M. : Rab Nahman b. Isaac.
"The mighty" means the many assembled for prayer. This rendering of the verse is based on a slightly different reading of the Hebrew text ; viz. the waw of welo' is omitted, so that kabbir is taken to be the object of the verb and not an adjective qualifying el. R.V. "Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any."
I.e. many joining with me in prayer, and for that reason I was delivered. R.V. "for there were many [that strove] with me." The reference to Ps. Iv. 19 is out of place here and has been wrongly inserted from the Baraita which follows; cf. A. P. A. III. p. 542, n. 5.
I.e. a Congregation.
He was a Palestinian.
M.:R. Aha b. Adda.
"Doors" — the unspecified plural signifying two. "And then pray," etc. is added by M.
By praying near the door, he makes it appear as though he were eager to leave.
I.e. Palestine.
M.: Jonathan, which is probably correct; cf. A. P. A. I. p. 64, n. 1.
The Hebrew letters are also used as numbers, each having a numerical value. The word tosa'ot [t=400, o=6, s=90, a=l] totals 903. By a process known as Gematriyya (Krauss, p. 171, γεωμετρἱα; but Jastrow, p. 239, and Bacher, Terminologie, i. p. 127, a transposition of γραμμάτια), words are changed into others of a similar numerical total to yield an interpretation. See J. E. V. p. 589.
When one tries to pall it out. Similarly croup tears the membranes of the throat.
When the sluice-bars are raised; so Jastrow. Rashi explains, "Like ropes pulled through loop-holes in the boards of a ship." Cf. T.A.II. p. 682, n. 234.
Metaphorically to describe an easy and painless process. Aaron (Num. xxxiii. 38) and Moses (Deut. xxxiv. 5), it is said, died "at the command (lit. mouth) of the. Lord," which is explained to mean as by the divine kiss. B. Bat. 17 a.
M. : Hanin.
Sc. thrown upon his coffin.
In the Babylonian towns, the privy was very rare owing, as Rashi points out, to the marshy character of the soil which caused the pits to be soon filled with water. Consequently the privies were to be found outside the city, often at a considerable distance, which was not only a great inconvenience but a danger to health. This fact had its effect on the Halakah; and we shall find many references to it, meaningless under modern conditions, but a serious matter in ancient times.
The meaning is : the study of Torah has taken the place of the Temple Service as a medium of communion with God. So Bacher, A.B.A. p. 96, n. 32.
M. : twelve.
A city in Galilee, on the W. shore of Lake Gennesaret.
The dignity of labour is a favourite theme of the Rabbis. Cf . Delitzsch, Jewish Artisan Life, Chap, ii and my Ancient Jewish Proverbs, Chap. v.
He is supposed to have been Solomon's tutor. The notice of his death (I Kings ii. 46) is immediately followed by the mention of Solomon's marriage with Pharaoh's daughter.
The teacher would have more opportunities of noticing the conduct of his pupil and correcting him if they dwelt together. But should the pupil be unwilling to have his faults pointed out to him, it were better they lived apart.
For a description of the Scroll, see Oesterley and Box, p. 338. The reference is here to the time when it is being used for the Scriptural reading.
The lection is divided between a number of persons (op. cit. pp. 380 f.) ; and the Rabbi considered it permissible to go out during the interval of "calling up" another to the Torah.
The Reading was intended to instruct the people ; but scholars could spend the time better by devoting it to more advanced study.
"That R. Menahem said" is added by M.
In addition to hearing the recital of the weekly lection from the Pentateuch in the Synagogue, it was a pious act to read through the Parashah at home, twice in the original and once in the Aramaic translation, the Targum. It is here recommended that the home-reading should cover the same portion of Scripture as the Synagogue-reading.