(ו) וִיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן וְכָלֵב֙ בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּ֔ה מִן־הַתָּרִ֖ים אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ קָרְע֖וּ בִּגְדֵיהֶֽם׃ (ז) וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֥ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָבַ֤רְנוּ בָהּ֙ לָת֣וּר אֹתָ֔הּ טוֹבָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ מְאֹ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃ (ח) אִם־חָפֵ֥ץ בָּ֙נוּ֙ ה' וְהֵבִ֤יא אֹתָ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וּנְתָנָ֖הּ לָ֑נוּ אֶ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־הִ֛וא זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ (ט) אַ֣ךְ בַּֽה' אַל־תִּמְרֹדוּ֒ וְאַתֶּ֗ם אַל־תִּֽירְאוּ֙ אֶת־עַ֣ם הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֥י לַחְמֵ֖נוּ הֵ֑ם סָ֣ר צִלָּ֧ם מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֛ם וַֽה' אִתָּ֖נוּ אַל־תִּירָאֻֽם׃ (י) וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה לִרְגּ֥וֹם אֹתָ֖ם בָּאֲבָנִ֑ים וּכְב֣וֹד ה' נִרְאָה֙ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד אֶֽל־כָּל־בְּנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (פ) (יא) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה עַד־אָ֥נָה יְנַאֲצֻ֖נִי הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה וְעַד־אָ֙נָה֙ לֹא־יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ בִ֔י בְּכֹל֙ הָֽאֹת֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתִי בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ (יב) אַכֶּ֥נּוּ בַדֶּ֖בֶר וְאוֹרִשֶׁ֑נּוּ וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙ אֹֽתְךָ֔ לְגוֹי־גָּד֥וֹל וְעָצ֖וּם מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (יג) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־ה' וְשָׁמְע֣וּ מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּֽי־הֶעֱלִ֧יתָ בְכֹחֲךָ֛ אֶת־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה מִקִּרְבּֽוֹ׃ (יד) וְאָמְר֗וּ אֶל־יוֹשֵׁב֮ הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּאת֒ שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה ה' בְּקֶ֖רֶב הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־עַ֨יִן בְּעַ֜יִן נִרְאָ֣ה ׀ אַתָּ֣ה ה' וַעֲנָֽנְךָ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד עֲלֵהֶ֔ם וּבְעַמֻּ֣ד עָנָ֗ן אַתָּ֨ה הֹלֵ֤ךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וּבְעַמּ֥וּד אֵ֖שׁ לָֽיְלָה׃ (טו) וְהֵמַתָּ֛ה אֶת־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה כְּאִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֑ד וְאָֽמְרוּ֙ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמְע֥וּ אֶֽת־שִׁמְעֲךָ֖ לֵאמֹֽר׃ (טז) מִבִּלְתִּ֞י יְכֹ֣לֶת ה' לְהָבִיא֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לָהֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֖ם בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (יז) וְעַתָּ֕ה יִגְדַּל־נָ֖א כֹּ֣חַ אדושם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ לֵאמֹֽר׃ (יח) ה' אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ וְרַב־חֶ֔סֶד נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֖ן וָפָ֑שַׁע וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה פֹּקֵ֞ד עֲוֺ֤ן אָבוֹת֙ עַל־בָּנִ֔ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים׃ (יט) סְלַֽח־נָ֗א לַעֲוֺ֛ן הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה כְּגֹ֣דֶל חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וְכַאֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתָה֙ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם וְעַד־הֵֽנָּה׃ (כ) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה' סָלַ֖חְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃
(6) And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, of those who had scouted the land, rent their clothes (7) and exhorted the whole Israelite community: “The land that we traversed and scouted is an exceedingly good land. (8) If the LORD is pleased with us, He will bring us into that land, a land that flows with milk and honey, and give it to us; (9) only you must not rebel against the LORD. Have no fear then of the people of the country, for they are our prey: their protection has departed from them, but the LORD is with us. Have no fear of them!” (10) As the whole community threatened to pelt them with stones, the Presence of the LORD appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites. (11) And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me, and how long will they have no faith in Me despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst? (12) I will strike them with pestilence and disown them, and I will make of you a nation far more numerous than they!” (13) But Moses said to the LORD, “When the Egyptians, from whose midst You brought up this people in Your might, hear the news, (14) they will tell it to the inhabitants of that land. Now they have heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people; that You, O LORD, appear in plain sight when Your cloud rests over them and when You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. (15) If then You slay this people to a man, the nations who have heard Your fame will say, (16) ‘It must be because the LORD was powerless to bring that people into the land He had promised them on oath that He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ (17) Therefore, I pray, let my Lord’s strength be great, as You have declared, saying, (18) ‘The LORD! slow to anger and abounding in kindness; forgiving iniquity and transgression; yet not remitting all punishment, but visiting the iniquity of fathers upon children, upon the third and fourth generations.’ (19) Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to Your great kindness, as You have forgiven this people ever since Egypt.” (20) And the LORD said, “I pardon, as you have asked.
