Musar for Eruvin 105:24

דוד גלי מסכתא שאול לא גלי מסכתא דוד דגלי מסכתא כתיב ביה (תהלים קיט, עד) יראיך יראוני וישמחו שאול דלא גלי מסכתא כתיב ביה ((שמואל א יד, מז) אל כל) אשר יפנה

We, said R'Ashi, are like a finger in a pit43 as regards forgetfulness.44 Rab Judah stated in the name of Rab: The Judeans who cared for [the beauty of] their language retained their learning,45 but the Galileans who did not care for [the beauty of] their language46 did not retain their learning. But does this47 depend on whether one cares [for linguistic beauty]? - Rather say: The Judeans who were exact in their language,48 and who laid down mnemonics for their aid, retained their learning; but the Galileans who were not exact in their language,49 and who laid down no mnemonic as an aid, did not retain their learning. The50 Judeans who learned from one Master retained their learning, but the Galileans who did not learn from one Master did not retain their learning. Rabina said: The Judeans who made their studies accessible to the public51 retained their learning, but the Galileans who did not make their studies accessible to the public did not retain their learning. David made his studies accessible52 and Saul did not make his studies accessible. Of David who made his studies accessible it is written in Scripture: They that fear Thee shall see me and be glad;53 but of Saul who did not make his studies accessible to the public it is written: And whithersoever he turned himself

Shenei Luchot HaBerit

Our sages in Eruvin 53a have said that the reason the cave Abraham and Sarah were buried in is called מערת המכפלה, is from the word כפול, twin, or double, an appropriate name for a grave containing husbands and their wives, i.e. זוגות. What advantage is there in the fact that this cave houses the remains of husband and wife respectively? The meaning of our sages is that these pairs are all united with one another, that they are not separate pairs. Once the last of the four pairs, i.e. Jacob came to burial whose מטתו שלמה, whose "bed" was complete (since Leah had born him six sons and one daughter whose name was דינה),this symbolized the six days of creation and the Sabbath.

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Orchot Tzadikim

And in the chapter entitled "Man Takes Unto Him a Wife" they said that when Rabbi Meir died, Rabbi Judah said, "Let not the pupils of Rabbi Meir enter here for they are argumentative" (Kiddushin 52b). All this he said because he did not want to pause in his studying. For Rabbi Meir was very sharp and his companions could not successfully debate with him (Erubin 13b and 53a). Moreover, R. Johanan said, "The hearts of the ancients were like the door of the Ulam, but those of the last generations were like the door of the Hekhal, but ours are like the eye of a fine needle." ^** The Ulam and the Hekhal were two of the chambers in the Temple. The door of the Ulam was 20 cubits wide while that of the Hekhal was only ten. And Abaye said, "We are like a peg in a wall in respect of Gemara." And Raba said, "We are like a finger in wax as regards logical argument." "We," said R. Ashi, "are like a finger in a pit as regards forgetfulness" (Erubin 53a).

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