Sanhedrin, fol. 18, col. 1.

Once upon a time the people of Egypt appeared before Alexander of Macedon to complain of Israel.  “It is said (Exod. xii. 36), they argued, ’The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them,’ etc.;” and they prayed, “Give us now back the gold and the silver that ye took from us.”  Givia ben Pesisa said to the wise men (of Israel), “Give me permission to plead against them before Alexander.  If they overcome me, say, ’You have overcome a plebeian only,’ but if I overcome them, say, ’The law of Moses our master has triumphed over you.’” They accordingly gave him leave, and he went and argued thus, “Whence do ye produce your proof?” “From the law,” said they.  Then said he, “I will bring no other evidence but from the law.  It is said (Exod. xii. 40), ’The sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.’  Pay us now the usufruct of the labor of the sixty myriads whom ye enslaved in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years.”  Alexander gave the Egyptians three days’ grace to prepare a reply, but they never put in an appearance.  In fact, they fled away and left both their fields and vineyards.

Ibid., fol. 91, col. 1.

“And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you” (Exod. xviii. 10).  A tradition says, in the name of Rabbi Papyes, “Shame upon Moses and upon the sixty myriads (of Israel), because they had not said, ‘Blessed be the Lord,’ till Jethro came and set the example.”

Sanhedrin, fol. 94, col. 1.

“And let him dip his foot in oil” (Deut. xxxiii. 24), the Rabbis say, refers to the portion of Asher, which produces oil like a well.  Once on a time, they relate, the Laodiceans sent an agent to Jerusalem with instructions to purchase a hundred myriads’ worth of oil.  He proceeded first to Tyre, and thence to Gush-halab, where he met with the oil merchant earthing up his olive trees, and asked him whether he could supply a hundred myriads’ worth of oil.  “Stop till I have finished my work,” was the reply.  The other, when he saw the business-like way in which he set to work, could not help incredulously exclaiming, “What! hast thou really a hundred myriads’ worth of oil to sell?  Surely the Jews have meant to make game of me.”  However he went to the house with the oil merchant, where a female slave brought hot water for him to wash his hands and feet, and a golden bowl of oil to dip them in afterward, thus fulfilling Deut. xxxiii. 24 to the very letter.  After they had eaten together, the merchant measured out to him the hundred myriads’ worth of oil, and then asked whether he would purchase more from him.  “Yes,” said the agent, “but I have no more money here with me.”  “Never mind,” said the merchant; “buy it and I will go with thee to thy home for the money.”  Then he measured out eighteen myriads’ worth more.  It is said that he hired every horse, mule,