41 (1) And it came to pass at the end of two years, that Par῾o dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the River.

(2) And, behold, there came up out of the River seven cows, well favoured, and fat of flesh; and they fed in the reed grass.

(3) And, behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the River, ill favoured and lean of flesh; and stood by the other cows upon the brink of the River.

(4) And the ill favoured and leanfleshed cows ate up the seven well favoured and fat cows. So Par῾o awoke.

(5) And he slept and dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up on one stalk, plump and good.

(6) And, behold, seven ears thin, and blasted by the east wind sprang up after them.

3 (15) And Shelomo awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Yerushalayim, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

(16) Then came there two women, that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him.

(17) And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

(18) And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.

(19) And this woman’s child died in the night; because she lay upon it.

(20) And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

8 (33) Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.

(34) Happy is the man who hearkens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

(35) For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favour of the Lord.

(36) But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul: all they who hate me love death.

9 (1) Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars:

(2) she has killed her beasts; she has mingled her wine; she has also furnished her table.

1. These are the things that have no definite quantity: The corners [of the field]. First-fruits; [The offerings brought] on appearing [at the Temple on the three pilgrimage festivals]. The performance of righteous deeds; And the study of the torah. The following are the things for which a man enjoys the fruits in this world while the principal remains for him in the world to come: Honoring one’s father and mother; The performance of righteous deeds; And the making of peace between a person and his friend; And the study of the torah is equal to them all.

2. They should not leave peah of less than one-sixtieth [of the field]. But even though they said, “there is no measure for peah,” everything depends upon the size of the field, the number of poor people, and the extent of the yield.

3. They may give peah at either at the beginning of the [reaping of the] field or at the middle of it. Rabbi Shimon says: as long as he gives at the end according to the set amount. Rabbi Judah says: if he leave, one stalk, he can rely on this as [fulfilling the law of] peah; and if he did not, then he only gives as ownerless property.

4. They said a general principle concerning peah: whatever is food, and is looked after, and grows from the land, and is harvested all at the same time, and is brought in for storage, is subject to the law of pe'ah. Grain and beans are in this category.

5. Among trees: the sumac, the carob, the nut, the almond, the grapevine, the pomegranate, the olive and the palm are subject to peah.

6. He may always give peah and be exempt from giving tithes until he makes a stack. One who gives [to the poor] as ownerless [produce] and be exempt from giving tithes until he makes a stack. He may feed cattle, wild animals and birds and be exempt from giving tithes until he makes a stack. He may take from the threshing floor and use it as seed and be exempt from giving tithes until he makes a stack, the words of Rabbi Akiva. A priest or Levite who purchase [grain of] a threshing floor, the tithes are theirs unless [the owner] has already made a stack. One who dedicated [his crop] and redeems it [afterwards] is obligated to give tithes until the Temple treasurer has made a stack.

The Gemara continues its treatment of the recitation of Shema upon one’s bed. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Anyone who recites Shema on his bed, it is as if he holds a double-edged sword, guarding him from all evil, as it is stated: “High praises of God in their mouths, and a double-edged sword in their hands” (Psalms 149:6). The Gemara asks: From where is it inferred that this verse from Psalms refers to the recitation of Shema? Mar Zutra, and some say Rav Ashi, said: We derive it from the preceding verse, as it is written: “Let the pious exult in glory; let them joyously sing upon their beds.” The praise of God from one’s bed is the recitation of Shema. And it is written thereafter: “High praises of God in their mouths, and a double-edged sword in their hands.”

And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Anyone who recites Shema upon his bed, demons stay away from him. This is alluded to, as it is stated: “But man is born into trouble, and the sparks [reshef ] fly [uf ] upward” (Job 5:7). The verse is explained: The word fly [uf ] means nothing other than Torah, as Torah is difficult to grasp and easy to lose, like something that floats away, as it is stated: “Will you set your eyes upon it? It is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flies into the heavens” (Proverbs 23:5). The word “sparks” means nothing other than demons, as it is stated: “Wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the sparks [reshef] and bitter destruction [ketev meriri], and the teeth of beasts I will send upon them, with the venom of crawling things of the dust” (Deuteronomy 32:24). Here we see reshef listed along with ketev meriri, both of which are understood by the Sages to be names of demons.

