Shmuel's sharecropper brought to him dates. Shmuel tasted wine in them, and asked why.

The sharecropper: The trees are between vines.

Shmuel: They are weakening the vines. Uproot them!

Rav Chisda saw date trees among his vines. He told his sharecropper to uproot them, because vines are more profitable than date trees.

(Mishnah): Even though the damager pays the victim, he must ask the victim for forgiveness - "return his (Avraham's) wife to him (and he will pray for you)".

If he does not forgive, he is cruel - "Avraham prayed... and Hash-m cured Avimelech..."

(If Reuven told Shimon) 'blind my eye', 'cut off my hand', (or) 'break my foot', and Shimon did so, he is liable, even if Reuven said 'on condition that you will be exempt';

If he said 'tear my garment' or 'break my jug', and Shimon did so, he is liable;

If he said 'on condition that you will be exempt', he is exempt.

If Reuven told Shimon to damage Levi's body or property, even if he said 'on condition that you will be exempt', Shimon is liable.

(Gemara - Beraisa): All the fixed payments (for Toke'a, slapping... - 90a) are only for embarrassment. For the anguish he caused, Korbanos cannot atone until he requests his forgiveness - "return the man's wife and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet."

Question: If he was not a prophet, would he not need to return his wife?!

Answer (R. Shmuel bar Nachmani): In any case, he must return his wife;

Avimelech argued "will you kill an innocent person? He said 'she is my sister...'" Hash-m responded "he is a prophet." Avraham had taught that when a guest comes to a city, people should ask whether he has to eat and drink, and not 'is the woman with you your wife or your sister?';

From here we learn that a Ben Noach is liable for not having learned what he should have learned.

(R. Elazar): The double expression "Ki Atzor Atzar" teaches that Hash-m had closed the place where a man emits semen, and where a woman emits semen (that she received from a man) and gives birth.

(Beraisa): It teaches that He had closed the place where a man emits semen and urine, and where a woman emits semen and urine and gives birth.

(Ravina): It teaches that the places of emission of semen, urine and excrement (in men and women) and birth (in women) were all closed.

(D'Vei R. Yanai): "(Had closed) every womb" - even hens of Avimelech's house did not lay eggs.

Question (Rava): Rabanan say that if Reuven prays for Shimon for something that Reuven himself needs, that Reuven will get it first. What is the source of this?

Answer #1 (Rabah bar Mari): "When Iyov prayed for his friend, Hash-m returned what Iyov had lost."

Answer #2 (Rava): "Avraham prayed... and Hash-m cured Avimelech and his wife and slaves... and Hash-m conferred (pregnancy) upon Sarah like He said" - like Avraham said about Avimelech.

Question (Rava): People say 'in uprooting the thorn, also the cabbage is stricken (uprooted - i.e. neighbors of the wicked suffer with the wicked).' What is the source of this?

Answer #1 (Rabah bar Mari): "Why do you quarrel with Me, you all sinned against Me" (even Tzadikim are included).

Answer #2 (Rava): "How long will you refuse to guard My Mitzvos?"

Question (Rava): "(Yosef) took some of his brothers, five men." Which did he take?

Answer (Rabah bar Mari citing R. Yochanan): He took the ones whose names were mentioned twice (in Moshe's Berachah, to strengthen them, for they were weak).

Question: Yehudah is mentioned twice (and he was the strongest)!

Answer: The extra mention was to remedy his problem;

(R. Shmuel bar Nachmani): "Reuven should live and not die... and this is to Yehudah" - all 40 years in the Midbar, Yehudah's bones were dissembled in his coffin (due to the excommunication he accepted on himself if he will not return Binyamin) until Moshe prayed for him;

Moshe: Yehudah (through admitting about Tamar) caused Reuven to admit (about Bilhah)!

(Moshe asked) "Hash-m, hear the voice of Yehudah" - Yehudah's bones assembled, but he could not enter the Heavenly Yeshivah.

"Bring him to his people" - (he entered), but he could not understand and debate with the Rabanan.

"His hands are great for him" - he could argue with them, but he did not merit that the Halachah follows him.

"And You will aid him from his opponents" - he merited that the Halachah follows him.

Question (Rava): People say that poverty breeds poverty. What is the source of this?

