All

<<who lengthens

<<his prayer

<<and looks for [an answer]

<<to it —

<<in the end

<<comes

<<to

<<pain of

<<heart,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Hope

<<prolonged

<<makes sick

<<the heart.”

<<And Rabbi Yitzchak said:

<<Three

<<things

<<recall

<<the sins

<<of

<<a person,

<<and these

<<are they:

<<a wall

<<that leans,

<<and scrutiny of [expecting]

<<prayer,

<<and one who hands over

<<judgment

<<against

<<his fellow

<<to Heaven!

This is not difficult:

<<this

<<is where he looks for [an answer]

<<to it;

<<this

<<where not

<<does he look for [an answer]

<<to it.

<<And how

<<does he do [it]?

<<He increases

<<in pleas for mercy.

And one who lengthens

<<at his table:

<<perhaps

<<will come

<<a poor man

<<and he will give

<<to him,

<<as it is written:

<<“The altar

<<of wood,

<<three

<<cubits

<<high,”

<<and it is written:

<<“And he spoke

<<to me:

<<This is

<<the table

<<that is

<<before

<<Hashem.”

<<It opened

<<with the altar

<<and concluded

<<with the table!

<<Rabbi Yochanan

<<and Rabbi Elazar

<<who say

<<both:

<<All the time

<<that the Temple

<<stands,

<<the altar

<<atones

<<for

<<Israel;

<<and now,

<<the table

<<of

<<a person

<<atones

<<for him.

And one who lengthens

<<in the bathroom:

<<a virtue

<<is it?

<<But isn't it taught:

<<Ten

<<things

<<bring

<<a person

<<to

<<hemorrhoids:

<<one who eats

<<the leaves of

<<reeds,

<<and the leaves of

<<vines,

<<and the tendrils of

<<vines,

<<and the palate [morigei] of

<<an animal,

<<and the spine

<<of

<<a fish,

<<and fish

<<that is salted

<<that is not

<<cooked

<<as much as it needs,

<<and one who drinks

<<the dregs of

<<wine,

<<and one who wipes [himself]

<<with lime

<<and with potsherd.

<<And one who wipes

<<with a pebble

<<that wiped

<<with it

<<his fellow.

<<And some say:

<<also

<<one who suspends

<<himself

<<in the bathroom

<<more

<<than enough.

It is not difficult:

<<this

<<is where he lingers

<<and suspends [himself];

<<this

<<where he lingers

<<and does not

<<suspend [himself].

Like

<<that

<<which said

<<to him

<<a certain

<<matron

<<to Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Ilai:

<<Your face

<<resembles

<<[those of] raisers of

<<pigs

<<and of lenders

<<at interest.

<<He said to her:

<<By faith [i.e., truly],

<<for me

<<both of them

<<are forbidden;

<<but

<<twenty

<<and four

<<bathrooms

<<there are

<<from my lodging

<<to the study hall,

<<for when

<<I go,

<<I check

<<myself

<<in all of them.

And Rav Yehuda said:

<<Three

<<things

<<shorten

<<the days

<<and the years

<<of

<<a person:

<<one

<<that they give

<<him

<<a Torah scroll

<<to read

<<and he does not

<<read;

<<a cup

<<of

<<blessing

<<to bless

<<and he does not

<<bless;

<<and one who conducts

<<himself

<<with lordliness.

A Torah scroll

<<to read

<<and he does not

<<read —

<<as it is written:

<<“For

<<it is

<<your life

<<and the length of

<<your days.”

<<A cup

<<of

<<blessing

<<to bless

<<and he does not

<<bless —

<<as it is written:

<<“And I will bless

<<those who bless you.”

<<And one who conducts

<<himself

<<with lordliness —

<<for Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said:

<<Because of

<<what

<<did die

<<Yosef

<<before

<<his brothers?

<<Because

<<he conducted

<<himself

<<with lordliness.

And Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav:

<<Three [things]

<<require

<<[prayers for] mercy:

<<a king

<<who is good,

<<a year

<<that is good,

<<and a dream

<<that is good.

<<A king

<<who is good —

<<as it is written:

<<“Like streams of

<<water

<<is the heart of

<<a king

<<in the hand of

<<Hashem.”

<<A year

<<that is good —

<<as it is written:

<<“Always

<<the eyes of

<<Hashem

<<your God

<<are upon it,

<<from the beginning of

<<the year

<<and until

<<the end of

<<the year.”

<<A dream

<<that is good —

<<as it is written:

<<“And You make me dream [lit. heal me]

<<and make me live.”

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<Three

<<things

<<proclaims

<<about them

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<Himself,

<<and these

<<are they:

<<famine,

<<and plenty,

<<and a leader

<<who is good.

<<Famine —

<<as it is written:

<<“For

<<has called

<<Hashem

<<for famine,

<<etc.”

<<Plenty —

<<as it is written:

<<“And I will call

<<to

<<the grain

<<and increase

<<it.”

<<A leader

<<who is good —

<<as it is written:

<<“And said

<<Hashem

<<to

<<Moshe,

<<saying:

<<See,

<<I have called

<<by name

<<Betzalel,

<<etc.”

