משנה: הַבָּנִים יוֹצְאִין בִּקְשָׁרִים וּבְנֵי מְלָכִים בַּזּוּגִין וְכָל אָדָם אֶלָּא שֶׁדִּיבְּרוּ חֲכָמִים בַּהוֹוֶה: יוֹצְאִין בְּבֵיצַת הַחַרְגּוֹל וּבְשֵׁן שֶׁל שׁוּעָל וּבְמַסְמֵר הַצָּלוּב מִשּׁוּם רְפוּאָה דִּבְרֵי רֵבִּי יוֹסֵי. וְרִבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹסֵר בַּחוֹל מִשּׁוּם דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי: MISHNAH: Boys go out with knots36One ties branches of madder to their clothes as good luck charms. and princes with bells, and so may everybody, but the Sages spoke about what is.
One may go out with a locust’s egg and a fox’s tooth and a nail of a crucified person because of healing, the words of Rebbi Yose37In the Babli and the independent Mishnah mss. R. Meїr permits and the Sages forbid.. But Rebbi Meїr forbids on weekdays because of ways of the Emorite38These are instruments of magic and not rational medicine; forbidden as outgrowths of paganism..
הלכה: הַבָּנִים יוֹצְאִין בִּקְשָׁרִין. בְּקִישְׁרֵי פוּאָה. וּבְנֵי מְלָכִים בַּזּוּגִין. רִבִּי זְעִירָא אָמַר. בַּזּוּגִין שֶׁבְּצַוָּארוֹ. מָהוּ וְכָל אָדָם. בֵּין קְטַנֵּי עֲנִיִים בֵּין קְטַנֵּי עֲשִׁירִים. רִבִּי אִילָא אָמַר. בַּזּוּגִין שֶׁבִּכְסוּתוֹ. מָהוּ וְכָל אָדָם. בֵּין גָּדוֹלִים בֵּין קְטַנִּים. מַתָנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל רִבִּי זְעִירָא. יוֹצֵא הוּא אָדָם בַּזּוּגִין שֶׁבִּכְסוּתוֹ. וְאֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא בַּזּוּגִין שֶׁבְּצַוָּארוֹ. אֶלָּא כָּאן בִּגְדוֹלִים וְכָאן בִּקְטַנִּים. HALAKHAH: “Boys go out with knots36One ties branches of madder to their clothes as good luck charms.,” knots of madder. “And princes with bells.” Rebbi Zeˋira said, with bells around their necks. What means “and so may everybody”? Whether children of the poor or children of the rich. Rebbi Ila said, with bells on his clothing. What means “and so may everybody”? Whether adult or child. A baraita213Similarly Tosephta 5:7; cf. Note 50. disagrees with Rebbi Zeˋira: A person may go out with bells on his clothing but he may not go out with bells around his neck. But here about adults and there about the young214Adults may wear bells and children bundles of madder. The Babli 67a permits only woven images of bells..
יוֹצְאִין בְּבֵיצַת הַחַרְגּוֹל. טָב לְאוּדְנָא. וּבְשֵׁן שֶׁלְּשׁוּעָל. טָב לְשִׁינָּה. וּבְמַסְמֵר הַצָּלוּב טָב לְעַבָּבִיתָא. “One may go out with a locust’s egg”, to cure an earache; “and a fox’s tooth”, for sleep; “and a nail of a crucified person”, to cure a swelling.
אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי וּמַחֲלִיף. רִבִּי חֲנַנָיָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן כְּמַתְנִיתָן. רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. כָּל שֶׁהוּא מְרַפֵּא אֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי. דרגי דרגיבת. מִשּׁוּם דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר. מִשּׁוּם דָּגוֹן עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וְרֹאשׁ דָּגוֹן וּשְׁתֵּי כַּפּוֹת יָדָיו. דונו דני. מִשֵּׁם דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר. מִשֵּׁם דָּן עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וְאָמְרוּ חֵי אֱלֹהֶיךָ דָּן. לָאו לָאו. מִשּׁוּם דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר. מִשֵּׁם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וְדַעַת דְּרָכֶיךָ לֹא חָפָצְנוּ. There are Tannaim who switch215In Mishnah 10 they exchange the names of RR. Yose and Meïr. The Mishnah in the majority of the Babli sources has R. Meïr instead of R. Yose and the Sages instead of R. Meïr, cf. Diqduqe Soferim Šabbat p. 73 Note ל. This is important for practice since R. Yose is the dominant authority.. Rebbi Ḥananiah in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan as our Mishnah216He confirms the attributions in our Mishnah text.. Rebbi Samuel, Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan, anything which heals is not forbidden because of ways of the Emorite217Babli 67a, Ḥulin 77b.. 218Babli 67a/b. Tosephta 7:2,3,10. The identification of the formulas of incantation must be tentative; in no case is it clear in which language they are formulated. We follow the discussion of S. Lieberman in Tosefta ki-Fshuṭah Šabbat pp. 92,93,96.
