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1) ONE WITHOUT A WIFE

(a) (R. Elazar): One without a wife is not called Adam - "Male and female he created them, and he called their name Adam".
(b) (R. Elazar): One without land is not called Adam - "... And the land he gave to Bnei Adam".
(c) Version #1 (R. Elazar): "I will make for him a helpmate against him" - if he merits, she helps him; if not, she is against him.
(d) Version #2 - Contradiction (R. Elazar): It is written, "Kenegdo" (corresponding to him); it is read, "Kenigdo" (she lashes him)!

1. Answer: If he merits, she is Kenegdo; if not, she lashes him.

(e) Question (R. Yosi): It is written, "I will make him a helper" - how does a woman help a man?
(f) Answer (Eliyahu): A man brings wheat - does he chew wheat?! He brings flax - does he wear flax?! We see, she enlightens his eyes and stands him on his feet!
(g) (R. Elazar): "This time, a bone from my bones, flesh from my flesh" - this teaches, Adam was with every animal, but his mind was not settled until he had relations with Chavah.

(a) (R. Elazar): "v'Nivrechu (will be blessed) in you all families of the earth" - Hash-m told Avraham, I have 2 Brechos (graftings) to graft onto you - Rus the Moabite and Na'amah the Amonite;

1. "All families of the earth" - even families which dwell in the ground are only blessed because of Yisrael.
2. "All nations of the land" - even ships which come from Galya to Aspamya are only blessed on account of Yisrael.

(b) (R. Elazar): In the future, all craftsmen will become farmers - "All oarsmen will descend from their ships, all ship captains will stand on the ground."
(c) (R. Elazar): There is no lower profession than farming - it says, "Will descend".

1. R. Elazar saw a farmer plowing the width of his field. He told him, 'Even if you will also plow lengthwise, business is more profitable.'

(d) Rav went among the sheaves; the wind was blowing them. 'As much as you can wave, business is more profitable.'
(e) (Rava): One who has 100 Zuz invested in business, can afford meat and wine every day; one with 100 Zuz of land will eat salt and fodder; further, he must sleep on his land, and comes to quarrels.
(f) (Rav Papa): Plant your own food, rather than buy it - even though the price is the same, what you grow will be blessed;

1. Sell what is in your house, and do not wax poor.

i. This applies to carpets and the like - but not a cloak, you might not find another one that fits.

2. Seal a hole, rather than rebuild the wall; plaster, but do not rebuild your house, for anyone that builds is in danger.
3. Jump to buy land; do not rush to marry a woman.
4. Marry a woman below your standing; pick a friend above your level.

(g) (R. Elazar Bar Avina): Punishments only come to the world because of Yisrael - "I cut off nations, made desolate their towers, and destroyed their markets" - "But you should fear me, learn from this!"

(a) R. Chiya (to Rav): Hash-m should save you from something worse than death.
(b) Question (Rav): Is there such a thing?
(c) Answer (Rav): Yes! "I find a wife harsher than death."
(d) Rav's wife used to pain him. If he would ask her to make lentils, she would make Kitniyos, and vice-versa.

1. When Rav's son Chiya grew up, he would tell his mother the opposite of what Rav requested.
2. Rav: Your mother has improved!
3. Chiya: I switched your request.
4. Rav: This is as people say - you will learn from your children! But you should not do so - "They trained their tongues to speak falsely ...".

(e) R. Chiya's wife used to pain him. When he would find something, he would wrap it in his turban and bring it for her.

1. Rav: Why do you do this - she pains you!
2. R. Chiya: It is enough for us, they raise our children and save us from sin.

(f) (Rav Yehudah): "I find a wife harsher than death".

1. (His son, Rav Yitzchak): Such as whom?
2. Rav Yehudah: Your mother.
3. Question: But Rav Yehudah taught his son, a person only finds peace of mind from his 1st wife - "Rejoice in the wife of your youth"; when his son asked, such as whom - he answered, such as your mother!
4. Answer: She instigates, but she is easily appeased.

(g) Question: What is the case of an evil wife?
(h) Answer #1 (Abaye): She prepares the food, and a mouth (of curses).
(i) Answer #2 (Rava): She prepares the food, and turns her back (she will not eat with him).
(j) (R. Chama Bar Chanina): When a person marries a wife, his sins Mispakekin (are sealed) - "One who found a wife found good, v'Yifak (he will obtain) acceptance from Hash-m."
(k) In Eretz Yisrael, when a man married, they would say to him 'He found or finds'.

1. He found - "One who found a wife, found good."
2. He finds - "I find the wife worse than death."

(a) (Rava): It is a Mitzvah to divorce an evil wife - "Divorce the scoffer, expel quarrels and disgrace."
(b) (Rava): An evil wife with a large Kesuvah - the solution is to marry a rival, as people say, 'Another woman, and not a thorn'.
(c) (Rava): An evil wife is as bad as a day of hail and wind - "The drip annoys on a day of hail, and a quarrelsome wife is as bad.
(d) (Rava): See how good is a good wife, and how bad is a bad wife.

