During the war with Vespasian they [the Rabbis] decreed against [the use of] crowns worn by bridegrooms and against [the use of] the drum. During the war of quietus they decreed against [the use of] crowns worn by brides and that nobody should teach his son Greek. During the final war they decreed that a bride should not go out in a palanquin in the midst of the city, but our Rabbis decreed that a bride may go out in a palanquin in the midst of the city. |
סוטה 9.14 |
When R. Meir died, the composers of fables ceased. When Ben Azzai died, the assiduous students [of Torah] ceased. When Ben Zoma died, the expositors ceased. When R. Akiba died, the glory of the Torah ceased. When R. Hanina b. Dosa died, men of deed ceased. When R. Jose Ketanta died, the Pious men ceased; and why was his name called ketanta? Because he was the youngest of the Pious men. When R. Johanan b. Zakkai died, the lustre of wisdom ceased. When Rabban Gamaliel the elder died, the glory of the Torah ceased, and purity and abnegation perished. When R. Ishmael b. Fabi died, the lustre of the priesthood ceased. When Rabbi died, humility and fear of sin ceased. R. Phineas b. Jair says: when [the second] temple was destroyed, scholars and noblemen were ashamed and covered their head, men of deed were disregarded, and men of arm and men of tongue grew powerful. Nobody enquires, nobody prays [on their behalf], and nobody asks. Upon whom is it for us to rely? Upon our father who is in Heaven. R. Eliezer the great says: from the day the Temple was destroyed, the Sages began to be like school-teachers, school-teachers like Synagogue-attendants, Synagogue-attendants like common people, and the common people became more and more debased; and there was none to ask, none to inquire. Upon whom is it for us to rely? Upon our father who is in Heaven. In the footsteps of the Messiah insolence will increase and honour dwindle; the vine will yield its fruit [abundantly] but wine will be dear; the government will turn to heresy and there will be none [to offer them] reproof; the meeting-place [of scholars] will be used for immorality; Galilee will be destroyed, gablan desolated, and the dwellers on the frontier will go about [begging] from place to place without anyone to take pity on them; the wisdom of the learned will degenerate, fearers of sin will be despised, and the truth will be lacking; youths will put old men to shame, the old will stand up in the presence of the young, a son will revile his father, a daughter will rise against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man`s enemies will be the members of his household; the face of the generation will be like the face of a dog, a son will not feel ashamed before his father. So upon whom is it for us to rely? Upon our father who is in Heaven. Rabbi Pinhas ben Yair says: Diligence leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to purity, purity leads to restraint [even from those things that are permissible], restraint leads to holiness, holiness leads to humility, humility leads to the fear of sin, the fear of sin leads to piety, piety leads to [the resting of the] Divine spirit, the Divine spirit leads to the [ability of] resurrecting the dead and the resurrection of the dead will come about through Eliyahu the prophet who is mentioned for good, Amen! |
סוטה 9.15 |
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