Regarding this unclear verse, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: If one engages in Torah study, suffering stays away from him, as it is stated: “And the sparks fly upward.” And fly means nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “Will you set your eyes upon it? It is gone; and sparks means nothing other than suffering, as it is stated: “Wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the sparks,” equating devouring sparks with wasting hunger, as both are types of suffering. From here, we derive that through Torah, fly, one is able to distance himself, upward, from suffering, sparks.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Even schoolchildren, who learn only the Written Torah, know this concept as it is stated: “And He said you shall surely hear the voice of the Lord your God, and what is upright in His eyes you shall do and you shall listen to His mitzvot and guard His statutes; any disease that I have placed upon Egypt I will not place upon you for I am the Lord your healer” (Exodus 15:26). Rather, one must interpret the verse: Anyone who is able to engage in Torah study yet does not engage in that study, not only does the Holy One, Blessed be He, fail to protect him, but He brings upon him hideous afflictions, that embarrass him and trouble him, as it is stated: “I was mute with silence; I was silent from good, and my pain was strong” (Psalms 39:3). The word good means nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “For I have given you a good portion, My Torah, do not abandon it” (Proverbs 4:2). The verse should be understood: “I have been silent from the study of Torah, and my pain was strong.”

With regard to the verse: “For I have given you a good portion,” Rabbi Zeira, and some say Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa, said: Come and see how the characteristics of the Holy One, Blessed be He, are unlike the characteristics of flesh and blood. It is characteristic of flesh and blood that when one sells an object to another person, the seller grieves the loss of his possession and the buyer rejoices. With regard to the Holy One, Blessed be He, however, this is not so. He gave the Torah to Israel and rejoiced, as it is stated: “For I have given you a good portion, My Torah, do not abandon it.” A good portion is understood as a good purchase; although God sold Torah to Israel, He rejoices in the sale and praises the object before its new owner (Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto).

"Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon." Rabbi Abba opened the discussion with the verse, "Hashem takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope for His mercy" (Tehilim 147:11). How much the Holy One, blessed be He, delights in the righteous, for they make peace above, they make peace below, and they bring the bride to her husband. The Holy One, blessed be He, is therefore pleased with those who fear Him and abide by His wish.

"Those who hope for His mercy." Who are "those who hope for His mercy?" They are the ones who study the Torah at night and join the Shechinah. When morning comes, they hope for His mercy. It has already been explained that when a man studies the Torah at night, a thread of grace is drawn upon him during the day, as it is written, "Yet Hashem will command His grace in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me" (Tehilim 42:9). Why is it said that "Hashem will command His grace in the daytime?" Because "in the night His song shall be with me." Hence the verse, "Hashem takes pleasure (in) those who fear Him," uses the particle Et instead of "in," as one who pleases another and wishes to be at peace with him. It is therefore written, "Hashem takes pleasure (in) those who fear him", rather than "Hashem takes pleasure in those who fear Him,"

Similarly, Joseph was sad in mind and spirit; he was imprisoned. Once Pharaoh had sent for him, it is written, "and they brought him hastily," which means that he appeased him and addressed him with joyful words that gladden the heart. Why? Because he was dejected in the dungeon (lit. 'pit'). Come and behold, First he fell into a pit, and from the pit he later rose to greatness.

Rabbi Shimon said, Before the incident happened, Joseph was not called righteous. After he guarded the Holy Covenant, he was called Righteous and the grade of the Holy Covenant decorated him. He who was first in the dungeon rose from it. It is written, "and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon," for he had ascended from (the Kelipah) and was adorned with a well of living water.

"Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph." It should have been written "to call Joseph". It was the Holy One, blessed be He, (who called) as it is written, "until the time that His word came to pass, the word of Hashem had tested him" (Tehilim 105:19). The verse, "until the time that His word came to pass" is similar to the phrase, "and called Joseph". It is written here "and called Joseph" and elsewhere "And He called to Moses" (Vayikra 1:1). "And he shaved himself, and changed his garments" out of respect for the king.

It is a grievous sin to disgrace the wise or to hate them. The destruction of Jerusalem did not come about until the disciples of the wise in its midst were disgraced, even as it is said: "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets" (II Chron. 36.16), as if saying, they despised those who instructed His words. Such is also the meaning of the words of the Torah in saying: "Thus if ye so reject My statutes" (Lev. 26.16), those who instruct My statutes ye so reject. He who disgraces the wise has no share in the World to Come and is in the category of such of whom it is said: "Because he hath despised the word of the Lord" (Num. 15.31).¹⁰Shabbat, 119b; Sanhedrin, 99a. C. G.

