What is

<<that which is written:

<<“But as for me,

<<my prayer

<<is to You,

<<Hashem,

<<at a time of

<<favor”?

<<When

<<is a time of

<<favor?

<<At the time

<<that the congregation

<<prays.

Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Chanina

<<said:

<<from here:

<<“Thus

<<Hashem said:

<<in a time of

<<favor

<<I have answered you.”

Rabbi Acha son of Rabbi Chanina

<<said:

<<from here:

<<“Behold,

<<God

<<is mighty

<<and does not

<<despise”;

<<and it is written:

<<“He redeemed

<<in peace

<<my soul

<<from the battle

<<against me,

<<for

<<in multitudes

<<they were

<<with me.”

It is taught

<<also

<<so:

<<Rabbi Nasan

<<says:

<<from where

<<that does not

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<despise

<<the prayer

<<of

<<the many?

<<As it is stated:

<<“Behold,

<<God

<<is mighty

<<and does not

<<despise,”

<<and it is written:

<<“He redeemed

<<in peace

<<my soul

<<from the battle

<<against me,”

<<etc.

<<Said

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<anyone

<<who engages

<<in Torah

<<and in acts of kindness

<<and prays

<<with

<<the congregation,

<<I credit

<<— I —

<<him

<<as if

<<he redeemed Me,

<<Me

<<and My children,

<<from among

<<the nations of

<<the world.

Reish Lakish said:

<<anyone

<<who

<<has

<<for himself

<<a synagogue

<<in his city

<<and does not

<<enter

<<there

<<to pray

<<is called

<<“a neighbor

<<evil,”

<<as it is stated:

<<“Thus

<<Hashem said:

<<concerning

<<all

<<My neighbors,

<<the evil ones,

<<who touch

<<the inheritance

<<which

<<I caused to inherit

<<My people,

<<Israel.”

<<And not

<<only that,

<<but

<<he causes

<<exile

<<for himself

<<and his children,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Behold, I

<<pluck them

<<from upon

<<their land,

<<and the house of

<<Yehuda

<<I will pluck

<<from among them.”

They said to him,

<<to Rabbi Yochanan:

<<there are

<<elders

<<in Bavel.

<<He was astonished

<<and said:

<<“So that

<<may be multiplied

<<your days

<<and the days of

<<your children

<<upon

<<the land”

<<is written,

<<but

<<outside the land

<<not?

<<Once

<<they said

<<to him

<<they come early

<<and stay late

<<to the synagogue,

<<he said:

<<this is

<<what helped

<<them.

For Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said

<<to his sons:

<<come early

<<and stay late

<<and enter

<<the synagogue,

<<so that

<<will be lengthened

<<your lives.

<<Rabbi Acha son of Rabbi Chanina said:

<<what is

<<the verse?

<<“Happy is

<<the man

<<who listens

<<to Me,

<<to watch

<<at

<<My doors

<<day

<<by day,

<<to guard

<<the doorposts of

<<My entrances,”

<<and it is written

<<after it:

<<“For

<<whoever finds Me

<<finds

<<life.”

Rav Chisda said:

<<always

<<should enter

<<a person

<<two

<<doorways

<<into the synagogue.

<<“Two

<<doorways” —

<<does it enter your mind?!

<<Rather,

<<say:

<<the measure of

<<two

<<doorways,

<<and afterward

<<let him pray.

“For

<<this

<<let pray

<<every

<<pious one

<<to You

<<at a time of

<<finding.”

<<Rabbi Chanina said:

<<“at a time of

<<finding” —

<<this is

<<a wife,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Whoever has found

<<a wife

<<has found

<<good.”

In the West,

<<when

<<marries

<<a man

<<a woman,

<<they say

<<to him

<<thus:

<<“Matza

<<or

<<Motzei?”

<<“Matza,”

<<as it is written:

<<“Whoever has found

<<a wife

<<has found

<<good,

<<and obtains

<<favor

<<from Hashem”;

<<“Motzei,”

<<as it is written:

<<“And find

<<I

<<more bitter

<<than death

<<the woman,”

<<etc.

Rabbi Nasan

<<says:

<<“at a time of

<<finding” —

<<this is

<<Torah,

<<as it is stated:

<<“For

<<whoever finds Me

<<finds

<<life,”

<<etc.

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak

<<said:

<<“at a time of

<<finding” —

<<this is

<<death,

<<as it is stated:

<<“To death

<<are the exits.”

It is taught

<<also

<<so:

<<nine

<<hundred

<<and three

<<kinds of

<<death

<<were created

<<in the world,

<<as it is stated:

<<“To death

<<are the exits”;

<<“exits”

<<in gematria

<<so much

<<are.

