As a

man." For consumption take the same in water. mnemonic sign, think of the text (Ge. i. 2): "And the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters." And for shivers after child-birth, take the same in spirits. As a mnemonic sign, think of the text (Ge. xxiv. 45): "With her pitcher on her shoulder." (Shichma sounds like 7 Shickra, inebriation. Rashi.) Rav Acha the son of Rava used to grind and mix in water as much as he could hold of all the (above named) ingredients put together, with his five fingers, and then drink it. Rav Ashi used to take in water, as much of each ingredient as he could hold between his thumb and smallest finger and drink it separately. Rav Pappa said, he had tried both ways without effect; when a certain merchant advised him to take a cup filled with water, put in it a handful of honey, which had been previously exposed to the stars, and drink it. He did so and was cured. zarah, fol. 29, col. 1.

SYNOPTICAL NOTES.

Avodah

CHAOS AND CONFUSION; AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1. "Wonderful in counsel and excellent in working" (Is. xxviii. 29). Rav Chanan said: Why is the Law called in? Because it weakens (by its study) the strength of men (from wn to grow faint); or because it was delivered (to Moses) unknown to Satan (lest he should urge as a reason for withholding it, that the Jews would soon violate it by worshipping the golden calf. Vide page 12, note 14); or because it is like chaos, consisting of intangible words, upon which, nevertheless, the world is based. Sanhedrin, fol. 26, col. 2.

2. It is a tradition derived from the school of Elijah, that the world is to exist six thousand years. Of these, two thousand years constituted the period of chaos (lawlessness, or the time before the promulgation of the Law); two thousand years belonged to the reign of the Law and two thousand years are the days of the Messiah; but on account of our great iniquities, a considerable portion of the latter period has already passed (and yet Messiah has not come). Sanhedrin, fol. 97, col. 1.

T. N. a. This is one of those valuable passages in the Talmud, which show the indelible impress left by Apostolic Christianity upon Judaism, and the existence of secret Christian believers among its ostensible defenders. The author of this singular tradition must have been a very high authority to have secured for it a permanent place in the Talmud. He fortifies it by the name of Elijah, and he clearly intimates, that the third period must have been initiated by the Advent of the Messiah, in the same way as the preceding two periods were severally initiated by the giving of the Law, and the fall of our first parents. The great iniquity only of the leaders of the Jewish people, who closed their eyes to the Day of Visitation when it came, was the reason why the people have ignored the Messiah hitherto.

b. Rashi's comment on this passage is deeply interesting. He says: The two thousand years of lawlessness commenced at the fall, and terminated in the fiftysecond year of Abraham (to whom the whole Law is alleged to have been given by

anticipation). Rashi is not so fortunate with his calculation of the two thousand years of the Law, which he brings down to one hundred and seventy-two years after the destruction of the second Temple, to which, in common with all the Rabbis, he erroneously assigns a duration of four hundred and twenty years. He then adds significantly: But this does not mean that the Law should be abolished at the end of the legal period. He then says: At the close of the two thousand years of the Law (which properly calculated terminated exactly at the commencement of the Christian era) the coming of the Messiah, the end of the exile, and the cessation of Israel's subjection should have taken place as a matter of course, MD 20 1777; but owing to our great iniquity, Messiah has not come at the end of four thousand years. See for much that bears upon this subject, ch. xlix. 10.

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are also

3. What is it that is written (Jer. xxvi. 1) "In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim"? (The words In the beginning found in the account of the creation (Gen. i. 1.), but do not occur in connection with other kings.) It intimates, that the Holy One, blessed be He! was inclined to reduce the whole world to its (original) chaos and confusion on account of (the wickedness of) Jehoiakim; but He relented when He observed (the righteous disposition of) his generation. And vice versa in the reign of Hezekiah. Sanhedrin, fol. 103, col. 1.

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE SHECHINAH.

4. Rabbi Yochanan said: Why is there no (sentence beginning with the letter) Nun in the alphabetical Ps. cxlv.? Because there is (a passage in Am. v. 2, which commences with this letter, and predicts) the irretrievable fall of Israel. 7, Naphlah, "She has fallen and will no more rise the virgin of Israel." In the West (Palestine) they construed it thus: She has fallen, and will fall no more; rise, virgin of Israel." Rav Nachman bar Ytzchak said: All the same David raises them through the Holy Spirit, as it is said (Ps. cxlv. 14): "The Lord supports all those that fall." Berachoth, fol. 4, col. 2.

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5. And Hannah answered and said: No, my Lord" (1 Sa. i. 15). Illa said: Some think that Rabbi Yosi bar Chanena said it: that Hannah spake in the following sense; Thou art neither lord, nor does the Holy Spirit rest upon thee, because thou dost suspect me in this matter, and hast formed such an uncharitable opinion of me. . . . Neither the Shechinah nor the Holy Spirit are with thee. Berachoth, fol. 31, col. 2.

