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( 143.) 142. A man had three daughters, one thievish, onelazy and the third slanderous. A man asked for their handsfor his three sons although he knew of their vices. Theywere married. Once their father came to see them and thetwo first praised their father- in- law to him, but the thirdspoke very wickedly against him and to prove her in-sinuations she asked her father to hide himself in the room.When her father- in- law came in he embraced her as usualbut she said," You had better be careful my father is here."Her father hearing this misinterpreted the action of herfather- in- law and killed him. The sons rose up and killedthat man, and thus we see how an evil tongue kills manypeople.
( 144.) 143. Simeon b. Johai sent his son to the collegefor the scholars to bless him. They said," What thousowest thou shalt not reap, thou shalt bring in and not carryout; thou shalt carry out and not bring in; thy house shallbe destroyed but thy resting place shall be established; thytable shall be troubled and thou shalt not see the newyear." He thought that they had cursed him, but his fatherexplained it to him." Thou shalt have children and theyshall not die; thy table shall be troubled by the childrenaround it; thou shalt not see the new year, that is thy wifeshall not die and thou marry another; thou shalt bring indaughters- in- law as brides and thy sons shall live; thoushalt marry thy daughters out and their husbands shallnot die; thy house shall be destroyed, that means, this world,when thy resting place( hospice) in the world to come shallbe established".
( 146.) 145. A woman listened to R. Meir's expositionof the law. She was threatened by her husband to be sentaway unless she spat in the face of R. Meir. Hearing of it,R. Meir pretended that his eye was sore and asked her tospit seven times on it for a charm and he thus made peacebetween them.
( 147.) 146. Two of R. Meir's sons died on the Sabbath.Their father missed them in the Synagogue and when he re-
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