Commentary for Berakhot 36:18

Pointing the word mekabbes el "the gatherer for God."

By "Moab" is here understood David who was descended from Ruth the Moabitess and provided the site for the Temple.

To harden his body in order the better to master the intricacies of the Torah (= slay a lion).

On the Sifra see p. 71 n. 6. It is regarded as the most difficult of the Halakic commentaries on the Pentateuch and is therefore called "a lion." He mastered this work on a winter's day, i.e. in a short space of time.

M. adds : But was he dead ? He was living !

They were named Judah and Hezekiah; cf. A. P. A.I. pp. 48 f.

To till their inheritance.

Who had died recently.

A Roman coin. The silver denarius is here intended, which was worth a twenty-fourth of the golden denarius, about 7d.

It was the New Tear's night when God began His annual judgment of the world.

In the heavenly court of justice.

Instead of linen shrouds ; cf. Oesterley and Box, p. 333 ; Lane, p. 518.

They were both spirits of girls.

The first rainfall is from the 17th to the 23rd of the 8th month; the second from the 23rd to the end of the month.

Who bad been buried in the reed-matting.

Who was acquainted with this story, on passing over into the world of spirits, related the facts to them ; but they did not know of it of their own accord.

M. : landlord's daughter.

The cemetery.

Kohl as commonly used in the East ; Lane, p. 37.

A word meaning "silence" used in the Psalms to describe the silence of the grave ; cf. Ps. xciv. 17, cxv. 17. In the Talmud it is the name of the guardian angel of the departed.

He announces to the disembodied spirits who will soon join them ; but otherwise the dead do not know what transpires on earth.

To the dead who appeared to him seated in conclave.

The Torah is studied in Heaven as well as on earth. Cf. Bab. Mesia' 86a (translated by Herford in J. Q. R. II. p. 457).

A departed colleague.

Cf . Matt. vi. 19.

What transpires on earth, since Abba knew of his son's impending death.

His opinion, as stated above (fol. 18a, p. 119), had been that the dead knew nothing.

To Moses prior to his death.