(יז) כח אדושם. שזה השם מסוגל לעשות נפלאות וגבורות כמו שביארנו בפרשת תשא עה״פ ילך נא אדושם בקרבנו. וע״ז היה התשובה שם נגד כל עמך אעשה נפלאות. ואנו מזכירים בתפלה אתה גבור לעולם אדושם. מש״ה אמר שיהי׳ כח זה השם מתגבר על כח הדין שקבע הקב״ה בהם אה״ע שמגיע מזה שראוי לכלותם כרגע. וכמו שכח אדושם מתגבר על הליכות הטבע שקבע הקב״ה את עולמו כך יגדל זה הכח על כח הדין המתוח עליהם:
The Lord's strength. This is the name that is able to do wonders and powers, as we explained in KI Tisa, regarding the words "My Lord if You go among us". And this is the answer there "in front of all the people I will do wonders". And we make remember in the Tefilah 'You are mighty eternally my Lord' Moses meant there that the power of this name would overtake the power of judgment that the Holy One of Blessing had determined upon them, which was that they should have been destroyed immediately. And just as the strength of "Lord" overtakes the laws of nature that the Holy One of Blessing determined upon God's world, so too this power will overtake the power of the judgment that was stretched over them.
(24) “O Lord GOD, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal! (25) Let me, please, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country, and the Lebanon.”
(כה) את גדלך זה האל הגדול. ואת ידך החזקה. זה אתה גבור. אשר מי אל בשמים. כנגד אתה קדוש. אעברה נא. אל ישאל אדם צרכיון בשלש ראשונות:
Your greatness - this is HaEl HaGadol. And Your strong hand - This is You are mighty. That no god in heaven - that corresponds to You are Holy. Let me please cross over - a person should not ask for her/his [personal] needs in the first three [blessings of the Amidah]
(כד) אדושם ה׳. שני שמות אלו מנהיגי העולם. שם הוי׳ מהוה הכל היינו הליכות הטבע. ושם אדושם בא לשדד הטבע כאדון העושה בשלו מה שרוצה וביארנו בס׳ שמות בכ״מ. וביקש משה שיכנוס לא״י באיזה מדה שתהא. אם אינו זוכה שתהי׳ במדת תפארת כימין משה במדבר תהי׳ בהליכות הטבע כמו שהחל בשנת הארבעי׳ כמש״כ בפ׳ חקת דאז החל להשתנות לאט לאט. וזהו סגולת התפלה להזכיר השם המיוחד לאותו דבר שמבקשין כדאי׳ במדרש תהלים עה״פ כי הוא ידע שמי וגו׳:
Lord YHVH. These two names direct the world. The name HaVaYaH makes all things exist that is, the laws of nature. And the name Lord loosens up nature as a master who does whatever he wishes with what is his, as we explained in the Book of Shemot in a few places. And Moses requested to be able to enter in the land of Israel through whichever way [lit. characteristic] possible. If he didn't merit that this would come about through the aspect of tiferet [balance], as the right [ways] of Moshe in the desert, through the laws of nature, as was the case in the fortieth year as it is written in Parashat Chukat, that then [things] began to slowly change. And this is the unique quality of Tefilah, that makes remember the specific name for the thing we are requesting, as found in the midrash on Psalms, on the verse "because he knows My name" (91)