Answer #1 (Rabah bar Mari - Mishnah): The rich would bring Bikurim in gold and silver baskets (and take back the baskets). The poor would bring in wicker baskets, and the Kohanim kept the baskets.

Answer #2 (Rava): "He (the Metzora) will cry Tamei, Tamei" (he will increase his plight).

Question (Rava): Rabanan say 'rise early in summer and eat early, due to the sun, (eat early) in winter, due to the cold', and people say, '60 runners cannot catch one who eats bread in the morning.' What is the source of this?

Answer #1 (Rabah bar Mari): "They will not be hungry or thirsty, and heat and sun will not strike them (because they already ate)."

Answer #2 (Rava): "You will serve Hash-m" refers to saying "Shema Yisrael" and prayer in the morning. "And He will bless your bread and water" refers to (eating) bread with salt and a flask of water, after which "I will remove sickness from your midst."

Question (Rava): Rabanan say 'if your friend calls you a donkey, put a saddle on your back (admit to him).' What is the source of this?

Answer (Rabah bar Mari): "(The angel) said 'Hagar, slave of Sarai... she said 'from Sarai my master.'"

Question (Rava): People say 'first tell your detriment.' What is the source of this?

Answer (Rabah bar Mari): "He (Eliezer) said 'I am the slave of Avraham.'"

Question (Rava): People say 'a goose walks lowly, but its eyes look ahead (be humble, but ask what you need).' What is the source of this?

Answer (Rabah bar Mari): Avigayil told David "when Hash-m will do good to my master, you will remember your servant." (Her husband was alive at the time, and she proposed marrying David later.)

Question (Rava): People say 'if one hears another eat, but he does not eat, 60 pains befall his gums (Rashi; Tosfos - big teeth).' What is the source of this?

Answer #1 (Rabah bar Mari): "He (Adoniyahu) slaughtered flock and cattle and invited... and to me (Nasan) your servant... he did not call."

Answer #2 (Rava): "Yitzchak took Rivkah like a wife... and was consoled after his mother... and Avraham took Keturah like a wife."

Question (Rava): People say 'the wine belongs to the master, but people show appreciation to the waiter.' What is the source of this?

Answer (Rabah bar Mari): "Yehoshua bin Nun was full of a spirit of Chachmah because Moshe pressed his hands on him, and all of Bnei Yisrael listened to him." (Hash-m filled him with Chachmah, but the verse attributes it to Moshe.)

Question (Rava): People say that a dog will eat dung (Rashi - rocks) when hungry. What is the source of this?

Answer (Rabah bar Mari): "A satiated soul will trample the sweetest food, and everything is sweet to a hungry soul."

Question (Rava): People say 'a bad date tree strolls among barren trees (a parable for empty people).' What is the source of this?

Answer (Rabah bar Mari): We learn this from the Torah, the prophets, and the writings (Tosfos - of Ben Sira);

It says in the Torah "Esav went to Yishmael (married his daughter)";

It says in the prophets "empty people gathered to Yiftach";

It says in the writings 'every bird dwells with its species, and people with similar people.'

(Mishnah): Anything connected to something Tamei is Tamei. Anything connected to something Tahor is Tahor;

(Beraisa - R. Eliezer): The Zarzir (starling) does not dwell with the raven for no reason. It is the same species. (The Torah says "ha'Orev l'Minehu (and its related species)" to include it. Chachamim disagree and say that the Zarzir is a Tahor species - Chulin 62a.)

Question (Rava): People say 'if you called to your friend (to rebuke him) and he did not answer, leave him (to perish in his evil).' What is the source of this?

Answer (Rabah bar Mari): "Because I (Hash-m) (sought to) purify you and you did not purify from your Tum'ah, henceforth you will not be purified."

Question (Rava): People say 'if you drank from a pit, do not throw dirt in it.' What is the source of this?

Answer (Rabah bar Mari): "Do not despise a Mitzri, for you were a stranger in his land."

Question (Rava): People say 'I will bear the burden only if you bear with me.' What is the source of this?

Answer (Rabah bar Mari): Barak told Devorah that he will go (to fight against Sisera) only if she goes with him.

Question (Rava): People say 'when we were small, we were as important as adults. Now that we are mature, we are like children.' What is the source of this?

Answer (Rabah bar Mari): At first it says "Hash-m went in front of them during the day in a pillar of cloud... in a pillar of fire." Later, it says "I will send My angel in front of you."