what size? Rabbi Meir says: Of the size of a nut. Rabbi Yehudah says: The size of an egg. Sucah, fol. 36, col. 2.

7. He that instructs a morally unqualified disciple, throws, as it were, a stone at Markolis (Mercurius, which is the way that idol is worshipped); for it is said (Pr. xxvi. 8): "As he that puts a stone in a heap of stones (performs an act of idolatrous worship), so is he that giveth honour to a fool" (idol). Chulin, fol. 133, col. 1.

9. There was an Iuquiry Stone at Jerusalem, whither all those who lost and found articles of value repaired. The latter announced, that they had found something, and the former stated what they had lost, and having given proof of their ownership, received the lost property. Bava-metzia, fol. 28, col. 2.

13, "And Elisha came to Damascus." (2 Ki. viii. 7.) For what purpose? Rabbi Yochanan said: He went there to induce Gehazi to repent. The latter, however, replied: I have it in the way of tradition from thyself, that whoever sins, and causes the multitude to sin, is not encouraged to repent. What had he done? He attached a magnetic stone to the calf of Jeroboam, which kept it suspended betwen heaven and earth. Some say: He engraved a mysterious name upon its mouth, which enabled it to repeat the first commandment. Soteh, fol. 47, col. 1.

Rav

14. "And he took the crown of Milchom (the abomination of the Ammonites; the text reads Malchom, their king; the difference is made by a slight alteration in the punctuation) from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head." (2 Sa. xii. 30.) Was this permitted? Is not the use of anything belonging to an idol forbidden? Nachman replied: Ittai the Gittite (as an idolater, could, and) did desecrate it (from its idolatrous use). But how could David carry the weight of a talent upon his head: Rabbi Yosi ben Rabbi Chanena replied: It was suspended over his head by means of a magnetic stone. Avodah-zarah, fol. 44, col. 1.

15. Herod was a slave of the house of Hasmoneus. One day he heard the echo of a voice saying: Every slave that rebels now will succeed. He, therefore, killed all the Hasmoneans, sparing only one young female, whom he reserved for his wife. She, however, mounted a roof, and crying with a loud voice: Whoever asserts, that he is of Hasmonean descent, is a slave, for none of that house, but myself, are left, threw herself headlong down, and was killed. Some say, that for seven years he preserved her body in honey, and spread the report, that he was married to an Hasmonean princess. (See page 213, Note 6.)

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Exasperated with the Rabbis, who insisted upon the text (De. xvii. 15): One from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee," he killed them all with the exception of Bava ben Bota, that he might have one counsellor left; but he deprived him of his sight by binding up his eyes with the skin of an hedgehog. One day Herod approached the blind man, and said: What fearful crimes are being committed by that base slave! And what can I do? replied the latter. Curse him, said Herod. It is written, was the answer (Ec. x. 20), "Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought." But he is not a king, said Herod.

Were he only a rich man, it is said (Ec. x. 20): "And curse not the rich in thy bedchamber;" or were he only a ruler, it is said (Ex. xxii. 28): "Curse not the ruler of thy people." But, urged Herod, that is only if he does the works of thy people. (See page 389, Note 28.) Well, replied the blind man, I am afraid of him. But, said the other, there is none here to inform him of it. It is written, was the reply (Ec. x. 20), "For a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter." Had I known, said Herod, revealing himself, that the Rabbis were so cautious, I would not have killed them; and now how can I mend the matter? The blind man answered: Thou hast extinguished the light of the world by the destruction of the Rabbis (Mat. v. 14), kindle it again by rebuilding the Temple. Herod was not sure, that the Romans would allow it. Let thy messenger, suggested the other, be a year on his way to Rome, a second year at Rome, and a third year on his way home; and in the meantime the Temple can be rebuilt. He did so, and the answer received was: Do not pull down, but if thou hast pulled down already, do not rebuild; and if thou hast rebuilt already, a bad slave asks after he has done what he asks permission to do; if thou hast succeeded by violence at home, we have thy genealogy here. Thou art neither a king, nor the son of a king, but a liberated slave (kalonia).

