{"collection":"Judaism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/jud/pol/pol37.htm","path":"jud/pol/pol37.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/jud/pol/pol37.htm","text":"The Talmud: Selections, by H. Polano, [1876]\n______________\nWOE to the children banished from their father's table.\nA handful of food will not satisfy the lion, neither can a pit be filled again with its own dust.\nPray to God for mercy until the last shovelful of earth is cast upon thy grave.\nCease not to pray even when the knife is laid upon thy neck.\nOpen not thy mouth to speak evil.\nTo be patient is sometimes better than to have much wealth.\nThe horse fed too liberally with oats becomes unruly.\nHappy the pupil whose teacher approves his words.\nWhen the cucumbers are young we may tell whether they will become good for food.\nDo not to others what you would not have others do to you.\nThe ass complains of the cold even in July (Tamuz). First learn and then teach.\nFew are they who see their own faults.\nA single light answers as well for a hundred men as for one.\nVictuals prepared by many cooks will be neither hot nor cold.\nThe world is a wedding.\nYouth is a wreath of roses.\nA myrtle even in the desert remains a myrtle.\nTeach thy tongue to say, \"I do not know.\"\nThe house which opens not to the poor will open to the physician.\nThe birds of the air despise a miser.\nHospitality is an expression of Divine worship.\nThy friend has a friend, and thy friend's friend has s friend; be discreet.\nDo not place a blemish on thine own flesh.\nAttend no auctions if thou hast no money.\nRather skin a carcass for pay, in the public streets, than lie idly dependent on charity.\nDeal with those who are fortunate.\nWhat is intended for thy neighbour will never be thine.\nThe weakness of thy walls invites the burglar.\nThe place honours not the man, \u2018tis the man who gives honour to the place.\nThe humblest man is ruler in his own house.\nIf the fox is king bow before him.\nIf a word spoken in its time is worth one piece of money, silence in its time is worth two.\nTobias committed the sins and his neighbour received the punishment.\nPoverty sits as gracefully upon some people as a red saddle upon a white horse.\nDrain not the waters of thy well while other people may desire them.\nThe doctor who prescribes gratuitously gives a worthless prescription.\nThe rose grows among thorns.\nThe wine belongs to the master, but the waiter receives the thanks.\nHe who mixes with unclean things becomes unclean himself; he whose associations are pure becomes more holy with each day.\nNo man is impatient with his creditors.\nMake but one sale, and thou art called a merchant.\nMention not a blemish which is thy own, in detraction of thy neighbour.\nIf certain goods sell not in one city, try another place.\nHe who reads the letter should execute the message.\nA vessel used for holy purposes should not be put to uses less sacred.\nOrnament thyself first, then magnify others.\nTwo pieces of coin in one bag make more noise than a hundred.\nMan sees the mote in his neighbour's eye, but knows not of the beam in his own.\nThe rivalry of scholars advances science.\nIf thou tellest thy secret to three persons, ten know of it.\nWhen love is intense both find room enough upon one board of the bench; afterwards they may find themselves cramped in a space of sixty cubits.\nWhen wine enters the head the secret flies out.\nWhen a liar speaks the truth he finds his punishment in the general disbelief.\nThe camel desired horns, and his ears were taken from him.\nSorrow for those who disappear never to be found.\nThe officer of the king is also a recipient of honours.\nHe who studies cannot follow a commercial life; neither can the merchant devote his time to study.\nThere is no occasion to light thy lamp at noontide,\nLet the fruit pray for the welfare of the leaf.\nMeat without salt is fit only for the dogs.\nTrust not thyself until the day of thy death.\nWoe to the country which hath lost its leader; woe to the ship when its captain is no more.\nHe who increaseth his flesh but multiplieth food for the worms.\nThe day is short, the labour great, and the workman slothful.\nBe yielding to thy superior; be affable towards the young; be friendly with all mankind.\nSilence is the fence round wisdom.\nWithout law, civilisation perishes.\nEvery man will surely have his hour.\nRather be the tail among lions than the head among foxes.\nInto the well which supplies thee with water cast no stones.\nMany a colt's skin is fashioned to the saddle which its mother bears.\nTruth is heavy, therefore few care to carry it.\nSay little and do much.\nHe who multiplieth words will likely come to sin.\nSacrifice thy will for others, that they may be disposed to sacrifice their wills for thee.\nStudy to-day, delay not.\nLook not upon thy prayers as on a task; let thy supplications be sincere.\nHe who is loved by man is loved by God.\nHonour the sons of the poor; they give to science its splendour.\nDo not live near a pious fool.\nA small coin in a large jar makes a great noise.\nUse thy noble vase to-day; to-morrow it may break.\nThe cat and the rat make peace over a carcass.\nHe who walks each day over his estate finds a coin daily.\nThe dog follows thee for the crumbs in thy pocket.\nThe soldiers fight, and the kings are heroes.\nWhen the ox is down many are the butchers.\nDescend a step in choosing thy wife; ascend a step in choosing thy friend.\nBeat the gods and their priests will tremble.\nThe sun will set without thy assistance.\nHold no man responsible for his utterances in times of grief.\nOne man eats, another says grace.\nHe who curbs his wrath merits forgiveness for his sins.\nCommit a sin twice and it will not seem to thee a crime.\nWhile our love was strong we lay on the edge of a sword, now a couch sixty yards wide is too narrow for us.\nStudy is more meritorious than sacrifice.\nJerusalem was destroyed because the instruction of the young was neglected.\nThe world is saved by the breath of school children.\nEven to rebuild the Temple, the schools must not be closed.\nBlessed is the son who has studied with his father, and blessed the father who has instructed his son.\nAvoid wrath and thou wilt avoid sin; avoid intemperance and thou wilt not provoke Providence.\nWhen others gather, do thou disperse; when others disperse, gather.\nWhen thou art the only purchaser, then buy; when other buyers are present, be thou nobody.\nThe foolish man knows not an insult, neither does a dead man feel the cutting of a knife.\nThe cock and the owl both await daylight. \"The light,\" says the cock,\" brings me delight; but what in the world art thou waiting for?\"\nThe thief who finds no opportunity to steal, considers himself an honest man.\nA Galilean said, \"When the shepherd is angry with his flock, he appoints for its leader a blind bellwether.\"\nThough it is not incumbent upon thee to complete the work, thou must not therefore cease from pursuing it. If the work is great, great will be thy reward, and thy Master is faithful in His payments.\nThere are three crowns: of the law, the priesthood, and the kingship; but the crown of a good name is greater than them all.\nWho gains wisdom? He who is willing to receive instruction from all sources. Who is the mighty man? He who subdueth his temper. Who is rich? He who is content with his lot. Who is deserving of honour? He who honoureth mankind.\nDespise no man and deem nothing impossible; every man hath his hour and every thing its place.\nIron breaks stone; fire melts iron; water extinguishes fire; the clouds consume water; the storm dispels clouds; an withstands the storm; fear conquers man; wine banishes fear; sleep overcomes wine, and death is the master of sleep; but \"charity,\" says Solomon, \"saves even from death.\"\nHow canst thou escape sin? Think of three things: whence thou comest, whither thou goest, and before whom thou must appear. The scoffer, the liar, the hypocrite, and the slanderer can have no share in the future world of bliss. To slander is to commit murder.\nRepent the day before thy death. 1\nTen measures of wisdom came into the world; the law of Israel received nine measures, and the balance of the world one. Ten measures of beauty came into the world; Jerusalem received nine measures, and the rest of the world one.\nRabbi Simon said:\n\"The world stands on three pillars: law, worship, and charity.\"\nRabbi Ada said:\n\"When he who attends the synagogue regularly is prevented from being present, God asks for him.\"\nRabbi Simon, the son of Joshua, said:\n\"His enemies will humble themselves before the one who builds a place of worship.\"\nRabbi Lakish said:\n\"He who is able to attend synagogue, and \"neglects to do so, is a bad neighbour.\"\nRabbi Jos\u00e9 said:\n\"One need not stand upon a high place to pray, for it is written, 'Out of the depths have I called unto Thee, oh Lord'\" (Ps. 30: 1). The same Rabbi prohibits moving about or talking during the progress of prayers, enlarging on Solomon's advice, \"Keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of the Lord, and be more ready to hear than to offer the sacrifice of fools\" (Feel. 5: 1).\nRabbi Chia, the son of Abba, said:\n\"To pray loudly is not a necessity of devotion; when we pray we must direct our hearts towards heaven.\"\nWhen our ancestors in the wilderness were saved from death by gazing upon the brazen serpent, it was not the serpent which killed or preserved. It was the trustful appeal to the Father in heaven.\nSay the Rabbis, \"Praise the Lord for the evil as for the good;\" and David is given as an example when he said, \"I had met with distress and sorrow, I then called on the name of the Lord\" (Ps. 116).