בין שונא לאוהב

These are the relatives [that are not qualified to be witnesses or judges]:A suitor’s father, brother, father’s brother, mother’s brother, sister’s husband, father’s sister’s husband, mother’s sister’s husband, mother’s husband, father-in-law, or wife’s sister’s husband them and their sons and their sons-in-law; also the suitor’s step-son only [but not the stepsons’ sons]. Rabbi Yose said, “Such was the mishnah of Rabbi Akiva, but the first mishnah taught: ‘a suitor’s uncle, or his uncle’s son, and all that are qualified to be his heir. Moreover all that were kinsmen at the time [are disqualified]; but kinsmen that have ceased to be kinsmen become qualified.” Rabbi Judah says: “If a man’s daughter died and left children, her husband still counts as a kinsman.” A friend or an enemy [is disqualified]. “A friend”: this is one’s groomsman. “An enemy”: anyone whom he has not spoken to in three days because of anger. They replied: “Israelites are not suspected of such.”

Ben Zoma would say: Who is wise? One who learns from every person, as it says (Psalms 119:99), “From all my teachers I gained insight.”<br>Who is the humblest of all? One who is humble like Moses our teacher, as it says (Numbers 12:33), “And the man Moses was exceedingly humble.”
Who is the richest of all? One who is happy with what he has, as it says (Psalms 128:1), “You will eat from the work of your hands, and you will be happy and prosperous.”<br>Who is the strongest of all? One who is able to conquer his desire, as it says (Proverbs 16:32), “Better to be forbearing than mighty, to have self-control than to conquer a city.” And one who conquers his desire is considered as if he had conquered a city full of warriors, as it says (Proverbs 21:22), “One wise man prevailed over a city of warriors.” The true warriors are warriors in Torah, as it says (Psalms 103:20), “Mighty warriors do His bidding.” Some say these are the angels who serve God, as it says (ibid.), “Bless the Eternal, His angels, [mighty warriors.]” And some say: One who can turn an enemy into his friend. (Rabbi Nehorai would say: Exile yourself to a place of Torah [and do not say that it will come to you, or that your colleagues will do it for you. And do not rely on your own understanding.]) He would also say: Do not disparage any person ([and do not dismiss anything]), as it says (Proverbs 13:13), “One who disparages a principle will become injured through it; one who respects a command will be rewarded.”
He would also say: One who studies Torah in his youth, what is he like? Like a calf which was tamed when it was still small, as it says (Hosea 10:11), “Ephraim became a trained calf, but still wanted to thresh.” One who studies Torah in his old age is like a cow that was never trained until it was too old, as it says (Hosea 4:18), “Israel turned away like a stubborn cow.”
He would also say: One who studies Torah in his youth is like a woman who kneads dough when it is hot. One who studies Torah in his old age, what is he like? Like a woman who kneads dough when it is cold. Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov would say: One who studies Torah in his youth is like letters written on fresh paper. One who studies Torah in his old age is like letters written on withered paper. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel then added to what he said: One who studies Torah in his youth is like a young man who married a young woman. She was a good match for him, and he a good match for her. And she cast herself upon him, and he cast himself upon her. One who studies Torah in his old age, what is he like? Like an old man who married a young woman. She was a good match for him, but he was not a good match for her. She cast herself upon him, but he kept his distance from her, as it says (Psalms 127:4–5), “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are children of youth.” And immediately afterward it says, “Happy is the man who fills his quiver with them.” One who learns and then forgets is like a woman who gives birth to children and then buries them, as it says (Hosea 9:12), “Even though they raise children, I will bereave people of them.” Do not read “bereave” (v’sikaltim), but rather, “cause them to forget” (v’shikhahtim).
(Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar would say: One who studies Torah in his youth is like a doctor who is treating a wound, and has a scalpel to cut into it and medicine to heal it. One who studies Torah in his old age is like a doctor who is treating a wound, and has a scalpel to cut into it but no medicine to heal it. So it is with words of Torah: they) are marked [in order for an individual] to distinguish one from one another, and then arranged side by side, as it says (Proverbs 7:3), “Tie them to your fingers and write them on the tablet of your heart.” And also (Proverbs 6:21), “Tie them to your heart always, and fasten them around your throat.”

...And Avraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey (Genesis 22:3). Rabbi Simeon b. Yohai said: Love upsets the natural order, and hate upsets the natural order. Love upsets the natural order: "And Avraham rose early in the morning, etc".: surely he had plenty of slaves? But the reason was that love upset the natural order. Hate upsets the natural order: "And Bilam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey" (Num. 22:21): surely he had plenty of slaves? Hate, however, upsets the natural order. Love upsets the natural order: "And Yosef made ready his chariot, etc." (Gen. 46:29): yet surely Yosef had plenty of slaves? But love upsets the natural order. Hate upsets the natural order: "And he made ready his chariot" (Ex. 14:6); yet surely he had plenty of slaves? Thus hate upsets the natural order. Rabbi Simeon b. Yohai said: Let saddling counteract saddling. Let the saddling done by our father Avraham in order to go and fulfill the will of the One at whose word the world came into existence counteract the saddling done by Bilam in order to go and curse Israel. Let preparing counteract preparing. Let Yosef’s preparing [of his chariot] to meet his father counteract Pharaoh’s preparing to go and pursue Israel. Rabbi Ishmael taught: Let the sword of the hand counteract the sword of the hand. Let the sword taken in the hand of our father Avraham, as it says, "And Avraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son" (Gen. 22:10), come and counteract the sword grasped by Pharaoh’s hand when he said, "I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them" (Ex. 15:9). "And took two of his young men with him, and Itzchak his son." (Gen. 22:3) Rabbi Abbahu said: Two people behaved with derech eretz (decency), Avraham and Saul: Avraham, as it says, "And took two of his young men with him"; Saul, as it says, "And Saul … went, he and two men with him" (I Sam. 28:8). "And he cleaved the wood for the burnt-offering," (Gen. 22:3) Rabbi Hiyya b. Rabbi Yosei said in the name of Rabbi Meyasha, and it was also repeated in the name of Rabbi Benaiah: As a reward for the two cleavings with which our father Avraham cleaved the wood of the burnt-offering, he earned that God should cleave [divide] the Sea before his descendants, as it says, And the waters were divided (Ex. 14:21). Said Rabbi Levi: Enough of this! In truth Avraham acted according to his powers an the Holy One of Blessing according to His powers. "And he rose up, and went to the place." (Gen. 22:3) Avraham was rewarded for rising up and for going.