Reference for Eruvin 108:25
ר' אליעזר אמר מהכא (משלי ז, ד) אמור לחכמה אחותי את ומודע לבינה תקרא עשה מודעים לתורה רבא אמר עשה מועדים לתורה
A bath kol issued forth asking him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Pereda.');"><sup>52</sup></span> 'Do you prefer that four hundred years shall be added to your life or that you and your generation shall be privileged to have a share in the world to come? ' - 'That', he replied.' I and my generation shall be privileged to have a share in the world to come'.' Give him both', said the Holy One, blessed be He. R'Hisda stated: The Torah can only be acquired with [the aid of] mnemonic signs, for it is said: Put it in their mouths;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXI, 19. vnha');"><sup>53</sup></span> read not, 'put it'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . vbnhx');"><sup>54</sup></span> but 'its mnemonic sign'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' (cf. prev. n.) a play upon the similarity of the two expressions.');"><sup>55</sup></span> R'Tahlifa of the West<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Palestine which lay to the west of Babylon where the statement was made.');"><sup>56</sup></span> heard this and proceeding to R'Abbahu told it to him.' You', the other said to him, 'deduce this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The need for mnemotechnical aids.');"><sup>57</sup></span> from that text;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXI, 19. vnha');"><sup>53</sup></span> we deduce it from this one: Set thee up waymarks, make thee' etc. ;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. XXXI, 21. ohbuhm');"><sup>58</sup></span> devise [mnemonic] signs<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' , the same term as that used in the text for 'waymarks'. iuhm ohbuhm');"><sup>59</sup></span> for the Torah. What proof, however, is there that the expression of ziyyun<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' , sing. of (v. prev. n.) .');"><sup>60</sup></span> means a sign? - Since it is written, And any seeth a man's bone, then shall be set up a sign<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 383, n. 13.');"><sup>61</sup></span> by it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XXXIX, 15.');"><sup>62</sup></span> R'Eleazar said: The deduction<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 383, n. 10.');"><sup>63</sup></span> is made from this text: Say unto wisdom, 'Thou art my sister', and call understanding they kinswoman,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. VII, 4. ohgsun gsun');"><sup>64</sup></span> devise [mnemonic] signs<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' , pl. of , the term used in the tent for 'kinswoman'. ohsgun sgun sgun');"><sup>65</sup></span> for the Torah - Raba expounded: Appoint fixed times<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' sing. 'an appointed time,' obtained by transposition of the letters in (cf. prev. n.) .');"><sup>66</sup></span> for the study of the Torah.