and buries

<<his children,

<<they forgive

<<him

<<for

<<all

<<his sins.

Rabbi Yochanan said to him:

<<granted

<<Torah

<<and acts of kindness,

<<as it is written:

<<“Through kindness

<<and truth

<<is atoned

<<iniquity.”

<<“Kindness” —

<<this is

<<acts of kindness,

<<as it is stated:

<<“One who pursues

<<righteousness

<<and kindness

<<will find

<<life,

<<righteousness,

<<and honor.”

<<“Truth” —

<<this is

<<Torah,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Truth

<<buy,

<<and do not

<<sell.”

<<But

<<“one who buries

<<his children” —

<<from where?

Taught

<<him

<<a certain elder,

<<in the name of

<<Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai:

<<it is derived

<<“iniquity”

<<from “iniquity.”

<<It is written

<<here:

<<“Through kindness

<<and truth

<<is atoned

<<iniquity,”

<<and it is written

<<there:

<<“and repays

<<the iniquity of

<<fathers

<<into

<<the bosom of

<<their children.”

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<afflictions

<<and children

<<are not

<<sufferings

<<of

<<love.

And afflictions

<<not?

<<But isn't it taught:

<<anyone

<<who

<<has

<<on him

<<one

<<of the four

<<appearances of

<<afflictions

<<these

<<is nothing

<<but

<<an altar of

<<atonement!

An altar of

<<atonement

<<they are;

<<sufferings

<<of

<<love

<<not

<<are they.

And if you wish, say:

<<this is

<<for us,

<<and this

<<for them.

And if you wish, say:

<<this is

<<in private,

<<this

<<in public.

And children

<<not?!

<<What are the circumstances?

<<If you say

<<that there were

<<to him [children]

<<and they died,

<<but didn't Rabbi Yochanan say:

<<“this

<<is the bone

<<of the tenth

<<son”?

<<Rather,

<<this

<<where not

<<there were

<<to him

<<at all,

<<and this

<<where there were

<<to him

<<and they died.

Rabbi Chiya bar Abba

<<fell ill.

<<Went in

<<to him

<<Rabbi Yochanan.

<<He said to him:

<<are dear

<<to you

<<sufferings?

<<He said to him:

<<not

<<them

<<and not

<<their reward.

<<He said to him:

<<give

<<me

<<your hand.

<<He gave

<<him

<<his hand,

<<and he raised him up.

Rabbi Yochanan

<<fell ill.

<<Went in

<<to him

<<Rabbi Chanina.

<<He said to him:

<<are dear

<<to you

<<sufferings?

<<He said to him:

<<not

<<them

<<and not

<<their reward.

<<He said to him:

<<give

<<me

<<your hand.

<<He gave

<<him

<<his hand,

<<and he raised him up.

Why —

<<let raise up

<<Rabbi Yochanan

<<himself!

They say:

<<does not

<<a prisoner

<<free

<<himself

<<from prison.

Rabbi Elazar

<<fell ill.

<<Went in

<<to him

<<Rabbi Yochanan.

<<He saw

<<that he was

<<lying

<<in a house

<<dark.

<<He uncovered

<<his arm,

<<and fell

<<light.

<<He saw

<<that was

<<crying

<<Rabbi Elazar.

<<He said to him:

<<why

<<are you crying?

<<If

<<because of

<<Torah

<<that not

<<you learned much —

<<we learned:

<<one

<<who does much

<<and one

<<who does little,

<<provided

<<that he directs

<<his heart

<<to Heaven.

<<And if

<<because of

<<sustenance —

<<not

<<every

<<person

<<merits

<<two tables.

<<And if

<<because of

<<children —

<<“this

<<is the bone

<<of the tenth

<<son.”

He said to him:

<<for this

<<beauty

<<that will wither

<<in the dust

<<I am crying.

<<He said to him:

<<over

<<this

<<certainly

<<you should cry;

<<and they cried,

<<both of them.

In the meantime,

<<he said to him:

<<are dear

<<to you

<<sufferings?

