Talmud su Ecclesiaste 4:78

That is⁹If the heave given was more than 50% of what was due, one follows R. Simeon ben Laqish. If less than 50% was given, one follows R. Eliezer ben Jacob in this paragraph. The Mishnah therefore is valid only in case exactly 50% were given., if most of the heap was put in order. If most of the heap was not put in order, there is disagreement between Ḥizqiah and Rebbi Joḥanan. As Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said in the name of Ḥizqiah, ṭevel becomes voided by plurality¹⁰He disagrees with the generally accepted statement that by rabbinic decree, the prohibition of anything that can be put in order is not voided if it becomes an indistinguishable part of other produce or food; cf. Ševi‘it 6:3, Notes 117–121. It is agreed that in biblical law, the prohibition of any food becomes void by a plurality of permitted matter. Cf. also Halakhah 8, Note 71., but Rebbi Joḥanan said, ṭevel does not become voided by plurality. Since it was his intention to give, each single grain of wheat was labelled at its place¹¹As noted before, if it was the farmer’s intention to put in order only part of the heap, then the remainder is ṭevel and no one knows which grains are profane and which ṭevel.. Some want to explain following Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob, as Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob stated, that he cannot separate either for itself or for another place¹²If humans cannot distinguish between profane and ṭevel, humans cannot use the remainder of the heap for heave or tithes.. This parallels the following¹³The following text is from Chapter 2, Notes 26–28.: If there were before him two heaps and from each of them he took part of heave or tithes, may he take heave or tithe from one for the other? The students of the elder Rebbi Ḥiyya asked the elder Rebbi Ḥiyya and he said to them (Eccl. 4:5): “The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.” Rebbi Eleazar in the name of the elder Rebbi Ḥiyya: He may not give heave or tithe from one for the other.

Rebbi Jeremiah said that Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac asked: Justice protects the one on the straight path but sin destroys the sinner¹⁴Prov. 13:6.. Evil deeds will pursue the sinner but He will reward the just¹⁵Prov. 13:21.. While He makes scoffers targets of scoffing, He will bestow grace on the meek¹⁶Prov. 3:34.. He will watch over the feet of his pious ones, but evildoers will be silent in the darkness¹⁷1 Sam.. 2:9.. The wise will inherit honor, but shame will mark the stupid ones¹⁸Prov. 3:35.. Fences are made fences and doors doors. Is it so that fences make fences and doors doors? But so it is: Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Samuel ben Rav Isaac: If a person is careful the first, second, and third times not to commit a sin, then in the future the Holy One, praise to Him, will watch over him. What is the reason? All this God will do twice, three times with a man¹⁹Job 33:29.. Rebbi Zeˋira said, but only if the person does not revert [to sin]. What is the reason? It does not say the triple thread “will never snap” but rather will not quickly snap²⁰Eccl. 4:12.. If you work on it, it will split.

If there were two fig cakes, one partially impure and one partially pure¹Fig cakes are not strings of figs put together when they are completely dry but made of fresh figs formed into cakes and then put out to ferment and dry. The sap of figs is not one of the fluids that make food susceptible to impurity (Demay Chapter 5, Note 8); if no water touched the cake before it was dry and the individual figs are still recognizable, then if later it is prepared for impurity and one fig was touched by an impure person, this fig will be impure by one degree more than the person who touched and the figs touching this fig will be impure by still one more degree, and so on, cf. Demay Chapter 2, Note 137 (higher degree meaning lesser impurity). Since profane food can acquire only impurity in the first and second degrees, all figs not directly touching the impure fig will remain pure (if the cake is dry)., may one give heave from one for the other²⁵Since the Mishnah permits taking pure heave also for the impure parts of the same fig cake, may one put both cakes together on a table where they are earmarked and give one heave for both of them?? If he had two heaps²⁶כרי is a heap of freshly threshed grain, ערימה one of totally dry grain., and from both of them he had given part of heaves and tithes²⁷Mishnah 4:1 states that if only partial heave and tithes were taken from a heap they would have no status as heave and tithes but, even though they would now be separated from the heap, they would still count as one for giving heave from an earmarked heap. May one give one heave for both in this case? The two cases are treated as similar., may he give heave from one for the other? The students of the elder Rebbi Ḥiyya asked the elder Rebbi Ḥiyya and he said to them (Eccl. 4:5): “The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.²⁸The answer, “no”, is too simple and a thinking person should not have to ask.” Rebbi Eleazar in the name of the elder Rebbi Ḥiyya: He may not give heave from one for the other.

