the carcasses never became putrid; no fly was ever to be
seen in the slaughter-houses; the high-priest was never defiled on the
day of atonement; no defect was ever found in the wave-sheaf, the two
wave-loaves, or the shewbread; however closely crowded the people were,
every one had room enough for prostration; no serpent or scorpion ever
stung a person in Jerusalem; and no one had ever to pass the night
without sleeping-accommodation in the city.

_Yoma_, fol. 21, col. 1.

Tradition teaches that Rabbi Yossi said:--The Shechinah has never
descended below, nor did Moses and Elijah ever ascend on high; for it is
said (Ps. cxv. 16), "The heavens, even the heavens, are the Lords; but
the earth hath he given to the children of men." True, it is written, he
admitted (Exod. xix. 20), "And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai;" but
that, he remarked, was ten handbreadths above the summit. And true, too,
is it written (Zech. xiv. 4), "And His feet shall stand in that day upon
the Mount of Olives;" but that, too, he added, is ten handbreadths above
it. And so, in like manner, Moses and Elijah halted ten handbreadths
from heaven.

_Succah_, fol. 5, col. 1.

What entitles a place to rank as a large town? When there are in it ten
unemployed men. Should there be fewer than that number, it is to be
looked upon as a village.

_Meggillah_, fol. 3, col. 2.

In places where there are not ten Batlanim, men of leisure, that
is, men always free to be present at every synagogue service, a
minyan (number) has to be hired for the purpose. The notion that
ten constitutes a congregation is based on the authority of Num.
xiv, 27, "How long shall I bear with this congregation?" As the
term "congregation" here refers to the ten spies who brought the
evil report, it is concluded forsooth that ten men, and never
less, is the orthodox minimum for a congregation.

Ten lights, said he, could not extinguish one; how shall one extinguish
ten?

Ibid., fol. 16, col. 2.

These words are said to have been spoken by Joseph to his
brethren, who, after the death of their father Jacob, feared
lest Joseph should revenge himself upon them (Gen. l. 21). The
Midrash and the Targums as usual furnish much additional
information.

Rav Assi said:--Nowadays, if a Gentile should betroth a Jewess, there is
reason for regarding the betrothal as not therefore invalid, for he may
be a descendant of the ten tribes,