There seems to be no good explanation of the term דרגי דרגיבת of the Leiden ms. But the remark of R. Jehudah suggests athat in the version of G דַגֶנת דַרגֶנֶת one should read דַגֶנת דַגֶנֶת “make grain, make grain” as a charm when sowing grain.
It is conjectured that the expression דונו דני is Greek and refers to the magical practice of binding somebody by spells (either that he cannot move, e. g. Sanhedrin 7:19 Notes 371–375, or becomes impotent, Notes 377–381) or one could read δέννω [τὸν] δεῖνα “I am binding X”.“דרגי דרגיבת because of ways of the Emorite; Rebbi Jehudah says because of the idol Dagon, and Dagon’s head and his two hands2191S. 8:4.. דונו דני because of ways of the Emorite; Rebbi Jehudah says because of the idol Dan, they say, by the life of your god Dan220Am. 8:14.. No no221Following M. Herschler one should read with two Tosephta mss. לא לא. In a situation which could represent an unlucky omen one should not say no, no as to counteract. (The Babli, Pesaḥim111 a, recommends reciting an appropriate propitious verse.) In the quote from Job one has to read לָאֵל as לָא אֵל “no god”, cf. Nedarim 1:4 Note 157 where לָא = לַחוּלִין חוּלִין., because of ways of the Emorite; Rebbi Jehudah says because idolatry, they say no God, turn away from us, we have no desire to know Your ways222Job 22:14..”
תַּנֵּי רִבִּי חִיָיא. עָמַד עֶצֶם בִּגְרוֹנוֹ נוֹתֵן מֵאוֹתוֹ הַמִּין עַל רֹאשׁוֹ וְאֵין בּוֹ מִשֵּׁם דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי. תַּנֵּי רִבִּי לִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב. לֹא תְנַחֲשׁוּ וְלֹא תְעוֹנֵנוּ. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין נַחַשׁ יֵשׁ סֵימָן. וּבִלְבַד לְאַחַר שְׁלשָׁה סֵימָנִין. כְּגוֹן וַאֲנִי בְּבוֹאִי מִפַּדָּן מֵתָה עָלַי רָחֵל. יוֹסֵף אֵינֶנּוּ וְשִׁמְעוֹן אֵינֶנּוּ וְאֶת בִּנְיָמִן תִּקָּחוּ וגו׳. Rebbi Ḥiyya stated: If a bone was stuck in his throat he puts of the same kind on top of his head and this is not of ways of the Emorite233Addition of G which here becomes illegible.. Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob stated: you shall neither divine nor use incantations224Lev. 19:26.. Even through there is no divining there are signs, but only after three portents225If something happened to a person three times he may assume that he is prone to this kind of accident, as Jacob feared for Benjamin’s life because he already had lost a wife and two sons.; for example when I came from Padan, Rachel died on me226Gen. 48:7.; Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin227Gen. 42:36., etc
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר. הוֹלְכִין אַחַר שְׁמִיעַת בַּת קוֹל. מַה טַעַם. וְאָזְנֶיךָ תִּשְׁמַעְנָה דָבָר מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ לֵאמֹר זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ לְכוּ בוֹ. רִבִּי לָעְזָר עָאַל לְפוֹנִיֵיהּ. אֲתַא אֶבְטָיוֹנָה דְּרוֹמָאֵי וַאֲקוֹמֵיהּ מֵאֲחֹרֵיהּ וִיתַב לֵיהּ. אֲמַר. הָכֵין כָּל עַמָּא לָא אַקִּים לְבַר נַשׁ אֶלָּא לִי. לֵית אֶיפְשַׁר דַּאֲנָא נְפִיק מִיכָּא עַד דְּנֵידַע מַה הֲוֵי בְסוֹפֵיהּ. וַהֲוָה תַמָּן חִיוִי. שָׂרִי נְפִיק וִיהַב לֵיהּ עַד דוּ תַמָּן אֲחַת דְּרִיבוֹי. וְקָרָא עָלוֹי וְאֶתֵּן אָדָם תַּחְתֶּיךָ וגו׳. Rebbi Eleazar said, one follows what one hears from a disembodied voice228Here it does not mean a Heavenly voice but one whose origin is unknown to the hearer. Babli Megillah 32a in the name of R. Joḥanan.. What is the reason? Your ears will hear something from behind you saying, this is the way you should follow229Is. 30:21. etc. Rebbi Eleazar went to relieve himself. There came a Roman official230Greek εὔθυνος, ὁ, “corrector, judge, publiv examiner”. and removed him (from behind him)231Not in G and superfluous. and sat down. He said, here nobody removed anybody ever but me. It is impossible that I should leave from here until I know what happened to him. There was a snake there which started coming out and gave him as long as he was there that his intestines descended. He recited about him, I shall give a man in your stead, etc.232Is.43:4., [I shall give an Edomite in your stead.]233Addition of G which here becomes illegible.
חַד תַּלָמִיד מִן דְּבַר קַפָּרָא הֲוָה נְפִיק מִיקְטוֹעַ כִּיסִּין. חַמְתֵּיהּ חַד קַיָיט חִיוְיָא פֳרֵי בַתְרֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. חִיוְיָא פֳרֵי בַתְרָךְ. שָׁבְקֵיהּ וַאֲזַל לֵיהּ בַתְרֵיהּ. וְקָרָא עֲלוֹי וְאֶתֵּן אָדָם תַּחְתֶּיךָ. One of bar Qappara’s students went out to cut wood chips. A fig cutter saw that a snake was running after him. He said to him [Rebbi, Rebbi,]232Is.43:4. a snake is running after you. It left him and ran after the latter. He recited about him, I shall give a man in your stead234Addition of G. The basis of the pun equating אָדָם and אֱדוֹם is the popular name “Edom” given to the Roman government..
גֶּרְמָנִיָּא עַבָדֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי יוּדָה נְשִׂיָיא נְפַק. בָּעֵי מִילְוֵויהּ לְרִבִּי אִילָא. אֲתַא כֶּלֶב שׁוֹטֶה בָּעֵי אִיתְגָּרְיַיא בֵיהּ בְּרִבִּי אִילָא. גָּעַר בֵּיהּ גֶּרְמָנִי. שָׁבְקֵיהּ וַאֲזַל לֵיהּ בַתְרֵיהּ. וְקָרָא עֲלוֹי וְאֶתֵּן אָדָם תַּחְתֶּיךָ. Germania the slave of Rebbi Jehudah Nesia went out and wanted to accompany Rebbi Ila. There came a rabid dog which wanted to attack Rebbi Ila. The German shouted at him, he left him and pursued the other. He recited about him, I shall give a man in your stead.
בַּר קַפָּרָא הֲוָה אִיעֲלַל לַחֲדָא קִרְיָיא. מִי עֲלַל נִכְשַׁל בְּאֶצְבָּעוֹ. עָאַל וּשְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ דְּטַלְיָיא קְרֵי. אִם בְּגַפּוֹ יָבֹא בְּגַפּוֹ יֵצֵא. אָמַר. דּוֹמֶה שֶׁלֹּא עָלַת בְּיָדִי אֶלָּא הַטָּחָה זוֹ בִלְבַד. וְכֵן הֲוָות לֵיהּ. Bar Qappara went to this town; when he entered he injured his finger. He went and heard a child’s voice, reciting if he came alone he shall leave alone235Ex. 21:3.. He said, it seems that only this plastering is going to happen to me. And so it was.
רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ הֲווּ מִתְחַמְּדִין מֶיחִמֵי אַפּוֹיי דִּשְׁמוּאֵל. אָמְרִין. נֵלֵךְ אַחַר שְׁמִיעַת בַּת קוֹל. עָבְרוּן קוֹמֵי סִידְרָא. שָׁמְעוּן קָלֵיהּ דְּטַלְיָיא וּשְׁמוּאֵל מֵת. וְסִיְימוּן. וְכֵן הַוָות לֵיהּ. Rebbi Joḥanan and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish desired to meet Samuel. They said, let us go after what is heard. They passed by a school and heard a child’s voice, and Samuel died235a1S. 28:3.. They noted it and so it had happened.
רִבִּי יוֹנָה וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵה סָלְקוֹן מְבַקְּרָה לְרִבִּי אָחָא דַהֲוָה תָשִׁישׁ. אָמְרִין. נֵלֵךְ בָּתַר שְׁמִיעַת בַּת קוֹל. שָׁמְעוּן קָלֵיהּ דְּאִיתְּתָא אָמְרָה לַחֲבֵירָתָהּ. אִיטְפֵּי בּוֹצִינָה. אָמְרָה לָהּ. לָא יִתְטָּפֵי וְלָא מִיטְפֵּי בוֹצִינֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. Rebbi Jonah and Rebbi Yose went up236From low-situated Tiberias to mountain top Sepphoris. to visit Rebbi Aḥa who was weak. They said, let us go after what is heard. They heard a woman’s voice saying, the light is extinguished. She answered her, Israel’s light is not extinguished and will not be extinguished.
רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן הֲוָה עָבַר בַּשּׂוּקָא. חֲמָא חַד מְזַבֵּן מִן אִילֵּין מֶלִטוֹמָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ. מִן אִילֵּין אַתְּ חַיי. אָמַר לֵיהּ. אִין. שָׁבְקֵיהּ וַאֲזַל לֵיהּ. בָּתָר שָׁעָה עָבַר גַּבֵּיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ. רִבִּי. צְלִי עֲֹלַוִיי. דְּמִן הַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא לָא זַבְנִית כְּלוּם. וְאָמַר לֵיהּ. שְׁנִי אַתְרָךְ. פְּעָמִים שֶׁשִּׁינּוּי הַשֵּׁם גּוֹרֵם. פְּעָמִים שֶׁשִּׁינּוּי הַמָּקוֹם גּוֹרֵם. Rebbi Joḥanan was passing by the market. He saw one of those who sell honey cake237Greek μελίτωμα, -ατος, τό.. He asked him, from this you make a living? He answered, yes. He left him and went away. After an hour he passed by him. He asked him, rabbi, pray for me since from that moment I did not sell anything. He told him, change your place. Sometimes a change of name works, sometimes a change of place works238Causes a change of luck..
תְּרֵין תַּלְמִידִין מִן דְּרִבִּי חֲנִינָה הֲווֹן נָפְקִין מִקְטוֹעַ כִּיסִּין. חַמְתּוֹן חָדָא אִיסְטְרוֹלוֹגוּס. אִילֵּין תְּרֵין מִי נָפְקִין וְלָא חָזְרִין. מִי נָפְקִין פְּגַע בָּהוֹן חַד סָב. אֲמַר לוֹן. זָכוּן עִמִּי. דְּאִית לִי תְלָתָא יוֹמִין דְּלָא טֲעַמִית כְּלוּם. וַהֲוָה עִמּוֹן חַד עִיגּוּל. קַצּוֹן פַּלְגָּא וִיהֲבִינֵיהּ לֵיהּ. אֲכַל וּצְלִִי עֲלֵיהוֹן. אָמַר לוֹן. תִּתְקַיֵים לְכוֹן נַפְשֵׁיכוֹן בְּהָדֵין יוֹמָא. הֵיךְ דְּקִיַימְתּוֹן לִי נַפְשִׁי בְּהָדֵין יוֹמָא. נַפְקוּן בְּשָׁלֹם וְחָזְרוּן בְּשָׁלֹם. וַהֲווּ תַמָּן בְּנֵי אִינַשׁ דְּשָׁמְעוּן קָלֵיהּ. אָמְרִין לֵיהּ. וְלֹא כֵן אָמַרְתָּ. אִילֵּין תְּרֵין מִי נָפְקִין וְלָא חָזְרִין. אֲמַר. אִי דְהָכָא גַבְרָא שֶׁקֶר דְּאִיסְתְרוֹלוֹגִיּיָא דִידֵיהּ שְׁקָרִין. אֲפִילוּ כֵן אָזְלוֹן וּפִשָׂפְּשׂוֹן וְאַשְׁכְּחוֹן חֲכִינָה פַּלְגָּא בְּהָדָא מוּבְלָא וּפַּלְגָּא בְּהָדָא מוּבְלָא. אָמְרוּ. מַה טִיבוּ עַבַדְתּוֹן יוֹמָא דֵין. וְתַנְיָין לֵיהּ עוּבְדָא. אֲמַר. וּמַה הַהוּא גַבְרָא יְכִיל עֲבִיד. דֶּאֱלֹהָהוֹן דִּי יְהוּדַאִי מִתְפַּיֵיס בְּפַלְגּוּת עִיגּוּל. Two students of Rebbi Ḥanina went out to chop wood. An astrologer239Greek ἀστρολόγος, ὁ. saw them, these two if they go out will not return. When they went out they met an old man who told them, acquire merit by me; for three days I did not eat anything. They had a loaf with them, cut off half of it and gave it to him. He ate and prayed for them; he said to them, may your life be preserved today as you did preserve my life today. They went out in peace and returned in peace. There were people there who had heard his240The astrologer’s. voice and told him, did you not say, these two if they go out will not return? He said, if it is so, this man is a liar and his astrology consists of lies. 241Here starts a new Genizah fragment edited by L. Ginzberg in גנזי שכטר Genizah Studies in Memory of Doctor Solomon Schechter vol. I, New York 1928, pp. 436 ff. (G). Nevertheless they went and investigated and found a viper half in this load and half in the other load242Of the wood chips carried by the students.. They asked, what good deed did you do today? They told him243The astrologer, who in the next sentence refers to himself as “this man”.. the facts. He said, what can this man do if the Jew’s God is propitiated by half a loaf!
