Ketubot

with nothing to lean against is standing with something to lean against. And thus [his brothers]  proceeded to say [in their message]: — 'Isaac and Simeon and Oshaia were unanimous in their view that  the halachah is in agreement with R. Judah in [respect of the mating of] mules'. For it was taught: If a mule was craving for sexual gratification it must not be mated with a horse or an ass  but [only with one of] its own species. R. Nahman b. Isaac stated; By 'Isaac'  was meant  R. Isaac Nappaha. By 'Simeon',  R. Simeon b. Pazzi — others say: Resh Lakish;  and by 'Oshaia',  R. OshaiaBerabbi. R. Eleazar said; The illiterate  will not be resurrected, for it is said in Scripture, The dead will not live etc.  So it was also taught: The dead will not live.  As this might [be assumed to refer] to all, it was specifically stated, The lax  will not rise,  [thus indicating] that the text speaks only of such a man as was lax in the study of the words of the Torah.  Said R. Johanan to him:  it is no satisfaction to their Master  that you should speak to them in this manner. That textwas written of a man who was so lax as  to worship idols. 'I', the other  replied, 'make an exposition [to the same effect] from another text. For it is written in Scripture, For thy dew is as the dew of light, and the earth shall bring to life the dead.  him who makes use of the 'light' of the Torah will the 'light' of the Torah revive, but him who makes no use of the light of the Torah  the light of the Torah will not revive'. Observing, however, that he  was distressed, he  said to him, 'Master, I have found for them  a remedy in the Pentateuch: But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day;  now is it possible to 'cleave' to the divine presence concerning which it is written in Scripture, For the Lord thy God is a devouring fire?  But [the meaning is this:] Any man who marries his daughter to a scholar, or carries on a trade on behalf of scholars,  or benefits scholars from his estate is regarded by Scripture  as if he had cleaved to the divine presence.  Similarly you read in Scripture, To love the Lord thy God, [to hearken to His voice,] and to cleave unto Him.  Is it possible for a human being to 'cleave' unto the divine presence? But [what was meant is this:] Any man who marries his daughter to a scholar, or carries on a trade for scholars, or benefits scholars from his estate is regarded by Scripture as if he had cleaved to the divine presence. R. Hiyya b. Joseph said: A time will come when the just will break through [the soil] and rise up in Jerusalem, for it is said in Scripture, And they will blossom out of the city like grass of the earth,  and by 'city' only Jerusalem can be meant for it is said in Scripture, For I will defend this city. R. Hiyya b. Joseph further stated: The just in the time to come will rise [apparelled] in their own clothes.  [This is deduced] a minori ad majus from a grain of wheat. If a grain of wheat that is buried  naked sprouts up with many coverings how much more so the just who are buried in their shrouds. R. Hiyya b. Joseph further stated: There will be a time when the Land of Israel will produce baked cakes of the purest quality  and silk  garments, for it is said in Scripture, There will be a richcornfield  in the land. Our Rabbis taught: There will be a rich cornfield in the Land upon the top of the mountains.  [From this] it was inferred that there will be a time when wheat will rise as high as a palm-tree and will grow on the top of the mountains. But in case you should think that there will be trouble in reaping it, it was specifically said in Scripture, its fruit shall rustle like Lebanon;  the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring a wind from his treasure houses which He will cause to blow upon it. This will loosen its fine flour and a man will walk out into the field and take a mere handful  and, out of it, will [have sufficient provision for] his own, and his household's maintenance. With the kidney-fat of wheat.  [From this] it was inferred that there will be a time when a grain of wheat will be as large as the two kidneys of a big bull. And you need not marvel at this, for a fox once made his nest In a turnip and when [the remainder of the vegetable] was weighed, it was found [to be] sixty pounds in the pound weight of Sepphoris. It was taught: R. Joseph  related: It once happened to a man  at Shihin  to whom his father had left three twigs of mustard that one of these split and was found to contain nine kab of mustard, and its timber sufficed to cover a potter's hut. R. Simeon b. Tahlifa  related. Our father left us a cabbage stack and we  ascended and descended it by means of a ladder. And of the blood of the grape thou drankest foaming wine.  It was inferred: The world to come is not like this world. In this world there is the trouble of harvesting and treading [of the grapes], but in the world to come a man will bring one grape  on a wagon or a ship, put it in a corner of his house and use its contents as [if it had been] a large wine cask, while its timber  would be used to make fires for cooking.  There will be no grape that will not contain thirty kegs  of wine, for it is said is Scripture, And of the blood of the grape thou drankest foaming wine,  read not 'foaming'  but homer. When R. Dimi came  he made the following statement: What is the implication in the Scriptural text, Binding his foal  unto the vine?  There is not a vine in the Land of Israel that does not require [all the inhabitants of] one city  to harvest it; And his ass's colt  into the choicevine,  there is not even a wild  tree in the Land of Israel that does not produce a load of [fruit for] two she-asses.  In case you should imagine that it contains no wine, it was explicitly said in Scriptures, He washes his garments in wine.  And since you might say that it is not red it was explicitly stated, And of the blood of the grape thou drankest foaming wine.  And in case you should say that it does not cause intoxication it was stated, His vesture.  And in case you should think that it is tasteless it was expressly stated, His eyes shall be red  with wine,  any palate that will taste it says, 'To me, to me'.  And since you might say that it is suitable for young people but unsuitable for old, it was explicitly stated And his teeth white with milk;  read not, 'teeth white'  but 'To him who is advanced in years'. In what [sense] is the plain meaning of the text  to be understood?  — When R. Dimi came  he explained: The congregation of Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Lord of the Universe, wink to me with Thine eyes,  which [to me will be] sweeter than wine, and shew  me Thy teeth which will be sweeter than milk'.  [This interpretation] provides support for R. Johanan who said; The man who [by smiling affectionately] shews  his teeth to his friend is better than one who gives bins milk to drink, for it is said in Scriptures, And his teeth white with milk,  read not 'teeth white' but 'shewing the teeth'. R. Hiyya b. Adda  was the Scriptural tutor of the young children of Resh Lakish. [On one occasion] he took a three days' holiday  and did not come [to teach the children]. 'Why', the other asked hiss when he returned, 'did you take a holiday?' 'My father', he replied, 'left me one espalier  and on the first day I cut from it three hundred clusters [of grapes], each cluster yielding one keg. On the second day I cut three hundred clusters, each two of which yielded one keg. On the third day I cut three hundred clusters, each three of which yielded one keg, and so I renounced my ownership of more than one half of it'. 'If you had not taken a holiday [from the Torah]', the other told him, 'it would have yielded much more'. Rami b. Ezekiel once paid a visit to Bene-berak  where he saw goats grazing under fig-trees while honey was flowing from the figs, and milk ran from them, and these mingled with each other. 'This is indeed', he remarked, '[a land] flowing with milk and honey'. R. Jacob b. Dostai related: From Lod  to Ono  [is a distance of about] three miles.  Once I rose up early in the morning and waded [all that way] up to my ankles in honey of the figs. Resh Lakish said: I myself saw the flow of the milk and honey of Sepphoris  and it extended [over an area of] sixteen by sixteen miles. Rabbah b. Bar Hana said: I saw the flow of the milk and honey in all the Land of Israel