for the Mishna;” Rabbi Yochanan chiming in with “even from Talmud to Talmud;” as if to say, “And he who turns from the Babli to the Yerushalmi, even he shall have no peace.”  If we refer to the Mishna (chap. 1, hal. 7) of Berachoth in the last-named Talmud, we read there that Rabbi Tarphon, bent, while on a journey, on reading the Shema according to the school of Shammai, ran the risk of falling into the hands of certain banditti whom he had not noticed near him.  “It would have served you right,” remarked one, “because you did not follow the rule of Hillel.”  In the Gemara to this passage Rabbi Yochanan says, “The words of the scribes are more highly valued than the words of the law, for, as Rabbi Yuda remarks, ’If Rabbi Tarphon had not read the Shema at all he would only have broken a positive command,’ but since he transgressed the rule of Hillel he was guilty of death, for it is written, ’He who breaks down a hedge (the Rabbinic hedge to the law, of course), a serpent shall bite him’” (Eccles. x. 8).  Then Rabbi Chanina, the son of Rabbi Ana, in the name of Rabbi Tanchum, the son of Rabbi Cheyah, says, “The words of the elders are more important than the words of the prophets.”  A prophet and an elder, whom do they resemble?  They are like two ambassadors sent by a king to a province.  About the one he sends word saying, “If he does not present credentials with my signature and seal, trust him not;” whereas the other is accredited without any such token; for in regard to the prophet it is written (Deut. xiii. 2), “He giveth thee a sign or token;” while in reference to the elders it is written (Deut. xvii. 11), “According to the decision which they may say unto thee shalt thou do; thou shalt not depart from the sentence which they may tell thee, to the right or to the left.”  Rashi’s comment on this text is worth notice:  “Even when they tell thee that right is left and left is right.”  In a word, a wise man (i.e., a Rabbi) is better than a prophet. (Bava Bathra fol. 12, col. 1.)

Oved, the Galilean, has expounded that there are thirteen vavs (i.e., the letter vav occurs thirteen times) in connection with wine. Vav in Syriac means woe.

Sanhedrin fol. 70, col. 1.

The Rabbis have a curious Haggada respecting the origin of the culture of the vine.  Once while Noah was hard at work breaking up the fallow ground for a vineyard, Satan drew near and inquired what he was doing.  On ascertaining that the patriarch was about to cultivate the grape, which he valued both for its fruit and its juice, he at once volunteered to assist him at his task, and began to manure the soil with the blood of a lamb, a lion, a pig, and a monkey.  “Now,” said he, when his work was done, “of those who taste the juice of the grape, some will become meek and gentle as the lamb, some bold and fearless as the lion, some foul and beastly as the pig, and others frolicsome and lively as the monkey.”