the reply, who was equal to his whole generation. Bereshith Rabbah on Canticles, i. 15.

e. He once playfully remarked to Rabbi Cheyah, that he would readily grant any favour to his friends, except that of resigning the patriarchate, in the same way as the sons of Bethairah had done, to make room for his ancestor Hillel. But, added he, I would rise to-day in the presence of Rav Hunah, the Head of the Captivity in Babylon, if he were here; for he is a Judæan, and I am a Benjamite, being only descended from Judah on my mother's side. Why, exclaimed Rabbi Cheyah, here is Rav Hunah actually waiting for admission outside. The patriarch changed colour. But when he found that Rabbi Cheyah had only played with him, he sent him away, and for thirty days did not again admit him into his presence. Bereshith Rabbah on Canticles, Sec. 33. For other incidents in the life and teaching of Rabbi, consult the Index.

6.

"And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted?" (De. xx. 8.) Rabbi Akiva says: That means simply, that he cannot stand in martial array, and bear the sight of a drawn sword. Soteh, fol. 44, col. 1.

7. In 1 Sa. xxv. 44, the second husband of David's undivorced wife is called Phalti; and in 2 Sa. iii. 15, he is called Phaltiel. Rabbi Yochanan said: His name received that extension to indicate, that God had saved him from transgression, He fixed, namely, a sword between himself and her, threatening to run it through the body of either, who should first attempt forbidden indulgence. Sanhedrin, fol. 19, col. 2.

9. Capital punishment, when inflicted upon non-Israelites, is only by the sword. Sanhedrin, fol. 56, col. 1.

10. When "Phineas . . saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand." (Nu. xxv. 7.) Evidently it is not allowed to wear arms in the academy. When "Moses said unto the judges of Israel: Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor" (Nu. xxv. 5), the tribe of Simeon repaired to Zimri the son of Salu, and asked him, how he could sit quietly, whilst Moses and the judges were disposing of their lives? He at once assembled twenty-four thousand men, and went to Cozbi, and asked her to abandon herself to him. I am the daughter of a king, she replied, and I am commanded by him to yield only to the greatest among you. Seizing her by the hair, he cried, whilst dragging her to Moses: He also is no more than the head of his tribe, and what is more, my tribe has the seniority of his. When in the presence of Moses, he exclaimed: Son of Amram! may I have this woman, or not? If not, then who has permitted thee to take the daughter of Jethro ? Moses was puzzled, having forgotten the halachah with reference to this point; and hence " they were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." (Nu. xxv. 6.) Granduncle! cried Phineas, who happened to be present, didst thou not teach me when thou camest down from Mount Sinai, that men of zeal should inflict punishment upon one, who commits fornication with an idolatrous woman (because there is no express law forbidding it)? As thou hast reminded me of the halachah, said Moses, be thou the executioner thereof. Taking off the iron head from the javelin, and concealing it in his sleeve (uncali, aykàλn), he went leaning upon

the stick to avoid suspicion, till he reached the camp of the tribe of Simeon, and asked for admission into Zimri's tent, as one who wished to follow his example. The ruse succeeded, and six miracles were performed on that occasion. Zimri did not, on seeing Phineas, separate; in which case Phineas would not have been justified in killing him. Zimri did not cry out for help. He run his javelin The pair did not slide off the javelin, so that every one could see, that they had committed a capital offence. The door-posts were raised spontaneously to admit of their egress; and he struck them down before the Lord, saying: Shall for such as these fall twenty-four thousand of Israel? Hence it is said (Ps. cvi. 30): "Phineas stood up, and pleaded, "." Rav said: Four hundred and twenty-four by did that wicked man complete on that day,

.בזכרותו ובנקבותה just

Rav Cahana

.כביצה המוזרת והיא היתה כערוגה מליאה מים until he was -etc. San,רחם שלה אמה : Rav Yoseph says ומושבה בית סאה : adds

hedrin, fol. 82, col. 1.

T. N. About the character of these Rabbis, see page 122, Note 9. And yet these men are either ignorantly, or unblushingly, held up as morally superior, or, at least equal, to the Apostles and Evangelists!