(יב) וכן בתפלה אומרים אתה גבור לעולם אדושם מחיה מתים אתה ועל תחיית המתים אומר מחייה מתים ברחמים רבים, וראה והבן שאברהם תקן תפלת שחרית להעלות אותן שלא יצאו לטומאה וזהו אל המקום אשר עמד שם, ויצחק פייס מדתו והתפלל מנחה וקירב אפילו אותן המתים הישנים תחת האשפה, כי המערב למדת הדין הרפה, וכן הקרבנות מכפרין מיני עונות וחטאים כבדים וקלים ואמר קודשא בריך הוא כשם שהקרבנות מדתי פועלת כן תעבדו גם אתם בפיכם להעלות היורדים כעין הקרבנות וזהו אלקי אברהם הוא חסד אלקי יצחק הוא פחד אלקי יעקב הוא הת"ת, ואמר ואלקי כתוספת ו' לכלול משך הו' והוא יסוד ואחר כך ייחד כל אחד בשמו ואמר האל הגדול הגבור והנורא, האל הגדול חסד הנקרא גדולה, הגבור הוא פחד הנקרא גבורה, והנורא הוא ת"ת, וכלל אותם להשלימם שכן דרך הקרבן להשלים הכל והנה כשם שהעטרה פועלת עבודת הקרבנות כן גם אתם תעבדו עבודת התפלה הדומה לקרבן וע"כ באה התפלה במ"ע.
And so in the Tefilah we say "You are eternally mighty, Lord, you are reviving the dead - and regarding the revival of the dead it says "You revive the dead in great mercy" and see and understand this: Avraham established the Morning Prayer to raise those who did not go to the Impurity, and that is 'to the place where he stood'. Yitzchak calmed himself down and prayed the Afternoon Prayer and brought close even those dead that sleep under the filth. And just as the sacrifices atone for many types of sins and wrongdoings, large and small, the Holy One of Blessing said: 'justas My aspect works with the sacrifices, so too work you too with your mouths to raise up the fallen, as the sacrifices. And this is "God od Avraham" - Chesed/lovingkindness; "God of Yitzchak" - Pachad/Fear; "God of Yaakov" - Tiferet/Beauty/Balance,and Elohay could have a vav to include in it Yesod, and after that each one will be one with His Name and says "the great God, mighty and awesome": "the great God", lovingkindness is called Gedulah/greatness; "the mighty" is fear, that is called Gevurah/Might; "and the awesome" is Tiferet/balance...
(א) מִי־זֶ֣ה ׀ בָּ֣א מֵאֱד֗וֹם חֲמ֤וּץ בְּגָדִים֙ מִבָּצְרָ֔ה זֶ֚ה הָד֣וּר בִּלְבוּשׁ֔וֹ צֹעֶ֖ה בְּרֹ֣ב כֹּח֑וֹ אֲנִ֛י מְדַבֵּ֥ר בִּצְדָקָ֖ה רַ֥ב לְהוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃
() וּלְבָתַר בִּסְטָר שְׂמָאלָא, בְּרָזָא דָּא אַתָּה גִּבּוֹר. וְהַאי אִיהוּ חִבּוּרָא אַתָּה וְגִבּוֹר, תְּרֵין דִּינִין. וְכֵיוָן דְּאִתְמַשְׁכָאן בִּרְכָאן, אִתְכְּלִיל בְּרַחֲמֵי, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא, וְדָא הוּא מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים סוֹמֵךְ נוֹפְלִים וְרוֹפֵא חוֹלִים וְכוּ'.
