. 2.

The land of Israel is in the future to be divided among thirteen tribes,
and not, as at first, among twelve.

_Bava Bathra_, fol. 122, col. 1.

Rabbi Abhu once complimented Rav Saphra before the Minim by singling him
out in their hearing as a man distinguished by his learning, and this
led them to exempt him from tribute for thirteen years. It so happened
that these Minim once posed Saphra about that which is written in Amos
iii. 2, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." "Ye say you are
God's friends, but when one has a friend does he pour out his wrath upon
him?" To this Rav Saphra make no reply. They then put a rope round his
neck and tormented him. When he was in this sorry plight, Rabbi Abhu
came up and inquired why they tormented him thus. To this they made
answer, "Didst thou not tell us that he was a very learned man, and he
does not even know how to explain a text of Scripture?" "Yes, I did so
say," replied Rabbi Abhu; "he is an adept in the Talmud only, but not in
the Scriptures." "Thou knowest the Scriptures;" they replied, "and why
ought he not to know them as well?" "I have daily intercourse with you,"
said the Rabbi, "and therefore I am obliged to study the Scriptures, but
he, having no intercourse with you, has no need to trouble himself, and
does not at all care about them."

_Avodah Zarah_, fol. 4, col. 1.

In order to understand aright the grounds on which Rabbi Abhu
would fain excuse Rav Saphra for not caring at all about the
Scriptures, certain passages from both Talmuds should be read,
which, in the usual metaphorical style of the Rabbis, set forth
the respective merits of Scripture and Tradition. The three
times three in Sophrim (chap. 15), in which the Scripture is
compared to water, the Mishna to wine, and the Gemara to mulled
wine, and that in which the Scripture is likened to salt, the
Mishna to pepper, and the Gemara to spice, and so on, are too
well known to need more than passing mention; but far less
familiar and much more explicit is the exposition of Zech. viii.
10, as given in T.B. Chaggigah, fol. 10, col. 1, where,
commenting on the Scripture text, "Neither, was there any peace
to him that went out or came in," Rav expressly says, "He who
leaves a matter of Halachah for a matter of Scripture shall
never more have peace;" to which Shemuel adds