by rabbinic literature

“ What are they divided over? The Rabbis hold the view that the traditional Scripture text is authoritative in biblical interpretation (Hebrew: Yesh em lemesoreth) . [Meaning, since the Hebrew characters in the Torah are written without phonetics, one is able to assign to the text any vocalization that he chooses if it serves his purpose in a particular exegesis] . But Rabbi Shimon holds the view that the tradition of reading (i.e. orthography and the letters with their traditional vowel symbols received orally at Sinai) is authoritative in biblical interpretation (Hebrew: Yesh em lemiqra) . ”

“ Each child carried within his bosom a vessel laden with either gold or silver, and the best of the spices and incense that grew in their land. When each child reached the place where the king sat, he bowed down before the king, presenting his vessel to Benaiah, the son of Yehoiada, who stood before the king and queen, while Benaiah passed the same onto the king's chamberlain. When this procession came to an end, each child returned to his place within sight of the king, and the king answered.
“`Tis but a trial of character, it is; for the mannerisms of a lad are not as those of a maid. ”

“ King Solomon kept him under house arrest for that entire duration of time, restraining him from leaving until he had built the Temple. One day, he sat alone with Solomon in his palace. Solomon said to him, "It is written: He hath as it were the majestic strength of a rhino (Numbers 23:22) . [11] By way of allegorically expounding the meaning of the verse, we say that 'majestic strength' refers to the ministerial angels, while 'rhino' refers to the demons. What is your advantage over us?" ”

“ At the commencement of three days, he came before Solomon. Yet, in his hand, he had taken up a cane rod with which men are wont to measure, and measured therewith four cubits, throwing the cane down before the king. He said to the king: "Verily, this man has naught in this world save four cubits! ”

“ They replied unto her: "Your Majesty, the Queen, let not a word of his sorcery enter into your heart, whereas we [too] are able to perform as he hath done." She then sent unto him several of those who believed in him. They entreated him, saying: "Come back unto the queen, for she is startled by the signs that thou hast wrought." He, at their entreaty, gathered together his following and came back into the land of Israel. ”

“ Here we learn of the necessity of there being at least two judges. [Meaning, since the verb has come down unto us in the plural form] . Now below [that passage of Scripture] it says elohim (i.e. the Hebrew word for "judge/s," which we have already established is at least two) , and above [that passage of Scripture] it says elohim. Just as the word [written] below means two, so does that word above mean two, but since a court cannot be equal in number, they add thereto another member, hence: five judges!" ”

“ Without movement while living, it moveth when its head is cut off. What might this be?” Pausing for a moment, he answered: “This can, for sooth, [65] be none other but a tree, which, when its top is removed, can be made into a passing ship at sea.”
The queen, realising the wisdom with which King Solomon had been endowed by his God, left off asking him riddles, and so sought answers to those long-standing questions which she had long ago asked herself in her own land, but could find no answers. ”

“ For this reason, he is only permitted by a rabbinic ordinance to come upon her once during the night of her nuptials, when she must then separate herself from her husband and begin to check herself for signs of purity. On all other occasions, he may come upon her as often as he may desire.↑ It should be noted here that this Shimon would have been a very old man at the time when Jesus' mother conceived of him. For he served as President and Judge of the court at Jerusalem under the Hasmonaean king, Alexander Janneus, in the year 67 BCE, as also in subsequent years. ”

“ He went and dug for himself a cistern beneath that which was made by Ashmedai and drained out the water that was in the upper so that it emptied itself into the nether, and then clogged them up with the woollen yarns. He then went and carved out a cistern above the one made by Ashmedai, pouring therein wine which emptied into the other, and covering it over again. Thereupon, he went up and sat himself down in a tree. When he eventually came to examine his seal, he opened it and found that, instead of water, there was wine! He said, "It is written: Wine is a mocker, and strong drink is raging. ”

“ A dead man who is wrapped in a burial shroud findeth praise from men, but woe unto the living man whose burial shroud his habit [52] be! Birds eat the flax seeds and make their nests from its fibres, and they are made happy thereby. But fish are caught in nets made of linen cords, and are grieved thereby.”
The queen of Sheba, not being able to conceal her maze [53] at the ease with which the king answered her questions, propensed to ask him yet other questions, saying, “Seven are departing. Nine are entering in. Two are giving drink, but only one is drinking. ”

“ They again sent unto the kingdoms, saying: "Check his feet!" They returned an answer, saying: "Whenever he comes and goes, he is wearing stockings, [even while sleeping] ! Moreover, he demands that women cohabit with him during their period of separation, and he hast demanded even of his mother, Bathsheba, that she sleep with him!"
At hearing this, they brought back Solomon who had been deposed, and they gave him the anklet whereon the ineffable Name of God had been engraved, and the chain whereon the ineffable Name of God had been engraved. When Ashmedai entered the palace, he saw him. ”

“ He then gathered together some young men of Israel, to wit, three-hundred and ten, [11] and said unto them: "Ye call me a bastard, but I am the Messiah, and it was concerning me that Isaiah did prophesy and say, Behold! A young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Immanuel (Isa. 7:14) . Moreover, it was said about me, Thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee (Ps. 2:7) . ”