<<He said to him:

<<not

<<them

<<and not

<<their reward.

<<He said to him:

<<give

<<me

<<your hand.

<<He gave

<<him

<<his hand,

<<and he raised him up.

Rav Huna —

<<soured

<<for him

<<four

<<hundred

<<barrels of

<<wine.

<<Went in

<<to him

<<Rav Yehuda,

<<the brother of Rav Sala the Pious,

<<and the Rabbis,

<<and some say:

<<Rav Adda bar Ahava

<<and the Rabbis,

<<and they said to him:

<<let examine

<<the master

<<his deeds.

<<He said to them:

<<and am

<<I suspect

<<in your eyes?

<<They said to him:

<<is

<<suspect

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<that He does

<<judgment

<<without

<<judgment?!

He said to them:

<<if

<<there is

<<one

<<who has heard

<<about me

<<a matter,

<<let him say it.

<<They said to him:

<<thus

<<have heard

<<we:

<<that not

<<gives

<<the master

<<the vine-shoots

<<to his sharecropper.

He said to them:

<<does

<<he

<<leave

<<me

<<anything

<<of it?

<<But

<<he

<<steals

<<from me

<<all of it!

They said to him:

<<this is

<<what say

<<people:

<<“After

<<a thief

<<steal,

<<and the taste

<<you taste.”

<<He said to them:

<<I accept

<<upon myself

<<that I will give

<<him.

<<Some say:

<<turned back

<<the vinegar

<<and became

<<wine.

<<And some say:

<<rose in price

<<the vinegar,

<<and was sold

<<for the price of

<<wine.

It is taught:

<<Abba Binyamin

<<says:

<<over

<<two

<<things

<<I was

<<distressed

<<all

<<my days:

<<over

<<my prayer,

<<that it be

<<before

<<my bed,

<<and over

<<my bed,

<<that it be

<<placed

<<between

<<north

<<and south.

<<“Over

<<my prayer,

<<that it be

<<before

<<my bed” —

<<what is

<<“before

<<my bed”?

<<If you say

<<“before

<<my bed”

<<literally,

<<but didn't Rav Yehuda say in the name of Rav,

<<and some say

<<Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi:

<<from where

<<for one who prays

<<that not

<<there be

<<a thing

<<intervening

<<between him

<<and

<<the wall?

<<As it is stated:

<<“And turned

<<Chizkiyahu

<<his face

<<to

<<the wall

<<and prayed.”

<<Do not

<<say

<<“before

<<my bed,”

<<but

<<say

<<“close

<<to my bed.”

“And over

<<my bed,

<<that it be

<<placed

<<between

<<north

<<and south.”

For Rabbi Chama son of Rabbi Chanina said in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak:

<<anyone

<<who places

<<his bed

<<between

<<north

<<and south

<<will have

<<to him

<<children

<<male,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And with Your treasure

<<You fill

<<their belly;

<<they will be satisfied

<<with children.”

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak

<<said:

<<also

<<does not

<<his wife

<<miscarry

<<stillbirths.

<<It is written

<<here:

<<“And with Your treasure

<<You fill

<<their belly,”

<<and it is written

<<there:

<<“And were fulfilled

<<her days

<<to give birth,

<<and behold,

<<twins

<<in her womb.”

It is taught:

<<Abba Binyamin

<<says:

<<two

<<who entered

<<to pray,

<<and preceded

<<one

<<of them

<<to pray

<<and did not

<<wait for

<<his fellow

<<and left —

<<they tear up

<<for him

<<his prayer

<<before his face,

<<as it is stated:

<<“One who tears

<<his soul

<<in his anger —

<<for your sake

<<shall be forsaken

<<the earth?”

And not

<<only that,

<<but

<<he causes

<<the Shechinah

<<to depart

<<from Israel,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And shall be moved

<<the Rock

<<from its place?”

<<And there is no

<<“Rock”

<<except

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<as it is stated:

<<“The Rock

<<that bore you

<<you neglect.”

And if

<<he waited

<<for him,

<<what

<<is his reward?