a house is given in SA, pp. 300-303, but the formula here quoted is on p. ccxix. Abrahams, in his note, says it is “prescribed for use on the enjoyment of a new possession or pleasure for the first time.” ↩︎
78:6 for good . . . for evil, SA, p. 292. ↩︎
78:7 a prayer in vain. Yet the Rule is that such a prayer may be made until the 40th day after conception (T.B. 60a). ↩︎
78:8 Because in each case the fact is already fixed. ↩︎
79:1 Deut. 65. ↩︎
79:2 with. Laible takes this as “for,” which may be right. ↩︎
79:3 Ps. 119175. ↩︎
79:4 Ps. 3510. ↩︎
79:5 foolish prayers. Cf. M. ↩︎
79:6 kors. The kor was a dry measure equivalent to a homer, about 80 gallons. ↩︎
79:7 flasks (chabiyoth). Earthen vessels used, in this case, for holding wine; of no fixed size. ↩︎
79:8 R. Dosethai bar Jannai. In the fourth generation of mishna-teachers, c. 160-200 A.D. ↩︎
79:9 in [the passage about] Isaac. Cf. Mark 1226 “in [the place concerning] the Bush;” and perhaps Rom. 112 “in Elijah.” Vide supra, p. 36. ↩︎
79:10 Verbally in Gen. 2624, but essentially in vv. 3, sq., which makes it easier for ver. 12 to be quoted immediately. But in any case “there is no before nor after in the Law” (T. B. Pesachim, 6b). ↩︎
79:11 he arose and sowed. For the anacoluthon Laible compares Matt. 96. ↩︎
80:1 a hundred quantities. Zuckermandel’s text has “kinds” (minim), but read minyanim, with the Breshith Rabba, § 64, on Gen. 2612. ↩︎
80:2 in what they measured. Rashi on Gen, 2612 says, “For they valued it (the land), how much it was likely to produce, and it produced a hundred for each one they valued it.” ↩︎
80:3 a sukkah. Every Jew must observe the Feast of Tabernacles by making, and, as far as possible, living in, a booth, i.e. a structure of which the essential part is the roof. This is made of branches which must not be so closely interwoven as to prevent three stars being seen through it. ↩︎
80:4 who enabled us to reach this season. These are the closing words of the meditation given in SA, p. 232, which also includes the next prayer. ↩︎
81:2 lays them. i.e. binds them on head or arm. ↩︎
81:3 He who kills an animal for food. The Hebrew word is ha-shôchēt. ↩︎
81:4 circumcision. The service may be found in SA, pp. 304 sq., where the prayers here mentioned are incorporated. ↩︎
81:5 He who says the Benediction. In SA, p. 304, the Mohel himself, i.e. he who circumcises the child. The following prayer is on p. 305. ↩︎
81:6 the beloved. Isaac, Gen. 222, “thine only son,” R.V. ↩︎
81:7 seal. Cf. Rom. 411. ↩︎
82:1 to deliver. The Vienna MS., the common text, and T. J. IX. 4 (3), p. 14a bottom, add “from the pit.” And so T. B. Sabb. 137b, where Rashi explains, “from Gehenna,” for no circumcised person stays in Gehenna always. ↩︎
82:2 The common text adds Benedictions to be used at the circumcision of proselytes and slaves, taken from T. B. Sabb. 137b. ↩︎
82:4 The prayers are given in T. ↩︎
82:5 Ben Azzai. Simeon ben Azzai (a shortened form of Azariah) was one of the famous four, Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Elisha ben Abujah, and Agiba (c. 110-135). ↩︎
83:1 for what is past . . . for what is about to come. i.e. the substance of his two prayers both on entering and on leaving. They are thus four in all. ↩︎
83:2 I acknowledge (môdeh ani). i.e. in open thankfulness and praise. Cf. ἐξομολογεῖσθαι Matt. 1125; Luke 1021; Rom. 1411, 159. ↩︎
83:3 a [public] bath. It was dangerous more especially because of its elaborate heating apparatus. ↩︎
83:4 happen to me (ye’ra‘ bî). Jastrow (p. 1382b) translates the parallel passage in the Gemara, T. B. 60a, “that no mischief or sin may occur through me,” but the immediate reference to death seems to preclude this. ↩︎
84:1 let my death be an atonement, cf. supra, p. 13. Cf. Yoma VIII. 8: “Death and the Day of Atonement make atonement, with repentance.” ↩︎
84:2 all like it, in the future that is to come. i.e. the fire of Gehenna. ↩︎
84:3 even so . . . before Thee. Cf. Matt. 1126; Luke 1021. ↩︎
