Yoma 76

ומשלך יתנו לך אין אדם נוגע במוכן לחבירו ואין מלכות נוגעת בחברתה אפי' כמלא נימא

and from what belongs<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' What is predestined as your lawful source of income.');">¹</span> to you will you be given. No man can touch what is prepared for his fellow and 'One kingdom does not interfere with the other<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In either time or place.');">²</span>

הוגרס בן לוי וכו' תניא כשהוא נותן קולו בנעימה מכניס גודלו לתוך פיו ומניח אצבעו בין הנימין עד שהיו אחיו הכהנים נזקרים בבת ראש לאחוריהם

even to the extent of one hair's breadth'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ber. 48b.');">³</span> HYGROS OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI etc. It was taught: When he tuned his voice to a trill, he would put his thumb into his mouth and place his finger [on the division line] between the two parts of the moustache, so that his brethren, the priests, staggered backward with a sudden movement.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Enchanted with the beauty of the music, or startled by the power of his voice.');">⁴</span> Our Rabbis taught: Ben Kamzar would not teach anything about [his art of] writing.

ת"ר בן קמצר לא רצה ללמד על מעשה הכתב אמרו עליו שהיה נוטל ד' קולמוסין בין אצבעותיו ואם היתה תיבה של ד' אותיות היה כותבה בבת אחת אמרו לו מה ראית שלא ללמד כולן מצאו תשובה לדבריהם בן קמצר לא מצא תשובה לדבריו על הראשונים נאמר (משלי י, ז) זכר צדיק לברכה ועל בן קמצר וחביריו נאמר (משלי י, ז) ושם רשעים ירקב

It was said about him that he would take four pens between his fingers and if there was a word of four letters<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [The Tetragrammaton. V. Rashi on the MISHNAH:]');">⁵</span> he would write it at once. They said to him: 'What reason have you for refusing to teach it? ' All found an answer for their matter [attitude].

מאי ושם רשעים ירקב אמר ר' אלעזר רקביבות תעלה בשמותן דלא מסקינן בשמייהו מתיב רבינא מעשה בדואג בן יוסף שהניחו [אביו] בן קטן לאמו בכל יום היתה אמו מודדתו בטפחים ונותנת משקלו של זהב לבית המקדש וכשגבר אויב טבחתו ואכלתו

Ben Kamzar could not find one. Concerning [all] former ones it is said: 'The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing', with regard to Ben Kamzar and his like it is said: 'But the name of the wicked shall rot' - What is the meaning of 'But the name of the wicked shall rot'? - R'Eleazar said: Rottenness enters their names, none name their children after them. Rabina raised an objection: The story of Doeg B'Joseph whom his father left to his mother when he was a young child: Every day his mother would measure him by handbreadths<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With her handbreadth, on her hand, to know how much he had gained since yesterday.');">⁶</span>

ועליה קונן ירמיה (איכה ב, כ) אם תאכלנה נשים פרים עוללי טפוחים משיבה רוח הקדש ואומרת אם יהרג במקדש ה' כהן ונביא חזי מאי סליק ביה

and would give his [extra] weight in gold to the Sanctuary. And when the enemy prevailed, she slaughtered him and ate him, and concerning her Jeremiah lamented: Shall the women eat their fruit, their children that are handled in the hands?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lam. II, 20.');">⁷</span> Whereupon the Holy Spirit replied: Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of the Lord?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The reference is to the Prophet Zechariah b. Jehoiadah, the priest. The text in Lam. may refer to that as well; its original meaning, not unknown to the answerer, lamented the destruction by the enemy, of priest and prophet alike. At any rate someone was called Doeg in spite of the first Doeg's bad reputation (I Sam. XXI, 8.)');">⁸</span>

אמר ר' אלעזר צדיק מעצמו ורשע מחבירו צדיק מעצמו דכתיב זכר צדיק לברכה ורשע מחבירו דכתיב ושם רשעים ירקב

- See what happened to him!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Normally, none would do that, because of a bad omen, or because one should help the name of the wicked to 'rot' by being forgotten. Look what this deviation from cusom brought upon the child.');">⁹</span> R'Eleazar said: The righteous man is remembered by his own [good deeds], the wicked [also] by those of his fellow. [Proof that] the righteous [is remembered] by his own [good deeds], for it is written: 'The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing'.

