M. IX. 8c; T. VII. 23-25. Salutations in the Name

Tractate Berakoth, by , by A. Lukyn Williams, [1921], at sacred-texts.com

Salutations in the Name.

M.IX. 8c (5d). And they ordered that a man should salute his companion in the Name. ³ For it is said: "And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers: The LORD be with you, and they said to him: The LORD bless thee." ⁴ And it says: "The LORD be with thee, thou mighty man of valour." ⁵ And it says: "Despise not thy mother when she is old." ⁶° And it says: "It is time to work for the LORD; they have made thy law void." ⁷ R. Nathan says: They break Thy law, at a time when they work for the LORD. ⁸

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T. VII. 23. In ancient times when the Law was being forgotten of Israel the elders used to dry-nurse it them, ¹ for it is said: "And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you," ² and it says: "The LORD be with thee, thou mighty man of valour." ³

24. Hillel the Elder ⁴ says: At a time when men gather do thou scatter, and at a time when men scatter do thou gather. [That means] At a time when thou seest that the Law is precious to Israel, and all rejoice in it, do thou be scattering with it. ⁵ For it is said: "There is that scattereth, and increaseth yet more." ⁶ And at a time when thou seest that the Law is forgotten of Israel, and none pay attention to it, do thou be gathering in it. ⁷ For it is said: "It is time to work for the LORD; [when] they have made thy law void." ⁸ R. Meir used to say: "They have made thy law void, therefore it is time for the LORD to work." ⁹

R. Meir used to say: Thou hast no man in Israel who is not performing a hundred commandments every day. He recites the Shma‘; he says Benedictions before it and after it; he eats his bread, and says a Benediction before it and after it; he prays the Eighteen Benedictions three times, and he does the rest of all the commandments and says Benedictions over them.

25. And so R. Meir used to say: Thou hast no man in Israel whom the commandments ¹⁰ do not

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surround. Tephillin are on his head; and Tephillin on his arm; and a Mezuzah on his door; and four Tsitsith surround him. And concerning them said David: "With seven a day do I praise thee, because of thy righteous judgments." ¹ When he entered into the public bath, circumcision was on his flesh, for it is said: "For the Chief Musician; set to the Eighth. A Psalm of David." ² And it says, "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." ³

Footnotes

88:3 the Name. The following examples suggest that this was the Tetragrammaton. But if so the regulation must be very early.

88:4 Ruth 2⁴.

88:5 Judges 6¹².

88:6 Prov. 23²². For "thy mother" (’imka) C reads ‘imka "with thee," as immediately before, or, more probably, ‘amka "thy people" i.e. thy elders, representing thy people. In any case this is the recognized explanation of "thy mother." Cf. Hos. ii. 2.

88:7 Ps. 119¹²⁶.

88:8 R. Nathan's interpretation is that zeal in God's service causes infraction of part of His Law. Here the meaning appears to be that zealous greeting of one's companions leads to a use of the Holy Name which in ordinary cases is wrong. B reads "They break Thy law, because it is time to work for the LORD," i.e. to work for the LORD sometimes requires the infraction of the words of the Law. It seems only to express the meaning of C more definitely.

89:1 used to dry-nurse it them. Literally, "used to cause them to swallow it"; i.e. they taught people truths without their being aware that they were being taught.

89:2 Ruth 2⁴.

89:3 Judges 6¹². Again the central truth of the Law is implied.

89:4 Hillel the Elder, see p. 27 note.

89:5 When men come in to listen, do thou teach.

89:6 Prov. 11²⁴.

89:7 When none regard it, do thou learn from it.

89:8 Ps. 119¹²⁶.

89:9 or the LORD to work. That is, in anger.

89:10 whom the commandments. The ordinary text reads "whom seven commandments," and this seems necessary.

90:1 Ps. 119¹⁶⁴. Cf. the Yalqut on that verse, and on Ps. 6¹ (§ 633).

90:2 Ps. 12¹. Circumcision made an eighth commandment. Besides it was generally performed on the eighth day.

90:3 Ps. 347. Each commandment is such an angel.