is

<<for good.

And Rav Huna said in the name of Rav,

<<in the name

<<of Rabbi Meir:

<<Always

<<should be

<<the words

<<of

<<a person

<<few

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Do not

<<be hasty

<<with [lit. upon]

<<your mouth,

<<and your heart

<<let it not

<<hurry

<<to bring out

<<a word

<<before

<<God,

<<for

<<God

<<is in heaven

<<and you

<<are on

<<the earth;

<<therefore

<<let be

<<your words

<<few.”

Expounded

<<Rav Nachman son of Rav Chisda:

<<What is

<<that which is written:

<<“And formed [vayyitzer]

<<Hashem

<<God

<<the man”

<<with two

<<yuds?

<<Two

<<inclinations

<<created

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<one

<<inclination

<<for good

<<and one

<<inclination

<<for evil.

Objected

<<to it

<<Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak:

<<If so, from now:

<<an animal,

<<for which not

<<is written

<<regarding it

<<“vayyitzer,”

<<does it not have

<<an inclination?

<<But surely

<<we see

<<that it damages

<<and bites

<<and kicks!

<<Rather,

<<it is like Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi,

<<for Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said:

<<“Woe

<<to me

<<from my Creator [yotzri],

<<and woe

<<to me

<<from my inclination [yitzri].”

Alternatively,

<<it is like Rabbi Yirmeyah ben Elazar,

<<for Rabbi Yirmeyah ben Elazar said:

<<Two

<<faces

<<created

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<in Adam

<<the First,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Behind

<<and before

<<You formed me.”

“And built

<<Hashem

<<God

<<the rib.”

Rav

<<and Shmuel:

<<One

<<said:

<<a face;

<<and one

<<said:

<<a tail.

Granted,

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<a face,

<<this is

<<what is written:

<<“Behind

<<and before

<<You formed me.”

<<But

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<a tail,

<<what is

<<“Behind

<<and before

<<You formed me”?

<<It is like Rabbi Ami,

<<for Rabbi Ami said:

<<“Behind”

<<for the act of

<<Creation,

<<“and before”

<<for punishment.

Granted,

<<“behind”

<<for the act of

<<Creation,

<<for not

<<was he created

<<until

<<the eve of

<<Shabbos;

<<but

<<“and before”

<<for punishment —

<<punishment

<<of what?

<<If we say

<<the punishment

<<of the snake,

<<but isn't it taught:

<<Rebbi

<<says:

<<In greatness

<<they begin

<<from

<<the greatest,

<<and in a curse

<<they begin

<<from

<<the smallest.

In greatness

<<they begin

<<from

<<the greatest,

<<as it is written:

<<“And spoke

<<Moshe

<<to

<<Aharon

<<and to

<<Elazar

<<and to

<<Isamar,

<<his sons

<<who were left:

<<Take

<<etc.”

<<In a curse

<<they begin

<<from

<<the smallest:

<<at first

<<was cursed

<<the snake,

<<and afterward

<<was cursed

<<Chava,

<<and afterward

<<was cursed

<<Adam!

Rather,

<<the punishment

<<of the Flood,

<<as it is written:

<<“And He wiped out

<<all

<<the existence

<<that

<<was upon

<<the face of

<<the ground,

<<from man

<<and until

<<animal” —

<<first

<<man

<<and then

<<animal.

Granted,

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<a face,

<<this is

<<what is written:

<<“Vayyitzer”

<<with two

<<yuds.

<<But

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<a tail,

<<what is

<<“vayyitzer”?

It is like Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi,

<<for Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said:

<<“Woe

<<to me

<<from my Creator [yotzri];

<<woe

<<to me

<<from my inclination [yitzri].”

Granted,

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<a face,

<<this is

<<what is written:

<<“Male

<<and female

<<He created them.”

<<But

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<a tail,

<<what is

<<“Male

<<and female

<<He created them”?

<<It is like Rabbi Abbahu,

<<for Rabbi Abbahu

<<raised a contradiction:

<<It is written:

<<“Male

<<and female

<<He created them,”

<<and it is written:

<<“For

<<in the image of

<<God

<<He made

<<man”!

<<How so?

<<At first

<<it arose

<<in thought

<<to create

<<two,

<<and in the end

<<not

<<was created

<<except

<<one.

Granted,

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<a face,

<<this is

<<what is written:

<<“And He closed

<<flesh

<<in its place [lit. beneath it].”

<<But

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<a tail,

<<what is

<<“And He closed

<<flesh

<<in its place”?

<<Rabbi Yirmeyah said,

<<and some say

<<Rav Zevid,

<<and some say

<<Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak:

<<Not

<<was it needed

<<except

<<for the place of

<<the cut.

Granted,

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<a tail,

<<this is

<<what is written:

<<“Vayyiven [and He built].”

<<But

<<according to the one

<<who said

<<a face,

<<what is

<<“vayyiven”?

It is for that of Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya,

<<for expounded

<<Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya:

<<What is

<<that which is written:

<<“And built

<<Hashem

<<the rib”?

<<It teaches

<<that braided [her hair]

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<for Chava

<<and brought her

<<to Adam

<<the First.

<<For so

<<in the cities of

<<the sea

<<they call

<<braiding

<<“binyasa [building].”

