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| The Boat
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
"What concern is it of yours?" the man retorted. "Am I not drilling under my own place?" | |
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| The Planting
Talmud, Taanit 5b
A man was travelling through the desert, hungry, thirsty, and tired, when he came upon a tree bearing luscious fruit and affording plenty of shade, underneath which ran a spring of water... | |
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| The Caving Walls of the Study Hall
Talmud, Bava Metzia 59a-b
Said Rabbi Eliezer: "If the law is as I say, then may the walls of the house of study prove it!" The walls began to fall in. Rabbi Joshua rebuked them. "If Torah scholars are debating a point of Jewish law, what are your qualifications to intervene...?" | |
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| The Fox and the Fishes
Talmud, Berachot 61b
Said the fox to the fiishes: "'Why don't you come out onto the dry land? We'll live together, as my ancestors lived with your ancestors..." | |
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| A Carob Tree and a Spring
Talmud, Shabbat 33b
Seeing a man ploughing and sowing, they exclaimed: "They forsake eternal life and engage in temporal life!" Whatever they cast their eyes upon was immediately incenerated | |
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| The Child and the Slave
Talmud, Bava Batra 10a
Turnusrufus asked Rabbi Akiva: "If your G-d loves the poor, why doesn't He feed them?" | |
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| Six Hundred Dinars Minus Six
From the Midrash
"Give with an open hand," Rabbi Shimon adjured. "Don't worry about tomorrow, G-d will provide. And most important: write it all down. Every penny you give, write it down and carry the list with you at all times..." | |
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| The Fox in the Vineyard
From the Midrash
The fox could see what luscious grapes grew in the vineyard, but the hole in the fence was too small for him. So he fasted for three days until he thin enough to slip through... | |
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| The Snake in the Wall
Talmud, Shabbat 156b
"On the day your daughter enters the bridal chamber," the astrologers said to Rabbi Akiva, "a snake will bite her and she will die" | |
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| A Joyous Divorce
Midrash Rabbah, Shir HaShirim 1
Just as they celebrated with joy their mutual bond when they got married -- Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai said to the couple -- so should their divorce be celebrated in joy | |
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| The Two Watchmen
Talmud, Sukkah 53
Once there was a king who had a beautiful orchard with splendid figs. He appointed two watchmen for his orchard: one watchman was lame, and the other one was blind... | |
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| Kamtza and Bar Kamtza
The Story of Tishah B'Av
Talmud, Gittin 55-56
It happened this way: A certain man had a friend named Kamtza and an enemy called Bar Kamtza. He once made a party and said to his servant, "Go and bring Kamtza..." | |
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| The Laughter of Rabbi Akiva
Talmud, Makkot 24b
When they reached the Temple Mount, they saw a fox emerging from the place of the Holy of Holies. The others started weeping; Rabbi Akiva laughed... | |
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| Choni the Circle Maker
Talmud, Taanit 19a
"Master of the Universe!" prayed Choni. "Your children turned to me because I am like a member of your household. I swear by your great name, that I'm not budging from here until You have compassion on Your children...!" | |
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