Ibid., fol. 31, col. 1.
God is said to have prevaricated in making peace between Abraham and Sarah, which is not so surprising; for while one Rabbi teaches that prevarication is under certain circumstances allowable, another asserts it absolutely as a duty; for it is written (1 Sam. xvi. 2), "And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord."
Yevamoth, fol. 65, col. 2.
This teaching may be easily matched by parallels from heathen literature, but we have room only for two or three examples:—Maximus Tyrius says, "There is nothing (essentially) decorous in truth, yea, truth is sometimes hurtful and lying profitable." Darius is represented by Herodotus (Book iii., p. 191) as saying, "When telling falsehood is profitable, let it be told." Menander says, "A lie is better than an annoying truth."
God utters a curse against those who remain single after they are twenty years of age; and those who marry at sixteen please him, and those who do so at fourteen still more.
Kiddushin, fol. 29, col. 2.
Elijah binds and God flogs the man who marries an unsuitable wife.
Ibid., fol. 70, col. 1.
God acknowledges His weakness in argument, "My children have vanquished me! my children have vanquished me!" He exclaims. "They have defeated me in argument."
Bava Metzia, fol. 59, col. 2.