אמר ליה רבינא לההוא מרבנן דהוה מסדר אגדתא קמיה מנא הא מילתא דאמור רבנן זכר צדיק לברכה א"ל דהא כתיב זכר צדיק לברכה מדאורייתא מנא לן דכתיב (בראשית יח, יז) וה' אמר המכסה אני מאברהם אשר אני עושה וכתיב (בראשית יח, יח) ואברהם היו יהיה לגוי גדול ועצום

The wicked [is remembered also] by his associate['s wickedness], for it is written: 'But the name of the wicked [pl.] shall rot.' - Rabina said to one of the Rabbis who expounded Aggada before him: Whence is this statement, which the Rabbis mention: The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing? - He replied: It is a scriptural verse: 'The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing.' Whence, in the Torah, may that teaching be derived? - From what is written: Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XVIII, 17.');">¹⁰</span>

מנא הא מילתא דאמור רבנן שם רשעים ירקב א"ל דהא כתיב ושם רשעים ירקב מדאורייתא מנא לן דכתיב (בראשית יג, יב) ויאהל עד סדום וכתיב ואנשי סדום רעים וחטאים לה' מאד

And it is [there] also written: Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XVIII, 18.');">¹¹</span> [He asked further]: Whence do we know this matter, which the Rabbis mention: But the name of the wicked shall rot? - He replied: It is a scriptural verse: 'But the name of the wicked shall rot'. Whence, in the Torah, may this teaching be derived? -From what is written: And he moved his tent as far as Sodom,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XIII, 12.');">¹²</span>

אמר ר' אלעזר צדיק דר בין שני רשעים ולא למד ממעשיהם רשע דר בין שני צדיקים ולא למד ממעשיהם צדיק דר בין שני רשעים ולא למד ממעשיהם עובדיה רשע דר בין שני צדיקים ולא למד ממעשיהם זה עשו

and it is written: Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 13.');">¹³</span> R'Eleazar said: A righteous man once lived between two wicked men and did not learn from their deeds, a wicked man lived between two righteous men and did not learn from their ways - The righteous who lived between two wicked men and did not learn from their wicked ways was Obadiah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who lived between Ahab and Jezebel. V. Sanh. 12b.');">¹⁴</span> The wicked man living between two righteous men and not learning from their ways was Esau.

(אמר) ר' אלעזר מברכתן של צדיקים אתה למד קללה לרשעים ומקללתן של רשעים אתה למד ברכה לצדיקים מברכתן של צדיקים אתה למד קללה לרשעים דכתיב (בראשית יח, יט) כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה וגו' וכתיב בתריה (בראשית יח, כ) ויאמר ה' זעקת סדום ועמורה כי רבה

R'Eleazar [also] said: From the blessing of the righteous you can infer the curse for the wicked and from the curse of the wicked you may infer the blessing for the righteous - From the blessing of the righteous you can infer the curse for the wicked, as it is written: For I have known him, to the end that he may command,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XVIII, 19.');">¹⁵</span> and [soon] after that it is written: And the Lord said: Verily the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 20.');">¹⁶</span> From the curse of the wicked you can infer the blessing for the righteous,for it is written: Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XIII, 13.');">¹⁷</span>

ומקללתן של רשעים אתה למד ברכה לצדיקים דכתיב ואנשי סדום רעים וחטאים לה' וה' אמר אל אברם אחרי הפרד לוט מעמו (אמר) ר' אלעזר אפי' בשביל צדיק אחד עולם נברא שנאמר (בראשית א, ד) וירא אלהים את האור כי טוב ואין טוב אלא צדיק שנאמר (ישעיהו ג, י) אמרו צדיק כי טוב

And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him. [all the land, which thou seest, to thee will I give.]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 15.');">¹⁸</span> R'Eleazar further said: Even for the sake of a single righteous man would this world have been created for it is said: And God saw the light that it was [for one who is] good,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. I, 4.');">¹⁹</span>

