in the household

<<of

<<above

<<and in the household

<<of

<<below,

<<and among

<<the students

<<who engage

<<in Your Torah,

<<whether

<<they engage

<<for its sake

<<or

<<they engage

<<not

<<for its sake.

<<And all

<<those who engage

<<not

<<for its sake —

<<may it be

<<[Your] will

<<that they will

<<engage

<<for its sake.”

Rabbi Alexandri,

<<after

<<his prayer,

<<said

<<thus:

<<“May it be

<<[Your] will

<<before You,

<<Hashem

<<our God,

<<that You stand us

<<in a corner of

<<light,

<<and do not

<<stand us

<<in a corner of

<<darkness;

<<and may not

<<grow faint

<<our heart,

<<and may not

<<grow dark

<<our eyes.”

<<Some say:

<<this one

<<Rav Hamnuna

<<would pray

<<it.

<<And Rabbi Alexandri,

<<after

<<he prayed,

<<said

<<thus:

<<“Master of the worlds,

<<revealed

<<and known

<<before You

<<that our will is

<<to do

<<Your will;

<<and who

<<holds it back?

<<The leaven

<<in the dough

<<and the subjugation of

<<the kingdoms.

<<May it be

<<[Your] will

<<before You

<<that You save us

<<from their hand,

<<and we will return

<<to do

<<the statutes of

<<Your will

<<with a heart

<<whole.”

Rava,

<<after

<<his prayer,

<<said

<<thus:

<<“My God,

<<before

<<I was formed

<<I was not

<<worthy,

<<and now

<<that I have been formed

<<it is as if

<<not

<<I had been formed.

<<Dust

<<am I

<<in my life;

<<all the more so

<<in my death.

<<Behold,

<<I am

<<before You

<<like a vessel

<<full of

<<shame

<<and disgrace.

<<May it be

<<[Your] will

<<before You,

<<Hashem

<<my God,

<<that not

<<I will sin

<<again;

<<and what

<<I have sinned

<<before You,

<<scour away

<<in Your mercy,

<<the abundant,

<<but

<<not

<<by means of

<<sufferings

<<and illnesses

<<evil.”

<<And that is

<<the confession

<<of Rav Hamnuna Zuti

<<on Yom Kippur.

Mar son of Ravina,

<<when

<<he would

<<conclude

<<his prayer,

<<said

<<thus:

<<“My God,

<<guard

<<my tongue

<<from evil

<<and my lips

<<from speaking

<<deceit.

<<And to those who curse me

<<may my soul

<<be silent,

<<and may my soul

<<like dust

<<to all

<<be.

<<Open

<<my heart

<<to Your Torah,

<<and Your mitzvos

<<may pursue

<<my soul.

<<And save me

<<from a mishap

<<evil,

<<from the inclination

<<evil,

<<and from a woman

<<evil,

<<and from all

<<evils

<<that stir

<<to come

<<into the world.

<<And all

<<who plot

<<against me

<<evil,

<<quickly

<<annul

<<their counsel

<<and ruin

<<their thoughts.

<<May they be

<<for favor,

<<the words of

<<my mouth

<<and the meditation of

<<my heart,

<<before You,

<<Hashem,

<<my Rock

<<and my Redeemer.”

Rav Sheshes,

<<when

<<he would

<<sit

<<in a fast,

<<after

<<he prayed,

<<said

<<thus:

<<“Master of the worlds,

<<revealed

<<before You:

<<in the time

<<that the Temple

<<stood,

<<a person

<<would sin

<<and bring

<<an offering,

<<and they would not

<<offer

<<of it

<<anything except

<<its fat

<<and its blood,

<<and it would atone

<<for him.

<<And now

<<I have sat

<<in a fast,

<<and there has diminished

<<my fat

<<and my blood.

<<May it be

<<[Your] will

<<before You

<<that be

<<my fat

<<and my blood

<<that has diminished

<<as if

<<I offered it

<<before You

<<upon

<<the altar,

<<and be favorable to me.”

Rabbi Yochanan,

<<when

<<he would

<<finish

<<the book

<<of Iyov,

<<said

<<thus:

<<“The end of

<<man

<<is to die,

<<and the end of

<<an animal

<<is slaughter,

<<and all

<<for death

<<are

<<destined.

<<Fortunate is

<<one

<<who grows up

<<in Torah

<<and whose toil is

<<in Torah,

<<and who brings

<<satisfaction of

<<spirit

<<to his Creator,

<<and grows up

<<with a name

<<good,

<<and departs

<<with a name

<<good

<<from

<<the world;

<<and about him

<<Shlomo said:

<<‘Better is

<<a name

<<than oil

<<good,

<<and the day of

<<death

<<than the day

<<of his birth.’”

A pearl

<<in the mouth

<<of Rabbi Meir:

<<“Learn

<<with all

<<your heart

<<and with all

<<your soul

<<to know

<<My ways,

<<and to be diligent

<<at

<<the doors of

<<My Torah.

<<Guard

<<My Torah

<<in your heart,

<<and before

<<your eyes

<<let be

<<fear of Me.