And after in the Left Side [Sulam: that is Judgment], in the mystery of "You are Mighty". And what is the connection between "You" and "Mighty"? They are two judgements! But since we continue with blessings we combine/join them in Lovingkindness, and they are found in that side all as one, and this is "giving life to the dead, supporting the fallen and healing the sick, etc. [Sulam: they are all lovingkindness]
(ו) על שחל ופתן תדרוך. כל י"ב חדש שהיה נח בתיבה היה מהלכו על נחשים ולא היו מזיקין אותו שנאמר על שחל ופתן תדרוך. כי בי חשק. אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי בשם רבי פנחס בן יאיר מפני מה מתפללין ישראל בעולם הזה ואינן נענין. על ידי שאינן יודעין בשם המפורש. אבל לעתיד לבוא הקב"ה מודיען כמו שנאמר (ישעיה נב ו) לכן ידע עמי שמי. באותה שעה הם מתפללין ונענין שנאמר יקראני ואענהו. א"ר יצחק בשם ר' אחא אם מבקשים הם אותי בשעה שמגיע להם הצרה מיד אני עונה אותם שנאמר יקראני ואענהו. אמר אסף לישראל כל מי שהוא מציל אותך תכבדהו בתפלה והוא מציל אותך ומוציאך מן הצרה והוא נותן לך כבוד (יציאה ויוציאך מן הצרה). הוי אחלצהו ואכבדהו. אורך ימים אשביעהו זה אחד מן המקראות הקשין שישועתן של ישראל הוא ישועתו של הקב"ה:
On lion and cobra you will walk. All the 12 months that Noach was in the ark he walked over snakes and they didn't hurt him, and this is 'on lion and cobra you will walk'. Because he desired Me. Rabi Yehoshua ben Levi said, in the name of Rabi Pinchas ben Yair: why does Israel pray in this world and are not answered? Because they do not know the Hidden Name. But in the future to come the Holy One will inform them, as it is said 'therefore My people will know My name' (Isaiah 52:6). At the moment they pray, at that very moment they will be answered, as it is said 'when he call me I answer him.' Said Rabi Yitzchak in the name of Rabbi Acha: if they ask for Me in the moment when trouble comes to them I answer them, as it is said 'when he call me I answer him.' Said Asaf to Israel: whoever that saves you, honor him with Tefilah; and He brings you out of trouble and He gives you honor - that is 'I will save him and give him honor'. 'I will satisfy him with long life [and I will show him My salvation] - this is one of the hard verses, that the salvation of Israel is the salvation of the Holy One of Blessing.
(כג) וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ מָרָ֔תָה וְלֹ֣א יָֽכְל֗וּ לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת מַ֙יִם֙ מִמָּרָ֔ה כִּ֥י מָרִ֖ים הֵ֑ם עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָרָֽא־שְׁמָ֖הּ מָרָֽה׃ (כד) וַיִּלֹּ֧נוּ הָעָ֛ם עַל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹ֖ר מַה־נִּשְׁתֶּֽה׃ (כה) וַיִּצְעַ֣ק אֶל־ה' וַיּוֹרֵ֤הוּ ה' עֵ֔ץ וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙ אֶל־הַמַּ֔יִם וַֽיִּמְתְּק֖וּ הַמָּ֑יִם שָׁ֣ם שָׂ֥ם ל֛וֹ חֹ֥ק וּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט וְשָׁ֥ם נִסָּֽהוּ׃ (כו) וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אִם־שָׁמ֨וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֜ע לְק֣וֹל ׀ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֗יךָ וְהַיָּשָׁ֤ר בְּעֵינָיו֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְהַֽאֲזַנְתָּ֙ לְמִצְוֺתָ֔יו וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֖ כָּל־חֻקָּ֑יו כָּֽל־הַמַּֽחֲלָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֤מְתִּי בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לֹא־אָשִׂ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י ה' רֹפְאֶֽךָ׃ (ס)
(23) They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; that is why it was named Marah. (24) And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (25) So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. There He made for them a fixed rule, and there He put them to the test. (26) He said, “If you will heed the LORD your God diligently, doing what is upright in His sight, giving ear to His commandments and keeping all His laws, then I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians, for I the LORD am your healer.”
