Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and Kabbala Part 25

After the father's death it was found that he had bequeathed all his property to one son, but that the testament did not mention his name.

The question therefore, arose, which of the ten was intended? So they came one and all to Rabbi Benaah and asked him to arbitrate between them. "Go," said he to them, "and beat at your father's grave, until he rises to tell you to which of you it was that he left the property." All except one did so; and he, because by so doing he showed most respect for his father's memory, was presumed to be the one on whom the father had fixed his affections; he accordingly was supposed to be the one intended, and the others were therefore excluded from the patrimony. The disappointed ones went straight to the government and denounced the Rabbi. "Here is a man," said they, "who arbitrarily deprives people of their rights, without proof or witnesses." The consequence was that the Rabbi was sent to prison, but he gave the authorities such evidence of his shrewdness and sense of justice, that he was soon restored to freedom.

_Bava Bathra_, fol. 58, col. 1.

Till ten generations have pa.s.sed speak thou not contemptuously of the Gentiles in the hearing of a proselyte.

_Sanhedrin_, fol. 94, col. 1.

The ten tribes will never be restored, for it is said (Deut. xxiii. 28), "G.o.d cast them into another land, as it is this day." As this day pa.s.ses away without return, so also they have pa.s.sed away never more to return.

So says Rabbi Akiva, but Rabbi Eleazar says, "'As it is this day'

implies that, as the day darkens and lightens up again, so the ten tribes now in darkness shall in the future be restored to light." The Rabbis have thus taught that the ten tribes will have no portion in the world to come; for it is said (Deut. xxix. 28), "And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation." "And he rooted them out of their land," that is, from this world, "and cast them into another land," that is, the World to come. So says Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Shimon ben Yehuda says, "If their designs continue as they are at this day, they will not return, but if they repent they will return." Rabbi (the Holy) says, "They will enter the world to come, for it is said (Isa. xxvii. 13), 'And it shall come to pa.s.s in that day that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish.'"

_Sanhedrin_, fol. 110, col. 2.

Ten things are detrimental to study:--Going under the halter of a camel, and still more pa.s.sing under its body; walking between two camels or between two women; to be one of two men that a woman pa.s.ses between; to go where the atmosphere is tainted by a corpse; to pa.s.s under a bridge beneath which no water has flowed for forty days; to eat with a ladle that has been used for culinary purposes; to drink water that runs through a cemetery. It is also dangerous to look at the face of a corpse, and some say also to read inscriptions on tombstones.

_Horayoth_, fol. 13, col. 2.

Ten strong things were created in the world (of which the one that comes after is stronger than that which preceded). A mountain is strong, but iron can hew it in pieces; the fire weakens the iron; the water quenches the fire; the clouds carry off the water; the wind disperses the clouds; the living body resists the wind; fear enervates the body; wine abolishes fear; sleep overcomes wine, and death is stronger than all together; yet it is written (Prov. x. 2), "And alms delivereth from death" (the original word has two meanings, righteousness and alms).

_Bava Bathra_, fol. 10, col. 1.

With the utterance of ten words was the world created.

_Avoth_, chap. 5, mish. 1.

There were ten generations from Adam to Noah, to show how great is G.o.d's long-suffering, for each of these went on provoking Him more and more, till His forbearance relenting, He brought the flood upon them.

Ibid., mish. 2.

There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham, to show that G.o.d is long-suffering, since all those succeeding generations provoked Him, until Abraham came, and he received the reward that belonged to all of them.

_Avoth_, mish. 3.

The greatest sinner is uniformly presumed throughout the Talmud to have a certain amount of merit, and therefore a corresponding t.i.tle to reward (see chap. 2, No. 10 = Ps. x.x.xvii. 35-37). Much of this last is enjoyed by the wicked themselves in the present world, and the surplus is often transferred to the credit of the righteous in the world to come (see "Genesis", page 482, No. 173 = Matt. xiii. 12).

Abraham our father was tested ten times; in every case he stood firm; which shows how great the love of our father Abraham was.

Ibid., mish. 4.

Ten miracles were wrought for our forefathers in Egypt, and ten at the Red Sea. Ten plagues did the Holy One--blessed be He!--inflict on the Egyptians in Egypt, and ten at the sea. Ten times did our ancestors tempt G.o.d in the wilderness, as it is said (Num. xiv. 22), "And have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice."

Ibid., mish. 5, 6, 7.

Ten times did G.o.d test our forefathers, and they were not so much as once found to be perfect.

_Avoth d'Rab. Nathan_, chap. 34.

Ten times the Shechinah came down unto the world:--At the garden of Eden (Gen. iii. 8); at the time of the Tower (Gen. xi. 5); at Sodom (Gen.

xviii. 21); in Egypt (Exod. iii. 8); at the Red Sea (Ps. xviii. 9); on Mount Sinai (Exod. xix. 20); into the Temple (Ezek. xliv. 2); in the pillar of cloud (Num. xi. 25). It will descend in the days of Gog and Magog, for it is said (Zech. xiv. 4), "And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives" (the tenth is omitted in the original).