Rebbi Idi in the name of Rebbi Simeon in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan said: No man should pray when he has an urge to go to the bathroom¹⁴⁹In the Babli (Berakhot 23a) this appears as a statement of R. Samuel ben Naḥmani in the name of Rebbi Jonathan. It is really a Tosephta (Berakhot 2:18).. What is the reason? (Amos 4:12) “Prepare yourself before Your God, o Israel!” Rebbi Alexandri said: (Eccl. 4:17) “Watch you feet when you go to God’s house”; watch yourself from the drops that drip from between your feet. That means, for urine. But for defecation, if he can bear it, let him bear it¹⁵⁰The Babli disagrees and states that prayer is only permitted when one is able to walk 4 mil without going to the bathroom (about a 70 minutes’ walk)..

Rebbi Jacob bar Abbai¹⁵¹An Israeli Amora of the last generation. His statement is placed here since it gives a different interpretation of the last verse quoted before. In the Babli (loc. cit.) this is also a statement of R. Samuel bar Naḥmani in the name of Rebbi Jonathan, i. e., of the first generations of Israeli Amoraïm. in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: (Eccl. 4:17) “Watch you feet when you go to God’s house”; watch yourself when you are called to God’s house¹⁵²I. e., when you die. that you should be pure and innocent. Rebbi Abba said: (Prov. 5:18) “Your fountain shall be blessed”, your being called to the grave shall be blessed. Rebbi Berekhiah said (Eccl. 3:1): “A time to be born and a time to die”, hail to the man whose hour of death is like the hour of his birth; just as at the hour of his birth he was innocent so at the hour of his death may he be innocent.

Another interpretation of Ye that inflame yourselves among the terebinths: Whoever arouses himself and masturbates forfeits his life, as it is stated, And Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.⁷⁴Gen. 38, 7. His sin was that he prevented pregnancy; cf. Midrash Rabbah, Genesis, LXXXV, 4 (Sonc. ed., p. 792). And whoever deliberately causes an erection is a transgressor, as it is stated, And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of the Lord.⁷⁵ibid. 10; cf. the preceding verse.
Even children meet the Divine Presence, as it is stated, A seed shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord unto the next generation.⁷⁶Ps. 22, 31; cf. Sanh. 110b (Sonc. ed., p. 761). It shall be told indicates that when God’s glory can be related by a person, i.e. even a child when he is able to speak, he earns his right to a share in the World to Come. For what sin do a man’s children die [young]?⁷⁷Shab. 32b (Sonc. ed., p. 148); cf. Midrash Ecclesiastes 4, 1 (Sonc. ed., p. 110). R. Eliezer said: For the sin of [unfulfilled] vows, as it is said, Suffer not thy mouth to bring thy flesh into guilt … and destroy the work of thy hands.⁷⁸Eccl. 5, 5. R. Nathan said: For the sin of [neglecting] the mezuzah, as it is written, And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thy house, and upon thy gates which is followed by that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children.⁷⁹The prolonged life of the children is made conditional in Deut. 11, 20f., on the fulfilment of the preceding commandment. R. Nehorai said: For the sin of [neglecting] the ẓiẓith, as it is written, Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor.⁸⁰Jer. 2, 34; skirts refers to the precept of ẓiẓith. R. Joshua⁸¹GRA. emends to ‘R. Judah the Prince’. said: For the sin of [neglecting the study of] the Torah children die young, as it is stated, Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.⁸²Hos. 4, 6. The parallel in Shab. 32b (Sonc. ed., p. 148) cites Jer. 2, 30. R. ‘Aḳiba said: Whoever does not occupy himself with [the study of] the Torah causes poverty to come upon his children.
What should a man do so that his children shall grow rich and flourish?⁸³Reading with GRA ויתקיימו. Let him fulfil the will of God and the wishes of his wife. This is the will of God: Let him freely distribute his money to the poor, as it is stated, He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the needy; his righteousness endureth for ever.⁸⁴Ps. 112, 9.

