Always

<<let enter

<<a person

<<with “that it was

<<good”,

<<and leave

<<with “that it was

<<good”,

<<as it is said:

<<“And you —

<<do not

<<go out,

<<any man,

<<from the entrance of

<<his house

<<until

<<morning”.

The Rabbis taught:

<<plague

<<in the city —

<<gather in

<<your feet,

<<as it is said:

<<“And you —

<<do not

<<go out,

<<any man,

<<from the entrance of

<<his house

<<until

<<morning”.

<<And it says:

<<“Go,

<<My people,

<<enter

<<your chambers,

<<and shut

<<your door

<<behind you”.

<<And it says:

<<“Outside

<<bereaves

<<the sword,

<<and inside

<<terror”.

What is

<<“and it says”?

<<And if

<<you say:

<<these

<<words apply

<<at night,

<<but

<<by day

<<not;

<<come and hear:

<<“Go,

<<My people,

<<enter

<<your chambers,

<<and shut

<<your door”.

And if

<<you say:

<<these

<<words apply

<<[where]

<<there is no

<<terror

<<inside,

<<but

<<where

<<there is

<<terror

<<inside,

<<when

<<he goes out

<<and sits

<<among

<<people

<<in company

<<merely,

<<it is better;

<<come and hear:

<<“Outside

<<bereaves

<<the sword

<<and inside

<<terror” —

<<even though

<<inside

<<there is terror,

<<outside

<<bereaves

<<the sword.

Rava,

<<at a time of

<<wrath

<<would

<<close

<<the windows,

<<as it is written:

<<“For

<<has come up

<<death

<<into our windows”.

The Rabbis taught:

<<famine

<<in the city —

<<scatter

<<your feet,

<<as it is said:

<<“And there was

<<a famine

<<in the land,

<<and went down

<<Avram

<<to Egypt

<<to sojourn

<<there”.

<<And it says:

<<“If

<<we say

<<we will enter

<<the city,

<<and the famine

<<is in the city,

<<and we will die

<<there”.

What is

<<“and it says”?

<<And if

<<you say:

<<these

<<words apply

<<where

<<there is no

<<danger to life,

<<but

<<where

<<there is

<<danger to life

<<not;

<<come and hear:

<<“Come,

<<and let us fall

<<to

<<the camp of

<<Aram;

<<if

<<they let us live,

<<we will live”.

The Rabbis taught:

<<plague

<<in the city —

<<let not

<<walk

<<a person

<<in the middle of

<<the road,

<<because

<<the Angel of

<<Death

<<walks

<<in the middle of

<<the roads;

<<for since

<<is given

<<to him

<<permission,

<<he walks

<<openly.

<<Peace

<<in the city —

<<let him not

<<walk

<<at the sides of

<<the roads;

<<for since

<<he has no

<<permission,

<<hiding,

<<he hides

<<and walks.

The Rabbis taught:

<<plague

<<in the city —

<<let not

<<enter

<<a person

<<alone

<<into the synagogue,

<<for the Angel of

<<Death

<<deposits

<<there

<<his tools.

<<And these

<<words apply

<<where

<<do not

<<read

<<in it

<<children,

<<and do not

<<pray

<<in it

<<ten.

The Rabbis taught:

<<dogs

<<weeping —

<<the Angel of

<<Death

<<comes

<<to the city.

<<Dogs

<<playing —

<<Eliyahu

<<the prophet

<<comes

<<to the city.

<<And these

<<words apply

<<where there is not

<<among them

<<a female.

Sat

<<Rav Ami

<<and Rav Asi

<<before

<<Rabbi Yitzchak Nappacha.

<<One master

<<said to him:

<<let say

<<the master

<<a halachic teaching,

<<and the other master

<<said to him:

<<let say

<<the master

<<aggadah.

<<He began

<<to say

<<aggadah,

<<and did not

<<let him

<<the one master;

<<he began

<<to say

<<a halachic teaching,

<<and did not

<<let him

<<the other master.

He said

<<to them:

<<I will tell

<<you

<<a parable:

<<to what

<<is the matter

<<comparable?

<<To a man

<<who has

<<two

<<wives,

<<one

<<young

<<and one

<<old.

