Rabbi Yirmiya ben Elazar said:

<<Was cursed

<<Bavel —

<<were cursed

<<its neighbors;

<<was cursed

<<Shomron —

<<were blessed

<<its neighbors.

<<Was cursed

<<Bavel —

<<were cursed

<<its neighbors,

<<as it is written:

<<“And I will make it

<<a possession of

<<the hedgehog

<<and pools of

<<water.”

<<Was cursed

<<Shomron —

<<were blessed

<<its neighbors,

<<as it is written:

<<“And I will make

<<Shomron

<<a heap [of ruins]

<<in the field,

<<plantings of

<<a vineyard,

<<etc.”

And Rav Hamnuna said:

<<One who sees

<<multitudes of

<<Israel

<<says:

<<“Blessed is

<<the Wise One of

<<the secrets.”

<<Multitudes of

<<gentiles —

<<he says:

<<“Is ashamed

<<your mother,

<<etc.”

The Rabbis taught:

<<One who sees

<<multitudes of

<<Israel

<<says:

<<“Blessed is

<<the Wise One of

<<the secrets,”

<<for not

<<are their minds

<<alike

<<one

<<to the other,

<<and not

<<are their faces

<<alike

<<one

<<to the other.

<<Ben Zoma

<<saw

<<a multitude

<<on

<<top of

<<a step

<<on the Mount of

<<the House.

<<He said:

<<“Blessed is

<<the Wise One of

<<the secrets,

<<and Blessed is He

<<who created

<<all

<<these

<<to serve me.”

He

<<would

<<say:

<<How many

<<labors

<<labored

<<the first man

<<until

<<he found

<<bread

<<to eat:

<<he plowed,

<<and sowed,

<<and reaped,

<<and bound sheaves,

<<and threshed,

<<and winnowed,

<<and selected,

<<and ground,

<<and sifted,

<<and kneaded,

<<and baked,

<<and afterward

<<he ate.

<<And I

<<rise early

<<and find

<<all

<<these

<<prepared

<<before me.

<<And how many

<<labors

<<labored

<<the first man

<<until

<<he found

<<a garment

<<to wear:

<<he sheared,

<<and bleached,

<<and combed,

<<and spun,

<<and wove,

<<and afterward

<<he found

<<a garment

<<to wear;

<<and I

<<rise early

<<and find

<<all

<<these

<<prepared

<<before me.

<<All

<<nations

<<are diligent

<<and come

<<to the entrance of

<<my house,

<<and I

<<rise early

<<and find

<<all

<<these

<<before me.

He

<<would

<<say:

<<A guest

<<who is good,

<<what

<<does he say?

<<How much

<<trouble

<<went to

<<the host

<<for me!

<<How much

<<meat

<<he brought

<<before me!

<<How much

<<wine

<<he brought

<<before me!

<<How many

<<fine loaves

<<he brought

<<before me!

<<And all

<<that

<<he went to trouble,

<<not

<<did he go to trouble

<<except

<<for me.

<<But

<<a guest

<<who is bad,

<<what

<<does he say?

<<What

<<trouble

<<went to

<<the host,

<<this one?

<<A loaf,

<<just one,

<<I ate;

<<a slice,

<<just one,

<<I ate;

<<a cup,

<<just one,

<<I drank.

<<All

<<the trouble

<<that went to

<<the host,

<<this one,

<<not

<<did he go to trouble

<<except

<<for the sake of

<<his wife

<<and his children.

About

<<a guest

<<who is good,

<<what

<<does it say?

<<“Remember

<<that

<<you should magnify

<<his work,

<<of which

<<have sung

<<men.”

<<About

<<a guest

<<who is bad

<<it is written:

<<“Therefore

<<fear him

<<men,

<<etc.”

“And the man,

<<in the days of

<<Shaul,

<<was old,

<<he came

<<among men.”

<<Rava said,

<<and some say

<<Rav Zevid,

<<and some say

<<Rav Oshaya:

<<This is

<<Yishai,

<<the father of

<<David,

<<who went out

<<with a multitude,

<<and came in

<<with a multitude,

<<and expounded

<<before a multitude.

<<Ulla said:

<<We have a tradition:

<<there is no

<<multitude

<<in Bavel.

<<It was taught:

<<There is no

<<multitude

<<less

<<than sixty

<<myriads.

