Taanit

In the morning the scholars rolled these together and took them to the market [for sale]. There they met Abba and they said to him, Sir, value these, how much they are worth, and he replied, So-and-so much. They said to him, Perhaps they are worth more? He replied, This is what I paid for them. They then said to him, They are yours, we took them away from you; tell us, pray, of what did you suspect us. He replied: I said to myself, perhaps the Rabbis needed money to redeem captives and they were ashamed to tell me. They replied, Sir, take them back. He answered: From the moment I missed them I dismissed them from my mind and [I devoted them] to charity. Raba was dejected because of the special honour shown to Abaye and he was therefore told, Be content that [through your merit] the whole city is protected. R. Beroka Hoza'ah1 used to frequent the market at Be Lapat2 where Elijah often appeared to him. Once he asked [the prophet], is there any one in this market who has a share in the world to come? He replied, No. Meanwhile he caught sight of a man wearing black shoes and who had no thread of blue on the corners of his garment3 and he exclaimed, This man has a share in the world to come. He [R. Beroka] ran after him and asked him, What is your occupation? And the man replied: Go away and come back tomorrow. Next day he asked him again, What is your occupation? And he replied: I am a jailer and I keep the men and women separate and I place my bed between them so that they may not come to sin; when I see a Jewish girl upon whom the Gentiles cast their eyes I risk my life and save her. Once there was amongst us a betrothed girl upon whom the Gentiles cast their eyes. I therefore took lees of [red] wine and put them in her skirt and I told them that she was unclean.4 [R. Beroka further] asked the man, Why have you no fringes and why do you wear black shoes?5 He replied: That the Gentiles amongst whom I constantly move may not know that I am a Jew, so that when a harsh decree is made [against Jews] I inform the rabbis and they pray [to God] and the decree is annulled. He further asked him, When I asked you, What is your occupation, why did you say to me, Go away now and come back to-morrow? He answered, They had just issued a harsh decree and I said I would first go and acquaint the rabbis of it so that they might pray to God. Whilst [they were thus conversing] two [men]6 passed by and [Elijah] remarked, These two have a share in the world to come. R. Beroka then approached and asked them, What is your occupation? They replied, We are jesters, when we see men depressed we cheer them up; furthermore when we see two people quarrelling we strive hard to make peace between them. THE ALARM IS SOUNDED EVERYWHERE ON ACCOUNT OF THE FOLLOWING [VISITATIONS] etc. Our Rabbis have taught: The alarm is sounded everywhere on account of the following visitations, blast, mildew, locust, crickets and wild beasts. R. Akiba says: For the slightest attack of blast and mildew; and In the case of locust and crickets even if only one winged creature is seen the alarm is sounded [immediately]. FOR WILD BEASTS etc. Our Rabbis have taught: The Alarm is sounded for wild beasts only when they are a [divine] visitation but not otherwise. What constitutes a [divine] visitation and what does not? When they make their appearance in the city that is a [divine] visitation, in the field it is not; by day it is a [divine] visitation, by night it is not; if a beast sees two persons and pursues them it is a [divine] visitation, but if it hides itself on seeing them it is not; if it killed two persons and devoured only one of them that is a [divine] visitation, but if it devoured both of them it is not;7 if it mounted the roof and carried off an infant out of the cradle that is a divine visitation. Is not this [Baraitha] self-contradictory? [First] you say, ‘If it makes its appearance in the city it is a visitation’ and no distinction is made whether this happens by day or by night, and then you add ‘it is a visitation’, but by night it is not! — There is no contradiction. This is what is meant. If it makes its appearance in the city by day it is a visitation, but in the city by night it is not. Or, in the field even by day it is not a visitation.8 [First you say,] ‘If the beast sees two persons and pursues them it is a visitation’ which implies that if it remains still it is no visitation and then you add ‘if it hides itself on seeing then it is not a visitation’; this would imply that if it remains still it is a visitation! — This is no contradiction. In the one case it speaks of [a beast] in a field near reedland,9 in the other in a field not near reedland. [You say,] ‘If it kills two men and devours one of them, that is a visitation but if it devours both of them it is not.’ But did you not say that even if it only pursues [two people] that is a visitation? — R. Papa replied: That speaks of a case [where the beast is standing] in reedland. The [above] text [states] ‘If it mounted the roof and carried off an infant out of the cradle it is a visitation’. Is not this self-evident? R. Papa replied: This statement is meant to refer to [the case of a beast carrying off an infant out of a cradle in] a hunter's cave.10 AND THE SWORD etc. Our Rabbis have taught: By ‘SWORD’ is meant not only a hostile attack by an invading army but also the passing en route of a friendly army.11 For there could be no more friendly army than that of Pharaoh-Necho, and yet through it king Josiah met his fate, as it is said menstruation were of extreme rigour, v. Obermeyer p. 210, n. 1.] TA. I, 628.] another person then it can only be a divine visitation. not a visitation’, which appear in the cur. ed. in brackets are best left out.] likely to attack a person visitation.