R. Hamnuna decided legal points at Harta di Argiz during the lifetime of R. Hisda. Rabina examined the slaughterer's knife in Babylon. Said R. Ashi to him, ‘Why does the Master act in this manner?’ ‘Did not,’ the other replied: ‘R. Hamnuna decide legal points at Harta di Argiz during the lifetime of R. Hisda?’ — ‘It was stated’, the first retorted: ‘that he did not decide legal points’. ‘The fact is’, the other replied: ‘that one statement was made that he did decide legal points while another was that he did not do so, and the explanation is that only during the lifetime of his Master R. Huna did he decide no legal points but during the lifetime of R. Hisda, who was both his colleague and disciple, he did decide legal points, and I too am the Master's colleague as well as disciple’. Raba said: A young scholar may examine his own knife. Rabina once visited Mahuza when his host brought to him a slaughtering knife for examination. ‘Go’, he said to him, ‘take it to Raba’. ‘Does not the Master’, the other asked: ‘uphold the ruling laid down by Raba that a young scholar may examine his own knife?’ — ‘I’, he replied, am only buying the meat’. (Mnemonic: Zila of Hania changes Ika and Jacob. ) R. Eleazar of Hagronia and R. Abba b. Tahlifa once visited R. Aha son of R. Ika's house in the district that was subject to the jurisdiction of R. Aha b. Jacob. R. Aha son of R. Ika, desiring to prepare for them a third-grown calf, presented to them the slaughtering knife for examination. ‘Should no consideration be shown for the old man?’ R. Aha b. Tahlifa asked. ‘Thus’, R. Eleazar of Hagronia replied: ‘said Raba: A young scholar may examine his own knife’. R. Eleazar of Hagronia thereupon examined the knife and was providentially punished for his disrespect. But did not Raba lay down, ‘A young scholar ‘lay examine his own knife’? — There the case was different since they began to discuss the question of his dignity. And if you prefer I might reply: R. Aha b. Jacob was different from other local authorities since he was a man of great distinction. Raba ruled: When it is a question of preventing one from committing a transgression it is quite proper [for a disciple to give a legal decision] even in his Master's presence. Rabina once sat in the presence of R. Ashi when he observed that a certain person was tying his ass to a palm-tree on the Sabbath day. He called out to him but the other took no notice. ‘Let this man’ he called out, ‘be placed under the ban’. ‘Does such an act as mine’, he then asked [R. Ashi], ‘appear as an impertinence?’ — There is no wisdom for understanding nor counsel against the Lord, wherever the divine name is being profaned no respect is to be shown to one's Master. Raba ruled: In the presence of one's Master it is forbidden [to give a legal decision] under the penalty of death; in his absence this is forbidden but the penalty of death is not incurred. Is then no penalty of death incurred in his absence? Was it not in fact taught: R. Eliezer b. Jacob stated: The sons of Aaron died only because they gave a legal decision in the presence of their Master Moses. What was the exposition they made? And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar; although, they said, fire came down from heaven it is nevertheless a religious duty to bring also some ordinary fire. R. Eliezer, furthermore, had a disciple who once gave a legal decision in his presence. ‘I wonder’, remarked R. Eliezer to his wife, Imma Shalom, ‘whether this man will live through the year’; and he actually did not live through the year. ‘Are you’, she asked him,’a prophet?’ ‘I’, he replied: ‘am neither a prophet for the son of a prophet, but I have this tradition: Whosoever gives a legal decision in the presence of his Master incurs the penalty of death’.) Now, in connection with this incident Rabbah b. Bar Hana related in the name of R. Johanan: That disciple's name was Judah b. Goria and he was three parasangs distant from his Master? — He was in his presence. But was it not stated that ‘he was three parasangs distant’? — And according to your conception what need was there for the mention of his name and the name of his father? But the fact is that all the details were given in order that it be not said that the whole story was a fable. R. Hiyya b. Abba stated in the name of R. Johanan: Whoever gives a legal decision in the presence of his Master deserves to be bitten by a snake, for it is said: And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said: I am young, etc. wherefore I held back, and elsewhere it is written: With the venom of crawling things of the dust. Ze'iri stated in the name of R. Hanina: He is called a sinner, for it is said: Thy word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee. R. Hamnuna pointed out an incongruity: It is written: Thy word have I laid up in my heart, and it is also written: I preached righteousness in a great congregation. — This is really no contradiction, the former relating to the time when Ira the Jairite was still alive while the latter relates to the time when Ira the Jairite was no longer alive. R. Abba b. Zabda stated: Whoever gives his priestly gifts to one priest [only] brings famine into the world. For it is said in Scripture: Ira the Jairite was priest to David. Now was he priest to David alone and not to all the world? But the meaning is that David sent to him his priestly gifts; and this is followed by the text: And there was a famine in the days of David. R. Eliezer said: He is deprived of his greatness — For it is said: And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war . . . This is the statute of the law which the Lord hath commanded Moses; although he thus said to them, ‘He commanded my father's brother and not me’ he was nevertheless punished,’ as it is written: And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest and yet we do not find that Joshua ever needed his guidance. R. Levi stated: He who answers a word in the presence of his Master goes down to Sheol childless; for it says in Scripture: And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses from his youth up, answered and said: ‘My lord Moses, shall them in’58ᵃᵇᶜᵈᵉᶠᵍʰⁱʲᵏˡᵐⁿᵒᵖᵠʳˢᵗᵘᵛʷˣʸᶻᵃᵃᵃᵇᵃᶜᵃᵈᵃᵉᵃᶠᵃᵍᵃʰᵃⁱᵃʲᵃᵏᵃˡᵃᵐᵃⁿᵃᵒᵃᵖᵃᵠᵃʳᵃˢᵃᵗᵃᵘᵃᵛᵃʷᵃˣᵃʸᵃᶻᵇᵃᵇᵇᵇᶜᵇᵈᵇᵉᵇᶠ