84:4 an uneducated man (bôr). The first two of these Benedictions are in SA, pp. 5 sq., but for the third is given, “Who hast not made me a bondman.” ↩︎
84:5 Isa. 4017. ↩︎
84:6 the commandments. i.e. the many religious duties, not the fundamental duties towards God and man. ↩︎
84:7 no uneducated person fears sin. How can he, in Rabbinic opinion, for he has no accurate knowledge of what constitutes sin? ↩︎
85:1 provoked his master. The point of the parable is, that less is expected from a Gentile, a woman, and an uneducated person. They are all ignorant of the specific religious duties. ↩︎
85:2 Deut. 65. ↩︎
85:3 thy two natures. See Oesterley, The Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, p. 25. ↩︎
85:4 wealth. The word used is mamon (Matt. 624). ↩︎
85:5 A singularly full example of the play on words so beloved of Rabbinic writers, who, however, do not regard it merely as “play,” but as the legitimate result of the fulness of meaning inherent in Scriptures inspired to every letter. ↩︎
86:8 the Law says. i.e. in Eccles. 51. For the application of the term “the Law” to the Hagiographa, cf. John 1034, referring to Ps. 826. ↩︎
86:9 All the “seals.” So C, kol chôtham. But this should perhaps be emended to the usual text kol chôthme, which may be read as “all the seals,” or “all who sealed.” See the next note. ↩︎
87:1 “from ever.” C reads hāyu min ha‘ôlām, literally, “were from ever” or “from the world.” But B has hāyu ’omrīm ‘ad ha‘ôlām, “all they who sealed the Benedictions which were in the Temple used to say ‘for ever.’” Probably, however, T. VII. 21 is right in reading only ‘ad, “to,” instead of min, “from.” ↩︎
87:2 the Heretics (ha Minim). Here plainly not the Hebrew-Christians, for these never denied the existence of the next world. Cf. pp. 40 sq., 42. ↩︎
87:3 from ever to ever. Literally, “from the world and even to the world.” Yet in Neh. 95 we find said in the Second Temple, “Arise, bless the LORD your God from ever to ever.” For other references see Dalman, Worte, pp. 123 sq. (E. T. p. 151). ↩︎
87:4 the vestibule. Cf. Aboth, IV. 21(23). ↩︎
87:5 Neh. 95. ↩︎
87:6 No mention is made of “Amen.” ↩︎
87:7 Yôd, Hê. The first and last letters of YHWH. ↩︎
87:8 closeth. Literally, “sealeth.” ↩︎
88:1 not with Daleth. Laible explains that instead of beginning with Adonai (which stands for YHWH), he begins with Elohim. ↩︎
88:2 He mentions Elohim twice, suggesting that there is more than one God. ↩︎
88:3 the Name. The following examples suggest that this was the Tetragrammaton. But if so the regulation must be very early. ↩︎
88:4 Ruth 24. ↩︎
88:5 Judges 612. ↩︎
88:6 Prov. 2322. For “thy mother” (’imka) C reads ‘imka “with thee,” as immediately before, or, more probably, ‘amka “thy people” i.e. thy elders, representing thy people. In any case this is the recognized explanation of “thy mother.” Cf. Hos. ii. 2. ↩︎
88:7 Ps. 119126. ↩︎
88:8 R. Nathan’s interpretation is that zeal in God’s service causes infraction of part of His Law. Here the meaning appears to be that zealous greeting of one’s companions leads to a use of the Holy Name which in ordinary cases is wrong. B reads “They break Thy law, because it is time to work for the LORD,” i.e. to work for the LORD sometimes requires the infraction of the words of the Law. It seems only to express the meaning of C more definitely. ↩︎
89:1 used to dry-nurse it them. Literally, “used to cause them to swallow it”; i.e. they taught people truths without their being aware that they were being taught. ↩︎
89:2 Ruth 24. ↩︎
89:3 Judges 612. Again the central truth of the Law is implied. ↩︎
89:5 When men come in to listen, do thou teach. ↩︎
89:6 Prov. 1124. ↩︎
89:7 When none regard it, do thou learn from it. ↩︎
89:8 Ps. 119126. ↩︎
89:9 or the LORD to work. That is, in anger. ↩︎
89:10 whom the commandments. The ordinary text reads “whom seven commandments,” and this seems necessary. ↩︎
90:1 Ps. 119164. Cf. the Yalqut on that verse, and on Ps. 61 (§ 633). ↩︎
90:2 Ps. 121. Circumcision made an eighth commandment. Besides it was generally performed on the eighth day. ↩︎