\nRabbi Ashi said:\n\"Charity is greater than all.\"\nRabbi Eliazar said:\n\"Who gives charity in secret is greater than Moses.\"\nHe finds authority for this saying in the words of Moses (Deut. 9: 19), \"For I was afraid of the anger,\" and the words of Solomon (Prov. 21: 14), which he presents as an answer, \"A gift given in secret pacifieth anger.\"\nRabbi Joshua said:\n\"A miser is as wicked as an idolater.\"\n\"Charity is more than sacrifices.\"\nRabbi Jochanan said:\n\"He who gives (charity) becomes rich,\" or as it is written, \"A beneficent soul will be abundantly gratified.\"\nOne day a philosopher inquired of Rabbi Akiba, \"If your God loves the poor, why does He not support them?\"\n\"God allows the poor to be with us ever,\" responded Akiba, \"that the opportunities for doing good may never fail.\"\n\"But,\" returned the philosopher, \"how do you know that this virtue of charity pleases God? If a master punishes his\nslaves by depriving them of food and clothing, does he feel pleased when others feed and clothe them?\"\n\"But suppose, on the other hand,\" said the Rabbi, \"that the children of a tender father, children whom he could no longer justly assist, had fallen into poverty, would he be displeased if kind souls pitied and aided them? We are not the slaves of a hard master. God calls us His children, and Himself we call our Father.\"\nRabbah said:\n\"When one stands at the judgment-seat of God these questions are asked:\n\"'Hast thou been honest in all thy dealings?'\n\"'Hast thou set aside a portion of thy time for the study of the law?'\n\"'Hast thou observed the first commandment?'\n\"'Hast thou, in trouble, still hoped and believed in God?'\n\"'Hast thou spoken wisely?'\"\n\"All the blessings of a household come through the wife, therefore should her husband honour her.\"\nRab said:\n\"Men should be careful lest they cause women to weep, for God counts their tears.\n\"In cases of charity, where both men and women claim relief, the latter should be first assisted. If there should not be enough for both, the men should cheerfully relinquish their claims.\n\"A woman's death is felt by nobody as by her husband.\n\"Tears are shed on God's altar for the one who forsakes his first love.\n\"He who loves his wife as himself, and honours her more than himself, will train his children properly; he will\nmeet, too, the fulfilment of the verse, 'And thou shalt know that there is peace in thy tent, and thou wilt look over thy habitation and shall miss nothing'\" (Job 5: 24).\nRabbi Jose said:\n\"I never call my wife 'wife,' but 'home,' for she, indeed, makes my home.\n\"He who possesses a knowledge of God, and a knowledge of man, will not easily commit sin.\n\"The Bible was given us to establish peace.\n\"He who wrongs his fellow-man, even in so small a coin as a penny, is as wicked as if he should take life.\n\"He who raises his hand against his fellow in passion is a sinner.\n\"Be not the friend of one who wears the cloak of a saint to cover the deformities of a fool.\"\n\"One who gives way to passion is as bad as an idolater.\n\"Hospitality is as great a virtue as studying the law.\"\n\"Never put thyself in the way of temptation,\" advised Rabbi Judah; \"even David could not resist it.\"\nRabbi Tyra, on being asked by his pupils to tell them the secret which had gained him a happy, peaceful old age, replied, \"I have never cherished anger with my family; I have never envied those greater than myself, and I have never rejoiced in the downfall of any one.\"\n\"Unhappy is he who mistakes the branch for the tree, the shadow for the substance.\n\"Thy yesterday is thy past; thy to-day thy future; thy to-morrow is a secret.\n\"The best preacher is the heart; the best teacher is time; the best book is the world; the best friend is God.\n\"Life is but a loan to man; death is the creditor who will one day claim it.\n\"Understand a man by his own deeds and words. The impressions of others lead to false judgment.\"\nRabbi Jacob said:\n\"He through whose agency another has been falsely punished stands outside of heaven's gates.\"\nRabbi Isaac said:\n\"The sins of the bad-tempered are greater than his merits.\"\n\"The man who sins is foolish as well as wicked.\"\nRabbi Samuel said:\n\"The good actions which we perform in this world take form and meet us in the world to come.\n\"Better to bear a false accusation in silence, than by speaking to bring the guilty to public shame.\n\"He who can feel ashamed will not readily do wrong.\n\"There is a great difference between one who can feel ashamed before his own soul and one who is only ashamed before his fellow-man.\"\nRabbi Akiba said:\n\"God's covenant with us included work; for the command, 'Six days shalt thou work and the seventh shalt thou rest,' made the 'rest' conditional upon the 'work.'