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Text Excerpt
שנאמר: ״פעלתי השמיני״, וכתיב ״כי ברכו אלהים״. ״כל אלה מבני עבד אדם המה ובניהם ואחיהם איש חיל בכח לעבדה ששים ושנים לעבד אדם״.
as it is stated: “And Oved-edom had sons…Peulletai the 8th,” and in the continuation of the same verse it is written: “For God blessed him” (I Chronicles 26:4–5); apparently, these 8 children were the blessing, as it is stated: “All these were of the sons of Oved-edom; they and their sons and their brothers, able men in strength for the service; 62 of Oved-edom” (I Chronicles 26:8). Each of the 9 women gave birth to 6 sons, for a total of 54. If one adds the original 8, there were 62 altogether.
אמר רבי אבין הלוי: כל הדוחק את השעה — שעה דוחקתו. וכל הנדחה מפני השעה — שעה נדחת מפניו.
R' Avin HaLevi said: If one forces the moment and attempts to take advantage of an undeserved opportunity, the moment forces him and he is pushed aside. If one yields to the moment and relinquishes an opportunity that presents itself, the moment yields to him.
מדרבה ורב יוסף. דרב יוסף סיני ורבה עוקר הרים, אצטריכא להו שעתא. שלחו להתם: סיני ועוקר הרים, איזה מהם קודם? שלחו להו: סיני קודם, שהכל צריכין למרי חטיא. אף על פי כן לא קבל עליו רב יוסף, דאמרי ליה כלדאי: מלכת תרתין שנין.
This may be derived from an incident involving Rabba and Rav Yosef, as Rav Yosef was Sinai, extremely erudite, and Rabba was one who uproots mountains, extremely sharp. The moment arrived when they were needed; one of them was to be chosen as head of the yeshiva. They sent the following question there, to the rabbis of Eretz Yisrael: Which takes precedence, Sinai or one who uproots mountains? They sent to them in response: Sinai takes precedence, for everyone needs the owner of the wheat, one who is expert in the sources. Nevertheless, Rav Yosef did not accept the appointment, as the Chaldean astrologers told him: You will preside as head of the yeshiva for two years.