Shabbat

I made it a festive day for the scholars. Raba said: May I be rewarded for that when a disciple came before me in a lawsuit, I did not lay my head upon my pillow before I had sought [points in] his favour.  Mar son of R. Ashi said: I am unfit to judge in a scholar's lawsuit. What is the reason? He is as dear to me as myself, and a man cannot see [anything] to his own disadvantage. R. Hanina robed himself and stood at sunset of Sabbath eve [and] exclaimed, 'Come and let us go forth to welcome the queen Sabbath.'  R. Jannai donned his robes, on Sabbath eve and exclaimed, 'Come, O bride, Come, O bride!' Rabbah son of R. Huna visited the home of Rabbah son of R. Nahman, [and] was offered three se'ahs of oiled cakes. 'Did you know that I was coming?' asked he. 'Are you then more important  to us than it [the Sabbath]?' replied he. R. Abba bought meat for thirteen istira peshita  from thirteen butchers  and handed it over to them [his servants]  as soon as the door was turned  and urged them, 'Make haste, Quick Make haste, Quick!' R. Abbabu used to sit on an ivory stool and fan the fire. R. 'Anan used to wear an overall;  for the School of R. Ishmael taught: The clothes in which one cooks a dish for his master, let him not pour out  a cup [of wine] for his master in them. R. Safra would singe the head [of an animal]. Raba salted shibuta.  R. Huna lit the lamp. R. Papa plaited the wicks. R. Hisda cut up the beetroots. Rabbah and R. Joseph chopped wood. R. Zera kindled the fire. R. Nahman b. Isaac carried  in and out,  saying,'If R. Ammi and R. Assi visited me, would I not carry for them?'Others state: R. Ammi and R. Assi carried in and out, saying, 'If R. Johanan visited us, would we not carry before him?' Joseph-who-honours-the-Sabbaths had in his victory a certain gentile who owned much property. Soothsayers  told him, 'Joseph-who-honours-the-Sabbaths will consume all your property.  — [So] he went, sold all his property, and bought a precious stone with the proceeds, which he set in his turban. As he was crossing a bridge the wind blew it off and cast it into the water, [and] a fish swallowed it. [Subsequently] it [the fish] was hauled up and brought [to market] on the Sabbath eve towards sunset. 'Who will buy now?' cried they. 'Go and take them to Joseph-who-honours-the-Sabbaths,' they were told, 'as he is accustomed to buy.' So they took it to him. He bought it, opened it, found the jewel therein, and sold it for thirteen roomfuls  of gold denarii.  A certain old man met him [and] said, 'He who lends to the Sabbath,  the Sabbath repays him.' Rabbi asked R. Ishmael son of R. Jose, The wealthy in Palestine, whereby do they merit [wealth]?  — Because they give tithes, he replied, as it is written, 'Asser te'asser  [which means], give tithes ['asser] so that thou mayest become wealthy [tith'asser].  Those in Babylon, wherewith do they merit [it]? — Because they honour the Torah, replied he. And those in other countries, whereby do they merit it? — Because they honour the Sabbath, answered he. For R. Hiyya b. Abba related: I was once a guest of a man in Laodicea,  and a golden table was brought before him, which had to be carried by sixteen men; sixteen silver chains were fixed in it, and plates, goblets, pitchers and flasks were set thereon, thereon,  and upon it were all kinds of food, dainties and spices. When they set it down they recited, The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof;  and when they removed it [after the meal] they recited, The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, But the earth hath he given to the children of men.  Said I to him, 'My son! whereby hast thou merited this?' 'I was a butcher,' replied he, 'and of every fine beast I used to say, "'This shall be for the Sabbath"'. Said I to him, 'Happy art thou that thou hast [so] merited, and praised be the Omnipresent who has permitted thee to enjoy [all] this.' The emperor said to R. Joshua b. Hanania,  'Why has the Sabbath dish such a fragrant odour?' 'We have a certain seasoning,' replied he, 'called the Sabbath, which we put into it, and that gives it a fragrant odour.' 'Give us some of it,' asked he. 'To him who keeps the Sabbath,' retorted he, 'it is efficacious; but to him who does not keep the Sabbath it is of no use.' The Resh Galutha  asked R. Hamnuna: What is meant by the verse, [and thou shalt call …] the holy of the Lord honourable?  — This  refers to the Day of Atonement, replied he, in which there is neither eating nor drinking, [hence] the Torah instructed, Honour it with clean [festive] garments. And thou shalt honour it:  Rab said: By fixing [it] earlier;  Samuel maintained: By postponing [it].  The sons of R. Papa b. Abba asked R. Papa: We, for instance, who have meat and wine every day, how shall we mark a change? If you are accustomed to [dine] early,  postpone it, if you are accustomed to [dine] late, have it earlier, answered he. R. Shesheth used to place his scholars in a place exposed to the sun in summer, and in a shady place in winter, so that they should arise quickly.  R. Zera