Another interpretation:

<<“Vayyiven”:

<<Rav Chisda said,

<<and some say

<<it —

<<in a baraisa

<<it was taught:

<<It teaches

<<that built

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<Chava

<<like the building of

<<a storehouse:

<<just as

<<a storehouse,

<<this one,

<<is narrow

<<from above

<<and wide

<<from below

<<in order

<<to receive

<<the produce,

<<so too

<<a woman

<<is narrow

<<from above

<<and wide

<<from below

<<in order

<<to receive

<<the child.

“And He brought her

<<to

<<the man.”

<<Rabbi Yirmeyah ben Elazar said:

<<It teaches

<<that became

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<a best man [shoshvin]

<<to Adam

<<the First.

<<From here

<<taught

<<the Torah

<<proper conduct:

<<that should join [lit. go around]

<<a great one

<<with

<<a small one

<<in being a best man,

<<and let it not

<<be bad

<<for him.

And according to the one

<<who said

<<“a face,”

<<which

<<of them

<<went

<<first?

<<Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said:

<<It stands to reason

<<that the man

<<went

<<first.

<<As it is taught:

<<Not

<<should walk

<<a man

<<behind

<<a woman

<<on the road,

<<and even

<<his wife.

<<[If] she happened

<<upon him

<<on

<<the bridge,

<<he should move her

<<to the sides.

<<And anyone

<<who crosses

<<behind

<<a woman

<<in the river

<<there is not

<<for him

<<a share

<<in the World to Come.

The Rabbis taught:

<<One who counts out

<<coins

<<to a woman

<<from his hand

<<into her hand

<<in order

<<to gaze

<<at her,

<<even

<<if there is

<<in his hand

<<Torah

<<and deeds

<<that are good

<<like Moshe

<<our teacher,

<<not

<<will he be cleared

<<from the judgment

<<of

<<Gehinnom,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Hand

<<to hand,

<<not

<<will be cleared

<<the evil one” —

<<not

<<will he be cleared

<<from the judgment

<<of

<<Gehinnom.

Rav Nachman said:

<<Manoach

<<an ignoramus [am ha'aretz]

<<was,

<<as it is written:

<<“And went

<<Manoach

<<after

<<his wife.”

Objected

<<to it

<<Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak:

<<If so, from now:

<<regarding

<<Elkanah,

<<as it is written:

<<“And went

<<Elkanah

<<after

<<his wife,”

<<and regarding

<<Elisha,

<<as it is written:

<<“And he arose

<<and went

<<after her” —

<<here too,

<<after her

<<literally?

<<Rather,

<<after

<<her words

<<and after

<<her advice;

<<here too,

<<after

<<her words

<<and after

<<her advice.

Rav Ashi said:

<<And according to what

<<is said by

<<Rav Nachman,

<<Manoach

<<an ignoramus

<<was —

<<even

<<in the house of the master [i.e., elementary school]

<<also

<<not

<<did he read,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And arose

<<Rivkah

<<and her maidens,

<<and they rode

<<upon

<<the camels,

<<and they went

<<after

<<the man” —

<<and not

<<before

<<the man.

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<Behind

<<a lion

<<and not

<<behind

<<a woman;

<<behind

<<a woman

<<and not

<<behind

<<idolatry;

<<behind

<<idolatry

<<and not

<<behind

<<the synagogue

<<at the time

<<that the congregation

<<is praying.

And not

<<did we say [it]

<<except

<<where not

<<he is carrying

<<anything,

<<but if

<<he is carrying

<<anything,

<<we have no concern with it [lit. there is not to us in it].

<<And not

<<did we say [it]

<<except

<<where there is not

<<an entrance

<<another,

<<but if

<<there is

<<an entrance

<<another,

<<we have no concern with it.

<<And not

<<did we say [it]

<<except

<<where not

<<he is riding

<<a donkey,

<<but

<<[if] riding

<<a donkey,

<<we have no concern with it.

<<And not

<<did we say [it]

<<except

<<where not

<<he is wearing

<<tefillin,

<<but

<<[if] wearing

<<tefillin,

<<we have no concern with it.

Rav said:

<<The inclination

<<for evil

<<resembles

<<a fly,

<<and it sits

<<between

<<the two

<<entrances of

<<the heart,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Flies of

<<death

<<make putrid

<<and ferment

<<the oil of

<<the perfumer.”

<<And Shmuel

<<said:

<<Like a kind of

<<wheat [chitah]

<<it

<<resembles,

<<as it is stated:

<<“At the opening

<<sin [chatas]

<<crouches.”

The Rabbis taught:

<<Two

<<kidneys

<<there are

<<in him,

<<in a person:

<<one

<<advises him

<<for good

<<and one

<<advises him

<<for evil.

<<And it stands to reason

<<that the good

<<is on his right

<<and the bad

<<on his left,

<<as it is written:

<<“The heart of

<<a wise man

<<is on his right,

<<and the heart of

<<a fool

<<on his left.”

The Rabbis taught:

<<The kidneys

<<advise,

<<the heart

<<understands,

<<the tongue

<<shapes [lit. cuts] [the words],

<<the mouth

<<completes [them],

<<the esophagus

<<takes in

<<and brings out

<<all

<<kinds of

<<food,

<<the windpipe

<<brings out

<<the voice,