The Rabbis taught:

<<One who sees

<<the Sages of

<<Israel

<<says:

<<“Blessed is He

<<who apportioned

<<of His wisdom

<<to those who fear Him.”

<<The Sages of

<<the nations of

<<the world —

<<he says:

<<“Blessed is He

<<who gave

<<of His wisdom

<<to flesh

<<and blood.”

<<One who sees

<<the kings of

<<Israel

<<says:

<<“Blessed is He

<<who apportioned

<<of His glory

<<to those who fear Him.”

<<The kings of

<<the nations of

<<the world —

<<he says:

<<“Blessed is He

<<who gave

<<of His glory

<<to flesh

<<and blood.”

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<Always

<<should strive

<<a person

<<to run

<<toward

<<the kings of

<<Israel.

<<And not

<<toward

<<the kings of

<<Israel

<<only,

<<but

<<even

<<toward

<<the kings of

<<the nations of

<<the world,

<<for if

<<he merits,

<<he will distinguish

<<between

<<the kings of

<<Israel

<<and the kings of

<<the nations of

<<the world.

Rav Sheshes

<<blind [lit. abundant in light]

<<was.

<<Were

<<going

<<everyone

<<to receive

<<the face of

<<the king,

<<and arose

<<[and] went

<<with them

<<Rav Sheshes.

<<Found him

<<a certain

<<heretic;

<<he said to him:

<<Whole jugs

<<to the river;

<<broken jugs

<<to where?

<<He said to him:

<<Come

<<see

<<that I know

<<more

<<than you.

<<Passed

<<the troop

<<first.

<<When

<<there was a din,

<<said to him

<<that

<<heretic:

<<Has come

<<the king.

<<Rav Sheshes said to him:

<<Not

<<is he coming.

<<Passed

<<the troop

<<second.

<<When

<<there was a din,

<<said to him

<<that

<<heretic:

<<Now

<<is coming

<<the king.

<<Rav Sheshes said to him:

<<Not

<<is coming

<<the king.

<<Passed

<<the third.

<<When

<<it was silent,

<<Rav Sheshes said to him:

<<Certainly

<<now

<<is coming

<<the king.

Said to him

<<that

<<heretic:

<<From where

<<do you [know]

<<this?

<<He said to him:

<<For the kingship

<<of the earth

<<is like

<<the kingship

<<of the heavens,

<<as it is written:

<<“Go out

<<and stand

<<on the mountain

<<before

<<Hashem;

<<and behold,

<<Hashem

<<passes by,

<<and a wind

<<great

<<and strong

<<tearing apart

<<mountains

<<and shattering

<<rocks

<<before

<<Hashem;

<<not

<<in the wind

<<is Hashem;

<<and after

<<the wind

<<an earthquake;

<<not

<<in the earthquake

<<is Hashem.

<<And after

<<the earthquake

<<fire;

<<not

<<in the fire

<<is Hashem;

<<and after

<<the fire

<<a sound of

<<silence

<<that is thin.”

When

<<came

<<the king,

<<began

<<Rav Sheshes

<<and was

<<blessing

<<him.

<<Said to him

<<that

<<heretic:

<<To one whom

<<not

<<you see

<<[him]

<<are you blessing?

<<And what

<<became

<<of him,

<<of that

<<heretic?

<<Some say:

<<his fellows

<<blinded [lit. painted with kohl]

<<his eyes;

<<and some say:

<<Rav Sheshes

<<set

<<his eyes

<<upon him,

<<and he became

<<a heap

<<of

<<bones.

Rabbi Sheila

<<had flogged

<<that

<<man

<<who had relations with

<<a gentile woman.

<<He went

<<[and] ate

<<of him

<<pieces [i.e., slandered him]

<<in the house of

<<the king;

<<he said:

<<There is

<<one

<<man

<<among the Jews

<<who

<<judges

<<judgment

<<without

<<the authority

<<of the king.

<<He sent

<<for him

<<an officer.

<<When

<<he came,

<<they said to him:

<<For what reason

<<did you flog

<<this one?

<<He said to them:

<<For he came

<<upon

<<a female donkey.

<<They said to him:

<<Are there

<<for you

<<witnesses?

<<He said to them:

<<Yes.

<<Came

<<Eliyahu,

<<took the likeness

<<for himself

<<of a person,

<<and testified.

