Yevamot

from sin'. Rab Judah was reading with his son R. Isaac the Scriptural text, And I find more bitter than death the woman. When the latter asked him, 'Who, for instance'? — 'For instance, your mother'. But,  surely, Rab Judah taught his son R. Isaac, 'A man finds happiness  only with his first wife; for it is said, Let thy fountain be blessed and have joy of the wife of thy youth';  and when the latter asked him, 'Who for instance?' [he answered:] 'For instance, your mother'!  — She was indeed irascible but could be easily appeased with a kindly word. How is one to understand the term a 'bad wife'? Abaye said: One who prepares for him  a tray  and has her tongue  also ready for him. Raba said: One who prepares for him  the tray and turns her back upon him. R. Hama b. Hanina stated: As soon as a man takes a wife his sins are buried;  for it is said: Whoso findeth a wife findeth a great good and obtaineth  favour of the Lord. In the West,  they used to ask a man who married, 'findeth or find?'  Findeth, because it is written, Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a great good;  Find, because it is written, And I find more bitter than death the woman. Raba said: [If one has] a bad wife it is a meritorious act to divorce her,  for it is said, Cast out  the scoffer, and contention will go out; yea, strife and shame will cease. Raba further stated: A bad wife, the amount of whose kethubah  is large,  [should be given] a rival at her side; as people say, 'By her partner rather than by a thorn'. Raba further stated: A bad wife is as troublesome as a very rainy day; for it is said, A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. Raba further stated: Come and see how precious is a good wife and how baneful is a bad wife. 'How precious is a good wife', for it is written: Whoso findeth a wife findeth a great good.  Now, if Scripture speaks of the woman herself, then how precious is a good wife whom Scripture praises. If Scripture speaks of the Torah, then how precious is a good wife with whom the Torah is compared. 'How baneful is a bad wife', for it is written, And I find more bitter than death the woman.  Now, if Scripture speaks of herself, then how baneful is a bad wife whom Scripture censures. If Scripture speaks of Gehenna, then how baneful is a bad wife with whom Gehenna is compared. Behold I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape.  R. Nahman said in the name of Rabbah b. Abbuha: This refers to a bad wife, the amount of whose kethubah  is large. The Lord has delivered me into their hands against whom I am not able to stand.  R. Hisda said in the name of Mar 'Ukba b. Hiyya: This refers to a bad wife the amount of whose kethubah  is large.  In the West  it was said: This refers to one whose maintenance depends on his money. Thy sons and thy daughter's shall be given unto another people.  R. Hanan b. Raba stated in the name of Rab: This refers to one's father's wife. I will provoke them with a vile  nation.  R. Hanan b. Raba stated in the name of Rab: This refers to a bad wife the amount of whose kethubah  is large.  R. Eliezer stated: This refers to the Sadducees;  for so it is said, The fool  has said in his heart: 'There is no God' etc.  In a Baraitha it was taught: This refers to the people of Barbaria  and the people of Mauretania  who go naked in the streets; for there is nothing more objectionable and abominable to the Omnipresent than the man who goes naked in the streets. R. Johanan said: This refers to the Parsees. When R. Johanan was informed that the Parsees  had come to Babylon, he reeled and fell.  When however he was told that they accepted bribes he recovered  and sat down again. They  issued three decrees as a punishment for three [transgressions]:  They decreed against [ritually prepared] meat,  because the priestly gifts  [were neglected]. They decreed against the use of baths, because ritual bathing [was not observed]. They exhumed the dead,  because rejoicings were held on the days of their  festivals; as it is said, Then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, and against your fathers,  and Rabbah b. Samuel said that that  referred to the exhumation of the dead, for the Master said, 'For the sins of the living the dead are exhumed'. Said Raba to Rabbah b. Mari: It is written, They shall not be gathered, nor be buried, they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth,  but it is also written,  And death shall be chosen rather than life!  — The other replied: 'Death shall be chosen' for the wicked, in order that they may not live in this world and thus sin and fall into Gehenna. It is written in the book of Ben Sira: — A good wife is a precious gift;  she will be put in the bosom of the God-fearing man.  A bad wife is a plague to her husband. What remedy has he? — Let him give her a letter of divorce and be healed of his plague. A beautiful wife is a joy to her husband;  the number of his days shall be double. Turn away thy eyes from [thy neighbour's] charming wife lest thou be caught in her net. Do not turn in to her husband to mingle with him wine and strong drink; for, through the form of a beautiful woman, many were destroyed and a mighty host are all her slain. Many were the wounds of the spice-peddler,  which lead him on to lewdness like a spark that lights the coal. As a cage is full of birds so are [the harlots'] houses full of deceit. Do not worry about to-morrow's trouble, for thou knowest not what the day may beget. To-morrow may come and thou  wilt be no more and so thou hast worried about a world which is not thine. Keep away many from thy house; and do not bring everyone into thy house. Many be they that seek thy welfare; reveal thy secret only to one of a thousand. R. Assi stated: The son of David  will not come before all the souls in Guf  are disposed of; since it is said, For the spirit that enwrappeth itself is from Me, and the souls which I have made. It was taught: R. Eliezer stated, He who does not engage in propagation of the race is as though he sheds blood; for it is said, Whoso sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be shed,  and this is immediately followed by the text, And you, be ye fruitful and multiply.  R. Jacob said: As though he has diminished the Divine Image; since it is said, For in the image of God made he man,  and this is immediately followed by, And you, be ye fruitful etc.  Ben 'Azzai said: As though he sheds blood and diminishes the Divine Image; since it is said,  And you, be ye fruitful and mutltiply. They said to Ben 'Azzai: Some preach well and act well, others act well but do not preach well; you. however, preach well but do not act well!  Ben 'Azzai replied: But what shall I do, seeing that my soul is in love with the Torah; the world can be carried on by others. Another [Baraitha] taught: R. Eliezer said, Anyone who does not engage in the propagation of the race is as though he sheds blood; For it is said, Whoso sheddeth mans's blood,  and close upon it follows, And you, be ye fruitful etc.  R. Eleazar b. Azariah said: As though he diminished the Divine Image. Ben 'Azzai said etc.  They said to Ben 'Azzai: Some preach well etc. Our Rabbis taught: And when it rested, he said: 'Return O Lord unto the ten thousands and  thousands of Israel',