אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים נֶחְלְקוּ בֵּית שַׁמַּאי וּבֵית הִלֵּל, הַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים: הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתֵנוּ, וְהַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים: הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתֵנוּ. יָצְאָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים הֵן, וַהֲלָכָה כְּבֵית הִלֵּל. וְכִי מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים, מִפְּנֵי מָה זָכוּ בֵּית הִלֵּל לִקְבּוֹעַ הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתָן? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנּוֹחִין וַעֲלוּבִין הָיוּ, וְשׁוֹנִין דִּבְרֵיהֶן וְדִבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁמַּקְדִּימִין דִּבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי לְדִבְרֵיהֶן.
Rabbi Abba said that Shmuel said: For three years Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagreed. These said: The halakha is in accordance with our opinion, and these said: The halakha is in accordance with our opinion. Ultimately, a Divine Voice emerged and proclaimed: Both these and those are the words of the living God. However, the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Beit Hillel. The Gemara asks: Since both these and those are the words of the living God, why were Beit Hillel privileged to have the halakha established in accordance with their opinion? The reason is that they were agreeable and forbearing, showing restraint when affronted, and when they taught the halakha they would teach both their own statements and the statements of Beit Shammai. Moreover, when they formulated their teachings and cited a dispute, they prioritized the statements of Beit Shammai to their own statements, in deference to Beit Shammai.
וְאָמַר רַבָּה בַּר חִינָּנָא [סָבָא] מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב: הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל, כְּשֶׁהוּא כּוֹרֵעַ כּוֹרֵעַ בְּבָרוּךְ, וּכְשֶׁהוּא זוֹקֵף — זוֹקֵף בַּשֵּׁם אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: מַאי טַעְמָא דְרַב — דִּכְתִיב: ״ה׳ זוֹקֵף כְּפוּפִים״. מֵתִיבִי: ״מִפְּנֵי שְׁמִי נִחַת הוּא״. מִי כְּתִיב ״בִּשְׁמִי״? ״מִפְּנֵי שְׁמִי״ כְּתִיב. אֲמַר לֵיהּ שְׁמוּאֵל לְחִיָּיא בַּר רַב: בַּר אוֹרְיָאן, תָּא וְאֵימָא לְךָ מִלְּתָא מְעַלַּיְיתָא דְּאָמַר אֲבוּךְ. הָכִי אָמַר אֲבוּךְ: כְּשֶׁהוּא כּוֹרֵעַ — כּוֹרֵעַ בְּ״בָרוּךְ״, כְּשֶׁהוּא זוֹקֵף — זוֹקֵף בַּשֵּׁם. רַב שֵׁשֶׁת, כִּי כָּרַע — כָּרַע כְּחִיזְרָא. כִּי קָא זָקֵיף — זָקֵיף כְּחִיוְיָא.
And Rabba bar Ḥinnana Sava said in the name of Rav: One who is praying, when he bows in the appropriate places, he bows when he says: Blessed, and when he subsequently stands upright, he stands upright when he says God’s name. Shmuel, who was Rav’s colleague and significantly outlived him, said: What is Rav’s reason for saying that one should stand upright at the mention of God’s name? As it is written: “The Lord, who raises the bowed” (Psalms 146:8); one stands upright at the mention of God’s name to recall that it is God who raises the bowed. The Gemara raises an objection based on what we learned in praise of a priest: “And he was afraid before My name” (Malachi 2:5), indicating that one must be humbled and not upright before God’s name. The Gemara responds: Is it written: At My name? Before My name, is written, meaning that one is humbled and bows prior to the mention of God’s name, when he says: Blessed. The Gemara relates: Shmuel said to Ḥiyya bar Rav: Son of Torah, come and I will tell you a great saying that your father said. Your father said the following: When one bows, he bows when he says: Blessed, and when he stands upright, he stands upright when he says God’s name. With regard to bowing, the Gemara relates: When Rav Sheshet bowed he bowed all at once, like a cane, without delay. When he stood upright he stood upright like a snake, lifting himself slowly, demonstrating that the awe of God was upon him in the manner that he bowed and stood upright (HaBoneh).
מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁשָּׁלְחוּ לְחוֹנִי הַמְעַגֵּל וְכוּ׳. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: פַּעַם אַחַת יָצָא רוֹב אֲדָר וְלֹא יָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים, שָׁלְחוּ לְחוֹנִי הַמְעַגֵּל: הִתְפַּלֵּל וְיֵרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים! הִתְפַּלֵּל, וְלֹא יָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים. עָג עוּגָה וְעָמַד בְּתוֹכָהּ, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה חֲבַקּוּק הַנָּבִיא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עַל מִשְׁמַרְתִּי אֶעֱמֹדָה וְאֶתְיַצְּבָה עַל מָצוֹר וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם! בָּנֶיךָ שָׂמוּ פְּנֵיהֶם עָלַי, שֶׁאֲנִי כְּבֶן בַּיִת לְפָנֶיךָ. נִשְׁבָּע אֲנִי בְּשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁאֵינִי זָז מִכָּאן עַד שֶׁתְּרַחֵם עַל בָּנֶיךָ. הִתְחִילוּ גְּשָׁמִים מְנַטְּפִין. אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו: רַבִּי! רְאִינוּךְ וְלֹא נָמוּת, כִּמְדוּמִּין אָנוּ שֶׁאֵין גְּשָׁמִים יוֹרְדִין אֶלָּא לְהַתִּיר שְׁבוּעָתְךָ. אָמַר: לֹא כָּךְ שָׁאַלְתִּי, אֶלָּא גִּשְׁמֵי בּוֹרוֹת שִׁיחִין וּמְעָרוֹת. יָרְדוּ בְּזַעַף, עַד שֶׁכׇּל טִפָּה וְטִפָּה כִּמְלֹא פִּי חָבִית. וְשִׁיעֲרוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁאֵין טִפָּה פְּחוּתָה מִלּוֹג. אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו: רַבִּי, רְאִינוּךְ וְלֹא נָמוּת, כִּמְדוּמִּין אָנוּ שֶׁאֵין גְּשָׁמִים יוֹרְדִין אֶלָּא לְאַבֵּד הָעוֹלָם. אָמַר לְפָנָיו: לֹא כָּךְ שָׁאַלְתִּי, אֶלָּא גִּשְׁמֵי רָצוֹן בְּרָכָה וּנְדָבָה. יָרְדוּ כְּתִיקְנָן, עַד שֶׁעָלוּ כׇּל הָעָם לְהַר הַבַּיִת, מִפְּנֵי הַגְּשָׁמִים. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: רַבִּי, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהִתְפַּלַּלְתָּ שֶׁיֵּרְדוּ, כָּךְ הִתְפַּלֵּל וְיֵלְכוּ לָהֶם. אָמַר לָהֶם: כָּךְ מְקוּבְּלַנִי שֶׁאֵין מִתְפַּלְּלִין עַל רוֹב הַטּוֹבָה. אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, הָבִיאוּ לִי פַּר הוֹדָאָה. הֵבִיאוּ לוֹ פַּר הוֹדָאָה, סָמַךְ שְׁתֵּי יָדָיו עָלָיו, וְאָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם! עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהוֹצֵאתָ מִמִּצְרַיִם אֵינָן יְכוֹלִין לֹא בְּרוֹב טוֹבָה וְלֹא בְּרוֹב פּוּרְעָנוּת. כָּעַסְתָּ עֲלֵיהֶם — אֵינָן יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמוֹד, הִשְׁפַּעְתָּ עֲלֵיהֶם טוֹבָה — אֵינָן יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמוֹד, יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ שֶׁיִּפָּסְקוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים, וִיהֵא רֶיוַח בָּעוֹלָם. מִיָּד נָשְׁבָה הָרוּחַ, וְנִתְפַּזְּרוּ הֶעָבִים, וְזָרְחָה הַחַמָּה, וְיָצְאוּ הָעָם לַשָּׂדֶה וְהֵבִיאוּ לָהֶם כְּמֵהִין וּפִטְרִיּוֹת. שָׁלַח לוֹ שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח: אִלְמָלֵא חוֹנִי אַתָּה, גּוֹזְרַנִי עָלֶיךָ נִידּוּי. שֶׁאִילּוּ שָׁנִים כִּשְׁנֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ שֶׁמַּפְתְּחוֹת גְּשָׁמִים בְּיָדוֹ שֶׁל אֵלִיָּהוּ, לֹא נִמְצָא שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם מִתְחַלֵּל עַל יָדְךָ, אֲבָל מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה לְךָ, שֶׁאַתָּה מִתְחַטֵּא לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וְעוֹשֶׂה לְךָ רְצוֹנְךָ, כְּבֵן שֶׁמִּתְחַטֵּא עַל אָבִיו וְעוֹשֶׂה לוֹ רְצוֹנוֹ, וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ: אַבָּא, הוֹלִיכַנִי לְרׇחְצֵנִי בְּחַמִּין. שׇׁטְפֵנִי בְּצוֹנֵן. תֵּן לִי אֱגוֹזִים, שְׁקֵדִים, אֲפַרְסְקִים וְרִמּוֹנִים — וְנוֹתֵן לוֹ. וְעָלֶיךָ הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: ״יִשְׂמַח אָבִיךָ וְאִמֶּךָ וְתָגֵל יוֹלַדְתֶּךָ״.
