Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei:

<<from where

<<that the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<prays?

<<As it is stated:

<<“And I will bring them

<<to

<<the mountain of

<<My holiness,

<<and gladden them

<<in the house of

<<My prayer.”

<<“Their prayer”

<<not

<<is said,

<<but

<<“My prayer”;

<<from here

<<that the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<prays.

What

<<does He pray?

Rav Zutra bar Toviya said in the name of Rav:

<<“May it be

<<the will

<<before Me

<<that will conquer

<<My mercy

<<My anger,

<<and will prevail

<<My mercy

<<over

<<My attributes,

<<and I will conduct Myself

<<with

<<My children

<<with the attribute of

<<mercy,

<<and I will go

<<for them

<<beyond

<<the line of

<<the law.”

It is taught:

<<Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha said:

<<once

<<I entered

<<to burn

<<incense

<<into the Holy of Holies,

<<and I saw

<<Achtriel

<<Yah,

<<Hashem

<<of hosts,

<<who

<<sits

<<upon

<<a throne

<<high

<<and exalted,

<<and He said

<<to me:

<<“Yishmael,

<<My son,

<<bless Me!”

<<I said

<<to Him:

<<“May it be

<<the will

<<before You

<<that will conquer

<<Your mercy

<<Your anger,

<<and will prevail

<<Your mercy

<<over

<<Your attributes,

<<and You will conduct Yourself

<<with

<<Your children

<<with the attribute of

<<mercy,

<<and You will go

<<for them

<<beyond

<<the line of

<<the law.”

<<And He nodded

<<to me

<<with His head.

<<And it teaches us

<<that not

<<should be

<<the blessing of

<<an ordinary person

<<light

<<in your eyes.

And Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei:

<<from where

<<that one does not

<<appease

<<him,

<<a person,

<<at the time of

<<his anger?

<<As it is written:

<<“My face

<<will go,

<<and I will give rest

<<to you.”

<<Said

<<to him

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to Moshe:

<<wait

<<for Me

<<until

<<will pass

<<the face

<<of

<<anger,

<<and I will give rest

<<to you.

And is

<<there

<<anger

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He?

Yes,

<<as it is taught:

<<“And God

<<is angry

<<every

<<day.”

And how long

<<is His anger?

<<A moment.

<<And how long

<<is a moment?

<<One

<<of five

<<myriads

<<and eight

<<thousand

<<and eight

<<hundred

<<and eighty

<<and eight

<<in an hour;

<<and this

<<is

<<a moment.

<<And there is no

<<any

<<creature

<<that can

<<pinpoint

<<that moment,

<<except

<<for Bilam

<<the wicked,

<<of whom it is written

<<about him:

<<“and knows

<<the knowledge of

<<the Most High.”

Now,

<<the mind of

<<his animal

<<not

<<did

<<he know,

<<the mind of

<<the Most High

<<did

<<he know?

Rather,

<<it teaches

<<that he would

<<know

<<to pinpoint

<<that

<<moment

<<that the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<is angry

<<in it.

And this is

<<what said

<<to them

<<the prophet

<<to Israel:

<<“My people,

<<remember

<<now

<<what

<<counseled

<<Balak

<<king of

<<Moav,”

<<etc.

<<What is

<<“so that

<<you may know

<<the righteous acts of

<<Hashem”?

Rabbi Elazar said:

<<said

<<to them

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to Israel:

<<know

<<how many

<<righteous acts

<<I did

<<with you,

<<that not

<<did I become angry

<<in the days of

<<Bilam

<<the wicked;

<<for had

<<I become angry,

<<not

<<would there have remained

<<of the enemies

<<of

<<Israel

<<a remnant

<<or survivor.

And this is

<<what said

<<to him

<<Bilam

<<to Balak:

<<“How

<<can I curse

<<whom has not cursed

<<God,

<<and how

<<can I denounce

<<whom has not denounced

<<Hashem?”