6. There is a tradition that Rabbon Gamliel (who is mentioned in Acts) was once riding on an ass, soon after the feast of the Passover, from Acca to Chezib, and Rabbi Illaii walked behind him. Noticing a few loaves lying on the road, he ordered Rabbi Illaii to take them up. Presently they met an idolater, whom Rabbon Gamliel addressed by name, telling him to take the loaves from Rabbi Illaii. The latter joined himself to the idolater, and asked him for his name and where he lived, and whether Rabbon Gamliel had known him before; and it turned out that he and Rabbon Gamliel had never met before. It was clear then, that Rabbon Gamliel was under the influence of the Holy Spirit; and his conduct inculcated three lessons. First: that food

should not be left when found on the road; secondly, that (in doubtful matters, as whether the food has been prepared by Jews or idolaters) the assumption is, that it belongs to one of the majority of travellers (who in this instance happened to be idolaters); and thirdly, that the unleavened bread of an idolater (unlike that of an Israelite) which had been in his (the idolater's) possession during the feast of the Passover, may be enjoyed by an Israelite in some way other than that of eating it himself. Eiruvin, fol. 64, col. 2.

7. On the death of the last prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, the Holy Spirit departed from Israel; but they were still availing themselves of the daughter (echo) of a voice (for the reception of Divine communications). Yoma, fol. 9, col. 2.

T. N. a. The daughter, or echo, of a voice, bp na, is frequently mentioned as having interfered in the affairs of the ancient Rabbis, from the death of the last prophets to the close of the Mishnah. Pinner, who enumerates all the instances in which it is said to have been heard, arrives at the conclusion, in which he is supported by the most celebrated commentators, that it was the echo of a voice actually sounded in heaven for the purpose of imparting information; and that, in some measure, it supplied the place of the departed spirit of prophecy. May there not be some connection between this echo and the own EK TWV ovparov of Mat. iii. 16; John xii. 28, etc.?

b. Pinner notices the fact, that most of the instances on record, in which the echo was heard, are related by Rav Yehudah in the name of Rav, or Samuel, so that all are to be traced to the same source.

8. Why is it that the word 71, "And I will be glorified (Hag. 1. 8), is without the letter Hay, whilst another reading has it? It intimates the absence of five things from the second Temple, which existed in the first (The numerical value of the letter is five); viz.: (1) The Ark, the Mercy Seat, and the Cherubim; (2) The fire from heaven upon the altar; (3) the visible Presence; (4) The Holy Spirit (of prophecy. Rashi); (5) The Urim and Thummim. Yoma, fol. 21,

col. 2.

T. N. The Shechinah, the tabernacling, the abstract for the concrete, is the name for the visible Presence, which is here clearly distinguished from the Holy Spirit who spake by the prophets.

9. A priest who does not speak by the Holy Spirit, and upon whom the Shechinah does not rest, should not be consulted oracularly. Yoma, fol. 78, col. 2.

10. "Iscah" (Ge. xi. 29), is another name for Sarai; she was so called, because she spake intuitively by the Holy Spirit (from 2D to observe, or to perceive); as it is said (ibid xxi. 12):

In all that Sarah

saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice." Meguillah, fol. 14, col. 1. 13. "Puah' (Ex. i. 15), is another name for Miriam. She was so called, because, prompted by the Holy Spirit, she used to say: My mother will give birth to a son, who will save Israel." (Puah signifies to call out.) Soteh, fol. 2, col. 2.

15. Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair said: The (study of the) Law leads to circumspection, circumspection leads to diligence, diligence leads to freedom from guilt, freedom from guilt leads to asceticism (or

pharisaism), asceticism leads to purity, purity leads to sanctity of life, sanctity of life leads to meekness, meekness leads to the fear of sin, fear of sin leads to holiness, holiness leads to (the acquisition of) the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit leads to the resurrection from the dead; but the greatest of all is sanctity of life. Avodah-zarah, fol. 20, col. 2.

T. N. This passage has something of the New Testament ring about it. It reminds of 2 Pe. i. 5-9; 1 Co. xiii. 13. The reader will judge what analogy it has to the Apostolic utterances. There may be no connection between the Apostles on the one hand, and Rabbi Pinchas ben Yaîr on the other, but if there is, then the fact that Rabbi Pinchas ben Yaîr flourished about the middle of the second century (see Zemach David, Third generation of Mishnic Rabbis) will at once dispose of the question as to who was the imitator.

