Living for a Change Study Guide - Part 1: Portraits of Change
Gleanings from the Sages
Said R. Eleazar, “In three places the Holy Spirit made an appearance: at the court of Shem, at the court of Samuel in Ramah, and at the court of Solomon.
MM R. Pinhas b. Yair says, “Heedfulness leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to cleanness, cleanness leads to abstinence, abstinence leads to holiness, holiness leads to modesty, modesty leads to the fear of sin, the fear of sin leads to piety, piety leads to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead,
The story is told of Rabban Gamaliel, who was riding on his ass and was going on the road from Acre to Akhzib, and Tabi, his servant, was walking in front of him, and R. Ilai was walking behind him.
E. He found a loaf of cheap bread on the road. He said to Ilai, “Take the loaf.”
F. He saw a gentile coming toward him. He said to him, “Mabgai, Mabgai, take this loaf of bread from Ilai.”
G. R. Ilai engaged with him. He said to him, “What is your name?”
H. He said to him, “Mabgai.”
I. “And where do you come from?”
J. “From one of the [nearby] station-keeper’s villages.”
K. “Now did Rabban Gamaliel ever in your whole life meet you?”
L. He said to him, “No.”
M. At that moment we learned that Rabban Gamaliel was able to discover matters through the Holy Spirit.
II.6 A. Our rabbis have taught on Tannaite authority:
B. Who recited this Hallel [Ps. 113–118]?
C. R. Eliezer says, “Moses and Israel said it at the time that they stood at the sea. They said, ‘Not unto us, not unto us’ (Ps. 115:1), and the Holy Spirit responded, ‘For my own sake will I do it’ (Isa. 48:11).”
D. R. Judah says, “Joshua and Israel said it when the kings of Canaan attacked them. They said, ‘Not unto us, not unto us’ (Ps. 115:1), and the Holy Spirit responded, ‘For my own sake will I do it’ (Isa. 48:11).”
E. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “Deborah and Barak said it when Sisera attacked them. They said, ‘Not unto us, not unto us’ (Ps. 115:1), and the Holy Spirit responded, ‘For my own sake will I do it’ (Isa. 48:11).”
F. R. Eleazar b. Azariah says, “Hezekiah and his allies said it when Sennacherib attacked them. They said, ‘Not unto us, not unto us’ (Ps. 115:1), and the Holy Spirit responded, ‘For my own sake will I do it’ (Isa. 48:11).”
G. R. Aqiba says, “Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah said it when Nebuchadnezzar the wicked attacked them. They said, ‘Not unto us, not unto us’ (Ps. 115:1), and the Holy Spirit responded, ‘For my own sake will I do it’ (Isa. 48:11).”
H. R. Yosé the Galilean says, “Mordecai and Esther said it when Haman the wicked attacked them. They said, ‘Not unto us, not unto us’ (Ps. 115:1), and the Holy Spirit responded, ‘For my own sake will I do it’ (Isa. 48:11).”
I. And sages say, “The prophets among them ordained that the Israelites should say it at every turning point and on the occasion of every sorrow—may such not come upon them, and when they are redeemed, they are to recite it in thanks for their redemption.
H. An objection was raised: To any priest who does not speak through the Holy Spirit and upon him the Presence of God does not rest, they do not bring an inquiry. For lo, he asked Zadoq and things worked out, then he asked Abiathar and things did not work out for him, as it is said, ‘And Abiathar went up’ (2 Sam. 15:24).”
H. An objection was raised: To any priest who does not speak through the Holy Spirit and upon him the Presence of God does not rest, they do not bring an inquiry. For lo, he asked Zadoq and things worked out, then he asked Abiathar and things did not work out for him, as it is said, ‘And Abiathar went up’ (2 Sam. 15:24).”
Sages gathered together in the upper room of the house of Guria in Jericho, and a heavenly echo came forth and said to them, “There is a man among you who is worthy to receive the Holy Spirit, but his generation is unworthy of such an honor.” They all set their eyes upon Hillel, the elder.
The four Gospels agree in saying that when Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit in the shape of a dove came down from the opening heaven and rested upon him. The phraseology of the passages, especially in Luke, shows that this description was not meant symbolically, as Cony-beare (“Expositor,” iv., ix. 455) assumes, following Alexandrian views (comp. Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 4:33; and Hastings, “Dict. Bible,” ii. 406a). This idea of a dove-like form is found in Jewish literature also. The phrase in Cant. 2:12, “the voice of the dove” (A. V. “turtle”), is translated in the Targum “the voice of the Holy Spirit.” The passage in Gen. 1:2, “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters,” is interpreted by Ben Zoma (c. 100) to mean, “As a dove that hovers above her brood without touching it” (Ḥag. 15a). As the corresponding passage in the Palestinian Talmud (Ḥag. 77b, above) mentions the eagle instead of the dove, the latter is perhaps not named here with reference to the Holy Spirit. A teacher of the Law heard in a ruin a kind of voice (“bat ḳol”) that complained like a dove: “Wo to the children, because of whose sins I have destroyed my house” (Ber. 3a, below). Evidently God Himself, or rather the Holy Spirit, is here referred to as cooing like a dove (comp. Abbot, “From Letter to Spirit,” pp. 106–135
God is about to transform the inert, disorganized matter, to affect it by His presence, to animate it with His spirit.
A History of the Holy Spirit
MM R. Pinhas b. Yair says, “Heedfulness leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to cleanness, cleanness leads to abstinence, abstinence leads to holiness, holiness leads to modesty, modesty leads to the fear of sin, the fear of sin leads to piety, piety leads to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead, and the resurrection of the dead