186. Rabbi Aba sat at the gate of the city Lod. He saw a man sitting on a ledge PROTRUDING from a mountainside. He was weary from the road, so he sat down and slept. While he was sleeping, he saw a snake coming toward him. A reptile emerged and killed the snake. When the man woke, he saw the dead snake. He stood up and the ledge, WHICH HAD BEEN TORN FROM THE MOUNTAIN, fell to the valley below. Thus, he was saved, FOR HAD HE RISEN A MOMENT LATER, HE WOULD HAVE FALLEN TOGETHER WITH THE LEDGE INTO THE VALLEY AND BEEN KILLED.

187. Rabbi Aba came to him and said, What have you done that the Holy One, blessed be He, performed for you two miracles - SAVING YOU FROM THE SNAKE AND FROM THE LEDGE THAT FELL - for these events did not happen without reason.

188. The man said, In all my days, I forgave and made peace with any man who did evil by me. If I could not make peace with him, I did not sleep on my bed before forgiving him and all those who grieved me. Thus, I did not harbor hatred all that day for the harm he did me. Moreover, from that day on, I tried to do kindness by them.

189. Rabbi Aba wept and said, This man's deeds exceed those of Joseph. As for Joseph, those WHO INJURED HIM were his brothers. Assuredly, he should have pitied them FROM BROTHERHOOD. But this one behaved so TO ANY MAN, so he is greater than Joseph and is worthy to have the Holy One, blessed be He, perform one miracle after the other for his sake.