<<Hardest

<<of all of them

<<is croup;

<<easiest

<<of all of them

<<is the kiss.

<<Croup

<<is like

<<a thorn

<<in a tuft

<<of wool

<<that backward

<<is torn out;

<<and some say:

<<like ropes

<<at the mouth of

<<the esophagus.

<<The kiss

<<is like

<<drawing

<<a hair

<<from milk.

Rabbi Yochanan

<<said:

<<“at a time of

<<finding” —

<<this is

<<burial.

<<Rabbi Chanina said:

<<what is

<<the verse?

<<“Who rejoice

<<unto

<<exultation,

<<are glad

<<when

<<they find

<<a grave.”

<<Rabbah bar Rav Sheila said:

<<this is

<<what say

<<people:

<<should ask

<<a person

<<for mercy

<<even

<<until

<<the shovelful

<<last

<<in peace.

Mar Zutra

<<said:

<<“at a time of

<<finding” —

<<this is

<<the bathroom.

<<They say

<<in the West:

<<this

<<of Mar Zutra

<<is preferable

<<to all of them.

Rava said to Rafram bar Pappa:

<<let tell

<<us

<<the master

<<of those

<<words

<<excellent

<<that you said

<<in the name

<<of Rav Chisda

<<in matters

<<of the synagogue.

He said to him:

<<thus

<<Rav Chisda said:

<<what is

<<that which is written:

<<“Loves

<<Hashem

<<the gates of

<<Zion

<<more than all

<<the dwellings of

<<Yaakov”?

<<Loves

<<Hashem

<<gates

<<that are distinguished

<<in halachah

<<more

<<than synagogues

<<and than study halls.

And this is what

<<Rabbi Chiya bar Ami said in the name of Ulla:

<<from the day

<<that was destroyed

<<the Temple,

<<there is not

<<for Him,

<<for the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<in His world

<<anything but

<<four

<<cubits

<<of

<<halachah

<<alone.

And Abaye said:

<<at first

<<I would

<<study

<<inside

<<the house

<<and pray

<<in the synagogue.

<<Since

<<I heard

<<this that

<<Rabbi Chiya bar Ami said in the name of Ulla:

<<from the day

<<that was destroyed

<<the Temple,

<<there is not

<<for Him,

<<for the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<in His world

<<anything but

<<four

<<cubits

<<of

<<halachah

<<alone,

<<not

<<would

<<I pray

<<except

<<where

<<I studied.

Rabbi Ami

<<and Rabbi Assi,

<<even though

<<they had

<<thirteen

<<synagogues

<<in Teverya,

<<not

<<would they pray

<<except

<<between

<<the pillars,

<<where

<<they would

<<study.

And Rabbi Chiya bar Ami said in the name of Ulla:

<<greater is

<<one who benefits

<<from his own labor

<<more

<<than one who fears

<<Heaven;

<<for whereas

<<regarding

<<one who fears

<<Heaven

<<it is written:

<<“Happy is

<<the man

<<who fears

<<Hashem,”

<<whereas

<<regarding

<<one who benefits

<<from his labor

<<it is written:

<<“The labor of

<<your hands

<<when

<<you eat,

<<happy are you,

<<and it is good

<<for you.”

<<“Happy are you” —

<<in this world;

<<“and it is good

<<for you” —

<<in the World to Come.

<<And regarding

<<one who fears

<<Heaven,

<<“and it is good

<<for you”

<<not

<<is written

<<of him.

And Rabbi Chiya bar Ami said in the name of Ulla:

<<always

<<should live

<<a person

<<in the place of

<<his teacher;

<<for all

<<the time

<<that Shimi

<<son of

<<Gera

<<was alive,

<<not

<<did marry

<<Shlomo

<<the daughter of

<<Pharaoh.

But isn't it taught:

<<he should not

<<live!

It is not difficult:

<<this

<<is where he defers

<<to him;

<<this

<<where not

<<he defers

<<to him.

Rav Huna bar Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Menachem in the name of Rabbi Ami:

<<what is

<<that which is written:

<<“And those who forsake

<<Hashem

<<will be consumed”?

<<This is

<<one who leaves

<<a Torah scroll

<<and goes out.

Rabbi Abbahu

<<would go out

<<between

<<man

<<and man.

Asked

<<Rav Pappa:

<<between

<<verse

<<and verse,

<<what is it?

Let it stand.

Rav Sheshes

<<would turn

<<his face

<<and study.

<<He said:

<<we

<<with ours,

<<and they

<<with theirs.

Rav Huna bar Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Ami:

<<always

<<should complete

<<a person

<<his portions

<<with

<<the congregation,

<<twice

<<Scripture

<<and once

<<Targum.