It is said: Whoever has not seen Herod's Temple, has never seen a beautiful structure in his life. (Lu. xxi. 5.) How did he build it? Ravah replied: With white and green marble. (Rashi renders marmara, μapμapos, green marble.) So that it appeared in the distance like the waves of the sea. Bava-bathra, fol. 3, col. 2; fol. 4, col. 1.

VERSE 12.

And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth. Tradition records: That ladder was eight thousand miles wide; for it is written: "And behold the angels of God ascending and descending upon it; ""ascending" in the plural, cannot be less than two at a time; and so also "descending." When they crossed each other they were four abreast. Of the angel it is said (Da. x. 6): "His body also was like Tarshish (see original);" and there is a tradition that Tarshish is two thousand miles. Chulin, fol. 91, col. 2.

SYNOPTICAL NOTES.

LADDER.

1. A decree was once issued by the Heathen Government forbidding the carriage of fuel for the altar; and sentinels were stationed on the road, even as Jeroboam the son of Nebat had done before, to prevent the people from going up to Jerusalem for the feasts.

But

the Godfearing men of that generation used to make ladders of the wood; and when asked for what purpose they carried them, they said, To bring down the pigeons from the nearest pigeon house. No sooner had they passed the sentinels, than they broke up the ladders, and brought the wood to Jerusalem. Taanith, fol. 28, col. 1.

2. Rabbi Nathan said: Whence is it proved that a man may not keep a vicious dog, or have an unsafe ladder in his house? It is said (De. xxii. 8): "That thou bring not blood upon thy house." Kethuboth, fol. 41, col. 2.

3. Rabbi Shimon ben Tachlipha said: Our father left us a legacy of a stalk of cabbage so big, that we could not reach the top without a ladder. Kethuboth, fol. 111, col. 2.

T. N. In the same place it is recorded, that a fox was found to have made its abode in the hollow of a turnip, which even then weighed sixty litras, according to the measure of Sepphoris. Tradition also records in the name of Rabbi Yosi, that a man at Sichin had a legacy left him by his father, of three branches on a mustard plant. One of these dropping off the stalk, yielded nine measures of mustard meal, and its solid remains supplied sufficient material for thatching a potter's hut. Will that throw any light on the parable of the mustard seed in Mat. xiii. 31?

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4. Rabbi Abuhu taught in the presence of Rabbi Yochanan : Gentiles and Israelites who rear small cattle, may not be helped out of a pit (but should be left to die there, adds Rashi), nor may they be thrust into it; but Minim (ministers of Christian congregations, says Rashi, whether they be Gentiles or Israelites), informers (who, says the same commentator, betray Jewish money into the hands of Gentiles), and Jewish Christians, ', should be thrust into it, and not helped out of it. . . . . The master said (continues the compiler) They should be thrust in, and not helped out. If they should be thrust in, what need is there to add, that they may not be helped out? Rav Yoseph bar Chama replied, that Rav Shaisheth had said: It means, that if there be indentations in the side of the pit, by which they might ascend, they are to be scraped away under pretence of preventing cattle from going down (so that, adds Rashi, they may not be helped out, means they may not be allowed to help themselves out). Ravah and Rav Yoseph say both: It means, that if there be a stone near the pit, that it should be used to cover the opening with it, under the pretence of an apprehension, lest the cattle should fall into it. Ravina says: If there be a ladder in it, he is to remove it, under pretence that he wishes to help his son down the roof. (See page 398, Note 24.) Avodah-zarah, fol. 26, col. 1, 2. Amsterdam Edition. Maimonides, Hilchoth Accum, Sec. 9; Hilchoth Rotzaiach, Sec. 6, 43, 10; Tur Shulchan Aruch, in loco.

T. N. Tosephoth takes exception to the first clause, that Gentiles may not be thrust into the pit, and asks: Is it not said in Sophrim, chap. 15: Kill the most virtuous of Gentiles? However, it adds, this rule holds good in time of war only. For that Scripture intends as a general rule to spare them is clear from De. xx. 11, where it is said: "They shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee." Tosephoth overlooks that this refers to a state of war.

5. Rabbi Yehoshua once received a visitor. Having given him to eat and to drink, and provided him with a bed in the loft, he removed

the ladder after his guest had mounted up to it. In the night the guest collected all the articles he could find, put them into his garment, and attempting to descend he fell down and dislocated his neck. Raca, cried Rabbi Yehoshua in the morning, is that the way people like thee act? But we were on our guard. Hence Rabbi Yehoshua ben Laive said: Regard all men as robbers, and honour them as you would Rabbon Gamliel. Deyrech-Ayretz, chap. v.

