practice after meals when more than two
adult Jews were present, and the third to the dictatorial air
often assumed by the Rabbis.

Three things proceed by pre-eminence from God Himself:--Famine, plenty,
and a wise ruler. Famine (2 Kings viii. 2): "The Lord hath called for a
famine;" plenty (Ezek. xxxvi. 29): "I will call for corn and increase
it;" a wise ruler; for it is written (Exod. xxxi. 2), "I have called by
name Bezaleel." Rabbi Yitzchak says, "A ruler is not to be appointed
unless the community be first consulted. God first consulted Moses, then
Moses consulted the nation concerning the appointment of Bezaleel."

Ibid., fol. 55, col. 1.

Three dreams come to pass:--That which is dreamed in the morning; that
which is also dreamed by one's neighbor; and a dream which is
interpreted within a dream; to which some add, one that is dreamed by
the same person twice; as it is written (Gen. xli. 32), "And for that
the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice."

Ibid., fol. 55, col. 2.

Three things tranquilize the mind of man:--Melody, scenery, and sweet
odor. Three things develop the mind of man:--A fine house, a handsome
wife, and elegant furniture.

Ibid., fol. 57, col. 2.

The Rabbis have taught that there are three sorts of dropsy:--Thick,
resulting from sin; bloated, in consequence of insufficient food; and
thin, due to sorcery.

_Shabbath_, fol. 33, col. 1.

These three grow stronger as they grow older:--The fish, the serpent,
and the pig.

Ibid., fol. 77, col. 2.

It were better to cut the hands off than to touch the eye, or the nose,
or the mouth, or the ear, etc., with them without having first washed
them. Unwashed hands may cause blindness, deafness, foulness of breath,
or a polypus. It is taught that Rabbi Nathan has said, "The evil spirit
Bath Chorin, which rests upon the hands at night, is very strict; he
will not depart till water is poured upon the hands three times over."

Ibid. fol. 109, col. 1.

The great importance of this ceremonial washing of the hands
will appear from the following anecdote, which we quote
_verbatim_ from another part of the Talmud:--"It happened once,
as the Rabbis teach, that Rabbi Akiva was immured in a prison,
and Yehoshua Hagarsi was his attendant. One day the gaoler said
to the latter as he entered, 'What a lot of water thou hast
brought to-day! Dost thou need it to sap the walls of the
prison?' So saying, he seized the