With a new [ruin].

But let it derive it

<<because of

<<harmful spirits?

<<With two [people].

If

<<with two,

<<suspicion

<<also

<<there is none!

<<With two

<<who are licentious.

“Because of

<<collapse” —

<<let it derive it

<<because of

<<suspicion

<<and harmful spirits!

With two

<<who are proper.

“Because of

<<harmful spirits” —

<<let it derive it

<<because of

<<suspicion

<<and collapse!

With a ruin

<<that is new,

<<and with two

<<who are proper.

If

<<with two,

<<harmful spirits

<<also

<<there are none!

In their place

<<we are concerned.

<<And if you wish, say:

<<actually

<<with one,

<<and with a ruin

<<that is new

<<that stands

<<in a field,

<<for there

<<because of

<<suspicion

<<there is none,

<<for

<<a woman

<<in a field

<<is not

<<commonly found,

<<but because of

<<harmful spirits

<<there is [a concern].

The Rabbis taught:

<<four

<<watches

<<are

<<the night —

<<the words of

<<Rebbi.

<<Rabbi Nasan

<<says:

<<three.

What is

<<the reason of

<<Rabbi Nasan?

<<As it is written:

<<“and came

<<Gidon

<<and a hundred

<<men

<<who were

<<with him

<<to the edge of

<<the camp

<<at the beginning of

<<the watch

<<middle,”

<<and it was taught:

<<there is no

<<“middle”

<<except

<<where there is

<<before it

<<and after it.

And Rebbi —

<<what is

<<“middle”?

<<One

<<of

<<the middle one

<<among the middles.

And Rabbi Nasan:

<<is

<<it written

<<“middle

<<of the middles”?

<<“Middle”

<<is written!

What is

<<the reason of

<<Rebbi?

<<Rabbi Zerika said in the name of Rabbi Ami in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi:

<<verse

<<one

<<says:

<<“at midnight

<<of the night

<<I rise

<<to thank

<<You

<<for

<<the judgments of

<<Your righteousness,”

<<and verse

<<one

<<says:

<<“my eyes anticipated

<<the watches.”

<<How

<<so?

<<Four

<<watches

<<are

<<the night.

And Rabbi Nasan

<<holds

<<like Rabbi Yehoshua,

<<as we learned:

<<Rabbi Yehoshua

<<says:

<<until

<<three

<<hours,

<<for such is

<<the way of

<<kings,

<<to rise

<<at three

<<hours.

<<Six

<<of the night

<<and two

<<of the day

<<make

<<two

<<watches.

Rav Ashi

<<said:

<<a watch

<<and a half

<<also

<<“watches”

<<they call

<<them.

And Rabbi Zerika said in the name of Rabbi Ami in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi:

<<one does not

<<say

<<in the presence of

<<the dead

<<except

<<words

<<of

<<the dead.

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said:

<<we said this

<<only

<<regarding words of

<<Torah;

<<but

<<matters

<<of the world

<<we have no

<<concern with it.

And some say:

<<Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said:

<<we said this

<<only

<<[even]

<<regarding words of

<<Torah,

<<and all the more so

<<matters

<<of the world.

And David —

<<at the half of

<<the night

<<did he

<<rise?

<<From the evening

<<he did

<<rise!

<<As it is written:

<<“I anticipated

<<at the neshef

<<and cried out,”

<<and from where

<<that this

<<“neshef”

<<evening

<<is?

<<As it is written:

<<“at neshef,

<<in the evening of

<<day,

<<in the blackness of

<<night

<<and darkness.”

Rav Oshaya said in the name of Rabbi Acha:

<<thus

<<said

<<(David):

<<never

<<not

<<passed

<<over me

<<midnight of

<<the night

<<in sleep.

Rabbi Zeira

<<said:

<<until

<<midnight of

<<the night

<<he would

<<doze

<<like a horse;

<<from then

<<onward

<<he would

<<grow strong

<<like a lion.

<<Rav Ashi

<<said:

<<until

<<midnight of

<<the night

<<he would

<<engage

<<in words of

<<Torah;

<<from then

<<onward

<<in songs

<<and praises.

And “neshef”

<<evening

<<is?

<<But

<<“neshef”

<<morning

<<is!

<<As it is written:

<<“and struck them

<<David

<<from the neshef

<<until

<<the evening

<<of the next day.”

<<Is it not

<<from morning

<<until

<<night?

No;

<<from evening

<<until

<<evening.

If so,

<<let it write:

<<“from the neshef

<<until

<<the neshef”

<<or

<<“from the evening

<<until

<<the evening”!

Rather,

<<Rava said:

<<two

<<neshafim

<<there are:

<<the night departs

<<and comes

<<the day;

<<the day departs

<<and comes

<<the night.

And David —

<<did

<<he

<<know

<<the half of

<<the night

<<when?

<<Now,

<<Moshe

<<our teacher

<<did not

<<he

<<know,

<<as it is written:

<<“about midnight

<<of the night

<<I

<<will go out

<<in the midst of

<<Egypt.”

What is

<<“about midnight”?

<<If you say

<<that said to him

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<“about midnight” —

<<is

<<there

<<doubt

<<before

<<Heaven?!

<<Rather:

<<that He said to him

<<(tomorrow)

<<“at midnight”

<<(like

<<now),

<<and came

<<he

<<and said

<<“about midnight”;

<<evidently,

<<he was uncertain;

<<and David

<<did he

<<know?!

David —

<<a sign

<<he had.

<<For Rav Acha bar Bizna said in the name of Rabbi Shimon Chasida:

<<a harp

<<was

<<hanging

<<above

<<his bed

<<of

<<David;

<<and once

<<arrived

<<midnight of

<<the night

<<came

<<a wind

<<northern

<<and blew

<<in it

<<and it played

<<by itself.

<<Immediately

<<he would

<<rise

<<and engage

<<in Torah

<<until

<<rose

<<the pillar of

<<dawn.

<<Once

<<rose

<<the pillar of

<<dawn.

<<entered

<<the Sages of

<<Israel

<<to him.

<<They said to him:

<<our master

<<the king,

<<your people

<<Israel

<<need

<<sustenance.

<<He said to them:

<<go

<<and sustain yourselves

<<one

<<from another.

<<They said to him:

<<does not

<<the handful

<<satisfy

<<the lion,

<<and does not

<<the pit

<<become filled

<<from its own earth.

<<He said to them:

<<go

<<and stretch out

<<your hands

<<in a troop.

Immediately

<<they take counsel

<<with Achitofel,

<<and consult

<<the Sanhedrin,

<<and inquire

<<of the Urim

<<and Tumim.

Rav Yosef said:

<<what is

<<the verse?

<<As it is written:

<<“and after

<<Achitofel

<<was Benayahu

<<son of

<<Yehoyada

<<and Evyasar;

<<and the commander of

<<the army

<<of the king

<<was Yoav.”

Achitofel —

<<this is

<<the counselor,

<<and so

<<it

<<says:

<<“and the counsel of

<<Achitofel

<<which

<<he counseled

<<in days

<<those

<<was as when

<<inquires

<<a man

<<of the word of

<<God.”