אמר ר' זירא אמר רב מאי דכתיב (משלי טו, טו) כל ימי עני רעים אלו בעלי תלמוד וטוב לב משתה תמיד אלו בעלי משנה
are evil.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XV, 15.
');"><sup>25</sup></span> Ben Sira said: His nights too. The lowest roof is his roof, and on the highest mountain is his vineyard. The rain of [other] roofs [drip] on to his, whilst the earth of his vineyard is [borne] on [to other] vineyards.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Being poor, he cannot afford a tall building. At the same time, when purchasing a vineyard, he must take one at the top of a mountain, where land is cheaper than in the valley; so that in a storm the earth of his field is carried away to enrich the low-lying lands — thus, whatever happens, he is the loser.
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Otzar Midrashim
The Alphabet is apparently the work of a late author who pored over the book of Ben Sira and selected from it several sayings and several other things that were said in his name in the Aramaic language which was then the common language among the masses, and organized them alphabetically as a mnemonic aid. And after him came a second author who made a second alphabet, in the Holy Tongue, because he found some Talmudic and Midrashic content, and appended it to them in order to complete the alphabet. And after him came a third author, and appended to these a commentary
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Otzar Midrashim
ה) "Blind your eyes because of the graceful woman, lest you be caught in her trap." The educator said to him, "My son, what trap could I be caught in? If it is because of some magic you could do for me, I know that you will never do magic for me! Because her first husband is a thin-bearded man, (see Sanhedrin 100b and Rashi there) and I am a thick-bearded man." He said to him, "Say 'Vav.'" He said to him:
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Otzar Midrashim
י) "The watchman does not sleep. When she is a minor- lest she be seduced or raped in her youth. When she has grown up- lest she commit adultery." (see Sanhedrin 100b) He said to him, "Everything that you have said, you have said truly." He said to him, "Say 'Kaf.'" He said to him:
