רָאִיתִי אֶת הָעִנְיָן, אָמַר רַבִּי אַיְּבוּ זֶה שִׁפּוּטוֹ שֶׁל מָמוֹן, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַיְּבוּ אֵין אָדָם יוֹצֵא מִן הָעוֹלָם וַחֲצִי תַאֲוָתוֹ בְּיָדוֹ, אֶלָּא אִם אִית לֵיהּ מֵאָה בָּעֵי דְּיַעַבְדוּן תַּרְתֵּי מְאָה, וּמַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ תַּרְתֵּי מְאָה בָּעֵי דְּיַעַבְדוּן אַרְבָּעָה. לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אִם זָכָה אוֹתוֹ אָדָם וְעָשָׂה מִמָּמוֹנוֹ מִצְווֹת וּמִתְפַּלֵּל וְנַעֲנָה בּוֹ הֵיאךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (בראשית ל, לג): וְעָנְתָה בִּי צִדְקָתִי וגו', וְאִם לָאו הוּא עוֹנֶה בּוֹ וּמְקַטְרְגוֹ, דִּכְתִיב (דברים יט, טז): לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ סָרָה. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר זֶה שִׁפּוּטוֹ שֶׁל גָּזֵל, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מָשָׁל לִסְאָה מְלֵאָה עֲוֹנוֹת, מִי הוּא מְקַטְרֵג רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁבְּכֻלָּן גָּזֵל, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן (עמוס ט, א): וּבְצָעַם בְּרֹאשׁ כֻּלָּם. רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ בְּעִנְיַן עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וְגִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, אֵין לְךָ קָשֶׁה שֶׁבְּכֻלָּן אֶלָּא גָּזֵל. רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אַחָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע חַטָּאוֹת סִדֵּר יְחֶזְקֵאל וּמִכֻלָּן לֹא חָתַם אֶלָּא בְּגָזֵל, דִּכְתִיב (יחזקאל כב, יג): וְהִנֵּה הִכֵּיתִי כַפִּי אֶל בִּצְעֵךְ וגו'. רַבִּי חוּנְיָא פָּתַר קְרָיָיה בִּנְבִיאִים וּבִכְתוּבִים, שֶׁאִלּוּ זָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא הָיוּ קוֹרִין אֶלָּא חֲמִשָּׁה חֻמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, חֲמִשָּׁה סְפָרִים בִּלְבָד, וּכְלוּם נִתְּנוּ לָהֶם נְבִיאִים וּכְתוּבִים אֶלָּא שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְגֵעִין בָּהֶם וּבַתּוֹרָה וְעוֹשִׂים מִצְווֹת וּצְדָקוֹת כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם שָׂכָר טוֹב. רַבָּנָן אָמְרִין אַף עַל פִּי כֵן לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ, מְקַבְּלִין עֲלֵיהֶם שָׂכָר כַּחֲמִשָּׁה סִפְרֵי תּוֹרָה. רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ אָמַר זֶה שִׁפּוּטָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, שֶׁאָדָם לוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה וּשְׁכֵחָהּ. רַבָּנָן דְּתַמָּן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יִצְחָק דְּהָכָא, וְרַבִּי טוֹבְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יִצְחָק, לְטוֹבָתוֹ אָדָם לוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה וְשָׁכֵחַ, שֶׁאִלּוּ הָיָה אָדָם לוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה וְלֹא שָׁכֵחַ, הָיָה מִתְעַסֵּק בַּתּוֹרָה שְׁתַּיִם שָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים וְחוֹזֵר וּמִתְעַסֵּק בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ וְלֹא הָיָה מַשְׁגִּיחַ בָּהּ לְעוֹלָם כָּל יָמָיו, אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁאָדָם לוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה וּמְשַׁכְּחָהּ אֵינוֹ מֵזִיז וְאֵינוֹ מֵזִיעַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרִין זֶה שִׁפּוּטוֹ שֶׁל גָּזֵל, תֵּדַע שֶׁהוּא כֵן שֶׁהֲרֵי דוֹרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ עֲסוּקִין וּשְׁטוּפִין בְּגָזֵל, הֵאיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (איוב כד, ב): גְּבֻלוֹת יַשִֹּׂיגוּ עֵדֶר גָּזְלוּ וַיִּרְעוּ, רְאֵה כִּי נִמְחוּ בַּמַּיִם מִן הָעוֹלָם, אֲבָל שֵׁבֶט רְאוּבֵן וְגָד שֶׁהִרְחִיקוּ עַצְמָן מִן הַגָּזֵל, לְפִיכָךְ נָתַן לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נַחֲלָה בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ גָּזָל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לב, א): וְהִנֵּה הַמָּקוֹם מְקוֹם מִקְנֶה, וְכֵן מַמְהִיר שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר מִיל עַל שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר מִיל,
“I have seen the matters that God has given to the sons of men, in which to engage” (Ecclesiastes 3:10). “I have seen the matters” – this is the pursuit of property, as Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Aivu: A person does not leave the world having achieved even half of his desire; rather, if he has one hundred, he wishes to turn them into two hundred. If he has two hundred, he wishes to turn them into four [hundred]. “In which to engage” – Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi: If a person was privileged and used his property for mitzvot, [when] he prays he will be answered [na’aneh]. That is what is said: “My righteousness [tzidkati] will bear witness [ve’anta] for me” (Genesis 30:33). If not, it will bear witness against him and prosecute him, as it is written: “To testify [la’anot] maliciously against him” (Deuteronomy 19:16). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This is the pursuit of robbery, as Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: This is analogous to a se’a measure filled with iniquities; which is the first of them to prosecute? It is robbery, as Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: “And shatter [uvtza’am] the head of them all” (Amos 9:1). Rabbi Pinḥas [said] in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Although they were involved with idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed, the most severe of them all is nothing other than robbery. Rabbi Yaakov [said] in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Ezekiel enumerated twenty-four sins, and he concluded with none other than robbery; that is what is written: “I have struck My hand because of the ill-gotten gain that you acquired…” (Ezekiel 22:13). Rabbi Ḥunya interpreted the verse regarding the Prophets and Writings, as had Israel merited, they would read only the five books of the Torah, just five books. The books of the Prophets and Writings were given to them only so they would exert themselves in their study and in the Torah, and perform mitzvot and acts of righteousness, in order to receive a proper reward. The Rabbis say: Even so, “in which to engage,” – they receive reward for them, as they do for the five books of the Torah. Rabbi Abbahu said: This is the pursuit of Torah, for a person studies Torah and forgets it. The Rabbis there, in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak from here, and Rabbi Tovya in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: It is for his own good that a person studies Torah and forgets, as were a person to study Torah and not forget it, one would engage in Torah study two or three years and would return to engage in his labor and never pay attention to it [again] for the rest of his life. Rather, because a person studies Torah and forgets it, he does not move or remove himself from matters of Torah. The Rabbis say: This is the pursuit of robbery. Know that it is so, as the earlier generations, because they were engaged and steeped in robbery, as it is stated: “They trespass, and flocks they steal and graze” (Job 24:2) – see that they were eliminated from the world through water. But the tribes of Reuben and Gad, who distanced themselves from robbery; therefore, the Holy One blessed be He gave them their inheritance in a place where there is no robbery, as it is stated: Behold, the place is a place of livestock…” (Numbers 32:1). Likewise, from Mahir, where there was sixteen mil by sixteen mil.