\"\nRabbi Simon said, on the same subject:\n\"God first told Adam to dress the Garden of Eden, and to keep it (Gen. 2: 15), and then permitted him to eat of the fruit of his labour.\"\nRabbi Tarphon said:\n\"God did not dwell in the midst of Israel till they had worked to deserve His presence, for he commanded, 'They shall make me a sanctuary, and then I will dwell in the midst of them.'\"\nWhen Jerusalem was in the hands of the Romans, one of their philosophers asked of the Rabbis:\n\"If your God dislikes idolatry, why does He not destroy the idols and so put temptation out of the way?\"\nThe wise men answered:\n\"Would you have the sun and the moon destroyed because of the foolish ones who worship them? To change the course of nature to punish sinners, would bring suffering to the innocent also.\"\nIn Ecclesiastes 9: 14, we find this verse:\n\"There was a little city and the men therein were few, and there came against it a great king, and built around it great works of siege; but there was found in it a poor wise man, and he delivered the city by his wisdom.\"\nThe sages interpret this verse most beautifully. The \"little city\" is man, and the \"few men\" are his different qualities. The \"king\" who besieged it is evil inclination, and the \"great bulwarks\" he built around it are \"evil deeds.\" The \"poor wise man\" who saved the city is the \"good actions\" which the poorest may readily perform.\nRabbi Judah said:\n\"He who refuses to teach a precept to his pupil is guilty of theft, just as one who steals from the inheritance of his father; as it is written, 'The law which Moses commanded us is the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.' (lieut.) But if he teaches him, what is his reward?\"\nRaba says, \"He will obtain the blessing of Joseph.\"\nRabbi Eleazer said:\n\"That house where the law is not studied by night should be destroyed.\n\"The wealthy man who aids not the scholar desirous of studying God's law will not prosper,\n\"He who changes his word, saying one thing and doing another, is even as he who serveth idols.\"\nRabbi Chamah, the son of Papa, said:\n\"He who eats or drinks and blesses not the Lord, is even as he who stealeth, for it is said, 'The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, and the earth hath He given to the children of men.'\"\nRabbi Simon, the son of Lakish, said:\n\"They who perform one precept in this world will find it recorded for their benefit in the world to come; as it is written, 'Thy righteousness will go before thee, the glory of the Lord will gather thee in.' And the same will be the case, in contrast, with those who sin. For the Bible says, 'Which I commanded thee this day to do them,' to 'do them,' the precepts, to-day, though the reward is not promised to-day; but in the future, ordinances obeyed, will testify in thy favour, for 'thy righteousness will go before thee.'\"\nThe Rabbis pronounced those the \"friends of God,\" who being offended thought not of revenge; who practised good through love for God, and who were cheerful under suffering and difficulties. Of such Isaiah wrote, \"They shall shine forth like the sun at noonday.\"\nLove thy wife as thyself; honour her more than thyself. He who lives unmarried, lives without joy. If thy wife is small, bend down to her and whisper in her ear. He who sees his wife die, has, as it were, been present at the destruction of the sanctuary itself. The children of a man who marries for money will prove a curse to him.\nHe who has more learning than good deeds is like a tree with many branches but weak roots; the first great storm will throw it to the ground. He whose good works are\ngreater than his knowledge is like a tree with fewer branches but with strong and spreading roots, a tree which all the winds of heaven cannot uproot.\nBetter is the curse of the righteous man than the blessing of the wicked. Better the curse of Achia, the Shelonite, than the blessing of Bil\u2019am, the son of Beor. Thus did Achia curse the Israelites, \"And the Lord will smite Israel as the reed is shaken in the water\" (Kings 14: 15). The reed bends but it breaks not, for it groweth by the water, and its roots are strong. Thus did Bil\u2019am bless Israel, \"As cedar trees beside the waters.\" Cedars do not grow beside the waters; their roots are weak, and when strong winds blow they break in pieces.\n292:1 The Rabbi who said, \"Repent the day before thy death,\" was asked by his disciples how they could follow his advice, as man was unable to tell upon what day his death would occur. He answered, \"Consider every day thy last; be ever ready with penitence and good deeds.\"","title":"The Talmud: Selections: Part Fourth: Proverbs and Sayings of the Rabbis: Sayings of the Rabbis","type":"page"}