“And the Ninth of Av.” ¹³²This paragraph also is in Ta`aniot 4:9, Notes 370–377. Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya, it should have been logical that one should fast on the Tenth, since on it it was burned. Why on the Ninth? Because the calamity started on it. So it was stated, on the Seventh they entered, on the Eighth they were misbehaving in it, on the Ninth they started the fire, and on the Tenth it was burned. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi fasted Ninth and Tenth. Rebbi Levi fasted on the Ninth and the night of the Tenth. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Rebbi wanted to uproot the Ninth of Av but they did not let him. Rebbi Eleazar said to him, I was with you but it was not said so, but Rebbi wanted to uproot the Ninth of Av which fell on a Sabbath but they did not let him. He said, because it was pushed aside, let it be pushed aside. They said to him, let it be pushed to the next day. In a similar case, that which we stated there: “Rebbi Joḥanan ben Beroqa said, for both of them it says, God blessed them and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply¹³³Gen. 1:28., etc.” Rebbi Eleazar in the Name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Practice follows Rebbi Joḥanan ben Beroqa. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda said to him, I was with you and it was only said, if she asks to be married the law is on her side. He said about them, two are better than one¹³⁴Eccl. 4:9..

It was stated²⁷⁴Tosephta Berakhot 6:19.: Nobody should enter the Temple Mount in shoes, with dust on his feet, or his coins tied up in his head-scarf, or his money belt on him outside. What is the reason? (Eccl. 4:17) “Watch your feet when you go to God’s house.” Rebbi Yose ben Yehudah says (Esth. 4:2): “He came as far as the king’s gate because nobody may enter the king’s gate in sackcloth.” He said, if it is so for a foul smelling drop²⁷⁵The semen from which the king was conceived., so much more for the gate of the Omnipresent!

³⁷⁰This paragraph also appears in Megillah1:6 (מ). Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya, it should have been logical that one should fast on the Tenth, since on it our God’s Temple was burned. Why on the Ninth? Because the calamity started on it³⁷¹2K. 25:8.. So it was stated, on the Seventh they entered, on the Eighth they were misbehaving in it, on the Ninth they started the fire, and on the Tenth it was burned³⁷²Babli 29a, Tosephta 3:10.. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi fasted Ninth and Tenth. Rebbi Abun fasted Ninth and Tenth. Rebbi Levi fasted on the Ninth and the night of the Tenth. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Rebbi wanted to uproot the Ninth of Av but they did not let him³⁷³Babli Megillah 5b.. Rebbi Eleazar said to him, I was with you but it was not said so, but Rebbi wanted to uproot the Ninth of Av which fell on a Sabbath but they did not let him. He said, because it was pushed aside, let it be pushed aside. They said to him, let it be pushed to the next day. In a similar case, that which we stated there³⁷⁴Mishnah Yebamot 6:6.: “Rebbi Joḥanan ben Beroqa said, for both of them it says, God blessed them and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply³⁷⁵Gen. 1:28., etc.” Rebbi Eleazar in the Name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Practice follows Rebbi Joḥanan ben Beroqa. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda said to him, I was with you and it was only said, if she asks to be married the law is on her side³⁷⁶If a woman is married childless for ten years she may ask the court to force her husband to give her a divorce with full payment of her ketubah. In her application to the court she must state that her request is in order to be able to marry another man (who implicitly is supposed to be more fertile than the first.) In the Babli Yebamot 65b she is required to state explicitly that she wants to marry another man in order to have children who will be able to care for her in her old age.. He said about them, two are better than one³⁷⁷Eccl. 4:9..

