Star Wars & Judaism XI: Solo

Do not say, “I will do to him what he did to me; I will pay the man what he deserves.”

And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: "A person’s sentence is torn up on account of four types of actions. These are: Giving charity, crying out in prayer, a change of one’s name, and a change of one’s deeds."

Charity, as it is written: “And charity delivers from death” (Proverbs 10:2); crying out in prayer, as it is written: “Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses” (Psalms 107:28); a change of one’s name, as it is written: “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be” (Genesis 17:15), and it is written there: “And I will bless her, and I will also give you a son from her” (Genesis 17:16); a change of one’s deeds for the better, as it is written: “And God saw their deeds” (Jonah 3:10), and it is written there: “And God repented of the evil, which He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it” (Jonah 3:10).

And some say: "Also, a change of one’s place", as it is written: “And the Lord said to Abram: Go you out of your county” (Genesis 12:1), and afterward it is written: “And I will make of you a great nation” (Genesis 12: 2).

And the other one, i.e., Rabbi Yitzḥak, who does not include a change of residence in his list, holds that in the case of Abram, it was the merit and sanctity of Eretz Yisrael that helped him become the father of a great nation.

It is taught: Rabbi Yose said: "In all my days, I did not call my wife: 'My wife', nor my ox: 'My ox'. Rather, I called my wife: 'My home', and I called my ox: 'My field'."

A repeater taught before Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak: Anyone who humiliates another in public, it is as though he were spilling blood.

He said to him: "You have spoken well, as we see that the red leaves and pallor comes.

Abaye said to Rav Dimi: "In the West, i.e., Eretz Yisrael, with regard to what mitzva are they vigilant?"

Rav Dimi said to him: "In refraining from humiliating others, as Rabbi Ḥanina says: 'Everyone descends to Gehenna except for three.'"

Does it enter your mind that everyone descends to Gehenna? Rather, say: Anyone who descends to Gehenna ultimately ascends, except for three who descend and do not ascend, and these are they: One who engages in intercourse with a married woman, and one who humiliates another in public; and one who calls another a derogatory name.

One who calls another a derogatory name: That is identical to one who shames him; why are they listed separately? Although the victim grew accustomed to being called that name in place of his name, and he is no longer humiliated by being called that name, since the intent was to insult him, the perpetrator’s punishment is severe.

Hillel said: "...Don't say, 'When I shall have leisure, I shall study’ - perhaps you will not have leisure."

It was taught:

One cup of wine is good for a woman;

two is a disgrace;

three: she will verbally demand marital relations;

four: she will solicit even a donkey in the marketplace, and she would not care

Rava said: "They taught that only if her husband is not with her. However, if her husband is with her, we have no issue with it."

And these are they which are not qualified [to be witnesses or judges]: A dice player, a usurer, pigeon racers, or traffickers in Seventh Year produce.

one who plays with dice for money, what is he doing that disqualifies him from bearing witness?

Rami bar Ḥama says: He is disqualified because gambling is a transaction with inconclusive consent [asmakhta], as one who gambles does not have conclusive consent to pay when he loses since he plays under the assumption that he will win. And as an asmakhta does not effect acquisition, the one who wins takes money that is not legally his, and is considered a robber.

Rav Sheshet says: "Any case like this is not an asmakhta. In a game of dice both sides realize that they might lose, and consent at the outset to pay if that happens. Rather, those who play dice are disqualified because they are not involved in settling the world, i.e., in productive occupations that demand hard work. Since they do not realize the effort required of most people to earn a living they might not be scrupulous about other people’s money, and their testimony cannot be relied upon."

It was stated: Rabbi Ḥanina says: "A constellation makes one wise and a constellation makes one wealthy, and there is a constellation for the Jewish people."

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: "There is no constellation for the Jewish people."

And Rabbi Yoḥanan follows his own reasoning, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: "Whence is it that there is no constellation for the Jewish people? As it is stated: 'Thus said the Lord: Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them' (Jeremiah 10:2). The nations will be dismayed by them, but not the Jewish people."

And even Rav opines there is no constellation for the Jewish people, as Rav Yehudah said: "Rav said: 'Whence is it that there is no constellation for the Jewish people? As it is stated with regard to Abraham: “And He brought him outside, and said: Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to count them; and He said unto him: So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:5). The Sages derived from this that Abraham said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, and one born in my house is to be my heir” (Genesis 15:3). The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: No. “And, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying: This man shall not be your heir; rather, one that will come forth from your own innards shall be your heir” (Genesis 15:4).'"

Hillel said:

"Do not separate yourself from the community,

Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death,

Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place.

Do not say something that cannot be understood [trusting] that in the end it will be understood."

Rabbi Akiva was walking along the road and came to a certain city, he inquired about lodging and they did not give him any. He said: Everything that God does, He does for the best. He went and slept in a field, and he had with him a rooster, a donkey and a candle. A gust of wind came and extinguished the candle; a cat came and ate the rooster; and a lion came and ate the donkey. He said: Everything that God does, He does for the best. That night, an army came and took the city into captivity. It turned out that Rabbi Akiva alone, who was not in the city and had no lit candle, noisy rooster or donkey to give away his location, was saved. He said to them: Didn’t I tell you? Everything that God does, He does for the best.