Sukkah

A woman could1 sift wheat by the illumination of the place of the Water-Drawing. MEN OF PIETY AND GOOD DEEDS, etc. Our Rabbis have taught, Some of them, used to say,2 ‘Happy our youth that has not disgraced our old age’. These were the men of piety and good deeds. Others used to say, ‘Happy our old age which has atoned for our youth’. These were the penitents. The former and the latter, however, said, ‘Happy he who hath not sinned, but let him who hath sinned return and He will pardon him.’3 It was taught, Of Hillel the Elder, It was said that when he used to rejoice at the Rejoicing at the place of the Water-Drawing, he used to recite thus, ‘If I am here, everyone is here; but if I am not here, who is here?’4 He also used to recite thus, ‘To the place that I love, there My feet lead me: if thou wilt come into My House, I will come into thy house; if thou wilt not come to My House, I will not come to thy house, as it is laid, In every place where I cause My name to be mentioned, I will come unto thee and bless thee’.5 He6 moreover once saw a skull floating upon the face of the water. ‘Because’, he said to it, ‘thou didst drown others, they have drowned thee, and they that drowned thee shall be drowned too’. 7 R. Johanan stated, A man's feet are responsible for him; they lead him to the place where he is wanted.8 There were once two Cushites9 who attended on Solomon, and these were Elihoreph and Ahyah, the sons of Shisha, scribes,10 of Solomon. One day Solomon observed that the Angel of Death was sad. ‘Why’, he said to him, ‘art thou sad?’ — ‘Because’, he answered him, ‘they11 have demanded from me the two Cushites who sit here’.12 [Solomon thereupon] gave them in charge of the spirits13 and sent them to the district of Luz.14 When, however, they reached the district of Luz15 they died. On the following day he observed that the Angel of Death was in cheerful spirits. ‘Why’, he said to him, ‘art thou cheerful?’ — ‘To the place’, the other replied, ‘where they expected them from me, thither didst thou send them!’16 Solomon thereupon uttered the saying, ‘A man's feet are responsible for him; they lead him to the place where he is wanted’. It was taught: They said of R. Simeon b. Gamaliel that when he rejoiced at the Rejoicing at the place of the Water-Drawing, he used to take eight lighted torches [and throw them in the air] and catch one and throw one and they did not touch one another;17 and when he prostrated himself, he used to dig his two thumbs in the ground, bend down,18 kiss the ground, and draw himself up again,18 a feat which no other man could do, and this is what is meant by Kidah.19 Levi showed in the presence of Rabbi what Kidah is and as a result, became lame.20 But was this the cause of his [lameness]? Did not R. Eleazar in fact state, One should never cast reproach against Providence, for a great man cast reproach against Providence and was as a result rendered lame, and he was21 Levi?22 Both the former and the latter were the cause [of his lameness].23 Levi24 used to juggle in the presence of Rabbi25 with eight knives, Samuel before King Shapur26 with eight glasses of wine,27 and Abaye before Rabbah28 with eight eggs or, as some say, with four eggs. It was taught: R. Joshua b. Hanania stated, When we used to rejoice at the place of the Water-Drawing, our eyes saw no sleep. How was this? The first hour [was occupied with] the daily morning sacrifice; from there [we proceeded] to prayers; from there [we proceeded] to the additional sacrifice, then the prayers to the additional sacrifice, then to the House of Study, then the eating and drinking, then the afternoon prayer, then the daily evening sacrifice, and after that the Rejoicing at the place of the Water-Drawing [all night]. But it cannot be so!29 For did not R. Johanan rule, He who says, ‘I take an oath not to sleep for three days’ is to be flogged30 and he may sleep forthwith?31 — The fact is that what was meant was this: ‘We did not enjoy a proper sleep’, because they dozed on one another's shoulder. FIFTEEN STEPS. R. Hisda said to a certain Rabbi who was arranging his Aggadas before him,32 ‘Have you heard in correspondence to what David composed his fifteen Songs of Ascent?’33 — ‘Thus’, the other replied, ‘said R. Johanan: When David dug the Pits34 the Deep rose up and threatened to submerge the world, and David thereupon uttered the fifteen Songs of Ascent and caused its waves to subside’. But if so, [asked R. Hisda,] ought it not to be Songs of Descent, instead of Ascent? — ‘Since you have reminded me’, the other replied ‘[I may say that] it was stated thus: When David dug the Pits, the Deep arose and threatened to submerge the world. "Is there anyone", David enquired, "who knows whether it is permitted to inscribe the [Ineffable] Name with the one meaning ‘the indestructible bone of the vertebra’ (Lev. R., XVIII) tradition says that the Angel of Death had no power in Luz (v. Sot. 46b). leverage of the body without bending or using the hands. whets the knife’ (Shab. 32a). and whom his disciples were anxious to cheer. King Shapur, cf. B.B. 115a (Sonc. ed., p. 475. n. 8).