Rebbi Eleazar in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Zimra: The reason of that Tanna¹³³The last clause in the Mishnah, that only men are obligated to have children. The entire paragraph has its parallel in the Babli, 65b.: “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and conquer it.” It is written “he shall conquer it.¹³⁴Gen. 1:28. The last word is written וכבשה which can be read as defective plural or regular singular.” Who usually conquers? The man, not the woman. Rebbi Jeremiah, Rebbi Abbahu, Rebbi Isaac bar Marion, in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Practice follows Rebbi Joḥanan ben Beroqa. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa and Rebbi Jacob bar Idi, Rebbi Isaac bar Ḥaqula in the name of Rebbi Jehudah Neśia: If she requests to be married, she has the law on her side¹³⁵If a woman was childlessly married to a man for 10 years and requests a divorce in order to be able to have a child with a more potent man, the court is required to force the husband to divorce her with a full ketubah. The Babli is explicit in this matter, that she must claim to need children who will care for her in her old age. Such a statement is needed only if practice does not follow R. Joḥanan ben Beroqa.. Rebbi Eleazar in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Practice follows Rebbi Joḥanan ben Beroqa. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda said to him, I was with you and it was only said that if she requests to be married, she has the law on her side. In a similar case¹³⁶Involving R. Eleazar and R. Abba bar Zavda and an erroneous statement. In the Babli, Megillah 5a/b, the wrong statement is again given by R. Eleazar and the correction by R. Abba bar Zavda. From the insistence that the two cases are parallel, it seems that this should be the reading here also. But the text given here is confirmed by the parallel in Megillah1:1., referring to what we have stated there¹³⁷Mishnah Ta‘aniot 4:9.: “In the week in which the Ninth of Av¹³⁸The day of mourning for the destruction of the Temple. falls, it is forbidden to get a haircut and to wash. But on Thursday one is permitted, in preparation for the Sabbath.” Rebbi Abba bar Zavda in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Rebbi wanted to do away with the Ninth of Av but they did not let him. Rebbi Eleazar said to him, I was with you and it was only said that Rebbi wanted to do away with the Ninth of Av which happened to be on the Sabbath but they did not let him. He said, since it is pushed away, let it be pushed away. They said to him, it should be pushed to the next day. He recited on these¹³⁹Eccl. 4:9. From the text in Megillah, it seems that “he” is a third person, possibly R. Ḥaninah,: “Two are better than one.”

HALAKHAH: “If he wrote a bill to divorce his wife and then changed his mind,” etc. Rebbi Joḥanan in the name of Rebbi Yannai: There is no problem because of the purity of the priestly line and the court will not denigrate her⁸⁶If a woman became a widow who had been given a bill of divorce but who was not divorced because the condition attached to the divorce was not fulfilled, the court will not intervene if she marries a Cohen.. There came a case before the Elder Rebbi Ḥiyya and he acted following the House of Hillel. Rav asked him, why did you bring yourself into this great doubt? He answered, Rebbi Ismael ben Rebbi Yose⁸⁷The greatest authority of his time. was with me. He quoted about them: “Two are better than one.⁸⁸Eccl. 4:9.”

And acquire for yourself a friend. How so? This teaches that a person should acquire a friend for himself who will eat with him, and drink with him, and study Scripture and Mishnah with him, and go to sleep with him, and tell him all his secrets, both secrets of the Torah and secrets of the ways of the world. For when they sit and engage in Torah together, and one of them makes a mistake in the law, or the division of chapters, or declares an impure thing pure, or a pure thing impure, [or a forbidden thing permitted or a permitted thing forbidden, then his friend will correct him. And how do we know] that when his friend corrects him and studies with him, that they will have great reward from their studies? For it says (Ecclesiastes 4:9), “The two are better than the one, for they have great reward from their efforts.”

MISHNAH: Everybody who keeps one commandment they⁶⁴⁴The Heavenly court. treat well and prolong his life; he will inherit the Land⁶⁴⁵This probably is the Future World, in Psalms called “the Lands of Life.”. But everybody who does not keep one commandment they do not treat well, do not prolong his life, and he does not inherit the Land. ⁶⁴⁶Of this part of the Mishnah there exist versions widely differing in text but identical in meaning. Anybody who knows neither Scripture nor Mishnah nor a trade⁶⁴⁷Which lets him earn an honest living. is not part of civilization, but about one who holds on to these three, the verse says⁶⁴⁸Eccl. 4:12. The person studying Scripture and tradition, and earning an honest living, will not easily sin. This formulation is that of the Tosephta, 1:17.: “The triple cord will not easily break.”

Rebbi Aḥa the son of Rebbi Simeon³¹³As noted, read: R. Idi in the name of R. Simon (ben Laqish). in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: No man should stand at an elevated place and pray. What is the reason? Rebbi Abba the son of R. Pappai said: From the depth I call on You, Eternal!³¹⁵Ps. 130:1. Rebbi Ada bar Simeon in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan said: No man should pray when he has an urge to go to the bathroom. What is the reason? Israel, prepare yourself before Your God.³¹⁶Am. 4:12. Rebbi Alexandri said: Watch your feet when you go to God’s house³¹⁷Eccl. 4:17.; watch yourself from the drops that drip from between your feet. That means, for urine. But for defecation, if he can bear it, let him bear it. Rebbi Jacob bar Abiah in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: Watch your feet when you go to God’s house; watch yourself when you are called to God’s house that you should be pure and innocent. Rebbi Abba said: Your fountain shall be blessed³¹⁸Prov. 5:18., your being called to the grave shall be blessed. Rebbi Berekhiah said: A time to be born and a time to die³¹⁹Eccl. 3:2., hail to the man whose hour of death is like the hour of his birth; just as at the hour of his birth he was innocent so at the hour of his death may he be innocent.

