Avodah Zarah

Another explanation:  Just as among fish of the sea, the greater swallow up the smaller ones, so with men, were it not for fear of the government, men would swallow each other alive. This is just what we learnt: R. Hanina, the Deputy High Priest, said, Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear thereof, men would swallow each other alive.  R. Hinena b. Papa pointed to the following contradiction: Scripture says, As to the Almighty, we do not find him [exercising] plenteous power,  yet it says, Great is our Lord and of abundant power  and also, Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power!  [The answer is] there is no contradiction here: the former refers to the time of judgment,  the latter refers to a time of war. R. Hama b. Hanina pointed to another contradiction: Scripture says, Fury is not in me,  yet it also says. The Lord revengeth and is furious!  But there is really no contradiction: the former refers to Israel, the latter to idolaters.  R. Hinena b. Papa [or R. Aha b. Hanina] explains the foregoing verse thus: Fury is not in me, for I already vowed;  would that I had not so vowed, then, as the briars and thorns in flame I would with one step burn it altogether. This  accords with the following teaching of R. Alexandri: What is the meaning of the verse, And it shall come to pass on that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations  — ‘seek’ among whom? What the Holy One, blessed be He, says is, I will seek their records:  if they have any meritorious deeds to their credit, I will redeem them, but if not, I will destroy them. This also accords with what Raba said: What is the meaning of the verse, Howbeit He will not stretch out a hand for a ruinous heap though they cry in his destruction ?  — The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, ‘When I judge Israel, I do not judge them as I do the idolaters concerning whom it is said, I will overturn, overturn, overturn it,  but I only exact payment from them [little at a time] as the hen does her picking.’20 Another explanation: Even if Israel does before Me but few good deeds at a time, like hens picking in a rubbish heap, I will make it accumulate to a large sum, as it is said, though they pick little they are saved.  Another rendering is: As a reward of their crying unto Me, I help them.  This is similar to what R. Abba said, What is the meaning of the verse, Though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against Me?  I thought I would redeem them by depriving them of monetary possessions in this world, so that they be worthy to merit the world to come, yet they etc. Which is in agreement with what R. Papi said in the name of Raba: What is the meaning of the verse, Though I have trained [yissarti], strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against Me?  The Holy One, blessed be He, says, I thought I would chastise them  with suffering in this world, so that their arm might be strengthened in the world to come, yet they etc. R. Abbahu commended R. Safra to the Minim  as a learned man, and he was thus exempted by them from paying taxes for thirteen years.  One day, on coming across him, they said to him; ‘It is written: You only have I known [or loved] from all the families of the earth; therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities;  if one is in anger does one vent it on one's friend?’ But he was silent and could give them no answer; so they wound a scarf round his neck and tortured him. When R. Abbahu came and found him [in that state] he said to them, Why do you torture him? Said they, ‘Have you not told us that he is a great man? he cannot explain to us the meaning of this verse!’ Said he, ‘I may have told you [that he was learned] in Tannaitic teaching; did I tell you [he was learned] in Scripture?’ — ‘How is it then that you know it?’ they contended. ‘We,’ he replied. ‘who are frequently with you, set ourselves the task of studying it thoroughly, but others  do not study it as carefully.’ Said they, ‘Will you then tell us the meaning?’ ‘I will explain it by a parable.’ he replied. ‘To what may it be compared? To a man who is the creditor of two persons, one of them a friend, the other an enemy; of his friend he will accept payment little by little, whereas of his enemy he will exact payment in one sum!’30 Said R. Aba b. Kahana: What is the meaning of the verse, That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked?  What Abraham said is: ‘Sovereign of the Universe, it is profanation to do after this manner.’32 And does not God act after this manner? Is it not written, And I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked?  — That refers to one who is not thoroughly righteous. But not to one who is wholly righteous? Is it not written, And begin [the slaughter] with my sanctuary,  which, R. Joseph learned, should not be read my sanctuary but my sanctified ones, namely the men who fulfilled the Torah from Aleph to Taw? — There, too, since it was in their power to protest against [the wickedness of the others] and they did not protest, they are not regarded as thoroughly righteous. R. Papa mentioned the following contradiction: It is written, God is angry every day,  while it is also written Who could stand before His anger?  But there is really no contradiction; the latter refers to an individual, the former to men collectively.  Our Rabbis taught: God is angry every day, but how long does His anger last? — A moment. And how long is a moment? — one fifty three thousand eight hundred forty eighth of an hour is a moment.  No creature could ever precisely fix this moment, except Balaam the wicked, of whom it is written