1. A good wife - "One who found a wife, found good" - if the verse speaks of a wife, the verse praises her!

i. If the verse speaks of Torah - how great is a good wife, the Torah is compared to her!

2. A bad wife - "I find the wife worse than death" - if the verse speaks of a wife, the verse speaks thusly of her!

i. If the verse speaks of Gehinam - how bad is an evil wife, Gehinam is compared to her!

(e) (Rav Nachman): "Behold I bring an evil you cannot escape" - this is an evil wife with a large Kesuvah.
(f) (Rav Chisda): "Hash-m put me in the hands of one from whom I cannot get up" - this is an evil wife with a large Kesuvah.

1. In Eretz Yisrael they say, this is one who must buy his food.

(g) (Rav Chanan Bar Rava): "Your sons and daughters are given to another nation" - this is the wife of the father.
(h) "With Naval (a repulsive) nation I will anger them".

1. Opinion #1 (Rav Chanan Bar Rava): This is an evil wife with a large Kesuvah.
2. Opinion #2 (R. Elazar): These are the Tzedukim - "The Naval said in his heart, there is not Hash-m".
3. Opinion #3 (Beraisa): These are the people of Barberya, and Tartenai, that walked unclothed in the market - nothing is more repulsive to Hash-m than someone that walks naked in the market.
4. Opinion #4 (R. Yochanan): These are Chabarim.

i. They told R. Yochanan that Chabarim came to Bavel - he bent and fell.
ii. They told him that they accept bribes - he straightened up.

(i) (R. Yochanan): People of Bavel suffered 3 decrees of the government because of 3 sins.

1. It was decreed that they may not eat slaughtered meat, because they did not give gifts of slaughtered animals to Kohanim.
2. It was decreed on their bathhouses, because they were not careful about immersion.
3. Graves are dug up, because they rejoiced on the pagan festivals.

i. (Rabah Bar Shmuel) "The hand of Hash-m will be upon you and your fathers" - this is the digging up of graves.
ii. In the sin of the living, the dead are dug up.

(j) Question (Rava): "They will not be gathered and will not be buried; they will be as fertilizer on the ground"; how can it say, "Death will be preferred to life"?
(k) Answer (Rabah Bar Mari): Death is better for the wicked, that they will not live and sin in this world and fall in Gehinam.
(l) (Sefer Ben Sira): A good wife is a good gift to her husband; Good will be given in the lap of one who fears Hash-m;

1. An evil wife is Tzara'as for her husband; his cure is to divorce her and heal himself.
2. A good wife - happy is her husband! His days are doubled.
3. Hide your eyes from a wife of grace (of someone else), lest you get caught in her trap; do not drink with her husband - many were corrupted and killed by her.
4. Many are the wounds of peddlers of perfumes, that are accustomed to immorality; as a spark ignites a coal, as a nest of fowl, their houses are full of deception.
5. Do not worry tomorrow's worry, for you do not know what the day will bring; perhaps he will not be alive tomorrow - he worried over a world which is not his!
6. Stop the multitude from your house; do not bring all into your house; many may seek your Shalom, but reveal your secrets to 1 of 1000.

(m) (Rav Asi): "A spirit ...(and I made souls)" - (Mashiach) the son of David will not come until all souls in 'Guf'' are completed.
(n) Version #1 (Beraisa - R. Eliezer): Anyone that does not engage in Piryah v'Rivyah, it is as if he spills blood - "One who spills man's blood, his blood will be spilled by man"; "You should be fruitful ...;
(o) R. Yakov says, it is as if he diminishes the Divine image - "In Hash-m's image (Hash-m) made man"; "You should be fruitful ..."
(p) Ben Azai says, it is as if he spills blood and diminishes the Divine image - "You should be fruitful ..."

1. Rabanan, to Ben Azai: Some expound and fulfill nicely; some fulfill nicely and do not expound nicely; you expound nicely and do not fulfill!
2. Ben Azai: What can I do? My soul desires Torah! The world can be fulfilled through others.

(q) Version #2 (Beraisa - R. Eliezer): Anyone that does not engage in Piryah v'Rivyah, it is as if he spills blood - "One who spills man's blood, his blood will be spilled by man"; "You should be fruitful ...;

1. R. Elazar Ben Azaryah says, it is as if he diminishes the Divine image;
2. Ben Azai says, ...
3. Rabanan, to Ben Azai: Some expound and fulfill nicely ...

(r) (Beraisa): "When it would rest, he would say, "Return, Hash-m, the 10,000's, thousands of Yisrael" - this teaches, the Divine presence does not rest on less than 22,000 of Yisrael.