"Better is an hour in repentance and good deeds in this world than all the world to come; though better is an hour of the world to come than the whole of this world." "Even when the gates of prayer are closed, the gates of tears are open." "When a man has turned from sin, reproach him no more." "One who has sinned and repented stands higher in God's favor than the completely righteous." "Repent one day before thy death." i.e. repent every day. "Improve thyself and then improve others." "Love those that reprove thee, hate those that flatter thee." "The love that shirks from reproof is no love." "He who does a worthy deed acquires an advocate." "As the ocean never freezes, so the gate of repentance is never closed." "If you wish your fast to be acceptable to God let it be accompanied by acts of charity and good-will." (see Isaiah lviii.) "He who says 'I will sin and repent, I will sin again and repent again,' will ultimately lose power to repent." A ship once anchored at a beautiful island waiting for a favorable wind. An opportunity was offered the passengers to go ashore. Some thought it safer not to leave the ship at all; the wind might rise, the anchor be raised and they would be left stranded. Others went to the island for a while to explore it, eat of its fruits and enjoy its beauties and returned to the ship refreshed and enlightened by the experience. A third group lingered rather long and scurried back as the ship was departing; but they lost their choice places on the boat for the rest of the journey. A fourth party indulged so freely in the island's pleasures, that it was hard to stir them when the ship rang its bell. "There is no hurry," so they lingered. Only after the last warning they made a wild rush, and had to clamber up the ship's sides; so they reached it, bruised and maimed; nor were their wounds quite healed at the close of the voyage. There was a fifth group alas, who drank so deeply and reveled so wildly that they heard neither bell nor warning. The ship started without them and at night-fall wild beasts emerged from their lairs and destroyed them. * * * * * Develop the analogy as a story of life. Death and Immortality. "Weep for the living mourners, not for the dead." "Attempt not to comfort one when his dead lie before him." "None are responsible for their words in time of grief." "Trust not thyself till the day of thy death." "This world is the vestibule; the world to come the palace." To a denier of resurrection R. Gabiha said: "If what never before existed, exists, why may not that which once existed, exist again?" "The longest life is insufficient for the fulfilment of half man's desire."