Talmud for Pirkei Avot 4:6
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, גּוּפוֹ מְכֻבָּד עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת. וְכָל הַמְחַלֵּל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, גּוּפוֹ מְחֻלָּל עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת:
R. Yossi says: If one honors the Torah, his body is honored by men. [If one expounds the "defective" and "superfluous" (phrasings) in the Torah and adduces reasons for all of the apexes, showing that there is nothing insignificant in them, there is no honoring of the Torah greater than this. Or: If one honors a Torah scroll and those who study Torah and occupy themselves with it — all of these are in the category of honoring Torah.] And if one desecrates the Torah, his body is "desecrated" by men.
Avot D'Rabbi Natan
Rabbi Papius would say: The congregation of Israel was favored above the horses in Pharaoh’s chariot, as it says, “You led your horses into the sea.”
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karha would say: When Pharaoh went into the sea, he rode on a male horse. But then the Holy Blessed One revealed it to be a female horse, as it says (Song of Songs 1:9), “To a mare in Pharaoh’s chariots.” But was it perhaps not a chariot, but a cherub? As it says (Psalms 18:11), “He mounted a cherub and flew, gliding on the wings of the wind.” What happened is that the cherub appeared like a team of female horses, and they all went into the sea.
Those who scorn Me will not be taken seriously” – this is Sennacherib, who scorned the One who spoke and brought the world into being (thus scorning the Holy Blessed One), as it says (Isaiah 37:24–25), “Through your servants you have blasphemed my Lord. Because you said: Thanks to my vast chariotry, I have climbed the highest mountains to the remotest parts of the Lebanon, and have cut down its loftiest cedars, its choicest cypresses, and have reached its highest peak, its densest forest. I have drawn and drunk water. I have dried up all the streams of Egypt with the soles of my feet.” Therefore, the Holy Blessed One punished him through an emissary, who shaved his head and beard, and sent him back in shame to his own land.
(Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yohanan ben Beroka would say: One who learns in order to teach, etc.) He would also say: You need not be ready to study the entire Torah, but neither are you free to leave it all aside. Rather, one who continues to add to his learning adds greatly to his reward.
Rabbi Elazar ben Hamsa would say: The study of bird offerings and the calculations of menstruation – these are the essence of the Law.
Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri would say: Legal matters, ritual purity, bird offerings, and the calculations of menstruation – these are the essence of the Torah.
He would also say: Setting the [great] table, and establishing and supporting a court – both bring goodness into to the world.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karha would say: When Pharaoh went into the sea, he rode on a male horse. But then the Holy Blessed One revealed it to be a female horse, as it says (Song of Songs 1:9), “To a mare in Pharaoh’s chariots.” But was it perhaps not a chariot, but a cherub? As it says (Psalms 18:11), “He mounted a cherub and flew, gliding on the wings of the wind.” What happened is that the cherub appeared like a team of female horses, and they all went into the sea.
Those who scorn Me will not be taken seriously” – this is Sennacherib, who scorned the One who spoke and brought the world into being (thus scorning the Holy Blessed One), as it says (Isaiah 37:24–25), “Through your servants you have blasphemed my Lord. Because you said: Thanks to my vast chariotry, I have climbed the highest mountains to the remotest parts of the Lebanon, and have cut down its loftiest cedars, its choicest cypresses, and have reached its highest peak, its densest forest. I have drawn and drunk water. I have dried up all the streams of Egypt with the soles of my feet.” Therefore, the Holy Blessed One punished him through an emissary, who shaved his head and beard, and sent him back in shame to his own land.
(Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yohanan ben Beroka would say: One who learns in order to teach, etc.) He would also say: You need not be ready to study the entire Torah, but neither are you free to leave it all aside. Rather, one who continues to add to his learning adds greatly to his reward.
Rabbi Elazar ben Hamsa would say: The study of bird offerings and the calculations of menstruation – these are the essence of the Law.
Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri would say: Legal matters, ritual purity, bird offerings, and the calculations of menstruation – these are the essence of the Torah.
He would also say: Setting the [great] table, and establishing and supporting a court – both bring goodness into to the world.
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