16. Rabbin bar Rav Ada said in the name of Rav Ytzchak : Whence is it proved that God is present in the synagogue? From the text (Ps. lxxxii. 1): "God stands in the congregation of God." This text further proves, that the Shechinah rests with ten people who join in prayer (for the ten spies are called a congregation, Nu. xiv. 27). And whence is it proved, that the Shechinah rests with a judicial tribunal consisting of three? From the text (Ps. lxxxii.): “He judgeth among the judges." And whence is it proved, that the Shechinah rests with two who are engaged in studying the Law? From the text (Mal. iii. 16): "Then those that fear the Lord will converse one with the other, and the Lord will listen." And whence is it proved, that the Shechinah rests even with one who is engaged in the study of the Law? From the text (Ex. xx. 24): “In every place wherein I shall make mention of my name I will come unto thee (singular) and bless thee." Berachoth, fol. 6, col. 1.

T. N. The presence of the Shechinah, whilst assigned even to one who is engaged in the study of the Law, is restricted to no less than ten who are engaged in prayer; thus implying the inferiority of prayer to the study of the Law. Hence it is that, to this day, public worship cannot be performed in the presence of less than ten adult males, any number of females counting for nothing. In some synagogues ten poor people are hired to form a congregation at the appointed hours of Divine service. Mat. xviii. 20.

See

17. Whoever prays behind his Rabbi (a sign of disrespect) and whoever salutes or returns the salute of his Rabbi (in the ordinary way, without the expected repetition of "Rabbi! Rabbi!" Mat. xxiii. 7), and whoever contends against the school of his Rabbi, or broaches anything which he had not heard from his Rabbi, he causes the Shechinah to depart from Israel. Berachoth, fol. 27, col. 2.

T. N. It will be seen from this and the following notes, that the distinction between the Shechinah and the Holy Spirit is uniformly kept up; for whilst the Holy Spirit is said (supra Note 7) to have departed at the death of the last prophets, the Shechinah still abides invisibly with the Jews under certain conditions.

18. Whoever is present at a banquet to which a disciple of the wise is invited, enjoys, as it were, the effulgence of the Shechinah. Berachoth, fol. 64, col. 1.

19.

Whence is it proved, that the Shechinah supports the sick? From the text (Ps. xli. 4): "God will support him on the bed of illness." Shabbath, fol. 12, col. 2.

T. N. This passage demonstrates the Divine personality of the Shechinah.

20. "And I praised mirth" (Ec. viii. 15). It teaches that the Shechinah does not rest with people when in a melancholy mood, in illness, hilarity, levity, when gossiping, or when indulging in idle talk, but with those who rejoice in the performance of a work, which is alike meritorious and joyous (such as being present at the wedding feast of a poor bride. Rashi). Shabbath, fol. 30, col. 2.

21. The Shechinah rests only upon one who is wise, physically strong, materially rich, and of high stature. Shabbath, fol. 92, col. 1. (See also Nedarim. fol. 38, col. 1).

22. The hospitable reception of strangers is preferable to that of the presence of the Shechinah; for it is written (Ge. xviii. 3): "And he said: My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant (until I have received the strangers. See the text in loco). Shabbath, fol. 127, col. 1.

T. N. Compare He. xiii. 2, where hospitality is placed on its proper level, and where allusion is made to the same Scripture text.

23. Conjugal intercourse was forbidden whenever the Ark and the Shechinah were removed from the appointed place. Eiruvin, fol. 63, col. 2.

24. What are the righteous like in the presence of the Shechinah? They are like a rushlight in the presence of a torch. Psachim, fol. 8, col. 1.

25. Whoever passes from the synagogue to the debating-room, and from the debating room to the synagogue, is worthy to receive, and does receive, the presence of the Shechinah; for it is said (Ps. lxxxiv. 6, A. V. 7): "They go from strength to strength; he shall be seen unto God in Zion." Moed-katon, fol. 29, col. 1.

26. In the days of Ezra, the Shechinah did not rest (visibly) in the Temple; for it is written (Ge. ix. 27): "God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem." Although God enlarged Japheth (i.e. counted his descendants, the Persians, worthy of building the Temple), yet the Shechinah rests only in the tents (built by the descendants) of Shem. Yoma, fol. 9, col. 2.

27. A certain Sadducee (Christian) remarked to Rabbi Chanena: Now surely (that the Temple is no more, and you cannot cleanse yourselves from your ceremonial uncleanness), you are defiled (and, therefore, God no longer dwells with you); for it is written (La. i. 9): "Her filthiness is (abideth) in her skirts.' He replied: Come and see what is written concerning them (the Jews. Le. xvi. 16): "Who (God) remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanenss;" i.e., even when they are unclean the Shechinah rests among them. Yoma, fol. 57, col. 1.