VERSE 13.

And, behold, the Lord stood above him.

I. The angels, filled with envy at the exact resemblance between the face of Jacob and the human face of the figure in God's throne, were about to injure Jacob, and, behold, the Lord stood above him.

The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it.

II. What is there in such a gift? Rav Yitzchak replied: It teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He! folded up the whole land of Israel, and laid it underneath our father Jacob. Chulin, fol. 91, col. 2.

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2. Fifty gates of understanding were created in the world, all, except one, were opened to Moses; as it is said (Ps. viii. 5): Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels." Rosh-hashanah, fol. 21, col. 2.

8. Rabbi Elazer said: Since the Temple was destroyed, the gates of prayer have been closed; but the gates of tears are still open. Berachoth, fol. 32, col. 2.

VERSE 20.

And Jacob vowed a vow.

SYNOPTICAL NOTES.

Vows AND ABSOLUTION.

2. When Rabbon Gamliel came to Chezib, a man asked him to absolve him from his vow. Have we drunk a quarter of Italian wine? asked Rabbon Gamliel of his associate. Yes, was the reply. Let

him, then, said he, walk behind us till the effects of the wine shall have dissipated. He followed a distance of three miles, till they came to a rocky height, when Rabbon Gamliel alighted from his ass, wrapped himself in his mantle, and sat down, and absolved him. We thus learned several lessons: That a quarter of Italian wine inebriates; that an inebriate person may not teach; that travelling dissipates the effects of wine; and that vows may not be absolved riding, walking, or standing, but sitting, etc. Eiruvin, fol. 64, col. 2.

3. The absolution of vows by a wise man floats in the air, and has no Scriptural basis. The halachoth concerning Sabbath, annual festivals, and the wrongful appropriation of holy things, are like mountains suspended on a hair, so slight in their Biblical support. But most of the halachoth as to judicial and sacrificial matters, purification, and sexual relations, rest on a good Scriptural foundation; and these are the essentials of the Law. Chaguigah, fol. 10, col. 1.

T. N. The above is a Mishnah. The Guemara, commenting upon the last clause asks: What! these only are the essentials of the Law? No, is the answer, rather say, those and these are the essentials of the Law. In the Mishnah, the transposition . of the two words, m, or the transference of the from the first to the second word, would make all the difference.

4. What is a vow, 17? If one says: Behold, I bind myself to offer a burnt sacrifice. What is a freewill offering, n? If one says: Behold, this is a burnt sacrifice. In the latter case, if the

animal dies, or is stolen, he is not bound to bring another; but in the former, if the animal subsequently set aside for the discharge of the vow, dies, or is stolen, he is bound to bring another. Rosh-hashanah, fol. 6, col. 1.

5. If a woman vows, with the tacit consent of her husband, to refuse connubial rights to him, a wise man, who, on her application to him, declares his inability to absolve her, may not marry her after she has been divorced, because his motives are liable to be suspected. Yevamoth, fol. 25, col. 2.

7. If one vows to withhold connubial rights from his wife, the school of Shamai say, he may do so for a fortnight, and the school of Hillel say, he may do so for a week. Rav (commenting upon it) says: The divergence of the two schools starts from the supposition, that he has not specified a definite period; for if he has vowed absolutely, he must divorce her at once, and give her the sum prescribed. Shemuel says: Even in the latter case, he may wait, and see if by any means he can be absolved of his vow. Kethuboth, fol. 71, col. 1.

8. If after her espousal, a woman is absolved by a wise man from a previous vow, not to marry the man who has espoused her, the espousal is valid. If after her espousal, she is cured of bodily defects, of which the man who has espoused her was not aware at the time, the espousal is not valid. The effects of a wise man's absolution reach back to the past; but the cure effected by a physician affects only the present. Kethuboth, fol. 74, col. 2.

9. All the votive terms used instead of "Corban" in the formula, Corban by whatsoever thou art profited by me, are equally binding upon the vower. Nedarim, fol. 2, col. 1.