Ibid., fol. 5, col. 2.

There are several reasons which may be adduced to account for Abba Benjamin’s anxiety, and they are all more or less connected with the important consequences which were supposed to depend upon determining his position with reference to the Shechinah, which rested in the east or the west.

Abba Benjamin felt anxious to have children, for “any man not having children is counted as dead,” as it is written (Gen. xxx. 1), “Give me children, or else I die.” (Nedarin, fol. 64, col. 2.)

With the Jew one great consideration of life is to have children, and more especially male children; because when a boy is born all rejoice over him, but over a girl they all mourn.  When a boy comes into the world he brings peace with him, and a loaf of bread in his hand, but a girl brings nothing. (Niddah, fol. 31, col. 2.)

    It is impossible for the world to be without males and females,
    but blessed is he whose children are boys, and hapless is he
    whose children are girls. (Kiddushin, fol. 82, col. 2.)

    Whosoever does not leave a son to be heir, God will heap wrath
    upon him. (Scripture is quoted in proof of this, compare Numb.
    xxvii. 8 with Zeph. i. 15.) (Bava Bathra, fol. 116, col. 1.)

“There are two ways before me, one leading into Paradise, the other into Hell.”  When Yochanan, the son of Zachai, was sick unto death, his disciples came to visit him; and when he saw them he wept, upon which his disciples exclaimed, “Light of Israel!  Pillar of the right!  Mighty Hammer! why weepest thou?” He replied, “If I were going to be led into the presence of a king, who is but flesh and blood, to-day here and to-morrow in the grave, whose anger with me could not last forever, whose sentence against me, were it even unto death, could not endure forever, and whom perhaps I might pacify with words or bribe with money, yet for all that should I weep; but now that I am about to enter the presence of the King of kings, the Holy One—­blessed be He forever and ever!—­whose anger would be everlasting, whose sentence of death or imprisonment admits of no reprieve, and who is not to be pacified with words nor bribed with money, and in whose presence there are two roads before me, one leading into Paradise and the other into Hell, and should I not weep?” Then prayed they him, and said, “Rabbi, give us thy farewell blessing;” and he said unto them, “Oh that the fear of God may be as much upon you as the fear of man.”

Berachoth, fol. 28, col. 2.

Rabbi Ami says, “Knowledge is of great price, for it is placed between two divine names, as it is written (I Sam. ii. 3), ’A God of knowledge is the Lord,’ and therefore mercy is to be denied to him who has no knowledge; for it is written (Isa. xxvii. 11), ’It is a people of no understanding, therefore He that hath made them will not have mercy on them.’”