The night is divided into three watches, and at each watch the Holy One--blessed be He!--sits and roars like a lion; as it is written (Jer. xxv. 30), "The Lord will roar from on high, ... roaring, He will roar over his habitation." The marks by which this division of the night is recognized are these:--In the first watch the ass brays; in the second the dog barks; and in the third the babe is at the breast and the wife converses with her husband.
The Rabbis have taught that there are three reasons why a person should not enter a ruin:--1. Because he may be suspected of evil intent; 2. Because the walls might tumble upon him; 3. And because of evil spirits that frequent such places.
He who three times a day repeats David's psalm of praise (Ps. cxlv.) may be sure of an inheritance in the world to come.
Three precious gifts were given to Israel, but none of them without a special affliction: these three gifts were the law, the land of Israel, and the world to come.
These are also from the Talmud anent Israel and the Israelites.
Happy are ye, O Israel! for every one of you, from the least to the greatest, is a great philosopher. (_Eiruvin_, fol. 53, col. 1.) The Machzor for Pentecost says, Israelites are as "full of meritorious works as a pomegranate is full of pips."
As it is impossible for the world to be without air, so also is it impossible for the world to be without Israel.
If the ox of an Israelite bruise the ox of a Gentile, the Israelite is exempt from paying damages; but should the ox of a Gentile bruise the ox of an Israelite, the Gentile is bound to recompense him in full.
When an Israelite and a Gentile have a lawsuit before thee, if thou canst, acquit the former according to the laws of Israel, and tell the latter such is our law; if thou canst get him off in accordance with Gentile law, do so, and say to the plaintiff such is your law; but if he cannot be acquitted according to either law, then bring forward adroit pretexts and secure his acquittal. These are the words of the Rabbi Ishmael. Rabbi Akiva says, "No false pretext should be brought forward, because, if found out, the name of God would be blasphemed; but if there be no fear of that, then it may be adduced."