And bring them closer to Torah. How so? This teaches us that a person should prevail upon others and bring them under the wings of the Divine Presence, just as Abraham prevailed upon those around him and brought them under the wings of the Divine Presence. [And not only Abraham, but also Sarah, as it says (Genesis 12:5), “Abram took his wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot, and all of their possessions, and the souls they had made in Haran.” But even if everyone in the world got together, they would be unable to create even one mosquito! So what does it mean when it says, “the souls they had made in Haran”? It teaches us that the Holy Blessed One considered it as if they had actually made new souls.
When a person does not give part of what he earns to his fellows in this world, then he will not be given anything in the World to Come, as it says (Ecclesiastes 4:1), “Look at the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter. Power is in the hand of their oppressors, and they have no comforter.” Why does it say “they have no comforter” twice? This refers to people who eat and drink in this world, and their sons and daughters are successful, but in the World to Come they have [nothing and they have no] comforter. For if a person has something stolen from him in this world, or if someone he knows dies, then his children, siblings, and other relatives come and comfort him. Could it be that the same is true in the World to Come? That is why the verse then says (Ecclesiastes 4:8), “He has neither son nor brother.”
So, too, with someone whose sexual transgression produces a mamzer [a child born of certain forbidden sexual relations]. They say to him: Empty one! You have ruined yourself and you have ruined him as well! [For this mamzer would have wanted to study Torah with the rest of the students] who sit and study in Jerusalem. But this mamzer would go with them only up to Ashdod, and then would stop there and say: Woe is me! If I were not a mamzer, I would have gone to sit and study among the students whom I have been studying with until now. But because I am a mamzer, I cannot sit and study among these students. For a mamzer cannot enter Jerusalem at all, as it says (Zechariah 9:6), “The mamzer will stay in Ashdod, (and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.”

And bring them closer to Torah. How so? This teaches us that a person should prevail upon others and bring them under the wings of the Divine Presence, just as Abraham prevailed upon those around him and brought them under the wings of the Divine Presence. [And not only Abraham, but also Sarah, as it says (Genesis 12:5), “Abram took his wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot, and all of their possessions, and the souls they had made in Haran.” But even if everyone in the world got together, they would be unable to create even one mosquito! So what does it mean when it says, “the souls they had made in Haran”? It teaches us that the Holy Blessed One considered it as if they had actually made new souls.
When a person does not give part of what he earns to his fellows in this world, then he will not be given anything in the World to Come, as it says (Ecclesiastes 4:1), “Look at the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter. Power is in the hand of their oppressors, and they have no comforter.” Why does it say “they have no comforter” twice? This refers to people who eat and drink in this world, and their sons and daughters are successful, but in the World to Come they have [nothing and they have no] comforter. For if a person has something stolen from him in this world, or if someone he knows dies, then his children, siblings, and other relatives come and comfort him. Could it be that the same is true in the World to Come? That is why the verse then says (Ecclesiastes 4:8), “He has neither son nor brother.”
So, too, with someone whose sexual transgression produces a mamzer [a child born of certain forbidden sexual relations]. They say to him: Empty one! You have ruined yourself and you have ruined him as well! [For this mamzer would have wanted to study Torah with the rest of the students] who sit and study in Jerusalem. But this mamzer would go with them only up to Ashdod, and then would stop there and say: Woe is me! If I were not a mamzer, I would have gone to sit and study among the students whom I have been studying with until now. But because I am a mamzer, I cannot sit and study among these students. For a mamzer cannot enter Jerusalem at all, as it says (Zechariah 9:6), “The mamzer will stay in Ashdod, (and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.”