<<It teaches

<<that all

<<those

<<days

<<not

<<was He angry.

And how long

<<is His anger?

<<A moment.

<<And how long

<<is a moment?

<<Rabbi Avin said,

<<and some say

<<Rabbi Avina:

<<a moment —

<<as long as saying it.

And from where do we know

<<that for a moment

<<He is angry?

<<As it is stated:

<<“For

<<a moment

<<in His anger,

<<life

<<in His favor.”

<<And if you wish, say:

<<from here:

<<“Hide

<<for a little

<<moment

<<until

<<passes

<<the anger.”

And when

<<is He angry?

<<Abaye said:

<<in those

<<three

<<hours

<<first,

<<when

<<turns white

<<the comb

<<of the rooster

<<and it stands

<<on one

<<leg.

Every

<<hour

<<and hour

<<too

<<it stands

<<thus!

Every

<<hour

<<there are

<<in it

<<streaks

<<of red;

<<in that

<<hour

<<there are not

<<in it

<<streaks

<<of red.

A certain

<<heretic

<<who was

<<in the neighborhood

<<of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi

<<was

<<troubling

<<him

<<greatly

<<with verses.

<<One

<<day

<<he took

<<a rooster

<<and placed it

<<between

<<the legs of

<<the bed

<<and watched

<<it;

<<he thought:

<<when

<<arrives

<<that

<<moment,

<<I will curse him.

<<When

<<arrived

<<that

<<moment,

<<he dozed.

<<He said:

<<learn from it:

<<it is not

<<proper conduct

<<to do

<<so.

<<“And His mercy

<<is upon

<<all

<<His works”

<<is written.

And it is written:

<<“Also

<<to punish

<<the righteous

<<is not

<<good.”

It was taught

<<in the name

<<of Rabbi Meir:

<<at the time

<<that the sun

<<shines,

<<and all

<<the kings of

<<east

<<and west

<<place

<<their crowns

<<on their heads

<<and bow down

<<to the sun,

<<immediately

<<becomes angry

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He.

And Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei:

<<better is

<<remorse

<<one

<<in the heart

<<of

<<a person

<<more

<<than many

<<lashes,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And she will pursue

<<her lovers,”

<<etc.,

<<“and she will say:

<<I will go

<<and return

<<to

<<my husband

<<the first,

<<for

<<better

<<for me

<<then

<<than now.”

<<And Reish Lakish

<<said:

<<more

<<than a hundred

<<lashes,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Enters deeper

<<a rebuke

<<into one who understands

<<than striking

<<a fool

<<a hundred times.”

And Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei:

<<three

<<things

<<requested

<<Moshe

<<from before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<and He granted

<<him.

<<He requested

<<that would rest

<<the Shechinah

<<upon

<<Israel,

<<and He granted

<<him,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Is it not

<<in Your going

<<with us?”

He requested

<<that not

<<would rest

<<the Shechinah

<<upon

<<idolaters,

<<and He granted

<<him,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And we will be distinguished,

<<I

<<and Your people.”

He requested

<<to make known to him

<<the ways

<<of

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<and He granted

<<him,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Make known to me,

<<please,

<<Your ways.”

<<He said

<<before Him:

<<Master of the world!

<<Why

<<is there

<<a righteous man

<<and it is good

<<for him,

<<and there is

<<a righteous man

<<and it is bad

<<for him;

<<there is

<<a wicked man

<<and it is good

<<for him,

<<and there is

<<a wicked man

<<and it is bad

<<for him?

<<He said

<<to him:

<<Moshe,

<<a righteous man

<<and it is good

<<for him —

<<a righteous man

<<son of

<<a righteous man;

<<a righteous man

<<and it is bad

<<for him —

<<a righteous man

<<son of

<<a wicked man;

<<a wicked man

<<and it is good

<<for him —

<<a wicked man

<<son of

<<a righteous man;

<<a wicked man

<<and it is bad

<<for him —

<<a wicked man

<<son of

<<a wicked man.