<<Keep

<<your mouth

<<from all

<<sin,

<<and purify

<<and sanctify

<<yourself

<<from all

<<guilt

<<and iniquity,

<<and I

<<will be

<<with you

<<in every

<<place.”

A pearl

<<in the mouth

<<of the Rabbis

<<of Yavneh:

<<“I am

<<a creature,

<<and my fellow

<<is a creature.

<<I —

<<my work

<<is in the city,

<<and he —

<<his work

<<is in the field.

<<I

<<rise early

<<to my work,

<<and he

<<rises early

<<to his work.

<<Just as

<<he

<<does not

<<presume

<<upon my work,

<<so

<<I

<<do not

<<presume

<<upon his work.

<<And perhaps

<<you will say:

<<I

<<do much,

<<and he

<<does little?

<<We learned:

<<one

<<who does much

<<and one

<<who does little —

<<provided

<<that he directs

<<his heart

<<to Heaven.”

A pearl

<<in the mouth

<<of Abaye:

<<always

<<should be

<<a person

<<cunning

<<in fear [of Heaven].

<<“A response

<<soft

<<turns away

<<wrath.”

<<And he should increase

<<peace

<<with

<<his brothers

<<and with

<<his relatives

<<and with

<<every

<<person,

<<and even

<<with

<<a gentile

<<in the market,

<<so that

<<he will be

<<beloved

<<above

<<and pleasant

<<below,

<<and will be

<<accepted

<<by

<<people.

They said

<<about him,

<<about

<<Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai,

<<that not

<<did greet him first

<<any person

<<with peace

<<ever,

<<and even

<<a gentile

<<in the market.

A pearl

<<in the mouth

<<of Rava:

<<the goal of

<<wisdom

<<is repentance

<<and deeds

<<good,

<<so that not

<<should

<<a person

<<read [Scripture]

<<and learn [Mishnah]

<<and kick

<<at his father

<<and at his mother

<<and at his teacher

<<and at one

<<who is

<<greater

<<than him

<<in wisdom

<<and in years,

<<as it is stated:

<<“The beginning of

<<wisdom

<<is fear of

<<Hashem;

<<understanding

<<good

<<to all

<<who do them.”

<<“To those who do”

<<not

<<is stated,

<<but rather

<<“to those who do them” —

<<to those who do

<<for its sake,

<<and not

<<to those who do

<<not

<<for its sake.

<<And anyone

<<who does

<<not

<<for its sake,

<<it would be better

<<for him

<<had he not

<<been created.

A pearl

<<in the mouth

<<of Rav:

<<not

<<like this world

<<is the World to Come.

<<The World to Come

<<there is not

<<in it

<<not

<<eating

<<and not

<<drinking

<<and not

<<being fruitful

<<and multiplying

<<and not

<<taking

<<and giving [in trade]

<<and not

<<jealousy

<<and not

<<hatred

<<and not

<<rivalry;

<<rather,

<<the righteous

<<sit

<<and their crowns

<<on their heads

<<and they enjoy

<<the radiance of

<<the Shechinah,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And they beheld

<<God,

<<and they ate

<<and they drank.”

Great is

<<the promise

<<that promised them

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to women

<<more

<<than

<<to the men,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Women

<<at ease,

<<rise up,

<<hear

<<my voice;

<<daughters

<<confident,

<<give ear

<<to my word.”

Rav said to Rabbi Chiya:

<<women —

<<by what

<<do they merit?

<<By bringing to read

<<their sons

<<in the synagogue,

<<and by sending to learn

<<their husbands

<<in the study hall,

<<and by waiting

<<for their husbands

<<until

<<they come

<<from the study hall.

When

<<would

<<take leave

<<the Rabbis

<<from the house of

<<Rabbi Ami,

<<and some say

<<from the house of

<<Rabbi Chanina,

<<they would say

<<to him

<<thus:

<<“Your world

<<may you see

<<in your lifetime,

<<and your end

<<be for the life of

<<the World to Come,

<<and your hope

<<for generation

<<of generations.

<<Your heart

<<will meditate

<<understanding,

<<your mouth

<<will speak

<<wisdoms,

<<and your tongue

<<will stir

<<songs of joy.

<<Your eyelids

<<will look straight

<<before you,

<<your eyes

<<will shine

<<with the light of

<<Torah,

<<and your face

<<will radiate

<<like the brightness of

<<the firmament.

<<Your lips

<<will utter

<<knowledge,

<<and your kidneys

<<will rejoice

<<in uprightness,

<<and your steps

<<will run

<<to hear

<<the words of

<<the Ancient of

<<Days.”

When

<<would

<<take leave

<<the Rabbis

<<from the house of

<<Rav Chisda,

<<and some say

<<from the house of

<<Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani,

<<they said

<<to him

<<thus:

<<“Our leaders

<<are laden,”

<<etc.

“Our leaders

<<are laden” —

<<Rav

<<and Shmuel,

<<and some say:

<<Rabbi Yochanan

<<and Rabbi Elazar.

<<One

<<said:

<<“our leaders”

<<in Torah,

<<and “laden”

<<with mitzvos.

<<And one

<<said:

<<“our leaders”

<<in Torah

<<and in mitzvos,

<<and “laden”

<<with sufferings.