Ibid.

The Shechinah made ten gradual ascents in pa.s.sing from place to place:--From the cover of the ark to the cherub (2 Sam. xxii. 11); thence to the threshold of the house (Ezek. ix. 3); thence to the cherubim (Ezek. x. 18); thence to the roof of the Temple (Prov. xxi. 9); thence to the wall of the court (Amos vii. 7); thence to the altar (Amos ix. 1); thence to the city (Micah vi. 9); thence to the mount (Ezek. xi.

23); thence to the wilderness (Prov. xxi. 9); whence the Shechinah went up, as it is said (Hosea v. 15), "I will go and return to my place."

_Avoth d Rab. Nathan_, chap. 34.

Ten different terms are employed to express the t.i.tle of prophet:--Amba.s.sador, Faithful, Servant, Messenger, Seer, Watchman, Seer of Vision, Dreamer, Prophet, Man of G.o.d.

Ibid.

Ten distinct designations are applied to the Holy Spirit:--Proverb, Interpretation, Dark, Saying, Oracle, Utterance, Decree, Burden, Prophecy, Vision.

Ibid.

Ten are designated by the term Life or Living:--G.o.d, the law, Israel, the righteous, the garden of Eden, the tree of life, the land of Israel, Jerusalem, benevolence, the sages; and water also is described as life, as it is said (Zech. xiv. 8), "And it shall be in that day that living water shall go out from Jerusalem."

Ibid.

If there are ten beds piled upon one another, and if beneath the lowermost there be any tissue woven of linen and wool (Lev. xix. 19), it is unlawful to lie down upon them.

_Tamid_, fol. 27, col. 2.

Alexander of Macedon proposed ten queries to the elders of the south:--"Which are more remote from each other, the heavens from the earth or the east from the west?" They answered, "The east is more remote from the west, for when the sun is either in the east or in the west, any one can gaze upon him; but when the sun is in the zenith or heaven, none can gaze at him, he is so much nearer." The Mishnaic Rabbis, on the other hand, say they are equidistant; for it is written (Ps. ciii. 11, 12), "As the heavens are from the earth, ... so is the east removed from the west." Alexander then asked, "Were the heavens created first or was the earth?" "The heavens," they replied, "for it is said, 'In the beginning G.o.d created the heavens and the earth.'" He then asked, "Was light created first or was darkness?" They replied, "This is an unanswerable question." They should have answered darkness was created first, for it is said, "And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep," and after this, "And G.o.d said, Let there be light, and there was light."

_Tamid._, fol. 31, col. 2.

There are ten degrees of holiness, and the land of Israel is holy above all other lands.

_Kelim_, chap. i, mish. 6.

There are ten places which, though Gentile habitations are not considered unclean:--(1.) Arab tents; (2.) A watchman's hut; (3.) The top of a tower; (4.) A fruit-store; (5.) A summer-house; (6.) A gatekeeper's lodge; (7.) An uncovered courtyard; (8.) A bath-house; (9.) An armory; (10.) A military camp.

_Oholoth_ chap. 18, mish. 10.

"An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the congregation of the Lord, even to the tenth generation," etc. (Deut. xxiii. 4). One day Yehuda, an Ammonite prophet, came into the academy and asked, "May I enter the congregation (if I marry a Jewess)?" Rabban Gamliel said unto him, "Thou art not at liberty to do so;" but Rabbi Joshua interposed and maintained, "He is at liberty to do so." Then Rabban Gamliel appealed to Scripture, which saith, "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord, even to the tenth generation." To this Rabbi Joshua retorted and asked, "Are then these nations still in their own native places? Did not Sennacherib, the king of a.s.syria, transplant the nations? as it is said (Isa. x. 13), 'I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and have put down the valor of the inhabitants.'" Rabban Gamliel replied, "Scripture saith (Jer. xlix.

6), 'Afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon,' and so," he argued, "they must have already returned." Rabbi Joshua then promptly rejoined, "Scripture saith (Jer. x.x.x. 3), 'I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah,' and these have not returned yet." And on this reasoning the proselyte was permitted to enter the congregation.

_Yadayim_, chap. 4, mish. 4.

Go and learn from the tariff of donkey-drivers, ten miles for one zouz, eleven for two zouzim.

_Chaggigah_, fol. 9, col. 2.

When Israel went up to Jerusalem to attend the festivals, they had to stand in the Temple court closely crowded together, yet when prostrated there was a wide s.p.a.ce between each of them (Rashi says about four ells), so that they could not hear each other's confession, which might have caused them to blush. They had, however, when prostrated, to extend eleven ells behind the Holy of Holies.

_Yoma_, fol. 21, col. 1,