Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai:

<<from the day

<<that created

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<the world,

<<not

<<was there

<<a person

<<who called

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<“Lord,”

<<until

<<came

<<Avraham

<<and called Him

<<Lord,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And he said:

<<Lord

<<God,

<<how

<<shall I know

<<that

<<I will inherit it?”

Rav said:

<<even

<<Daniel

<<not

<<was answered

<<except

<<for the sake of

<<Avraham,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And now

<<hear,

<<our God,

<<to

<<the prayer of

<<Your servant

<<and to

<<his supplications,

<<and shine

<<Your face

<<upon

<<Your sanctuary

<<that is desolate,

<<for the sake of

<<the Lord.”

<<“For Your sake”

<<it should have said!

Rather,

<<for the sake of

<<Avraham,

<<who called You

<<“Lord.”

And Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai:

<<from where

<<that one does not

<<appease

<<him,

<<a person,

<<at the time of

<<his anger?

<<As it is stated:

<<“My face

<<will go,

<<and I will give rest

<<to you.”

And Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai:

<<from the day

<<that created

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<His world,

<<not

<<was there

<<a person

<<who thanked

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<until

<<came

<<Leah

<<and thanked Him,

<<as it is stated:

<<“This time

<<I will thank

<<Hashem.”

“Reuven.”

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Leah said:

<<see

<<what

<<is between

<<my son

<<and the son of

<<my father-in-law.

<<For while

<<the son of

<<my father-in-law,

<<even though

<<of his own will

<<he sold

<<his birthright,

<<as it is written:

<<“And he sold

<<his birthright

<<to Yaakov,”

<<see

<<what

<<is written

<<of him:

<<“And hated

<<Esav

<<Yaakov.”

And it is written:

<<“And he said:

<<is it for this that

<<he called

<<his name

<<Yaakov,

<<and he deceived me

<<this

<<twice?”

<<etc.

While

<<my son,

<<even though

<<against his will

<<took

<<Yosef

<<his birthright

<<from him,

<<as it is written:

<<“And because he defiled

<<the couch of

<<his father,

<<was given

<<his birthright

<<to the sons of

<<Yosef,”

<<even

<<so

<<not

<<was he jealous

<<of him,

<<as it is written:

<<“And heard

<<Reuven

<<and saved him

<<from their hand.”

“Rus” —

<<what is

<<“Rus”?

<<Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<that she merited

<<and there came forth

<<from her

<<David,

<<who saturated

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<with songs

<<and praises.

From where do we know

<<that the name

<<causes?

<<Rabbi Eliezer said,

<<for said

<<the verse:

<<“Go,

<<see

<<the works of

<<Hashem,

<<who

<<has made

<<desolations

<<in the land”;

<<do not

<<read

<<“desolations”

<<but

<<“names.”

And Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai:

<<harsher is

<<an upbringing

<<bad

<<within

<<the house

<<of

<<a person

<<more

<<than the war of

<<Gog

<<and Magog,

<<as it is stated:

<<“A psalm

<<of David,

<<when he fled

<<from

<<Avshalom

<<his son,”

<<and it is written

<<after it:

<<“Hashem,

<<how

<<many are

<<my foes;

<<many

<<rise up

<<against me.”

<<Whereas

<<regarding

<<the war of

<<Gog

<<and Magog

<<it is written:

<<“Why

<<are in tumult

<<nations,

<<and peoples

<<murmur

<<in vain?”

<<Whereas

<<“how

<<many are

<<my foes”

<<not

<<is written.

“A psalm

<<of David,

<<when he fled

<<from

<<Avshalom

<<his son” —

<<“a psalm

<<of David”?!

<<“A lament

<<of David”

<<it should have said!

Rabbi Shimon ben Avishalom said:

<<a parable:

<<to what

<<is the matter

<<similar?

<<To a person

<<that was issued

<<against him

<<a bond of

<<debt.

<<Before

<<he paid it

<<he was

<<sad;

<<after

<<he paid it

<<he was glad.

So

<<too

<<David:

<<since

<<said

<<to him

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<“Behold, I

<<raise up

<<against you

<<evil

<<from your own house,”

<<he was

<<sad.

<<He said:

<<perhaps

<<a slave

<<or

<<a mamzer

<<it will be,

<<who would not

<<have pity

<<on me.

<<Once

<<he saw

<<that Avshalom

<<it was,

<<he was glad.

<<Because of this

<<he said

<<“a psalm.”

And Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai:

<<it is permitted

<<to provoke

<<the wicked

<<in this world,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Those who forsake

<<the Torah

<<praise

<<the wicked,

<<but those who keep

<<the Torah

<<contend

<<with them.”

