Shabbat

with the heritage of Jacob thy father, etc.  Not like Abraham, of whom it is written, Arise, walk through the land in the length of it, etc.;  nor like Isaac of whom it is written, for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these lands, etc.;  but like Jacob, of whom it is written, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south.  R. Nahman b. Isaac said, He is saved from the servitude of the Diaspora: here it is written, and I will make thee to ride upon the high places of the earth; whilst there it is written, and thou shalt tread upon their high places. Rab Judah said in Rab's name: He who delights in the Sabbath is granted his heart's desires, for it is said, Delight thyself also in the Lord; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Now, I do not know what this 'delight' refers to; but when it is said, and thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight,  you must say that it refers to the delight of the Sabbath. Wherewith does one show his delight therein? — Rab Judah son of R. Samuel b. Shilath said in Rab's name: With a dish of beets, large fish, and heads of garlic. R. Hiyya b. Ashi said in Rab's name: Even a trifle, if it is prepared in honor of the Sabbath, is delight. What is it [the trifle]? — Said R. Papa: A pie of fish-hash. R. Hiyya b. Abba said in R. Johanan's name: He who observes the Sabbath according to its laws, even if he practises idolatry like the generation of Enosh,  is forgiven, for it is said, Blessed is Enosh  that doeth this … [that keepeth the Sabbath mehallelo from profaning it]:  read not mehallelo but mahul lo [he is forgiven]. Rab Judah said in Rab's name: Had Israel kept the first Sabbath, no nation or tongue would have enjoyed dominion over them, for it is said, And it came to pass on the seventh day, that there went out some of the people for to gather;  which is followed by, Then came Amalek.  R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: If Israel were to keep two Sabbaths according to the laws thereof, they would be redeemed immediately, for it is said, Thus saith the Lord of the eunuch that keep my Sabbaths,  which is followed by, even them will I bring to my holy mountain, etc. R. Jose said: May my portion be of those who eat three meals on the Sabbath. R. Jose [also] said: May my portion be of those who recite the entire Hallel  every day. But that is not so, for a Master said: He who reads Hallel every day blasphemes and reproaches [the Divine Name]?  — We refer to the 'Verses of Song'. R. Jose said: May my portion be of those who pray with the red glow of the sun.  R. Hiyya b. Abba said in R. Johanan's name: It is virtuous to pray with the red glow of the sun. R. Zera observed: What verse [intimates this]? They shall revere thee with [i.e., at the time of the sun [rise], and before the moon [shines],  throughout all generations.  R. Jose also said: May my lot be of those who die with bowel trouble,  for a Master said, The majority of the righteous die of trouble in the bowels. R. Jose also said: May my portion be of those who die on the way to the performance of a religious duty.  R. Jose also said: May my lot be of those who welcome the Sabbath in Tiberias and who let it depart in Sepphoris.  R. Jose also said: May my lot be of those who seat [pupils] in the Beth Hamidrash,  and not of those who order [them] to rise [depart] from the Beth Hamidrash.  R. Jose also said: May my lot be of those who collect charity, but not of those who distribute charity.  R. Jose also said: May my lot be of those who are suspected whilst innocent.  R. Papa said: I was suspected [of something] of which I was free. R. Jose said: I have never called my wife 'my wife' or my ox 'my ox', but my wife [I called] 'my home,' and my ox 'my field'. R. Jose said: I have never looked at my circumcised membrum. But that is not so, for Rabbi was asked, Why were you called 'Our holy Teacher?' Said he to them, I have never looked at my membrum?  — In Rabbi's case there was another thing to his credit, viz., he did not insert his hand beneath his girdle. R. Jose also said: The beams of my house have never seen the seams of my shirt. R. Jose also said: I have never disregarded the words of my neighbours. I know of myself that I am not a priest, [yet] if my neighbours were to tell me to ascend the dais,  I would ascend [it].  R. Jose also said: I have never in my life said anything from which I retracted. R. Nahman said: May I be rewarded  for observing three meals on the Sabbath. Rab Judah said: May I be rewarded for observing devotion in prayers.  R. Huna son of R. Joshua said: May I be rewarded for never walking four cubits bareheaded.  R. Shesheth said: May I be rewarded for fulfilling the precept of tefillin.  R. Nahman also said: May I be rewarded for fulfilling the precept of fringes. R. Joseph asked R. Joseph son of Rabbah: Of what is thy father most observant? Of fringes, he replied. One day he was ascending a ladder  when a thread [of his fringes] broke, and he would not descend until [another] was inserted. Abaye said: May I be rewarded for that when I saw that a disciple had completed his tractate,