"Who occupies himself with the Torah for its own sake finds his learning become his elixir of life." ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit
"There were no days as glorious for the people of Israel as the fifteenth of Av [the Hebrew Month] and as Yom Kippur, when the daughters of Jerusalem would come outside with borrowed white garments and dance in the vineyards. " ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit 26b
"The bad teacher’s words fall on his pupils like harsh rain; the good teacher’s, as gently as the dew." ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit 7a
"The words of the Torah are compared to water, wine, and milk (Isaiah 55:1), because just as these are kept only in the simplest of vessels, so the Holy Words are preserved in the humblest of men." ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit 7a
"Rain is the husband of the earth." ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit
"If you see a student who finds it as hard as iron to study, it is because his studies are without system." ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit
"Just as a small log may set fire to a large one, so do smaller scholars sharpen the wits of sages." ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit
"Talk not while you eat, lest windpipe anticipate gullet (and life be in danger)!" ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit
"In teaching, do not favor the children of the rich—and teach the children of the poor without compensation." ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit 24B
"Three keys are kept in God’s hands and never delivered to an angel: one of them is the key to rain." ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit
"Prayer is the service of the heart." ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit
"It is not the place that honors its man, but the man that honors his place." ~~ Talmud, Ta’anit