Said

<<the master:

<<“a righteous man

<<and it is good

<<for him —

<<a righteous man

<<son of

<<a righteous man;

<<a righteous man

<<and it is bad

<<for him —

<<a righteous man

<<son of

<<a wicked man.”

<<Is that so?

<<But isn't it

<<written:

<<“Visiting

<<the iniquity of

<<fathers

<<upon

<<children,”

<<and it is written:

<<“And children

<<not

<<shall be put to death

<<for

<<fathers,”

<<and we raised a contradiction between

<<the verses

<<against each other,

and we resolved:

<<it is not difficult:

<<this

<<is where they hold

<<the deeds of

<<their fathers

<<in their hands;

<<this

<<is where they do not

<<hold

<<the deeds of

<<their fathers

<<in their hands.

Rather,

<<thus

<<He said

<<to him:

<<a righteous man

<<and it is good

<<for him —

<<a righteous man

<<complete;

<<a righteous man

<<and it is bad

<<for him —

<<a righteous man

<<who is not

<<complete;

<<a wicked man

<<and it is good

<<for him —

<<a wicked man

<<who is not

<<complete;

<<a wicked man

<<and it is bad

<<for him —

<<a wicked man

<<complete.

And it disagrees

<<with Rabbi Meir,

<<for Rabbi Meir said:

<<two

<<they gave

<<him,

<<and one

<<not

<<they gave

<<him,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And I will be gracious

<<to whom

<<I will be gracious” —

<<even though

<<he is not

<<worthy;

<<“and I will have mercy

<<on whom

<<I will have mercy” —

<<even though

<<he is not

<<worthy.

“And He said:

<<not

<<will you be able

<<to see

<<My face.”

<<It was taught

<<in the name

<<of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha:

<<thus

<<said

<<to him

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to Moshe:

<<when I wanted,

<<not

<<did you want;

<<now

<<that you

<<want,

<<I do not

<<want.

And it disagrees

<<with Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani

<<in the name of

<<Rabbi Yonasan,

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

<<in reward for

<<three,

<<he merited

<<three.

In reward for

<<“And hid

<<Moshe

<<his face,”

<<he merited

<<a radiance of

<<face.

<<In reward for

<<“for

<<he was afraid,”

<<he merited

<<“and they were afraid

<<to approach

<<him.”

<<In reward for

<<“from looking,”

<<he merited

<<“and the image of

<<Hashem

<<he beholds.”

“And I will remove

<<My hand,

<<and you will see

<<My back.”

<<Rav Chana bar Bizna said in the name of Rabbi Shimon the Pious:

<<it teaches

<<that showed

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to Moshe

<<the knot

<<of

<<tefillin.

And Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei:

<<every

<<word

<<and word

<<that went out

<<from the mouth of

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<for good,

<<even

<<on condition,

<<not

<<did He retract

<<it.

From where do we know?

<<From Moshe

<<our teacher,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Let go

<<of Me,

<<and I will destroy them,”

<<etc.,

<<“and I will make

<<you

<<into a nation

<<mighty.”

<<Even though

<<asked

<<Moshe

<<for mercy

<<concerning

<<the matter

<<and annulled it,

<<even

<<so

<<He fulfilled it

<<in his offspring,

<<as it is stated:

<<“The sons of

<<Moshe:

<<Gershom

<<and Eliezer.

<<And were

<<the sons of

<<Eliezer

<<Rechavya

<<the chief,”

<<etc.,

<<“and the sons of

<<Rechavya

<<increased

<<exceedingly,”

<<etc.

And taught

<<Rav Yosef:

<<“exceedingly” —

<<more than sixty

<<myriads;

<<it is derived

<<“increase”

<<from “increase.”

<<It is written

<<here:

<<“increased

<<exceedingly,”

<<and it is written

<<there:

<<“And the children of

<<Israel

<<were fruitful

<<and swarmed

<<and increased.”