Rabbi Achiya, the son of Abah, said, “I sojourned once in Ludik, and was entertained by a certain wealthy man on the Sabbath day.  The table was spread with a sumptuous repast, and the dishes were of silver and gold.  Before making a blessing over the meal the master of the house said, ‘Unto the Lord belongeth the earth, with all that it contains.’  After the blessing he said, ’The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth hath He given to the children of men.’  I said to my host, ’I trust you will excuse me, my dear sir, if I take the liberty of asking you how you have merited this prosperity?’ He answered, ’I was formerly a butcher, and I always selected the finest cattle to be killed for the Sabbath, in order that the people might have the best meat on that day.  To this, I believe firmly, I owe my prosperity.’  I replied, ’Blessed be the Lord, that He hath given thee all this.’”

The Governor Turnusrupis once asked Rabbi Akiba, “What is this day you call the Sabbath more than any other day?” The Rabbi responded, “What art thou more than any other person?” “I am superior to others,” he replied, “because the emperor has appointed me governor over them.”

Then said Akiba, “The Lord our God, who is greater than your emperor, has appointed the Sabbath day to be holier than the other days.”

When man leaves the synagogue for his home an angel of good and an angel of evil accompany him.  If he finds the table spread in his house, the Sabbath lamps lighted, and his wife and children in festive garments ready to bless the holy day of rest, then the good angel says:—­

“May the next Sabbath and all thy Sabbaths be like this.  Peace unto this dwelling, peace;” and the angel of evil is forced to say, “Amen!”

But if the house is not ready, if no preparations have been made to greet the Sabbath, if no heart within the dwelling has sung, “Come, my beloved, to meet the bride; the presence of the Sabbath let us receive;” then the angel of evil speaks and says:—­

“May all thy Sabbaths be like this;” and the weeping angel of goodness, responds, “Amen!”

Samson sinned against the Lord through his eyes, as it is written, “I have seen a woman of the daughters of the Philistines....  This one take for me, for she pleaseth in my eyes.”  Therefore through his eyes was he punished, as it is written, “And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes.”

Abshalom was proud of his hair.  “And like Abshalom there was no man as handsome in all Israel, so that he was greatly praised; from the sole of his foot up to the crown of his head there was no blemish on him.  And when he shaved off the hair of his head, and it was at the end of every year that he shaved it off, because it was too heavy on him so that he had to shave it off, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels by the king’s weight.”  Therefore by his hair was he hanged.

Miriam waited for Moses one hour (when he was in the box of bulrushes).  Therefore the Israelites waited for Miriam seven days, when she became leprous.  “And the people did not set forward until Miriam was brought in again.”