§ The mishna taught: An incident occurred in which the people sent a message to Ḥoni HaMe’aggel. This event is related in greater detail in the following baraita. The Sages taught: Once, most of the month of Adar had passed but rain had still not fallen. They sent this message to Ḥoni HaMe’aggel: Pray, and rain will fall. He prayed, but no rain fell. He drew a circle in the dust and stood inside it, in the manner that the prophet Habakkuk did, as it is stated: “And I will stand upon my watch and set myself upon the tower, and I will look out to see what He will say to me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved” (Habakkuk 2:1). This verse is taken to mean that Habakkuk fashioned a kind of prison for himself where he sat. Ḥoni said before God: Master of the Universe, Your children have turned their faces toward me, as I am like a member of Your household. Therefore, I take an oath by Your great name that I will not move from here until you have mercy upon Your children and answer their prayers for rain. Rain began to trickle down, but only in small droplets. His students said to him: Rabbi, we have seen that you can perform great wonders, but this quantity of rain is not enough to ensure that we will not die. It appears to us that a small amount of rain is falling only to enable you to dissolve your oath, but it is not nearly enough to save us. Ḥoni said to God: I did not ask for this, but for rain to fill the cisterns, ditches, and caves. Rain began to fall furiously, until each and every drop was as big as the mouth of a barrel, and the Sages estimated that no drop was less than a log in size. His students said to him: Rabbi, we have seen that you can call on God to perform miracles and we will not die, but now it appears to us that rain is falling only to destroy the world. Ḥoni again said before God: I did not ask for this harmful rain either, but for rain of benevolence, blessing, and generosity. Subsequently, the rains fell in their standard manner, until all of the people sought higher ground and ascended to the Temple Mount due to the rain. They said to him: Rabbi, just as you prayed that the rains should fall, so too, pray that they should stop. He said to them: This is the tradition that I received, that one does not pray over an excess of good. Ḥoni continued: Nevertheless, bring me a bull. I will sacrifice it as a thanks-offering and pray at the same time. They brought him a bull for a thanks-offering. He placed his two hands on its head and said before God: Master of the Universe, Your nation Israel, whom You brought out of Egypt, cannot bear either an excess of good or an excess of punishment. You grew angry with them and withheld rain, and they are unable to bear it. You bestowed upon them too much good, and they were also unable to bear it. May it be Your will that the rain stop and that there be relief for the world. Immediately, the wind blew, the clouds dispersed, the sun shone, and everyone went out to the fields and gathered for themselves truffles and mushrooms that had sprouted in the strong rain. Shimon ben Shetaḥ relayed to Ḥoni HaMe’aggel: If you were not Ḥoni, I would have decreed ostracism upon you. For were these years like the years of Elijah, when the keys of rain were entrusted in Elijah’s hands, and he swore it would not rain, wouldn’t the name of Heaven have been desecrated by your oath not to leave the circle until it rained? Once you have pronounced this oath, either yours or Elijah’s must be falsified. However, what can I do to you, as you nag God and He does your bidding, like a son who nags his father and his father does his bidding. And the son says to his father: Father, take me to be bathed in hot water; wash me with cold water; give me nuts, almonds, peaches, and pomegranates. And his father gives him. About you, the verse states: “Your father and mother will be glad and she who bore you will rejoice” (Proverbs 23:25).