ת"ר הנכנס לבית המרחץ אומר יהי רצון מלפניך ה'' אלקי שתצילני מזה ומכיוצא בו ואל יארע בי דבר קלקלה ועון ואם יארע בי דבר קלקלה ועון תהא מיתתי כפרה לכל עונותי אמר אביי לא לימא אינש הכי דלא לפתח פומיה לשטן דאמר ר"ל וכן תנא משמיה דר' יוסי לעולם אל יפתח אדם פיו לשטן אמר רב יוסף מאי קראה דכתיב (ישעיהו א, ט) כמעט כסדום היינו לעמורה דמינו מאי אהדר להו נביא שמעו דבר ה'' קציני סדום וגו' כי נפיק מאי אומר א"ר אחא מודה אני לפניך ה'' אלקי שהצלתני מן האור ר' אבהו על לבי בני אפחית בי בני מתותיה אתרחיש ליה ניסא קם על עמודא שזיב מאה וחד גברי בחד אבריה אמר היינו דר' אחא דאמר רב אחא הנכנס להקיז דם אומר יהי רצון מלפניך ה'' אלקי שיהא עסק זה לי לרפואה ותרפאני כי אל רופא נאמן אתה ורפואתך אמת לפי שאין דרכן של בני אדם לרפאות אלא שנהגו אמר אביי לא לימא אינש הכי דתני דבי רבי ישמעאל (שמות כא, יט) ורפא ירפא מכאן שניתנה רשות לרופא לרפאות כי קאי מאי אומר אמר רב אחא ברוך רופא חנם
Our Rabbis have taught : Who enters a bath-house says, "May it be Thy will, O Lord my God, to deliver me from this and anything similar, and may no disgrace or iniquity befall me; but should any disgrace or iniquity befall me, may my death be an atonement for all my sins." Abbai said : Let not a man speak thus, so as not to open his mouth to Satan. For said R. Simeon b. Lakish, and it has been similarly taught in the name of R. Jose : A man should never open his mouth to Satan. Rab Joseph said: What is the Scriptural authority? For it is written, "We should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah" (Is, i. 9). What did the prophet answer them? "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom" (ibid. v. 10). When he leaves [the bathhouse], what does he say? R. Aha said : "I give thanks before Thee, O Lord my God, because Thou hast delivered me from the fire." R. Abbahu entered a bath-house, and its floor gave way beneath him. A miracle occurred, and he stood upon a pillar and rescued a hundred and one men with one arm. He exclaimed, "This is what R. Aha meant." [As R. Aha said:] Who goes in to have himself cupped should say, "May it be Thy will, O Lord my God, that this operation be a cure for me, and do Thou heal me for Thou art a faithful Healer and Thy cure is certain, since it is not the way of human beings to cure, but thus are they accustomed." Abbai declared : Let not a man speak thus ; for there is a teaching of the school of R. Ishmael : [It is written,] "Only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed" (Exod. xxi. 19) ; from this [it follows] that a physician is given permission [by God] to cure. When he rises [from the cupping], what does he say? R. Aha declared, "Blessed be He Who heals without pay."
רב שעורים אחוה דרבא הוה יתיב קמיה דרבא חזייה דהוה קא מנמנם א"ל לימא ליה מר דלא לצערן א"ל מר לאו שושביניה הוא א"ל כיון דאימסר מזלא לא אשגח בי א"ל ליתחזי לי מר איתחזי ליה א"ל הוה ליה למר צערא א"ל כי ריבדא דכוסילתא רבא הוה יתיב קמיה דר"נ חזייה דקא מנמנם א"ל לימא ליה מר דלא לצערן א"ל מר לאו אדם חשוב הוא א"ל מאן חשיב מאן ספין מאן רקיע א"ל ליתחזי לי מר אתחזי ליה א"ל ה"ל למר צערא א"ל כמישחל בניתא מחלבא ואי אמר לי הקב"ה זיל בההוא עלמא כד הוית לא בעינא דנפיש בעיתותיה
Se'orim, Raba's brother, while sitting at Raba's bedside saw him [Raba] going into sleep [dying],when he [the invalid] said
'But the dead know not anything' — this refers to the wicked who are called dead in their life-time; as it is said, 'And thou, O wicked one, thou art slain, the prince of Israel' (Ezek. xxi. 30)." Or if thou wilt, derive it from the following : "At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall the dead be put to death" (Deut. xvii. 6). But he is alive ! Nay, he is accounted as dead from the beginning. The sons of R. Hiyya went out on to the land; their studies had been difficult for them, and they had had considerable trouble to remember them. One said to the other, "Does our father know of this trouble?" The other replied, "How should he know ? Lo, it is written, 'His sons come to honour him, and he knoweth it not' (Job xiv. 21)!" The first said to him, "But does he not know ; for behold it is written, 'But his flesh grieveth for him, and his soul mourneth over him' (ibid. v. 22)? And R. Isaac has said : The worm is as painful to the flesh of the dead as a needle in the flesh of the living !" Some answer : The dead know of their own troubles, but not of the troubles of others. Do they not [know of the troubles of others]? Lo, there is a teaching : It once happened that a pious man gave a denarius to a beggar on the New Year's eve in a time of drought. His wife upbraided him ; so he went and spent the night in the cemetery. He heard two spirits conversing. One said to the other, "Come, friend, let us wander in the world and hear behind the curtain what visitation is to come upon the world." The other spirit replied, "I cannot, because I am buried in a matting of reeds; but go thou