Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Chanina said:

<<he merits

<<these blessings,

<<as it is stated:

<<“If only

<<you had listened

<<to My commandments!

<<Then would be

<<like the river

<<your peace,

<<and your righteousness

<<like the waves of

<<the sea;

<<and would be

<<like the sand

<<your seed,

<<and the offspring of

<<your innards,”

<<etc.

It is taught:

<<Abba Binyamin

<<says:

<<were it

<<granted

<<permission

<<to the eye

<<to see,

<<not

<<any

<<creature

<<could

<<stand

<<because of

<<the harmful spirits.

Abaye said:

<<they

<<are more numerous

<<than us,

<<and they stand

<<over us

<<like

<<the embankment

<<around a ditch.

Rav Huna said:

<<each

<<one

<<and one

<<of us —

<<a thousand

<<at his left

<<and ten thousand

<<at his right.

Rava said:

<<this

<<crowding

<<that there is

<<at the kallah —

<<from them

<<it is.

<<These

<<knees

<<that tire —

<<from them.

<<These

<<garments

<<of the Rabbis

<<that wear out —

<<from the rubbing

<<of theirs.

<<These

<<feet

<<that are bruised —

<<from them.

One who

<<wants

<<to know

<<them,

<<let him bring

<<ash

<<fine,

<<and spread it around

<<his bed,

<<and in the morning

<<he sees

<<something like

<<the feet of

<<a rooster.

<<One who

<<wants

<<to see them,

<<let him bring

<<the afterbirth of

<<a cat

<<black,

<<daughter of

<<a black one,

<<firstborn,

<<daughter of

<<a firstborn,

<<and burn it

<<in fire,

<<and grind it,

<<and fill

<<his eyes

<<with it,

<<and he sees

<<them.

<<And let him put it

<<in a tube

<<of iron,

<<and seal it

<<with a seal

<<of iron,

<<lest

<<they steal

<<from him;

<<and let him seal

<<its mouth,

<<so that

<<not

<<he be harmed.

<<Rav Bivi bar Abaye

<<did

<<so;

<<he saw

<<and was harmed.

<<Asked

<<the Rabbis

<<for mercy

<<for him,

<<and he was healed.

It is taught:

<<Abba Binyamin

<<says:

<<is not

<<the prayer

<<of

<<a person

<<heard

<<except

<<in the synagogue,

<<as it is stated:

<<“to listen

<<to

<<the song

<<and to

<<the prayer”:

<<in the place of

<<song,

<<there

<<should be

<<prayer.

Ravin bar Rav Adda said in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak:

<<from where

<<that the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<is found

<<in the synagogue?

<<As it is stated:

<<“God

<<stands

<<in the congregation of

<<God.”

And from where

<<for ten

<<who pray

<<that the Shechinah

<<is with them?

<<As it is stated:

<<“God

<<stands

<<in the congregation of

<<God.”

And from where

<<for three

<<who sit

<<in judgment

<<that the Shechinah

<<is with them?

<<As it is stated:

<<“In the midst of

<<the judges

<<He judges.”

And from where

<<for two

<<who sit

<<and engage

<<in Torah

<<that the Shechinah

<<is with them?

<<As it is stated:

<<“Then

<<spoke

<<those who fear

<<Hashem

<<one

<<to

<<another,

<<and listened

<<Hashem,”

<<etc.

What is

<<“and for those who think of

<<His name”?

<<Rav Ashi said:

<<if thought

<<a person

<<to do

<<a mitzvah,

<<and was prevented by force,

<<and did not

<<do it,

<<credits

<<him

<<the verse

<<as if

<<he did it.

And from where

<<that even

<<one

<<who sits

<<and engages

<<in Torah,

<<that the Shechinah

<<is with him?

<<As it is stated:

<<“In every

<<place

<<where

<<I cause to be mentioned

<<My name,

<<I will come

<<to you

<<and bless you.”

And

<<since

<<even

<<one [has it],

<<two

<<is it necessary?!

<<Two —

<<are written

<<their words

<<in the book of

<<remembrance;

<<one —

<<not

<<are written

<<his words

<<in the book of

<<remembrance.

And

<<since

<<even

<<two [have it],

<<three

<<is it necessary?!

<<You might have said:

<<judgment

<<is peace-making

<<merely

<<it is,

<<and not

<<comes

<<the Shechinah;

<<it teaches us

<<that judgment

<<too

<<is

<<Torah.

And

<<since

<<even

<<three [have it],

<<ten

<<is it necessary?!

<<Ten —

<<goes before them

<<the Shechinah

<<and comes;

<<three —

<<not until

<<they sit.

Rabbi Avin bar Rav Adda said in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak:

<<from where

<<that the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<puts on

<<tefillin?

<<As it is stated:

<<“Has sworn

<<Hashem

<<by His right hand

<<and by the arm of

<<His strength.”

“By His right hand” —

<<this is

<<Torah,

<<as it is stated:

<<“From His right hand,

<<a fiery

<<law

<<for them.”

<<“And by the arm of

<<His strength” —

<<these are

<<tefillin,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Hashem

<<strength

<<to His people

<<will give.”

And from where

<<that tefillin

<<strength

<<are

<<for Israel?

<<As it is written:

<<“And will see

<<all

<<the peoples of

<<the earth

<<that

<<the name of

<<Hashem

<<is called

<<upon you,

<<and they will fear

<<you.”

<<And it is taught:

<<Rabbi Eliezer

<<the Great

<<says:

<<these are

<<the tefillin

<<that are on the head.

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said to Rav Chiya bar Avin:

<<these

<<tefillin

<<of the Master of

<<the world —

<<what

<<is written

<<in them?

<<He said to him:

<<“And who is

<<like Your people

<<Israel,

<<a nation

<<one

<<in the land?”

And is

<<praised

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<by the praises

<<of Israel?

<<Yes,

<<as it is written:

<<“Hashem

<<you have declared

<<today,”

<<and it is written:

<<“And Hashem

<<has declared you

<<today.”

<<Said

<<to them

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to Israel:

<<you

<<have made Me

<<a single unique entity

<<in the world,

<<and I

<<will make

<<you

<<a single unique entity

<<in the world.

You

<<have made Me

<<a single unique entity

<<in the world,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Hear,

<<Israel,

<<Hashem

<<is our God,

<<Hashem

<<is One”;

<<and I

<<will make

<<you

<<a single unique entity

<<in the world,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And who is

<<like Your people

<<Israel,

<<a nation

<<one

<<in the land?”

Rav Acha son of Rava said to Rav Ashi:

<<this works well

<<in one

<<compartment;

<<in the other

<<compartments,

<<what?

He said to him:

<<“For

<<who

<<is a nation

<<so great,”

<<“And who

<<is a nation

<<so great,”

<<“Happy are you,

<<Israel,”

<<“Or

<<has tried

<<God,”

<<“And to make you

<<supreme.”

If

<<so,

<<there are too many

<<for them,

<<the many

<<compartments!

<<Rather:

<<“For

<<who

<<is a nation

<<so great”

<<“and who

<<is a nation

<<so great,”

<<which are alike

<<to each other,

<<in one

<<compartment;

<<“Happy are you,

<<Israel”

<<“and who is

<<like Your people

<<Israel”

<<in one

<<compartment;

<<“or

<<has tried

<<God”

<<in one

<<compartment;

<<“and to make you

<<supreme”

<<in one

<<compartment.