EXOD223 Bar Kappara expounded: Greater is the "Creation" of the righteous [i.e., what is created by them] than the creation of heaven and earth. For in respect to the latter it is written (Isaiah 48:13): "My hand [singular], too, has founded the earth," whereas in relation to the "creation" of the righteous [i.e., the sanctuary] it is written: "the sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands [plural] have established" (Kethuvoth 5a)

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EXOD236 From here it was said: if one hears [i.e., accepts] one mitzvah, he is privileged to hear many mitzvot, as it is written: "If you hear, hear" (Mechilta)

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EXOD237 This refers to honesty in business dealings. We are hereby taught that all who are honest in business dealings are held in favor by their fellow men, and looked upon as if they were to have fulfilled the entire Torah (Mechilta).

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EXOD240 From here it is derived that if one occupies himself with Torah, afflictions depart from him (Berachoth 5a).

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EXOD257 Rebbi was sitting and expounding, when he smelled the smell of garlic; whereupon he said: "Whoever ate garlic, let him leave." R. Chiyya stood up and he left -- at which they all stood up and left! And where did R. Chiyya learn this [i.e., that this was the proper response (though he himself had not eaten the garlic)]? From: "Till when will you [i.e., all of the Jews] refuse ..." [The blame is being relegated to all of the Jews to save individual offenders from embarrassment] (Sanhedrin 11a]

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EXOD261 Now did Moses smite? Did not Aaron smite it? R. Avahu said: This teaches us that one who prompts his neighbor to the performance of a mitzvah is accounted by Scripture as the performer himself (Sanhedrin 99b).

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EXOD263 "Pick for me" is not written, but: "Pick for us," Moses placing Joshua on a par with himself. From here it is derived that a master's disciple should be as dear to him as himself (Mechilta).

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EXOD268 Had Moses no pillow to sit upon? He said: "If my fellow Jews are being afflicted, I shall share the affliction with them"-- whence it is derived that even one who is perfectly righteous must share in the lot of the many (Ta'anith 11a)

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EXOD274 It was taught: R. Eliezer says: The Holy One Blessed be He has sworn by His throne of glory that if one from among all the nations comes to convert, he is to be accepted; but if he is of Amalek and his progeny he is not to be accepted, as it is written: "From generation to generation" (Mechilta).

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EXOD280 I would not know who bowed down to whom, and who kissed whom, if not for the fact that it is written: "And a man inquired of the other's well-being." Who is called "a man"? Moses, as it is written (Numbers 12:3): "And the man, Moses, was exceedingly humble" -- whence it is seen that it was Moses, who bowed down to and kissed his father-in-law. From here is derived that one must be solicitous of the honor of his father-in-law (Mechilta).

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