Rabbi Yitzchak said:

<<We do not

<<appoint

<<a leader

<<over

<<the community

<<unless

<<they consult

<<with the community,

<<as it is stated:

<<“See,

<<has called

<<Hashem

<<by name

<<Betzalel.”

<<Said to him

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to Moshe:

<<Moshe,

<<is suitable

<<in your eyes [lit. upon you]

<<Betzalel?

<<He said to Him:

<<Master of the world,

<<if

<<before You

<<he is suitable,

<<before me

<<is it not all the more so!

<<He said to him:

<<Even so,

<<go

<<say [it]

<<to them.

<<He went

<<and said

<<to them,

<<to Israel:

<<Is suitable

<<in your eyes

<<Betzalel?

<<They said to him:

<<If

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<and before you

<<he

<<is suitable,

<<before us

<<is it not all the more so!

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonasan:

<<Betzalel

<<on account

<<of his wisdom

<<was named.

<<At the time

<<that said

<<to him

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to Moshe:

<<Go

<<say

<<to him,

<<to Betzalel:

<<“Make

<<for Me

<<a Mishkan,

<<an Ark,

<<and vessels,”

<<went

<<Moshe

<<and reversed [it]

<<and said

<<to him:

<<“Make

<<an Ark

<<and vessels

<<and a Mishkan.”

<<He said to him:

<<Moshe

<<our teacher,

<<the custom

<<of

<<the world [is that]

<<a person

<<builds

<<a house

<<and afterward

<<brings

<<into it

<<vessels;

<<and you

<<say:

<<“Make

<<for me

<<an Ark

<<and vessels

<<and a Mishkan.”

<<The vessels

<<that I

<<make —

<<to where

<<shall I bring them?

<<Perhaps

<<thus

<<said

<<to you

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<“Make

<<a Mishkan,

<<an Ark,

<<and vessels”?!

<<He said to him:

<<Perhaps

<<in the shadow of

<<God [Betzel El]

<<were you,

<<and you knew?

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav:

<<Knowing

<<was

<<Betzalel [how]

<<to combine

<<the letters

<<that were created

<<with them

<<heaven

<<and earth.

<<It is written

<<here:

<<“And He filled

<<him

<<[with] the spirit of

<<God,

<<in wisdom,

<<and in understanding,

<<and in knowledge,”

<<and it is written

<<there:

<<“Hashem

<<with wisdom

<<founded

<<the earth;

<<He established

<<the heavens

<<with understanding.”

<<And it is written:

<<“By His knowledge

<<the depths

<<were split.”

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<Does not

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<give

<<wisdom

<<except

<<to one

<<who has

<<in him

<<wisdom,

<<as it is stated:

<<“He gives

<<wisdom

<<to the wise,

<<and knowledge

<<to those who know

<<understanding.”

<<Heard [it]

<<Rav Tachlifa of the West

<<and said it

<<before

<<Rabbi Abbahu.

<<He said to him:

<<You

<<from there

<<teach

<<it;

<<we

<<from here

<<teach

<<it,

<<as it is written:

<<“And in the heart of

<<all

<<the wise

<<of heart

<<I have placed

<<wisdom.”

Rav Chisda said:

<<Any

<<dream [has meaning],

<<but not

<<[during] a fast.

<<And Rav Chisda said:

<<A dream

<<that is not

<<interpreted

<<is like a letter

<<that is not

<<read.

<<And Rav Chisda said:

<<Neither

<<a dream

<<that is good

<<is fulfilled

<<entirely,

<<nor

<<a dream

<<that is bad

<<is fulfilled

<<entirely.

<<And Rav Chisda said:

<<A dream

<<that is bad

<<is better

<<than a dream

<<that is good.

<<And Rav Chisda said:

<<A dream

<<that is bad —

<<its sadness

<<suffices for it;

<<a dream

<<that is good —

<<its joy

<<suffices for it.

<<Rav Yosef said:

<<A dream

<<that is good,

<<even

<<for me,

<<its joy

<<dispels

<<it.

<<And Rav Chisda said:

<<A dream

<<that is bad

<<is harsher

<<than lashes,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And God

<<has made [it]

<<so that they fear

<<before Him,”

<<And Rabbah bar bar Chana said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

<<This

<<is a dream

<<that is bad.

“The prophet

<<who

<<has with him

<<a dream,

<<let him tell

<<a dream;

<<and he who

<<[has] My word

<<with him,

<<let him speak

<<My word

<<[in] truth.

<<What

<<has the straw [to do]

<<with the grain?

<<says

<<Hashem.”

<<And what

<<has the matter of

<<grain

<<and straw [to do]

<<with

<<a dream?

<<Rather,

<<Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai:

<<Just as

<<it is not

<<possible

<<for grain

<<without

<<straw,

<<so

<<it is not

<<possible

<<for a dream

<<without

<<words

<<that are idle.

Rabbi Berechya said:

<<A dream,

<<even though

<<part of it

<<is fulfilled,

<<all of it

<<is not

<<fulfilled.

<<From where do we know?

<<From Yosef,

<<as it is written:

<<“And behold,

<<the sun

<<and the moon,

<<etc.”