<<The young one

<<plucks

<<from him

<<white hairs,

<<the old one

<<plucks

<<from him

<<black hairs.

<<He turns out

<<bald

<<on this side

<<and that side.

He said

<<to them:

<<if so,

<<I will say

<<to you

<<a matter

<<that is equal

<<for both of you:

<<“If

<<goes out

<<fire

<<and finds

<<thorns” —

<<“goes out”

<<by itself;

<<“shall pay,

<<shall pay

<<the one who kindled

<<the fire”.

<<Said

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<upon Me

<<it is to pay

<<for the fire

<<that I kindled.

I

<<set

<<fire

<<to Zion,

<<as it is said:

<<“And He set

<<fire

<<in Zion,

<<and it consumed

<<its foundations”;

<<and I

<<am destined

<<to build it

<<with fire,

<<as it is said:

<<“And I

<<will be

<<for it

<<a wall of

<<fire

<<around,

<<and for glory

<<I will be

<<within it”.

The halachic teaching:

<<began

<<the verse

<<with damages of

<<his property,

<<and ended

<<with damages of

<<his body;

<<to tell

<<you:

<<his fire

<<is on account of

<<his arrows.

“And longed

<<David

<<and said:

<<who

<<will give me to drink

<<water

<<from the well of

<<Beis Lechem

<<that is

<<by the gate?

<<And broke through

<<the three

<<mighty men

<<the camp of

<<the Philistines,

<<and drew

<<water

<<from the well of

<<Beis Lechem

<<that is

<<by the gate

<<[etc.]”.

What

<<was he asking?

<<Rava said in the name of Rav Nachman:

<<hidden things

<<in a fire

<<he was asking about —

<<whether

<<like Rabbi

<<Yehuda

<<or

<<like the Rabbis;

<<and they resolved

<<for him

<<what

<<they resolved

<<for him.

Rav Huna

<<said:

<<stacks

<<of barley

<<of Israel

<<they were,

<<in which

<<were hiding

<<the Philistines

<<among them,

<<and he was asking:

<<is it permitted

<<to save

<<himself

<<with the property of

<<his fellow?

They sent

<<to him:

<<it is forbidden

<<to save

<<himself

<<with the property of

<<his fellow;

<<but

<<you —

<<a king

<<you are,

<<[and a king]

<<may breach

<<to make

<<for himself

<<a road,

<<and they do not

<<protest

<<against him.

And the Rabbis,

<<and some say

<<Rabbah bar Mari,

<<said:

<<stacks

<<of barley

<<of Israel

<<they were,

<<and stacks

<<of lentils

<<of the Philistines;

<<and they were asking:

<<is it permitted

<<to take

<<the stacks

<<of

<<barley

<<of Israel

<<to put

<<before

<<his animals,

<<on

<<condition

<<to pay

<<stacks

<<of

<<lentils

<<of the Philistines?

They sent

<<to him:

<<“The pledge

<<returns

<<the wicked one,

<<the robbed thing

<<he pays” —

<<even though

<<the robbed thing

<<he pays,

<<wicked

<<he is.

<<But

<<you —

<<a king

<<you are,

<<and a king

<<may breach

<<to make

<<for himself

<<a road,

<<and they do not

<<protest

<<against him.

Granted,

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<to exchange,

<<that is

<<why is written

<<one

<<verse:

<<“And there was

<<there

<<a plot of

<<the field

<<full of

<<lentils”,

<<and is written

<<one

<<verse:

<<“And there was

<<a plot of

<<the field

<<full of

<<barley”;

but

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<to burn,

<<what

<<is needed

<<for them

<<these

<<two

<<verses?

<<He would say

<<to you:

<<that there were

<<also

<<stacks

<<of lentils

<<of Israel,

<<in which

<<were hiding

<<among them

<<the Philistines.

Granted,

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<to burn,

<<that is

<<why is written:

<<“And he stood

<<in the midst of

<<the plot

<<and saved it”;

<<but

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<to exchange,

<<what is

<<“and saved it”?

That he did not

<<let

<<them

<<exchange.

Granted,

<<these

<<two,

<<that is

<<why are written

<<two

<<verses;