(אמר) ר' אלעזר כל המשכח דבר מתלמודו גורם גלות לבניו שנאמר ותשכח תורת אלהיך אשכח בניך גם אני ר' אבהו אמר מורידין אותו מגדולתו שנאמר כי אתה הדעת מאסת ואמאסך מכהן לי

and 'good' means but the righteous, as it is said: Say ye of the righteous that he is the good one.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. III, 10. E.V., 'Say ye of the righteous, that it shall be well with him.' V. Hag. 12b.');">²⁰</span> R'Eleazar said also: Whoever forgets [through neglect] any part of his study, causes his children to go into exile, as it is said: Seeing that thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hosea IV, 6.');">²¹</span> R'Abbahu said: Such a one is deprived of his greatness, as it is said: Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid.');">²²</span>

אמר ר' חייא בר אבא אמר ר' יוחנן אין צדיק נפטר מן העולם עד שנברא צדיק כמותו שנאמר (קהלת א, ה) וזרח השמש ובא השמש עד שלא כבתה שמשו של עלי זרחה שמשו של שמואל הרמתי (אמר) ר' חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן ראה הקדוש ברוך הוא שצדיקים מועטין עמד ושתלן בכל דור ודור שנא' (שמואל א ב, ח) כי לה' מצוקי ארץ וישת עליהם תבל

R'Hiyya B'Abba said in the name of R'Johanan: No righteous man dies out of this world, before another, like himself, is created,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Kid. 72b.');">²³</span> as it is said: The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eccl. I, 5.');">²⁴</span> , - before the sun of Eli set, the sun of Samuel of Ramathaim rose.

(אמר) ר' חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן אפי' בשביל צדיק אחד העולם מתקיים שנאמר (משלי י, כה) וצדיק יסוד עולם ר' חייא דידיה אמר מהכא (שמואל א ב, ט) רגלי חסידיו ישמור חסידיו טובא משמע אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק חסידו כתיב

R'Hiyya B'Abba also said in the name of R'Johanan: The Holy One, blessed be He, saw that the righteous are but few, therefore He planted them throughout all generations, as it is said: For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He hath set the world upon them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. II, 8.');">²⁵</span> R'Hiyya B'Abba said also in the name of R'Johanan: Even for the sake of a single righteous man does the world endure, as it is said: But the righteous is the foundation of the world.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. X, 25. E.V., ' Is an everlasting foundation'. uhshxj ushxj');">²⁶</span> R'Hiyya himself infers this from here: He will keep the feet of His holy ones'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. II, 9. Although the kere (the traditional reading) is in the plural the kethib () , (the written form) is in the singular. kdrk kdr');">²⁷</span>

(אמר) ר' חייא בר אבא אמר ר' יוחנן כיון שיצאו רוב שנותיו של אדם ולא חטא שוב אינו חוטא שנאמר רגלי חסידיו ישמור דבי ר' שילא אמרי כיון שבאה לידו דבר עבירה פעם ראשונה ושניה ואינו חוטא שוב אינו חוטא שנאמר רגלי חסידיו ישמור

'Holy ones' means many? - R'Nahman B'Isaac said: It is written: His holy' one.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. II, 9. Although the kere (the traditional reading) is in the plural the kethib () , (the written form) is in the singular. kdrk kdr');">²⁷</span> R'Hiyya B'Abba said further in the name of R'Johanan: When the majority of a man's years have passed without sin, he will no more sin, as it is said: 'He will keep the feet of His holy ones'. In the school of Shil was taught that if the opportunity for sin has come to a man the first and the second time and he resisted, he will never sin, as it is said: 'He will keep the feet of His holy ones'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Taking in the sense of , cf. Gen. XXX, 30, 'at the foot of', 'at the guidance of', 'on account of', he renders the verse, He preserves');">²⁸</span>

אמר ריש לקיש מאי דכתיב (משלי ג, לד) אם ללצים הוא יליץ ולענוים יתן חן בא לטמא פותחין לו בא לטהר מסייעין אותו תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל משל לאדם שהיה מוכר נפט ואפרסמון

Resh Lakish said: What is the meaning of: If it concerneth the scorners He scorneth them, but unto the humble He giveth grace?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. III, 34.');">²⁹</span> i.e., if a man comes to defile himself, the doors are opened to him, but if he comes to purify himself, he is helped. In the school of R'Ishmael it was taught: It is as when a man sells naphtha and balm