11. "And the yoke shall be destroyed because of the oil." (Is. x. 27.) Rav Yitzchak the smith explains this to mean, that the Assyrian yoke was destroyed by reason of the oil, which Hezekiah kept burning in the houses of study and prayer, for the use of the students and worshippers. He fixed a sword at the entrance to the houses of study, and threatened to run it through the body of any man, who did not engage in the study of the Law. On the closest search, not one amhaaretz, Dy, could be discovered between Dan and Beer-sheba; and from Gabbatha to Antiparis (Antipatris!), not a male, or a female child, not a man, or a woman could be found, who was not familiar with the halachoth respecting ceremonial cleanliness. Sanhedrin, fol. 94, col. 2.

12. Cities of refuge must not be either too small, and therefore badly provisioned, or too large, where the avenger of the blood may easily conceal himself, but of middling size. They must be abundantly supplied with water, either naturally or artificially conveyed, with markets, and surrounded with populous villages (ochlus, oxos), who might give information of the possible approach of the avenger with his retinue. Nor may the trade in weapons be carried on within them. Maccoth, fol. 10, col. 1.

CHAPTER IV.

VERSE 2.

And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

1.

SYNOPTICAL NOTES.

WORK, HANDICRAFT, AND TRADE.

Greater is he that maintains himself by his own labour than he that fears the Lord; for of the latter it is said (Ps. cxii. 1): “Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord;" but of the former it is said (Ps. cxxviii. 2): "If thou shalt eat the labour of thine hand, happy shalt thou be" in this world, "and it shall be well with thee" in the world to come. Berachoth, fol. 8, col. 1.

2. With reference to the firstfruits, those that lived near Jerusalem brought green figs and grapes, and those that lived at a distance brought dried figs and raisins. A bullock with gilt horns, and a crown of olive leaves upon his head, was led in front of the procession, preceded by the sound of a flute. Arrived at the last stage before Jerusalem, the procession halted, and the people laid out their firstfruits in a tasteful manner. Meanwhile a messenger was despatched to the city to announce their arrival, and, according to their number, a larger or a smaller deputation of Temple officials came out to bid them welcome. As the procession moved along the streets, all the different craftsmen, rising to their feet, called out: Brethren, men of such and such a place, you are welcome. When they had reached the Temple mount, even king Agrippa raised his basket to his shoulder, and proceeded to the antecourt, where the Levites struck up: "I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up," etc. (Ps. xxx.) Biccurim, chap. iii. Mishnahs 3, 4.

3. There are forty different works save one, which constitute the first category, and which, if performed inadvertently on the Sabbath, require a sin-offering for each: Sowing, ploughing, reaping, binding into sheaves, thrashing, winnowing, removing husks with the hands or with a sieve, kneading, baking, shearing, bleaching, carding wool, dying it, spinning, weaving, making two holes for the insertion of threads (nir, vevpa), twisting two threads, shortening two threads, knotting, solving, making two stitches, tearing away for the purpose of making two stitches, hunting a stag, slaying, flaying, salting, tanning, removing its hair, cutting it up, writing two letters, erasing for the purpose of writing two letters, building, pulling down, extinguishing, lighting a fire, hammering, removing from one plot to

another. All these works were carried on in the building and arranging of the Tabernacle, which had to be suspended on the Sabbath-day. (See Ex. xxxv. 1-4, ff.) Shabbath, fol. 73, col. 1.

4. The public is bound to perform the work of a disciple of the wise, who leaves his business and devotes his time to matters of a heavenly kind. Shabbath, fol. 114, col. 1.

6. He that performs any work on the eve of the Sabbath, and annual festivals, from the time of the meat offerings (or the prayer now offered as a substitute, that is, 3.30 p.m.), never sees a token of blessing. Psachim, fol. 50, col. 2.

7. The following are not allowed to a mourner: Work, bathing, anointing, non own, the use of sandals, reading the Law, the Prophets and the Hagiographa, studying the Mishnah, the Midrash, Halachoth, and Haggadoth. But if the public are benefited by his doing so, he is permitted. Moed-katon, fol. 21, col. 1.

