Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that Rabbi Yonatan says: Anyone who teaches another person’s son Torah, the verse ascribes him credit as if he sired him, as it is stated: “Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses” (Numbers 3:1), and it is written immediately afterward: “And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadav the firstborn and Avihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar” (Numbers 3:2), but it does not mention the names of Moses’ children. This serves to say to you that Aaron sired his children, but Moses taught them Torah. Therefore, the children were also called by his name.
The Gemara states a mnemonic for the upcoming statements of Reish Lakish: Raises, his slave, Shabbat. Reish Lakish says: One who raises his hand to strike another, even if he ultimately does not strike him, is called wicked, as it is stated: “And two men of the Hebrews were struggling with each other, and he said to the wicked one: Why should you strike your friend?” (Exodus 2:13). The phrase: Why did you strike, is not stated, but rather: “Why should you strike,” indicating that one who raised his hand to strike another, even if he ultimately did not strike him, is called wicked. Ze’eiri says that Rabbi Ḥanina says: One who raises his hand to strike another is called a sinner; as it is stated: “And the priest’s lad would come…and would say to him, but you shall give now, and if not, I will take by force” (I Samuel 2:15–16), and it is written with regard to this behavior: “And the sin of the youths was very great” (I Samuel 2:17).
(ב) בֶּן עַזַּאי אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי רָץ לְמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְבַחֲמוּרָה, וּבוֹרֵחַ מִן הָעֲבֵרָה. שֶׁמִּצְוָה גּוֹרֶרֶת מִצְוָה, וַעֲבֵרָה גוֹרֶרֶת עֲבֵרָה. שֶׁשְּׂכַר מִצְוָה, מִצְוָה. וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה, עֲבֵרָה:
Ben Azai says: Run to do an easy commandment as to a difficult (2)one, and flee from sin; since a commandment leads to another commandment, and a sin leads to another sin; since the reward for a commandment is another commandment, and the reward for a sin is another sin.
(1) That they would lie. The explanation is according to the simple sense. Our Rabbis however said10that since they delayed [the sacrifice of] their birds11 and they would wait until they would see their birds being offered, Scripture charges them as though they had lain with them.12See Maseches Shabbos 55b. Metzudas Dovid translates this phrase as “they would cause the women who assembled at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to sleep there,” thereby not allowing them to return to their homes and husbands.
(א) וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים (בראשית כד, א), כְּתִיב (משלי טז, לא): עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת שֵׂיבָה בְּדֶרֶךְ צְדָקָה תִּמָּצֵא, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אֲזַל לְמַמְלָא, רָאָה אוֹתָן כֻּלָּן שְׁחוֹרֵי רֹאשׁ, אָמַר לָהֶם תֹּאמַר מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת בֵּית עֵלִי אַתֶּם, דִּכְתִיב (שמואל א ב, לג): וְכָל מַרְבִּית בֵּיתְךָ יָמוּתוּ אֲנָשִׁים, אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ רַבִּי הִתְפַּלֵּל עָלֵינוּ, אָמַר לָהֶם לְכוּ וְטַפְּלוּ בִּצְדָקָה, וְאַתֶּם זוֹכִים לְזִקְנָה, מַה טַעֲמֵיהּ, עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת שֵׂיבָה. וְהֵיכָן הִיא מְצוּיָה, בְּדֶרֶךְ צְדָקָה תִּמָּצֵא. מִמִּי אַתָּה לָמֵד מֵאַבְרָהָם, שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (בראשית יח, יט): וְשָׁמְרוּ דֶרֶךְ ה' לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט, זָכָה לְזִקְנָה, וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים.
(1) ...