Berakhot

R. Johanan said [further] in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: From the day that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world there was no man that called the Holy One, blessed be He, Lord,  until Abraham came and called Him Lord. For it is said: And he said, O Lord [Adonai] God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?  Rab said: Even Daniel was heard [in his prayer] only for the sake of Abraham. For it says: Now therefore, O our God, hearken unto the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplications, and cause Thy face to shine upon Thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.  He ought to have said: 'For Thy sake', but [he means]: For the sake of Abraham, who called Thee Lord. R. Johanan further said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: How do you know that we must not try to placate a man in the time of his anger? Because it is said: My face will go and I will give thee rest. R. Johanan further said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: From the day that the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world there was no man that praised the Holy One, blessed be He, until Leah came and praised Him. For it is said: This time will I praise the Lord. Reuben. [What is the meaning of 'Reuben'?]  — R. Eleazar said: Leah said: See the difference between  my son and the son of my father-in-law. The son of my father-in-law voluntarily sold his birthright, for it is written: And he sold his birthright unto Jacob.  And, nonetheless, behold, it is written of him: And Esau hated Jacob,  and it is also written: And he said, is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times.  My son, however, although Joseph took his birthright from him against his will — as it is written: But, for as much as he defiled his father's couch, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph,  — was not jealous of him. For it is written: And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand. Ruth. What is the meaning of Ruth? — R. Johanan said: Because she was privileged to be the ancestress of David, who saturated  the Holy One, blessed be He, with songs and hymns. How do we know that the name [of a person] has an effect [upon his life]?  — R. Eleazar said: Scripture says: Come, behold the works of the Lord, who hath made desolations in the earth.  Read not shammoth, ['desolations'], but shemoth, [names]. R. Johanan further said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: A bad son  in a man's house is worse than the war of Gog and Magog. For it is said: A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son,  and it is written after that: Lord, how many are mine adversaries become! Many are they that rise up against me.  But in regard to the war of Gog and Magog it is written: Why are the nations in an uproar? And why do the peoples mutter in vain,  but, it is not written: 'How many are mine adversaries become!' 'A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son'. 'A Psalm of David'? He ought to have said: 'A Lamentation of David'! R. Simeon b. Abishalom said: A parable: To what is this to be compared? To a man who has a bond outstanding against him; until he pays it he worries  but after he has paid it, he rejoices. So was it with David. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house,  he began worrying. He thought: it may be a slave or a bastard who will have no pity on me. When he saw that it was Absalom, he was glad, and therefore he said: 'A Psalm'. R. Johanan further said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: It is permitted to contend with the wicked in this world. For it is said: They that forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them.  It has been taught to the same effect: R. Dosthai son of R. Mattun says: It is permitted to contend with the wicked in this world. For it is said: 'They that forsake the law praise the wicked, etc.' — Should somebody whisper to you: But is it not written: Contend not with evil-doers, neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness,  then you may tell him: Only one whose conscience smites  him says so. In fact, 'Contend not with evil-doers', means, to be like them; 'neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness', means, to be like them. And so it is said: Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the Lord all the day.  But this is not so! For R. Isaac said: If you see a wicked man upon whom fortune  is smiling, do not attack him. For it is said: His ways prosper at all times.  And more than that, he is victorious in the court of judgment; for it is said: Thy judgments are far above out of his sight.  And still more than that, he sees the discomfiture of his enemies; for it is said: As for all his adversaries, he puffeth at them.  There is no contradiction. The one [R. Isaac] speaks of his private affairs, the other one [R. Johanan] of matters of religion.  If you wish I can say: both speak of matters of religion, and still there is no contradiction. The one [R. Isaac] speaks of a wicked man upon whom fortune is smiling, the other one speaks of a wicked man upon whom fortune is not smiling. Or if you wish, I can say, both speak of a wicked man upon whom fortune is smiling, and still there is no contradiction. The one [R. Johanan] speaks of a perfectly righteous man, the other one of a man who is not perfectly righteous. For R. Huna said: What is the meaning of the verse: Wherefore lookest Thou, when they deal treacherously, and holdest Thy peace, when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous than he?  Can then the wicked swallow up the righteous? Is it not written: The Lord will not leave him in his hand?  And is it not written further: There shall no mischief befall the righteous?  [You must] therefore [say]: He swallows up the one who is only 'more righteous than he', but he cannot swallow up the perfectly righteous man. If you wish I can say: It is different when fortune is smiling upon him. R. Johanan further said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: If a man has a fixed place for his prayer, his enemies succumb to him. For it is said: And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disquieted no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more as at the first.  R. Huna pointed to a contradiction. [Here] it is written: 'To afflict them', and [elsewhere]: To exterminate them?  [The answer is]: First to afflict them and then to exterminate them. R. Johanan further said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: The service of the Torah is greater than the study thereof.  For it is said: Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.  It is not said, who learned, but who poured water. This teaches that the service of the Torah is greater than the study thereof. R. Isaac said to R. Nahman: Why does the Master not come to the Synagogue in order to pray?  — He said to him: I cannot.  He asked him: Let the Master gather ten people and pray with them [in his house]? — He answered: It is too much of a trouble for me. [He then said]: Let the Master ask the messenger of the congregation  to inform him of the time when the congregation prays?  He answered: Why all this [trouble]? — He said to him: For R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: