Midrash su Levitico 19:14

(Fol. 7) The Holy One, praised be He! does not cause an offense to be brought through the beast of the righteous; for R. Phineas b. Yair was going to ransom captives. While on his way he approached the rivulet Ginnay, so he said to the Ginnay, "Divide for me thy waters so that I should be able to cross over thee." The Ginnay replied: "Thou art going to do the will of thy Creator and I am going to do the will of my Creator; as far as thou art concerned there is a doubt whether you will accomplish or whether you will not accomplish [thee ransoming of the captives], but I am surely accomplishing [the will of my Creator, hence I cannot stop from performing my duty for thy sake]." R. Phineas thereupon said to the Ginnay: "If thou wilt not divide thyself then I shall issue a decree that no water shall pass through thee forever." Consequently the Ginnay divided its water. There was with him a certain man carrying wheat for the Passover. Phineas said to the Ginnay: "Divide thyself also for that man who is engaged in a meritorious act." The Ginnay divided itself. There was also an Arabian merchant who had joined them and R. Phineas said to the Ginnay: "Divide thyself also for the sake of him, so that he should not have to say, Is it proper thus to do to a fellow-traveler?" Thereupon the Ginnay divided itself [once more]. R. Joseph said: "Behold, that this man was even greater than Moses and the sixty Myriads [of Israelites]; for there (in connection with Moses and Israel) it happened only once, while here it was divided thrice." But perhaps here also it was divided only once and he merely prayed [to the Ginnay not to return his waters until the three had passed]? We must therefore say that he meant that he was equal to Moses and sixty Myriads [of Israelites]. R. Phineas happened to stop at a certain inn where they placed barley before his ass. The donkey, however, refused to eat. (Ib. b) They shook it apart; still the animal did not eat it. They then cleaned it and still the animal did not eat it. R. Phineas then said to them: "Perhaps it was not taken off the Levetical portion of the grain, hence how should she eat." He then added and said: "This poor creature is going to perform the will of her Creator and ye tried to feed her with Tebel?" Rabbi, having been informed [of his coming] went out to meet him. The former said to the latter: "May we get your consent to partake of a meal at my house." "Yes," came the reply. The face of Rabbi began to shine [because of joy]. R. Phineas then remarked to Rabbi: "It seems to me that you took me as one who made a vow not to enjoy anything from Israel [which does not belong to me]. The fact is that I hold Israel as a Holy Nation [one worthy to benefit others]; however, there are some who desire [to treat others] but cannot afford, and again there are others who could afford [to treat others] but who have no desire and the passage says (Pr. 23, 6) Eat though not the bread of him that hath an evil eye; neither desire thou his dainties. For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee. You, however, are willing that others should enjoy from your wealth and you have also the means. Nevertheless now I am in a hurry to fulfill a meritorious act but on my return I shall visit you. On his way back, when he came [to visit Rabbi] it happened so that he entered through a door from which he noticed white mules were standing [in Rabbi's stables]. He then said: "The angel of death is in the house of this man, and shall I partake of a meal with him?" Rabbi, having been informed that R. Phineas was coming, went out to greet him [and when he heard the reason of his refusal to enter Rabbi's house] he offered to sell the mules. But R. Phineas refused it quoting (Lev. 19, 14) Nor put a stumblingblock before the blind. Rabbi suggested that he should renunciate the ownership of the mules, but he again refused to give his consent because they might increase their damages [by being ownerless] . "I shall mutilate their hoofs [to render them harmless]," pleaded Rabbi. "This would cause pain to the animals," came the objection. "I shall then kill them," pleaded Rabbi. "This is prohibited (Deut. 20, 19) Thou shalt not destroy," came the objection. He begged him very persistently [to accept the invitation] when a mountain sprang up and separated them. Rabbi thereupon began to cry and said: "If the righteous are so great while alive how much the more are they great after their death; for R. Chama b. Chanina said: 'The righteous are great after their death even more so than during their lives, as it is said (II Kings 13, 21) And it came to pass as they were burying a man, that, behold, they saw the band; and they cast down the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; and as the man came and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and rose up on his feet.' " R. Papa then said to Abaye: "Perhaps this happened in order to fulfill the blessing of Elijah, as it is written (Ib. 2, 9) I pray the, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me?" Whereupon he answered: "If this is the case then how will you explain the following Mishna which says that the above mentioned man only stood upon his feet but he did not go to his house [hence it was merely to have him removed from the sepulchre of Elisha]? But in what respect was the blessing of Elijah fulfilled? This is as R. Jochanan said: "In that which he cured the leprosy which is equal to death, as it is said (Num. 12, 12) Let her not, I pray, be as one dead." R. Joshua b. Levi said: "Why are the mules called Yemim? Because their terror is thrown upon man; for R. Chanina said: 'Never in my life did a man ask me concerning a wound caused by a white mule and he should remain alive.' " But do we not see that they do remain alive; we must therefore say that he meant they can never be cured. But again do we not see that such are cured? We must therefore say that he refers to such mules which have white legs.

What happened with the maid-servant of the house of Rabbi? The maid-servant of the house of Rabbi once saw a man beating his grown-up son, and she said to him: "Let that man be under ban, for he has transgressed the commandment (Lev. 19, 14) Thou shalt not put a stumbling-block before the blind, and we are taught in a Baraitha that at the college of R. Ishmael it was explained: 'This refers to one who beats his grown-up son.' "

(Fol. 58 b) Our Rabbis were taught: Concerning the verse (Lev. 25, 17) And ye shall not wrong one another — the passage warns here against wrong of words. You say it warns against wrong committed with words; perhaps it warns against wrong committed with money? Since the passage says (Ib., ib. 14) And if thou sell aught unto thy neighbor, or buy of thy neighbor's hand; this is a warning against wrong committed with money. Hence the above verse must be a warning against wrong committed with words. How so? If a person has repented one must not say to him. Remember thy former acts. If one was a descendant of proselytes, one must not say to him, Remember the acts of your parents. If a proselyte comes to learn the Torah, one shall not say to him, The mouth that hath eaten carcasses, etc., should utter the words of the Torah, which was pronounced by the mouth of the Almighty. To a person who suffers from chastisements, sickness, or burying his children, one must not say, as Job's colleagues said to him (Job 4, 6-7 ) Is not thy fear of God thy confidence, and thy hope the integrity of thy ways? Remember, I pray thee, whoever perished, being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? Also, if drivers were looking for a place where to buy grain, one must not send them to anyone, telling them that he is a grain seller, knowing that he never was such. R. Juda says: "One must also not inquire the price of an article, having no money to pay for it, as all that refers to the heart, and in everything which refers to the heart, the passage says (Lev. 19, 14) Thou shalt fear thy God."