Although he who disgraces the wise is deprived of a share in the World to Come, if witnesses testify that one did disgrace him even with words, the offense is punishable by excommunication, if he be found guilty, the tribunal should excommunicate him publicly, or fine him a gold pound in every instance and give it to the scholar. He who disgraces the wise by words, even after the latter's demise, the tribunal should excommunicate him, but it may, when he will repent, remove the stigma from him. But if the wise man be living, the tribunal has no authority to remove the stigma from him until the one for whose sake he was excommunicated will consent to it. The wise man himself may likewise pronounce an excommunication to defend his honor against an ignoramus who acted irresponsibly toward him, and he needs no witnesses and no warning, and the stigma should not be removed from him until he will apologize to the wise man. If the wise man dies, a tribunal of three may assemble and remove the stigma from him. However, if the wise man desires to forgive him and not ostracize him, the discretion is in his hands.¹¹Mo’ed Katan, 15a; Baba Kamma, 92b; Yoma, 87a; Baba Batra, 112a; Ediyot, ch. 5.6. G.C.

A master who pronounced an excommunication in defense of his honor, all his disciples are obliged to follow the customs of ostracism against the one so ostracised; but if a disciple pronounced an ostracism in defense of his honor, the master is not obliged to follow the manners of ostracism against the one so ostracised, but the public is obliged to follow the customs of ostracism against him. Likewise, one who is ostracised by the president of a tribunal is ostracised to all Israel, but one ostracised to all Israel is not ostracised to the president; one ostracised in his own community is ostracised to every other community, but one ostracised in another community is not ostracised to his own community.¹²Mo’ed Katan, 17a. C.

All of these apply only against one who was ostracised because he insulted the disciples of the wise, but one who was ostracised on account of other matters which carry a penalty of ostracism, even though the ostracism was pronounced by the smallest one in Israel, both the president and all Israel are obliged to follow the custom of ostracism against him until he will repent himself from the thing on account of which he was ostracised, when the stigma may be removed from him. On account of twenty-four different offenses the punishment of ostracism is inflicted upon a person, whether it be man or woman. They are: (1) he who disgraces the wise even after his demise; (2) he who disgraces a messenger of a tribunal; (3) he who calls his fellow a slave; (4) he whom a tribunal summoned to appear and set a date for his appearance and he did not come; (5) he who scoffs at a matter enacted by the scribes, needless to say, a matter mentioned in the Torah; (6) he who did not carry out a judgment of a tribunal is ostracised until he will comply; (7) he who keeps in his premises something which may cause damages, such as a bad dog, or a broken step ladder, is ostracised until he will remove the damaging article; (8) he who sells his immovable property to an idolater is ostracised until he will assume responsibility of any mishap that may be brought about by the idolater against his fellow, the Israelite, his erstwhile adjoining neighbor; (9) he who testifies against an Israelite in the idolatrous court, and judgment is obtained against him as a result of his evidence to pay money contrary to the laws of Israel, is ostracised until he will make restitution; (10) a priest who is a butcher and does not separate the priestly gifts and give them to another priest is ostracised until he will give; (11) he who disgraces the second day of a holiday in Diaspora, even though it is but a custom;¹³Maimonides only refers to the foundation of the second day of holiday in Diaspora which rests upon custom, but he does not refer to any act of violation thereof which was forbidden by enactment of the Scribes. G. (12) he who does servile work during the afternoon of Passover Eve; (13) he who mentions the Name of Him Who is in heaven in vain or takes oath by the Name in non-essential matters; (14) he who causes many to commit blasphemy against the Name; (15) he who causes many to eat holy food without¹⁴See Pe’sahim 54. G.; (16) he who calculates years and appoints months in Diaspora¹⁵See Be’rokot 63. The reason for this admonition, is that the Torah must come forth out of Zion. C. G.; (17) he who causes the blind to stumble; (18) he who deprives many of performing a mandatory commandment; (19) a butcher who underhandedly deals out terefah; (20) a Sho'het who practices She'hita without having his slaughtering knife examined by and obtained authority from a Rabbi; (21)he who consciously brings on erection; (22)he who divorced his wife and then forms a partnership between himself and her, or establishes a business which brings them together, when they appear before a tribunal, they should be ostracised; (23) a scholar of a universally evil reputation; (24) he who excommunicates one who was not guilty of an offense punishable by excommunication.