Rabban Yohanan Ben Zakkai had five students, and he had a name for each of them. He called Eliezer ben Hyrcanus “the Plastered Pit,” because it never loses a drop, and “the Sealed Bottle,” because it keeps all of its wine. He called Yehoshua ben Hananya “the Triple Knot,” because it does not get severed easily. He called Yosei HaKohen “the Saint of the Generation.” He called Yishmael ben Hananya “the Oasis in the Desert,” which holds on to its water. (Happy is the student whose teacher praises him and speaks of his virtues!) He called Elazar ben Arach “the Flowing Stream” and “the Bubbling Brook,” for its waters overflow and go out into the world, as it says (Proverbs 5:16), “Your wellsprings will burst forth, and the streams will spill out onto the streets.”

The Evil Urge. How so? They say that for the first thirteen years [of a person’s life] the Evil Urge is greater than the Good Urge. There in his mother’s womb, a person’s Evil Urge grows with him. [After he emerges into the world,] he starts breaking the Sabbath, and nothing is there to stop him; [killing people, and nothing is there to stop him; going out to sin, and nothing is there to stop him.]
After thirteen years, the Good Urge is born. Then when he breaks the Sabbath, it says to him: Empty one! Isn’t it written (Exodus 31:14), “One who breaks it will surely die”? When he kills, it says to him: Empty one! Isn’t it written (Genesis 9:6), “One who spills the blood of a person, his own blood will be spilled”? When he goes out to sin, it says to him: Empty one! Isn’t it written (Leviticus 20:16), “Both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death”?
When a person heats himself up, and then goes to commit some act of lewdness, all of his limbs will obey him, because the Evil Urge rules over all 248 limbs. When he goes to perform a mitzvah, his limbs begin to grow lazy, because the Evil Urge in his stomach rules over all 248 of a person’s limbs. The Good Urge, meanwhile, is like someone trapped in a prison, as it says (Ecclesiastes 4:14), “From the prison, he comes forth to rule” – that is the Good Urge.
Some say, that verse refers to Joseph the Righteous, when that wicked woman came and tortured him with words. She said to him: I will lock you up in prison! He said to her: But God releases the bound. She said to him: I will poke out your eyes! He said: God gives sight to the blind. She said to him: I will bend you down! He said to her: God straightens the bent. (She said to him: I will make you into a wicked man! He said to her: God loves the righteous. She said to him: I will make you an Aramean! He said to her: God protects the strangers. Until finally he said [Genesis 39:9], “How can I do this evil thing?”)
And do not be surprised at Joseph the Righteous. For behold, Rabbi Tzadok was the greatest of his generation when he was captured. And a matron took him and presented before him a beautiful maidservant. When he saw her, he turned his eyes to the wall so he would not see her. And he sat and recited his learning the whole night. In the morning, the maidservant left and complained to her mistress: I would rather die than be given to that man! The matron sent for him and said to him: Why didn’t you do with this woman as all people do? He said to her: What can I do? I come from the lineage of the high priest, from a great family! I said to myself, Perhaps I will sleep with her and increase mamzerim in Israel! When she heard this, she commanded he be released with great honor. (And they say:) Do not be surprised at Rabbi Tzadok. For behold, Rabbi Akiva was greater than him! When he went to Rome, informers slandered him to a local prefect, who then presented before him two beautiful women. [The prefect] bathed and anointed them dressed them up like brides, and they fell upon [Rabbi Akiva] the whole night. This one said: Come to me! And that one said: Come to me! But he sat between them and spat, and would not turn to them. They went before the prefect and said to him: We would rather die than be given to that man! He sent for [Rabbi Akiva] and said to him: Why didn’t you do with those women as all people do with women? Weren’t they beautiful? And weren’t they human beings just like you? Didn’t the One who created you create them as well? [Rabbi Akiva] said: What could I do? Their scent was worse to me than carcasses and vermin! And do not be surprised at Rabbi Akiva. For behold, Rabbi Eliezer the Great was greater than him. For he raised his sister’s daughter until she was thirteen, and she slept in bed with him until she began puberty. Then he said to her: Go, and marry a man. She said to him: Am I not your woman? Should I be given as a maidservant to wash the legs of your students? He said to her: My daughter, I am already an old man. Go and marry a young man like yourself. She said to him: Didn’t I already say to you, Am I not your woman? Should I be given as a maidservant to wash the legs of your students? When he heard her words, he got permission from her to marry her, and then had sexual relations with her.