ue to the presence of
manifold contradictions.

_Psachim_. fol. 62, col. 2.

Egypt has an area of four hundred square miles.

Ibid., fol. 94, col. 1.

The Targum of the Pentateuch was executed by Onkelos the proselyte at
the dictation of Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua, and the Targum of the
prophets was executed by Jonathan ben Uzziel at the dictation of Haggai,
Zachariah, and Malachi (!), at which time the land of Israel was
convulsed over an area of four hundred square miles.

_Meggillah_, fol. 3, col. 1.

Mar Ukva was in the habit of sending on the Day of Atonement four
hundred zouzim to a poor neighbor of his. Once he sent the money by his
own son, who returned bringing it back with him, remarking, "There is no
need to bestow charity upon a man who, as I myself have seen, is able to
indulge himself in expensive old wine." "Well," said his father, "since
he is so dainty in his taste, he must have seen better days. I will
therefore double the amount for the future." And this accordingly he at
once remitted to him.

_Kethuboth_, fol. 67, col. 2.

"And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, ... ye shall carry
up my bones from hence" (Gen. l. 25). Rabbi Chanena said, "There is a
reason for this oath. As Joseph knew that he was perfectly righteous,
why then, if the dead are to rise in other countries as well as in the
land of Israel, did he trouble his brethren to carry his bones four
hundred miles?" The reply is, "He feared lest, if buried in Egypt, he
might have to worm his way through subterranean passages from his grave
into the land of Israel."

Ibid., fol. 111, col. 1.

To this day among the Polish Jews the dead are provided for
their long subterranean journey with little wooden forks, with
which, at the sound of the great trumpet, they are to dig and
burrow their way from where they happen to be buried till they
arrive in Palestine. To avoid this inconvenience there are some
among them who, on the approach of old age, migrate to the Holy
Land, that their bones may rest there against the morning of the
resurrection.

Rav Cahana was once selling ladies' baskets when he was exposed to the
trial of a sinful temptation. He pleaded with his tempter to let him off
and he promised to return, but instead of doing so he went up to the
roof of the house and threw himself down headlong. Before he reached the
ground, however, Elijah came and caught him, and reproached him