רִבִּי חוּנָה מִשְׁתָּעֵי הָדֵין עוֹבָדָא. חַד גִּיּוּר הֲוָה אִיסְטְרוֹלוֹגוֹס. חַד זְמַן אֲתַא בָּעֵי מֵיפּוּק. אֲמַר. כְּדוֹן נָפְקִין. חָזַר וָמַר. כְּלוּם אִידַבְקָת בְּהָדָא אוּמְתָא קַדִּישְׁתָּא לָא לָמֶיפְרוֹשׁ מִן אִילֵּין מִילַּיָיא. נֵיפּוּק עַל שְׁמֵיהּ דְּבָרְיָין. קְרִיב לְמַכְסָה וְהַב לֵהּ חַמְרָא וְאָכְלָה. מָאן גָּרַם לֵיהּ דְּיִפֹּל. בְּגִין דְּהִרְהֵר. מָאן גָּרַם לֵיהּ דְּאִישְׁתֵּיזִיב. בְּגִין דְּאִיתְרְחֶץ עַל בָּרְיֵיהּ. 244A copy of this story is in Orḥot Ḥayim3 p, 620 and from there in other Medieval sources, e. g. Responsa attributed to Naḥmanides #283. While this text is copied from a source close to the Leiden ms., it exhibits some signs of editing and cannot be considered a direct witness to the text. Rebbi Ḥuna told the following happening. A convert was an astrologer245Orḥot Ḥayim adds that he was a dealer in veils.. Once he wanted to go on a trip. He said, does one go now246The day was astrologically an unlucky time to start a business trip.? He changed his mind and said, did I not cling to this holy people to separate myself from these things? I shall go in the name of our Creator. He came close to the toll gate when his donkey kicked and (ate it) [threw him off]247The text in parentheses (from the Leiden ms.) is clearly a scribal error writing כ for פ in the text of G [in brackets]. Orḥot Ḥayim adds that the donkey ran off to the next town (where it was found by its owner) clearly without paying the tolls.. What caused him to fall? Because he thought of it248Of astrology.. Why was he saved? Because he trusted in his Creator.
אָמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי. כָּל הַמְנַחֵשׁ סוֹפוֹ לָבוֹא עָלָיו. וּמַה טַעַם. כִּי לֹא נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב. כִּי לוֹ נַחַשׁ. אָמַר רִבִּי אָחָא בַּר זְעִירָא. כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְנַחֵשׁ מְחִיצָתוֹ לִפְנִים כְּמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת. וּמַה טַעַם. כָּעֵת יֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַה פָּעַל אֵל. אָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָא בְרֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי אַבָּהוּ. כִּבְחֲצִי יָמָיו שֶׁל עוֹלָם הָיָה אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע עוֹמֵד. מַה טַעַמֵיהּ. כָּעֵת יֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַה פָּעַל אֵל. אָמַר רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר. עֲתִידָה בַת קוֹל לִהְיוֹת מְפוֹצֶצֶת בְּאֳהָלֵי צַדִּיקִים וְאוֹמֶרֶת. כָּל מִי שֶׁפָּעַל עִם אֵל יָבוֹא וְיִטּוּל שְׂכָרוֹ. רִבִּי בֶרֶכְיָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא. עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוךְ הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת מְחִיצָתָן שֶׁלַּצַּדִּיקִים לִפְנִים מִמְחִיצָתָן שֶׁלְּמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת. וּמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת שׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתָן וְאוֹמְרִים לָהֶן. מַה פָּעַל אֵל. מַה הוֹרָה לָכֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוךְ הוּא. אָמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי בַּר חַיוּתָא. וְלֹא כְבָר עָשָׂה כֵן בְּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. הַהוּא דִכְתִיב עָנֵה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר וְאָמַר הָא אֲנָא חָזֵי גּוּבְרִין אַרְבְּעָה שְׁרַיִין מַהְלְכִין בְּגוֹ נוּרָא וַחֲבל לָא אִיתַי בְּהוֹן. וּמַה תַלְמוּד לוֹמַר וַחֲבל לָא אִיתַי בְּהוֹן. אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ סְרִיסִים וְנִתְרַפּוּ. וְרֵיוֵיהּ דִּי קַדְמִיתָה אֵין כָּתוּב כָּאן. אֶלָּא וְרֵיוֵיהּ דִּי רְבִיעָאָה. הֵן הָיוּ מְכַבְּשִׁין לָפָנָיו אֶת הָאוֹר. דָּמֵי לְבַר אֱלָהִין. אָמַר רְאוּבֵן. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה יָרַד מַלְאָךְ וּסְטָרוֹ לְהַהוּא רְשִׁיעָא עַל פִּיו. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. תַּקֵּין מִילֶּיךָ. וּבַר אִית לֵיהּ. חָזַר וָמַר. בְּרִיךְ אֱלָהֲהוֹן דִּי שַׁדְרַךְ מֵישַׁךְ וַעֲבֵד נְגוֹ. דִּי שְׁלַח בְּרֵיהּ לֵית כְּתִיב כָּאן. אֶלָּא דִּי שְׁלַח מַלְאֲכֵהּ וְשֵׁיזִיב לְעַבְדוֹהִי דִּי הִתְרְחִיצוּ עֲלוֹהִי. Rebbi Levi said, in the end it will come over anybody engaged in divination249His bad omens will hurt him.. What is the reason? For there is no divination in Jacob250Num. 23:22. Reading לא as לו.; for divination is his. Rebbi Aḥa bar Zeˋira said, the place251Imagining the Future World as a palace in which God resides; the Just will be His courtiers as the Angels are imagined to be. G reads: the place of anybody not divining will be inside that of Angels of Service; a higher status. Since this statement is attributed later to R. Berekhiah, at this place the reading of the Leiden ms. has to be preferred. of anybody not divining will be like that of the Angels of Service. What is the reason? At that time it will be said to Israel what God wrought. Rebbi Ḥanina the son of Rebbi Abbahu said, this evildoer lived halfway through the existence of the world252The time elapsed from the creation of Adam to Bileam is equal to the time to elapse between Bileam and the coming of the Messiah. The present author has noted in the Introduction to his edition of Seder Olam (Northvale NJ 1998) that the Yerushalmi does not know this Babylonian compilation. We do not know the details of Galilean biblical chronology. According to Seder Olam, Bileam’s speech is to be dated 2485 A. M.; this would predict the end of this world at 4970 A. M. or 1210 C. E. In Maimonides’s interpretation of this passage in his Epistle to Yemen the reference is not to the coming of the Messiah but to restoration of prophecy to Israel.. What is the reason? At that time it will be said to Israel what God wrought. Rebbi Jeremiah ben Eleazar said, in the future a disembodied voice will explode in the tents of the Just and say, everybody who worked with God should come and take his reward. Rebbi Berekhiah in the name of Rebbi Abba bar Cahana: In the future the Holy One, praise to Him, will make place for the Just inside the place of the Angels of Service; the Angels of Service will ask them and say to them, what did God do? What did the Holy One, praise to Him, teach you? Rebbi Levi bar Ḥayta said, did He not already do this in this world? That is what is written253Dan. 3:25., Nebuchadnezzar started and said, but I am seeing four free men walking in the fire and no blemish is on them. Why does the verse say, and no blemish is on them? This teaches that they were eunuchs but were healed. It is not written “and the looks of the first”, but and the looks of the fourth; they were suppressing the fire before him. Is similar to a son of gods. [Rebbi]254Added from G. Reuben said, at that moment an angel descended, hit that evildoer on his mouth, and told him, correct your words; does He have a son? He continued and said, 255Dan. 3:28.praised be the God of Shadrak, Meshak, and Abed-Nego; it does not say “Who sent His son” but Who sent His angel and rescued His servants who trusted in Him.