Making Space

And Rav Yehuda said that Rav said, with regard to the same matter: When the Holy One, Blessed be God, created the world, it continued to expand like two balls of a warp, whose cord lengthens as they unravel, until the Holy One, Blessed be God, rebuked it and made it stand still, as it is stated: “The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at His rebuke” (Job 26:11).

And this is the same as that which Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “I am the Almighty God [El Shaddai]” (Genesis 17:1)? It means: I am He Who said to the world “enough [dai],” instructing it to stop expanding.

Similarly, Reish Lakish said: When the Holy One, Blessed be God, created the sea, it continued to expand until the Holy One, Blessed be God, rebuked it and made it dry, as it is stated: “He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and desiccates all the rivers” (Nahum 1:4).

(1) Concerning these blemishes which were taught with regard to an animal, whether they are permanent or transient, they also disqualify in the case of a person, i.e., they disqualify a priest from performing the Temple service. And in addition to those blemishes, there are other blemishes that apply only to a priest: One whose head is pointed, narrow above and wide below; and one whose head is turnip-like, wide above and narrow below; and one whose head is hammer-like, with his forehead protruding; and one whose head has an indentation; and one wherein the back of his head protrudes. And with regard to those with humped backs, Rabbi Yehuda deems them fit for service and the Rabbis deem them disqualified.

(30) One who has an deformity on his face or his hands, for example albinism, deformed [fingers], or paralyzed [fingers] should not perform the priestly blessing because the congregation will stare at him. And this is also the rule for one who has an deformity on his feet, in a place where they ascend to the platform without socks. And so it is if he has spittle drooling down his beard, or if his eyes tear up. And similarly, one who is blind in one of his eye should not perform the priestly blessing.

However, if he is "Dash" in his city, meaning that they are familiar with him and everyone recognizes that he has this deformity, he may perform the blessing, even if he is blind in both eyes. Anyone who has stayed in the city thirty days is called "Dash" in his city

8) If one sees one with very dark skin, one with very red skin, an albino, a bent-over person (person with a large belly, whose height appears bent over because of his portliness), a very small person, a drakona (a person who is full of warts), a person who has all his hairs stuck to each other, an elephant or a monkey, he should say "You are Blessed, Lord our God, Master of the universe, Who makes diversity within Creation."

The person who sees someone without the use of their legs, an amputee, a blind person, someone afflicted with boils or a glistening person, a person mottled with tiny spots; if they were born this way one should make the blessing,"Who makes diversity within Creation" If they underwent a change and became like this after they were born, one should make the blessing "God is a true judge."

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi found Elijah the prophet, who was standing at the entrance of the burial cave of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai.

He asked when will the Messiah come? Elijah said to him: Go ask him.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked: And where is he sitting?

Elijah said to him: At the entrance of the city of Rome.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked him: And what is his sign

Elijah answered: He sits among the poor who suffer from illnesses. And all of them untie their bandages and tie them all at once, but the Messiah unties one bandage and ties one at a time. He says: Perhaps I will be needed so I will not be delayed.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi went to the Messiah. He said to the Messiah: Greetings to you, my rabbi and my teacher. The Messiah said to him: Greetings to you, bar Leva’i. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said to him: When will the Master come? The Messiah said to him: Today. Sometime later, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi came to Elijah. Elijah said to him: What did the Messiah say to you?

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said to Elijah: The Messiah lied to me, as he said to me: I am coming today, and he did not come. Elijah said to him that this is what he said to you: He said that he will come “today, if you will listen to his voice” (Psalms 95:7).