תלמוד על משלי 2:5

²⁷⁴This baraita is the end of the Babylonian Mishnah Soṭah (quoted in Avodah zarah 20b); it is not in the Yerushalmi Mishnah. The entire paragraph appears in a slightly different version (adapted to the Babylonian Mishnah) in the hand of the first corrector in Šeqalim 3:4; the differences will be indicated in the Notes. The Šeqalim text, with the Babylonian version, consist- ently has the full form “a brings to b”.
There also exists a Genizah text edited by L. Ginzberg (op. cit. Note 25 p. 66ff.) which here is too fragmentary to be of much use.
The different version has the sequence cleanliness purity holiness meekness fear of sin piety Holy Spirit resurrection. In Yerushalmi sources it also is found in Cant. rabba 1(9) whereas the version in the text here is in the Munich ms. of the Babli Avodah zarah 20b. The Šeqalim text is reproduced in Midrash Prov. Chap. 15[32]. The different implications naturally require different verses.“From here did Rebbi Phineas ben Yair say, promptitude brings to cleanliness, cleanliness brings to purity, purity brings to holiness, holiness to meekness, meekness to fear of sin, fear of sin to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit to piety, piety to the Resurrection of the Dead, the Resurrection of the Dead through Elijah, may his remembrance be a blessing.”“Promptitude to cleanliness,” he finishes, and he atones²⁷⁵It seems that the correct quote is given in Šeqalim: וְכִלָּה֙ מִכַּפֵּ֣ר he finishes to atone (Lev. 16:20). The High Priest, who has to perform all the rites of the day of Atonement unaided, has to be quick because only if he finishes all required ceremonies will there be atonement..“Cleanliness to purity,” the Cohen shall atone for her, then she will be pure²⁷⁶Lev. 12:8..“Purity to holiness,” he shall purify it and sanctify it²⁷⁷Lev. 16:19..“Holiness to meekness,” for so says the High and Elevated One, Who thrones eternally, His name is Holy, in sublimity and holiness I dwell, and the suppressed and of meek spirit²⁷⁸Is. 57:15. The verse is explained differently in the Babli, Megillah 31a..“Meekness to fear of sin,” the consequence of meekness is fear of the Eternal²⁷⁹Prov. 22:4. In the first quote, the implied meaning “consequence” is intended, in the second the original meaning “heel”.. Rebbi Isaac bar Eleazar said, what wisdom proclaimed as a crown to its head, meekness made a heel for its sandal²⁸⁰Latin solea, -ae f. “sandal”., for it is written, the head of wisdom is the fear of the Eternal²⁸¹Ps. 111:10. The usual meaning is the beginning of wisdom is …, but it is written, the heel of meekness is fear of the Eternal²⁷⁹Prov. 22:4. In the first quote, the implied meaning “consequence” is intended, in the second the original meaning “heel”..“Fear of sin to the Holy Spirit,” as it is written, then you will understand and knowledge of God you will find²⁸²Prov. 2:5..“The Holy Spirit to piety,” as it is written, then You spoke in a vision to Your pious²⁸³Ps. 89:20..“Piety to the Resurrection of the Dead,” as it is written, I shall give My Spirit into you and you will live²⁸⁴Ez. 37:14..“The Resurrection of the Dead through Elijah, may his remembrance be a blessing,” as it is written, behold I am sending to you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Eternal, that he turn the fathers’ hearts to the sons and the sons’ hearts to their fathers²⁸⁵Mal. 3:23–24..It was stated in the name of Rebbi Meïr: Anybody permanently in the Land of Israel who eats his profane food in purity, speaks in the holy language, and recites the Shemaˋ mornings and evenings is assured to participate in the life of the World to Come²⁸⁶In Šeqalim: “… eats his produce in purity, …, may be told that …”..

Shimon the Righteous was one of the last surviving members of the Men of the Great Assembly. He would say: The world stands on three things: on the Torah, on the Temple service, and on acts of kindness.
On the Torah. How so? It says (Hosea 6:6), “I desire kindness, not a well-being offering (zevach), and the knowledge of God [which comes from studying Torah] more than burnt offerings (olot).” From here we learn that the burnt offering is more beloved than the well-being offering, because the burnt offering is entirely consumed in the fires, as it says (Leviticus 1:9), “The priest shall turn the whole thing into smoke on the altar.” And in another place (I Samuel 7:9), it says, “Samuel took one milking lamb, and offered it to be consumed, as a burnt offering to the Eternal.” And the study of Torah is more beloved before the Omnipresent God than offerings, for if a person studys Torah, he comes to have knowledge of the Omnipresent God, as it says (Proverbs 2:5), “Then you will understand the awe of the Eternal and you will discover the knowledge of God.” From here we learn that when a sage sits and expounds before the congregation, Scripture considers it as if he brought fat and blood upon the altar.
If two Torah scholars are sitting and laboring in the Torah, and a bridal or funeral procession passes by, if there are already enough people participating, these two should not leave their studying; but if not, they should get up and offer words of Torah and praise to the bride, or escort the dead.

If one was standing praying on the Sabbath; he forgot about the Sabbath and prayed for weekday. Rebbi Ḥuna said, Rav Naḥman bar Jacob¹⁹⁰He appears as Rav Naḥman in the Babli, a student of Samuel and of the Resh Galuta Rabba bar Abuh, who became his father-in-law and appointed Rav Naḥman as chief judge of the Jews in Babylonia. Hence, the opinions of Rav Naḥman have the weight of Supreme Court decisions in all money matters. He is reported in the Babli (21a) to require that the benediction that was started must be finished. The contrary opinion, which therefore must be attributed to Rav Sheshet, is not mentioned in the Babli. and Rav Sheshet¹⁹¹Rav Sheshet was a contemporary of Rav Naḥman, a student of Rav. He was blind and the greatest expert in Tannaïtic literature in his time. In the Babli, it is a Gaonic tradition that in disagreements between Rav Sheshet and Rav Naḥman, practice follows Rav Sheshet in all matters that do not involve money. Hence, it is clear that the Babli, which wants to establish the rule that one must finish the benediction, cannot mention Rav Sheshet. disagree, one says he cuts the benediction short and the other says, he finishes the benediction. All agree that he finishes “Gracious Giver of knowledge”¹⁹²The first of the weekday benedictions, a prayer for knowledge and insight.. This follows Rebbi, since Rebbi said: I wonder why they eliminated “Gracious Giver of knowledge” on Sabbath; if there is no knowledge, from where comes prayer? Rebbi Isaac said: Knowledge is great because it is in the middle between two mentions of divine names as it is said (1Samuel 2:3): “Certainly, a God of knowledge is the Eternal”. Some want to understand from here (Prov.2:5): “Then you will understand the fear of the Eternal and the knowledge of God you will find.”