49 from the right earlock of the great teacher In Lurianic Kabbalah, the earlocks are metaphysical signifiers, the right one associated with the holy and the mystical, the left one with the mundane and the philosophical. Thus is Naḥmanides, a kabbalist, privileged over Maimonides. See Shiloh, Hakabbalah biyetsirat Shai ‘Agnon, pp. 226–228.
50 Gates of Light Sha‘arei ’orah, a kabbalistic treatise by Joseph ben Abraham Gikatilla (1248–ca. 1305), Fifth Gate, Sixth Sphere.
50 Midrash ha-ne‘elam The Esoteric Midrash — a kabbalistic text inserted into the main text of the Zohar.
50 Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer A late rabbinic midrash on Genesis, Exodus, and other parts of the Bible. It is ascribed to R. Eliezer ben Hyrcanus (late first, early second century) but is dated to the seventh or eighth century. The reference here is to the explication of Genesis 32:27ff. in chapter 37.
50 his fragrance rubbed off on my hand Talmudic tractate Zevaḥim 96b. The folk saying conveys the idea that one acquires luster through association with an eminent person.
51 knows its own bitterness Proverbs 14:10.
51 the reward of humility is grace An adaptation of Proverbs 22:4.
51 to the children of Israel Leviticus 23:44.
52 and your father’s house Psalm 45:11.
52 never laid eyes on Despite the centrality of Torah study, full sets of the Babylonian Talmud were not then necessarily widely available because of the cost. It is, therefore, not unimaginable for someone not to have seen ‘Eruvin, which is not among the more commonly learned talmudic tractates. The tractate deals with the laws of ‘eruv, the halakhic extension of private property into the public domain so as to permit one to carry objects within it on the Sabbath, which would otherwise be forbidden.
52 could view the minor tractates Tractates of rabbinic teachings on subjects not treated in the Mishnah. They are usually included at the back of some volumes in printed editions of the Babylonian Talmud.
52 weekly Torah portion was Yitro Exodus 18–20. The Decalogue is at 20:1–14.
52 the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 5:6–18, the second iteration of the Decalogue in the Pentateuch.
53 with their children forever Deuteronomy 5:26.
54 how feeble our strength Jeremiah 51:30.
54 study its ways and learn Proverbs 30:25 and 6:6.
54 who dwell in your House Psalm 84:2–5.
54 will die with my nest Job 29:18.
54 all the days of my life Psalm 23:6.
54 would only cite Rabbi Ibn Ezra Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089–1164), Spanish grammarian and Bible commentator.
54 the Radak Rabbi David Kimḥi (1160–1235), Provençal grammarian and Bible commentator.
55 who have been banished Psalm 113:3 and 2 Samuel 14:14.
55 passing shadow Psalm 144:4.
56 and trample My courts Isaiah 1:12.
56 who call upon him in truth Psalm 145:18.
57 blame will not be lacking An adaptation of Proverbs 10:19 Where there is much talk, there is no lack of transgression.
57 afflicted, downtrodden, and hurting Talmudic tractate Yevamot 47a.
57 will put an end to words Job 18:1.
57 full-day fast of silence The practice of a “fast of speech,” Ta’anit dibbur, arose only in early modern times as a penance and as a means to achieve greater spiritual elevation. It is not ordained biblically or rabbinically. The time for which it was undertaken varied, and during it the practitioner either kept silent or spoke only about Torah matters.
58 between His shoulders Deuteronomy 33:12.
58 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf Genesis 49:27.
58–59 sit alone and keep silent Lamentations 3:28.
60 to make up the loss Moses Isserles (Rama), citing ’Or Zaru‘a in Shulḥan Arukh, ’Or hahayyim 135:2.
60 moment of truth After 2 Chronicles 32:1.
60 charges with folly Job 4:18.
61 utters in Perek Shira Perek Shira (Passages of Praise) is a poemlike collection of biblical and talmudic verses of praise to God placed in the figurative mouths of the heavenly bodies; the elements of the natural world; the various members of the vegetable, animal, bird, and insect kingdoms; and, as indicated here, Gehinnom. The text appears in authoritative editions of the prayerbook but is not part of the liturgy. Author and date are unknown, but the work may go back to talmudic times.
61 from one end of the world to the other Otzar hamidrashim, Gan ‘Eden/Gehinnom no. 32.
61 rest on that day Otzar hamidrashim, ‘Aseret hadibrot no. 10.
61 judged for twelve months Mishnah ‘Eduyot 2.10.
61 does not descend again Babylonian Talmud tractate Shabbat 153a.
61 fiery glow of Gehinnom Talmudic tractate Ḥagigah 27a.
62 ascribe truth to Jacob Micah 7:20.
63 from the commandment to study Torah Agnon cites this teaching in his Sefer sippur vesofer (p. 105, 108 in new ed.), citing Nathan ben Isaac Jacob Bonn’s Shikḥehat leket (Amsterdam, 1700), who attributes it to the Sodei razaya of Eliezer of Worms (ca. 1176–1238, author of the Rokeah).
64 blessings on behalf of each individual At the conclusion of each section of the Torah reading (aliyah), the gabbai recites a blessing on behalf of the person called to the Torah for that section, as well as for his wife, family, and any other individuals he chooses to name. The blessing includes the sum of money the person stipulates to the gabbai as his pledge to the synagogue for the honor of having been called to the Torah reading.
65 gematria calculation Gematria involves adding up the numerical value of each letter of the Hebrew alphabet (alef = 1, bet = 2, etc.). Eighteen is the numerical value of the two letters in the word ḥai, the Hebrew word for life; twenty-six is the numerical value of the four letters of the Tetragrammaton.
65 beats her laundry to get the water out The term is probably related to pralnia, the Polish word for laundry.
65 as I have told elsewhere See ‘Ir umelo’ah, pp. 1ff. and 15.
65 Rabbi Meshullam ben Kalonymus Rabbi Gershom (ca. 960–1028) and Rabbi Shimon (ca. 925–1010) were important rabbinical authorities in Mainz, a major Jewish community in the medieval Rhineland (Ashkenaz). Rabbi Meshullam ben Kalonymus (Italy, mid-tenth century) was a Talmudist and liturgical poet who corresponded with Gershom and Shimon on halakhic and scientific matters.