It is taught

<<also

<<so:

<<Rabbi Dostai son of Rabbi Masun

<<says:

<<it is permitted

<<to provoke

<<the wicked

<<in this world,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Those who forsake

<<the Torah

<<praise

<<the wicked,”

<<etc.

<<And if

<<whispers to you

<<a person

<<to say:

<<but isn't it

<<written:

<<“Do not

<<compete

<<with evildoers;

<<do not

<<envy

<<those who do

<<wrong,”

<<say

<<to him:

<<one

<<whose heart

<<strikes him

<<says

<<so.

<<Rather,

<<“do not

<<compete

<<with evildoers”

<<to be

<<like evildoers;

<<“do not

<<envy

<<those who do

<<wrong”

<<to be

<<like those who do

<<wrong.

And it says:

<<“Do not

<<let envy

<<your heart

<<the sinners,

<<but rather

<<the fear of

<<Hashem

<<all

<<the day.”

Is that so?!

<<But didn't Rabbi Yitzchak say:

<<if

<<you saw

<<a wicked man

<<that the hour

<<smiles

<<on him,

<<do not

<<provoke

<<him,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Prosper

<<his ways

<<at all

<<times.”

<<And not

<<only that,

<<but

<<that he is victorious

<<in judgment,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Far above

<<are Your judgments

<<from before him.”

<<And not

<<only that,

<<but

<<that he sees [his desire]

<<on his foes,

<<as it is stated:

<<“All

<<his foes —

<<he puffs

<<at them”!

It is not difficult:

<<this

<<is in matters

<<of his own;

<<this

<<in matters

<<of Heaven.

And if you wish, say:

<<this

<<and this

<<are in matters

<<of Heaven,

<<and it is not difficult:

<<this

<<is with a wicked man

<<that the hour

<<smiles

<<on him;

<<this

<<with a wicked man

<<that does not

<<the hour

<<smile

<<on him.

And if you wish, say:

<<this

<<and this

<<are with a wicked man

<<that the hour

<<smiles

<<on him,

<<and it is not difficult:

<<this

<<is with a righteous man

<<complete;

<<this

<<with a righteous man

<<who is not

<<complete.

<<For Rav Huna said:

<<what is

<<that which is written:

<<“Why

<<do You look

<<upon the treacherous,

<<are silent

<<when swallows

<<the wicked

<<one more righteous

<<than he?”

<<And does

<<a wicked man

<<swallow

<<a righteous man?

<<But isn't it

<<written:

<<“Hashem

<<not

<<will leave him

<<in his hand,”

<<and it is written:

<<“No

<<will befall

<<the righteous

<<any

<<iniquity.”

<<Rather:

<<one more righteous

<<than he

<<he swallows;

<<a righteous man

<<complete

<<he does not

<<swallow.

And if you wish, say:

<<an hour

<<that smiles

<<on him

<<is different.

And Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai:

<<anyone

<<who fixes

<<a place

<<for his prayer,

<<his enemies

<<fall

<<beneath him,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And I will appoint

<<a place

<<for My people,

<<for Israel,

<<and I will plant them,

<<and they will dwell

<<in their place,

<<and not

<<be disturbed

<<any more;

<<and not

<<will continue

<<the sons of

<<wickedness

<<to afflict them

<<as

<<at first.”

Rav Huna

<<raised a contradiction:

<<it is written

<<“to afflict them,”

<<and it is written

<<“to destroy them.”

At first

<<to afflict them,

<<and in the end

<<to destroy them.

And Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai:

<<greater is

<<the service

<<of

<<Torah

<<more

<<than its study,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Here is

<<Elisha

<<son of

<<Shafat,

<<who

<<poured

<<water

<<on the hands of

<<Eliyahu.”

<<“Learned”

<<not

<<is said,

<<but

<<“poured”;

<<it teaches

<<that greater

<<is its service

<<more

<<than its study.

Rabbi Yitzchak said to Rav Nachman:

<<what is the reason

<<not

<<does come

<<the master

<<to the synagogue

<<to pray?

<<He said to him:

<<not

<<I am able.

<<He said to him:

<<let gather

<<for the master

<<ten

<<and let him pray.

<<He said to him:

<<it is a burden

<<for me

<<the matter.

<<And let say

<<to him,

<<the master,

<<to the agent

<<of the congregation:

<<at the time

<<that prays

<<the congregation,

<<let him come

<<and inform

<<the master.

He said to him:

<<what is

<<all

<<this?

<<He said to him:

<<for Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai: