Мидраш к Мишлей 30:8

(Fol, 18b) R. Jeremiah b. Elazar said: "Only a part of a man's praise should be said in his presence, but the entire praise in his absence." Only a part of the praise [due him should be said] in his presence, as it is written (Gen. 7, 1.) For thee I have seen righteous before me in this generation; and the entire praise in his absence, as it is written (Ib. 6, 9.) A just, perfect man in his generation. R. Jeremiah b. Elazar said further: "What is the meaning of the passage (Gen. 8, 11.) And lo! a plucked olive leaf was in her mouth? The dove said unto the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the universe, let my food be even as bitter as the olive leaf, but direct from your hand, and not from the hand of a mortal man, although it may be as sweet as honey.'" How do we know that the word Teref (plucked) indicates food? For it is here written, Teref (plucked) in her mouth, and it is written there (Pr. 30, 8.) Hatrifeni (let me eat) the bread appointed to me.

R. Tachlipha, brother of Rabanai Huzanah, taught (Fol. 16): "All the necessities of a man are definitely assigned to him by Heaven during the ten days between New Year and the Day of Atonement, except the expenses for the Sabbath, the festivals, and for educating his children; for these purposes, one who spends little is assigned little; but one who spends much gets a big assignment." R. Abahu said: "Where is the passage to prove this? (Ps. 81, 4) Blow the horn at the new moon while it (the moon) is hidden on the day of our feast. What festival is that on which the new moon is hidden (seen only by a few)? This is New Year's. Immediately following the above is the passage. For this is chok (a statute) for Israel, an ordinance by the God of Jacob. How do we know that the word chok refers to maintenance? It is written (Gen. 47, 22) And they ate their (chok) portion which Pharaoh gave them. Mar Zutra said: From here we learn it (Pr. 30, 8) Let me eat the bread Chuki (appointed to me). We are taught in a Baraitha: It is told about Shammai, the senior, that every day of the week he ate in honor of the Sabbath. When he found a good animal, he would say: "This shall be for the Sabbath." And when he found a better one, he ate the former, and left the better one for the Sabbath; but Hillel, the Elder, had another habit: Because all his deeds were for the sake of Heaven, as it is said (Ps. 68, 20) Blessed be the Lord! day by day. We are also taught so in the following Baraitha: Beth Shammai say: "Prepare from every day for the Sabbath," but Beth Hillel say: "Praised be the Lord day by day."

(Ib. 6, 14) An ark of gopher wood. What does gopher mean? R. Adda, in the name of the school of Shila, said: "It means an oak tree," and according to others, a cedar tree. (Ib., ib. 16) A window shalt thou make. R. Jonathan said: "The Holy One, praised be He! said to Noah: "Set it with diamonds and pearls, so that it shall give you light as in the middle of the day'." (Ib.) With lower second and third stories shalt thou make it. The lower for manure, the second for animals and the third for man. (Ib. 8, 7) He sent forth a raven. Resh Lakish said: "The raven gave Noah a victorious answer. 'Thy Master hates me and thou doest the same. Thy Master hates me, for He said, From the clean fowl shalt thou taken seven and from the unclean only two; and thou hatest me as thou leavest alone the species of which thou hast seven, and sendest from a species of which thou hast only two. If I would be killed by the angel of heat or by the angel of cold, would not the world be lacking a creature of my species'?" (Ib., ib. 8) He then sent forth a dove from him. R. Jeremiah said: "Infer from this that clean fowls may be kept in the residence of the upright." (Ib., ib. 11) And the dove came in to him at the time of evening. R. Elazar said: "The dove said before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the Universe, Let my food be bitter as an olive-leaf, but given at Thy hand, rather than that sweet as honey and given by frail man'." And whence do we know that tereph (plucked off) refers to food? From the following passage (Pr. 30, 8) Let me eat the bread (hatripheni).

Rabbi Ẓe'era said: The men of Sodom were the wealthy men of prosperity, on account of the good and fruitful land whereon they dwelt. For every need which the world requires, they obtained therefrom. They procured gold therefrom, as it is said, "And it had dust of gold" (Job 28:6). What is the meaning (of the text), "And it had dust of gold"? At the hour when one of them wished to buy a vegetable, he would say to his servant, Go and purchase for me (for the value of) an assar. He went and bought (it), and found beneath it heaps of gold; thus it is written, "And it had dust of gold" (ibid.). They obtained silver therefrom, as it is said, "Surely there is a mine for silver" (Job 28:1). They procured precious stones and pearls thence, as it is said, || "The stones thereof are the place of sapphires" (Job 28:6). They obtained bread therefrom, as it is said, "As for the earth, out of it cometh bread" (Job 28:5). But they did not trust in the shadow of their Creator, but (they trusted) in the multitude of their wealth, for wealth thrusts aside its owners from the fear of Heaven, as it is said, "They that trust in their wealth" (Ps. 49:6).