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Walking farther they said:" We smell the pots boiling 400miles off in Judaea." He replied," you are too clever for me,your God cannot stand you and how can I?" He broughtthem home and his mother killed a she- lamb and placed itbefore them and gave them wine to drink." One said tothe other" This flesh smells of the dog and the wine of thecorpse." The man asked his mother if this was so and sheexplained that this lamb had been suckled by a bitch andthe vine had grown on the grave of his father. After theyhad eaten the man began to dance and they said" That isan illegitimate child." He frightened his mother and sheowned that she had once made a mistake with a dancerand then he came back and said unto them" Blessed is theLord who has selected the seed of Abraham and has giventhem of his wisdom. Wherever you go you will be themasters of your master." And he gave them gifts and setthem free and they returned to their own country.

52. The Rabbis Huna and Hisda refused at the beginning tobe polite to Gniba. He approached them and saluted themhumbly and twice he called them kings. Asked for reasonfor this kind of salutation, he quoted the opinion of somescholars and showed by doing so his acquaintance withstudy and learning, that scholars ought to be called kingsand following biblical example the salutation must be re-peated.

53. R. Shela beat a man who commited sin with an heathen.He was denounced to the king, but he escaped punishmentand obtained a high position through his interpretation of thewords:" Thine, O Lord is the greatness& c." as meaning thatHe had given power and judgment to earthly kings forthey are called upon to sit in judgment.

54. Proklos b. Filoslos asks R. Gamliel why does not Goddestroy the idols. The Rabbi replies" If a man calls a dogby the name of his father, will the father be angry withthe son or with the dog?" Proklos says" Well if a townburns and the temple of the idol remains, is not that aproof that it has power?" The reply is" Does a king fight