“ Seeing that the rendering of any judgment is [ordinarily made] by three judges, it is for this reason that he (Rebbe) holds the opinion that when the Torah writes about [the necessity of having] three judges, the sense is that the verdict be reached by three judges. ”

“ Answered the king, “Let not thy countenance be distraught, O fair queen, that God hath chosen to impart wisdom unto his subjects; For he is the God who made heaven and earth, and we are his people. Is it not then commensurable with his excellence to make me a king of his people? Yet, even so, I am not he whom thou seekest.”
Thus she repaired [70] again unto her own land, leaving behind her a great reputation for one who sought after virtue. END ”

“ And again it is written, Happy is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the wicked" (Ps. 1) , at which saying he escaped from them, and stood up, he and the following whom he had coerced through words, and began to make war, each man's brother against his brother, and father against his son, until at length his following delivered him, and fled away with him, remaining in a certain place until the Passover. Then he took an ass and mounted it, and gathered together his following, and went up to Jerusalem. ”

“ My troops are the sprites, [7] whilst the demons and little she-devils [8] are the legions who will strangle you upon your beds in the midst of your houses. And the wild beasts shall kill you in the fields, while the birds of the heavens shall devour your flesh from your bodies!”
Now since the hoopoe bird was greatly desirous of being sent back to the land of Sheba with a message from the king, he was forthwith released with this message to bring to the queen of Sheba. ”

“ Meaning, it is not necessary that the third wall built into one's Sukkah project outwards far enough so as to enclose the main part of a man's head and body, but rather it is only necessary that it extend outwards at least one hand-breadth in length. ”

“ A Hebrew maidservant is automatically given in marriage to her Master when she reaches puberty, the money paid to her father accruing to her actual betrothals by the man who bought her (see: Exodus 21: 7 – 11) . Miriam, though originally a Hebrew maidservant, was at that time the legally betrothed wife of Yoḥanan. In the ancient Hebrew source (Midrash Hagadol, Deut. 13:7) , the mother of Jesus is named "Miriam Magdala Nishaia" (Mary Magdalene) which name, according to the Talmudic commentator, Rashi, in Hagigah 4b, means, "Miriam, the Braider of women's hair."↑ Variant spellings: Pundera ”

“ But even so, Solomon was filled with constant fear, trepidation and terror at the thought of Ashmedai's return, as it is written: Behold! The bed of Solomon! Sixty mighty men are about it, of the valiant men of Israel! All of them wield the sword, and are most expert in warfare; each man with his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night (Song of Songs 3:7-8) . THE END ”

“ When the son whom she had borne heard his mother confess, and heard that the Sages made only him liable to the death penalty, [9] he withdrew himself to the Temple precincts. Now the express letters of God's ineffable name were written upon the Foundation Stone within the Holy of Holies, and anyone who learnt them could do by them whatsoever he wished. Moreover, the nation of Israel used to fear lest perhaps the wicked of Israel should learn them, and thereby destroy the world. ”

“ The rich will speak of it highly, because they can afford the softest and most fine linen produced, whilst the poor cannot afford to buy it, and settle for a poorer sort, which to them causes great discomfort, that is to say, until the fabric of the linen cloth is first broken in by long wear. Moreover, when men die, only the rich can coloured shrouds afford to buy to bury withal their dead, whilst the poor cannot afford it. ”

“ He then said to his following: "Consider ye how the Scripture hath been fulfilled, He is poor, and riding upon the foal of an ass" (Zech. 9:9) .
They came to offer the Passover offering, when one of his own party came and said to those of Israel: "Are ye willing to have Jesus?" They asked him: "Where is he?" He answered: "In Jerusalem." They said to him: "Shew him unto us." He answered: "He hath already adjured us by the authority of the Ten Commandments not to reveal himself unto others, and hath clothed me (sic: should be "us") in common attire. ”

“ This is the reason his name is translated by us in the Aramaic tongue, Mountain Carpenter, [9] seeing that he will first cleave the mountains, and bring thither seeds from other trees, and throw them therein, causing them to spring up in those places. ”

“ They answered her, “We wot [11] not such a man as King Solomon; neither will we acknowledge his kingdom.” Yet, the queen was not satisfied with their counsel and rede, [12] and so quickly called and sent for all of her ships at sea, and commanded her sailors to load them with timbers of box-wood, and jewels and precious stones, and that all vessels should be fitted out to the deck’s brim with such things as they might stand in need of for a long and protracted voyage at sea. ”

“ When the babe is within his mother's womb, the umbilical cord is open, whilst the child's orifices are closed. But when the child goeth forth into the world, the umbilical cord is closed, and the nine orifices are then opened. ”

“ Moreover, indeed, he could have easily delivered himself from them, but rather said, 'It was better for me to be killed than to behave in a presumptuous manner. And, as for you, if ye shall meet with an Israelite and he smite thee on thy left cheek, turn unto him the right cheek also ”

“ Likewise, we find that the chosen people of God are to inherit in the world to come three-hundred and ten worlds.↑ Most Jewish citizens who lived in Babylonia at that time resided in the towns of Nehardea and Nisibis, the latter town in the far north of present-day Iraq, near the Turkish and Syrian borders.↑ This episode about the clay birds being made to fly is also related in the Mohammedan's Qur’ān 3:49 and 5:110. ”