<<They said to him:

<<If so,

<<one liable for death

<<he is!

<<He said to them:

<<We,

<<from the day

<<that we were exiled

<<from our land,

<<there is not

<<to us

<<the authority

<<to kill;

<<you —

<<what

<<you wish

<<do

<<with him.

While

<<they were deliberating

<<about him

<<in judgment,

<<began

<<Rabbi Sheila

<<and said:

<<“Yours,

<<Hashem,

<<is the greatness

<<and the might,

<<etc.”

<<They said to him:

<<What

<<are you saying?

<<He said to them,

<<thus

<<I am saying:

<<“Blessed is

<<the Merciful One

<<who gives

<<kingship

<<on earth

<<like

<<the kingship

<<of heaven,

<<and gave

<<you

<<dominion

<<and love of

<<justice.”

<<They said:

<<Dear

<<to him

<<is the honor

<<of the kingship

<<so much!

<<They gave

<<him

<<a staff

<<and said to him:

<<Judge

<<judgment.

When

<<he was leaving,

<<said to him

<<that

<<man:

<<Does do

<<the Merciful One

<<a miracle

<<for liars

<<like this?

<<He said to him:

<<Wicked one!

<<Not

<<donkeys

<<are they called?

<<As it is written:

<<“Whose

<<the flesh of

<<donkeys

<<is their flesh.”

<<He saw him

<<that he was going

<<to say [it]

<<to them,

<<that he had called them

<<donkeys.

<<He said:

<<This one

<<a pursuer

<<is,

<<and the Torah

<<said:

<<If

<<he comes

<<to kill you,

<<rise early

<<to kill him.

<<He struck him

<<with the staff

<<and killed him.

He said:

<<Since

<<was performed

<<for me

<<a miracle

<<with this

<<verse,

<<I will expound

<<it:

<<“Yours,

<<Hashem,

<<is the greatness” —

<<this is

<<the work of

<<Creation,

<<and so

<<it

<<says:

<<“Who does

<<great things

<<until

<<there is no

<<searching out.”

<<“And the might” —

<<this is

<<the going out of

<<Egypt,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And saw

<<Israel

<<the hand

<<that was great,

<<etc.”

<<“And the glory” —

<<this is

<<the sun

<<and the moon

<<that stood still

<<for him,

<<for Yehoshua,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And stood still

<<the sun,

<<and the moon

<<stood,

<<etc.”

<<“And the victory [netzach]” —

<<this is

<<the downfall

<<of

<<Rome.

<<And so

<<it

<<says:

<<“And sprinkled

<<their lifeblood [nitzcham]

<<upon

<<My garments,

<<etc.”

<<“And the majesty” —

<<this is

<<the war of

<<the streams of

<<Arnon,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Therefore

<<it is said

<<in the book of

<<the wars of

<<Hashem:

<<Vahev

<<in Sufah,

<<etc.”

<<“For

<<all

<<in the heavens

<<and on the earth” —

<<this is

<<the war of

<<Sisera,

<<as it is stated:

<<“From

<<heaven

<<fought

<<the stars

<<from their courses,

<<etc.”

<<“Yours,

<<Hashem,

<<is the kingdom” —

<<this is

<<the war of

<<Amalek,

<<and so

<<it

<<says:

<<“For

<<a hand

<<is upon

<<the throne of

<<God [Kah].”

<<“And who is exalted” —

<<this is

<<the war of

<<Gog

<<and Magog,

<<and so

<<it

<<says:

<<“Behold, I am

<<against you,

<<Gog,

<<prince of

<<Rosh,

<<Meshech,

<<and Tuval.”

<<“Over all

<<as head” —

<<Rav Chanan bar Rava said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

<<Even

<<the head of

<<the irrigation ditch

<<from

<<Heaven

<<they appoint

<<him.

In a baraisa

<<it was taught

<<in the name

<<of Rabbi Akiva:

<<“Yours,

<<Hashem,

<<is the greatness” —

<<this is

<<the splitting of

<<the Sea

<<of Reeds.

<<“And the might” —

<<this is

<<the plague of

<<the firstborn.

<<“And the glory” —

<<this is

<<the giving of

<<the Torah.

<<“And the victory” —

<<this is

<<Yerushalayim.

<<“And the majesty” —

<<this is

<<the Temple.