8. Tradition records in the name of Rabbi Yehudah (second century): Whoever has not seen the twofold gallery (diuplustin, diλO σTоa) in Alexandria of Egypt, has not seen the glory of Israel. They say It was something like a large colonnade (basilki, Baoiλun) with porches within porches, and accomodating sometimes double the number of those that had followed Moses out of Egypt. There were seventyone chairs (cathedraoth) arranged in it, for the seventy-one members of the larger Sanhedrin, each chair of no less value than twenty-one myriad talents of gold. A dais (bima, ẞnua) was in the middle, upon which was stationed the public officer holding a napkin (sudor) in his hand. At the end of each benediction pronounced by the reader, who could not be heard by such a vast multitude, he waved the napkin, and they all answered, Amen. The people were seated by guilds, goldsmiths, silversmiths, blacksmiths, embroiderers, and weavers. And when a poor man came in, he knew at once his fellow craftsmen; he applied to them for work, and obtained his livelihood. All these, adds Abaii (several centuries later), were massacred by Alexander the Macedonian. Rashi (twelfth century) says, they were the descendants of the colony, led by Johanan the son of Kareah into Egypt, some of whom had survived the Babylonian invasion. Je. xliii. Sucah, fol. 51. col. 2.

9. Rabbi Elazer (second century) said: A man who does not own a piece of land, is not included in the species homo; for it is said (Ps.` cxv. 16): The heavens, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.”

66

The same Rabbi Elazer said: There can be no worse occupation than agriculture. He once observed a field ploughed up latitudinally. Plough it again, said he, longwise also, and you will still find commerce more profitable.

Rav (third century), noticing the ears of corn, as they were fanned by the breeze, said: All the fanning in the world will not render you so remunerative as commerce.

Rava (fourth century) said: A hundred zouz (the same as denar with the image of Zeus upon it) employed in commerce, enables one to dine every day on flesh meat and wine; but the same amount of money invested in agriculture, will supply only mallows and unripe vegetables, the bare ground for a bed, and quarrelsome neighbours.

Rav Papa said: Sow thy own corn for home consumption rather than buy it; for although there may be no immediate saving in the outlay, a blessing rests on the former; it goes a greater way. Sell thy bed-clothes (bistraki, vestis stragula) and engage in commerce with the proceeds, before thou art reduced to poverty; but do not, on any account, sell thy upper garment. Stop up a hole in the wall, but do not rebuild the affected part. Rebuild that part, if necessary, but not the whole; for building impoverishes. Do not hesitate to sell thy land, but reflect before thou takest a wife. Descend a step in choosing a wife, but ascend one in selecting a friend. Yevamoth, fol. 63, col. 1. 10. In the period of her separation, the wife continues to perform all the work she is bound to do for her husband; but she may not fill his bowl, spread his couch, wash his face, hands, or feet. Kethuboth, fol. 4, col. 2.

11. No workmen, who are paid for their time (see Tosephoth in loco), are allowed, whilst at work, to rise in the presence of disciples of the wise. Kiddushin, fol. 33, col. 1.

12. Those whose occupations bring them into frequent contact with women, may not be alone with any number of them. A man may not teach his son a trade, which belongs to women. Rabbi Meir says: A man should always teach his son an easy and cleanly trade, and pray for his prosperity to Him, to whom riches and substance belong. For there is no trade, which is not represented by poor and rich people, though neither riches nor poverty are due to the trade, but to merit, or the want of it. Rabbi Shimon (latter half of second century) said: Hast thou ever seen a beast, or a fowl, engaging in trade? and yet they have no trouble in securing a livelihood. These exist only to serve me, whereas I exist to serve my Creator. How much less trouble, then, should I experience in obtaining a livelihood. But my deeds being evil, they interfere with my sustenance. (Compare Mat. vii. 25-34.)

The majority of donkey drivers are wicked men; the camel drivers are mostly virtuous men, being humbled by the dangers they encounter in the desert. The majority of sailors are holy men, by reason of their exposure to still greater risks. The best of physicians is destined to hell, and the most virtuous of butchers is the companion of Amalek.

Rabbi Nehoraee said: I leave all trades in the world, and teach my son the Law only; for the interest thereof sustains a man in this world, and the capital is reserved for the world to come. Besides, no other trade will, like the study of the Law, keep a man in illness and old age.

T. N. The following extract from the Talmud is embodied in the Morning Prayer: These are the acts, of which a man enjoys the fruits in this world, whilst the substantial reward is reserved for the world to come: Honouring father and mother, the exercise of lovingkindness, diligent attendance at the debating room both morning and evening, hospitality, visiting the sick, ministering to bridal necessities, funeral attendance, devotional exercises, the promotion of peace, but the study of the Law outweighs them all.

The Post-Mishnic Rabbis have taught: Those whose occupation brings them into frequent contact with women, are morally depraved;