The Talmud: Selections: III. Incidents in The Lives of the Rabbis: Rabbi Simon

The Rabbi's daughter said, "Let me answer this aspersion. Last night robbers broke into my room, and stole therefrom a silver vessel: but they left a golden one in its stead." The emperor replied, "I wish that such thieves would come every night." p. 280 Thus was it with Adam; God took a rib from him, but placed a woman instead of it. ______________ Rabbi Joshua, of Saknin, said in the name of Rabbi Levi, "The Lord considered from what part of the man he should form woman; not from the head, lest she should be proud; not from the eyes, lest she should wish to see everything; not from the mouth, lest she might be talkative; nor from the ear, lest she should wish to hear everything; nor from the heart, lest she should be jealous; nor from the hand, lest she should wish to find out everything; nor from the feet, in order that she might not be a wanderer; only from the most hidden place, that is covered even when a man is naked--namely, the rib." ______________ The scholars of Rabbi Simon ben Jochai once asked him: "Why did not the Lord give to Israel enough manna to suffice them for a year, at one time, instead of meting it out daily?" The Rabbi replied: "I will answer ye with a parable. There was once a king who had a son to whom he gave a certain yearly allowance, paying the entire sum for his year's support on one appointed day. It soon happened that this day on which the allowance was due, was the only day in the year when the father saw his son. So the king changed his plan, and gave his son each day his maintenance for that day only, and then the son visited his father with the return of each day's sun.