Eruvin 54a (נד.) — the Talmud in English

She said to him:

But

is it not written

concerning the Torah,

“It is arranged in all things and preserved”?

This implies:

If it is arranged throughout your 248 limbs,

that is, if you study it aloud, it

is preserved. But if not,

it is not preserved.

The tanna taught: Rabbi Eliezer had one student who studied in a whisper. After three years, he forgot

his learning .

The tanna taught: Rabbi Eliezer had one student who became liable to be burned by Heaven.

They said: Leave him alone!

Because

a great man served .

Shmuel said to Rav Yehuda: Shinnana

sharp one:

Open your mouth and recite

Scripture.

Open your mouth and teach

Mishnayot.

So that it will endure within you,

so that the Torah will be preserved within you,

and it will lengthen your life,

you will live long.

As it is stated: “For they are life to those who find them and healing to all his flesh”—

do not read “to those who find them” but “to those who bring them forth”,

that is, to those who bring forth the words of Torah

from their mouths,

when they study; and then, “they are life,” for they bring longevity.

Shmuel said to Rav Yehuda: Shinnana! Grab and eat; grab and drink.

If you have money, enjoy it now, and do not wait until tomorrow, lest you die and be unable to enjoy it,

for the world from which we are departing,

that is, this world, from which we are destined to go and depart,

is like a wedding celebration!

Just as a wedding celebration passes quickly, so too this world: today it is here, and tomorrow it is gone .

Rav said to Rav Hamnuna: My son! If you have

money—

make yourself good!

Use it for your enjoyment, because

there is no pleasure in Sheol, and death does not delay

there is no delay, for a person dies suddenly.

And if you say: I will leave my children a fixed share

of food when I am

in Sheol—

who will tell you

that the money will indeed remain in their possession? Perhaps they will lose it.

Moreover,

human beings resemble the plants of the field: some blossom,

that is, as they grow, their livelihood and wealth grow with them, and you need not worry about them,

while others wither,

they die.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One who travels on the road and has no

son

as a companion should engage in Torah study.

As it is stated: “For they are a graceful accompaniment.”

One who

feels pain in his head should engage in Torah study.

As it is stated: “For they are a graceful accompaniment for your head.”

One who feels pain in his throat should engage in Torah study.

As it is stated: “And necklaces

ornaments placed on the neck

for your throat.”

One who feels pain in his intestines should engage in Torah study.

As it is stated: “It shall be healing for your navel”

for your navel.

One who feels pain in his bones should engage in Torah study.

As it is stated: “And drink for your bones.”

One who feels pain throughout his body should engage in Torah study.

As it is stated: “And healing to all his flesh” .

Rav Yehuda, son of Rabbi Hiyya, said: Come and see how the attribute of the Holy One, blessed be He, is unlike the attribute of flesh and blood.

For

with the attribute of flesh and blood, when a person gives a drug

for healing

to another, it is beneficial for one and harmful for another,

it helps one illness but harms another.

But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so.

Rather,

He gave the Torah to Israel,

and it

is a drug of life for his entire body! As it is stated: “And healing to all his flesh.”

Rabbi Ami said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “For they are pleasant when you preserve them within your belly; let them be established together upon your lips”?—

When are words of Torah pleasant?

When you preserve them within your belly,

when they are preserved in your possession and you do not forget them.

And when do you preserve them within your belly?

How do you preserve them?

When they are established together upon your lips.

When you bring the words forth from your mouth in an orderly manner, and not in a whisper or with stammering.

Rabbi Zeira said: From here

we learn that one must bring words of Torah forth from his mouth, for it is written:

“A man has joy through the answer of his mouth, and a word in its proper time—how good it is.”

When does a man have joy?

When he answers with his mouth.

When he expresses words of Torah properly with his mouth .

Alternatively: When does a man have joy through the answer of his mouth?

When a word is spoken in its proper time—how good it is,

when he knows how to expound the laws of each festival during its festival.

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: From here:

for it is written:

“For the matter is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to perform it.”

When is it near to you?

When it is in your mouth and in your heart, to perform it,

when you bring it forth from your mouth.

Rava said: From here:

for it is written:

“You gave him his heart’s desire, and You did not withhold the request of his lips forever.”

When did You give him his heart’s desire?

When the request of his lips

You did not withhold forever,

when You granted him the understanding to bring it forth with his lips.

Rava raised a contradiction

between verses:

It is written: “You gave him his heart’s desire,”

implying that while he was still yearning, his desire had already come to him without his asking.

And it is written: “And the request of his lips You did not withhold forever,”

implying that it comes only after he asks.

How can this be understood?

If

he is worthy, “You gave him his heart’s desire”!

If he is not worthy, “the request of his lips You did not withhold forever”!

The tanna of the school of Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov taught: Wherever it says “netzach,” “selah,” or “va’ed,”

it has no interruption forever!

And from where do we know this?

“Netzach”—

as it is written,

“For I will not contend forever, nor will I remain angry for eternity,”

so netzach is an expression of forever.

“Selah”—

as it is written,

“As we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of the Lord of Hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish it forever, selah.”

“Va’ed”—

as it is written: “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”

(Mnemonic: necklaces for his cheeks, tablets engraved.)

Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And necklaces for your throat”?—

If a person makes himself like this necklace

a chain worn around the neck,

that

he is

“loose”

upon the neck,

not tight upon it but hanging loosely and comfortably, and so the person is pleasant and agreeable to people,

seen and unseen,

not going out and coming in frequently to the marketplace, but sitting over his learning—like the necklace, which is generally concealed by the chin and beard and is seen only when he raises his neck—then

his learning endures in his possession.

But if not, his learning does not endure in his possession.

And Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “His cheeks are like beds of spices”?—

If a person makes himself like this bed, upon which everyone treads,

so too he has no arrogance,

and like this spice, from which everyone takes,

he teaches Torah to students.

Then

his learning endures.

But if not, his learning does not endure.

And Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Tablets of stone”?

If a person makes his cheeks like this stone, which is not worn away

despite the many people who tread upon it, so too his cheeks—that is, his mouth—do not grow weary of reviewing his learning and teaching it to others; then

his learning endures in his possession.

But if not, his learning does not endure in his possession.

And Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written

with regard to the first tablets,

“Engraved upon the tablets”?—

Had the first tablets not been broken, the Torah would not have been forgotten by Israel,

for “engraved” implies something carved and never erased; so too, the Torah would have been engraved within Israel so that they would never forget it.

Rav Aḥa bar Yaakov said:

Had the first tablets not been broken,

no nation or people would have ruled over them.

As it is stated: “Engraved”—

do not read “engraved” but “freedom

upon the tablets.” In the merit of the tablets, Israel would have been free people.

Rav Mattana said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And from the wilderness, a gift”?—

If a person makes himself like this wilderness, upon which everyone treads, his learning endures in his possession,

for the Torah is given to him as a gift, so that he will not forget it.

But if not, his learning does not endure in his possession.

Rava, the son of Rav Yosef bar Ḥama, had a grievance against Rav Yosef,

for Rav Yosef was angry with him.

When the eve of Yom Kippur arrived,

when the eve of Yom Kippur came,

he said,

Rava:

I will go and appease him,

Rav Yosef.

He went and found his attendant,

Rav Yosef’s servant,

mixing a cup for him,

pouring wine for Rav Yosef—that is, adding water to it and preparing it for drinking, as they would customarily do because their wine was strong.

He said to him,

Rava said to the attendant:

Give it to me, and I will mix it.

He gave it to him. He mixed it,

Rava

according to his taste,

according to his customary proportion of water to wine.

He said,

Rav Yosef:

This mixture resembles—

the mixture of Rava, the son of Rav Yosef bar Ḥama.

Rav Yosef did not recognize Rava, because he was blind. But from the taste of the wine he understood that Rava had mixed it, since Rav Yosef recognized Rava’s manner of mixing from the time when Rava had previously been accustomed to mix wine for him while he was studying under him.

He said to him,

Rava said:

It is I!

He said to him,

Rav Yosef said:

Do not sit

sit; rather, stand

on your feet—

on your legs—

until you explain these verses to me!

What is the meaning of that which is written: “And from the wilderness, a gift; and from the gift, a heritage of God; and from the heritage of God, high places; and from the high places, the valley”?

Rav Yosef intended to warn him that he should be humble, as is demonstrated by this verse below, because he had become haughty over an incident that had occurred, and that was why Rav Yosef was angry with him.

He said to him:

This is its interpretation:

If a person makes himself like this wilderness, upon which everyone treads, the Torah is given to him as a gift.

And once it is given to him as a gift—

he inherits God, as it is stated: “And from the gift, a heritage of God.”

And once he inherits God—

he rises to greatness, as it is stated: “And from the heritage of God, high places.”

But if his heart becomes haughty, the Holy One, blessed be He, humbles him, as it is stated: “And from the high places, the valley.”

And if he retracts

from his arrogance,

the Holy One, blessed be He, elevates him, as it is stated: “Every valley shall be raised.”

This verse does not belong here; it was brought because the exposition connected to our matter applies to it.

Rav Huna said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Your creatures settled in it; You prepare in Your goodness for the poor, O God”?—

If a person makes himself like this animal, which tramples and eats,

immediately after killing its prey, so too he is not particular that his food be prepared for pleasure; rather, he eats meat without seasoning, and likewise with his other pleasures.

And some say: Which reeks,

immersed in mud,

and eats,

so too he conducts himself humbly and is not disgusted by his food if it has not been fully cooked.

Another interpretation:

It tramples and eats,

immediately; so too, a Torah scholar reviews his learning immediately after receiving it from his teacher.

It reeks and eats,

so too, he degrades himself for the sake of Torah. Rashi wrote that this interpretation seems more plausible to him, because throughout the Talmud we find that Torah scholars are particular that their food be prepared in a dignified and honorable manner, and likewise regarding their clothing.

Then

his learning endures in his possession.

But if not, his learning does not endure in his possession.

And if he does so—

the Holy One, blessed be He, prepares a feast for him Himself, as it is stated: “You prepare in Your goodness for the poor, O God.”

That is, for one who makes himself like a poor person.

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “He who guards a fig tree shall eat its fruit”?—

Why were words of Torah compared to a fig tree?