and report to me what thou hearest." She went, and having wandered about returned. The other asked, "What didst thou hear, friend, behind the curtain ?" She replied, "I heard that if one sows in the first rainfall, the hail will smite it." This man thereupon went and sowed in the second rainfall. [The hail] destroyed everybody's crops but not his. The following year, he again spent the [New Year's] night in the cemetery, and heard the same two spirits conversing. One said to the other, "Come, let us wander in the world and hear behind the curtain what visitation is to come upon the world." The other spirit replied, "Have I not told thee, friend, that I cannot, because I am buried in a matting of reeds? But go thou and come and tell me what thou hearest." She went, and wandered about and returned. The other spirit asked, "What didst thou hear behind the curtain ?" She replied, "I heard that if one sows in the second rainfall, it will be smitten by the blast." This man went and sowed in the first rainfall. What everybody else sowed was smitten by the blast, but not his. His wife asked him, "How is it that last year everybody's crop was destroyed by hail, but not thine ; and this year everybody's crop was blasted except thine ?" He told her the whole story. It is related that very soon afterwards a quarrel broke out between the wife of that pious man and the mother of the girl. The former said to the other, "Come, I will show thee that thy daughter is buried in reed-matting." The following year the same man went and spent the [New Year's] night in the cemetery, and he heard those spirits conversing. One said, "Come, friend, let us wander in the world and hear behind the curtain what visitation is to befall the world." The other replied, "Leave me alone, friend ; what has passed between me and thee has been overheard by the living." Infer from this that the dead do know ! [No ;] it is possible that Dumah went and informed them. Come and hear : Ze'iri left a sum of money in charge of his landlady. During the time he went to the school of his master and returned, she died. He followed her to the court of death and asked her, "Where is the money?" She replied, "Go and take it from beneath the door-socket in such and such a place ; and tell my mother to send me my comb and tube of eye-paint through so-and-so who will arrive here to-morrow," Conclude from this that the dead do know ! [No;] perhaps Dumah informed [the dead] beforehand. Come and hear : The father of Samuel was entrusted with some money belonging to orphans. At the time that he passed away, Samuel was not with him. People afterwards called him, "Son of the consumer of the orphans' money." He went after his father to the court of death and said to them, "I want Abba." They replied, "There are many of that name here." not translated. [He said to them] "I want Abba b. Abba." They answered, "There are also many of that name here." He said to them, "I want Abba b. Abba, the father of Samuel ; where is he?" They answered, "He has gone up to the heavenly seminary." In the meantime he noticed Levi who was seated apart. He asked him, "Why sittest thou apart? Why hast thou not gone up [to the heavenly seminary]?" He replied, "I was told, 'The number of years thou didst not attend the seminary of R. Aphes and didst grieve him on that account, we will not permit thee to ascend to the heavenly seminary'." In the meantime his father arrived ; and Samuel noticed that he wept and laughed. He said to him, " Why weepest thou?" He answered, "Because thou wilt soon come here." "And why dost thou laugh?" "Because thou art very highly thought of in this world." Samuel said to him, "If I am so esteemed, let them allow Levi to enter" ; and they permitted him to enter. He asked him, "Where is the orphans' money ?" He answered, "Go, take it from the enclosure of the mill. The upper and lower sums of money belong to us, the middle sum belongs to the orphans." He asked his father, "Why didst thou act in this manner?" He replied, "Should thieves come to steal, they would steal ours ; should the earth destroy, it would destroy ours." Conclude from this that the dead do know! [No ;] perhaps it was different with Samuel ; being a man so highly esteemed, it may have been announced in advance "Make way for him." R. Jonathan likewise retracted; for R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Jonathan : Whence do we learn that the dead converse one with the other? As it is said, "And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I swore unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying" (Deut. xxxiv. 4). What means "saying"? The Holy One, blessed be He, spake to Moses, "Go, tell Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, The oath which I swore unto you have I fulfilled for your children."