Aquila Converts and Outwits Hadrian on Why Israel Will Rise

(Exodus 21:1:) AND THESE ARE THE ORDINANCES, etc. This is what Scripture says (Psalms 147:19-20): "He declares His words to Jacob, etc. He has not done so for any nation, etc." Aquila, the son of Hadrian's sister, sought to convert, but he was afraid of his uncle Hadrian. He said to him: "I wish to engage in commerce." He said to him: "Are you perhaps lacking silver or gold? Behold, the treasury is before you." He said to him: "I wish to engage in commerce, and to learn the mind of people, and I wish to take counsel with you as to how to do it." He said to him: "Any merchandise that you see that is set low upon the ground, go occupy yourself with it, for in the end it will rise up." Now he intended to convert. He came to the Land of Israel and studied the Torah. After some days, when he came before him, Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua met him and saw that his face was changed. They said to one another: "Aquila has studied the Torah." When they came before him, he began to ask them questions, and they would answer him. He went up to Hadrian. He said to him: "Why is your face changed? Has your commerce perhaps suffered loss, or is blood distressing you?" He said to him: "No." "And why is your face changed?" He said to him: "Because I have studied Torah; and not only that, but I have circumcised myself." He said to him: "And who told you to do so?" He said to him: "I took counsel with you." He said to him: "When?" He said to him: "At the time I told you, 'I wish to engage in commerce,' and you said to me, 'Any merchandise that you see that is set low upon the ground, occupy yourself with it, for in the end it will rise up.' So I went about among all the nations, and I found no nation set low upon the ground like Israel, and in the end they will rise up; for thus Isaiah said (Isaiah 49:7): 'Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him who is despised of soul, to him who is abhorred of the nation, to a servant of rulers, etc.'" His co-assessor said to him: "Are these whom you have destroyed destined to be those before whom kings will stand, as it is said (Isaiah 49:7): 'Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall prostrate themselves'?" Hadrian struck him upon his cheek. He said to him: "Does one apply a plaster except upon a wound? Would a man apply it upon sound flesh? It is upon the wound that he applies it. Now, if they see a single common soldier, they do not stand before him." What did his co-assessor do? He went up onto the roof, fell, and died. And the Holy Spirit cried out: "So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD" (Judges 5:31). Hadrian said to Aquila: "Why did you do this?" He said to him: "Because I sought to study Torah." He said to him: "You should have studied and not circumcised yourself." He said to him: "If a man is not circumcised, he cannot study, as it is said: 'He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and ordinances to Israel' (Psalms 147:19) — 'to Jacob,' to whoever of Jacob is circumcised. 'His statutes' — this is the Torah; 'and His ordinances' — these are the laws, as it is said: 'There He set for them a statute and an ordinance' (Exodus 15:25)." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: "I have given them the Torah; give them the ordinances." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: "Do you seek to endure in the world? Keep the ordinances, for the world cannot endure without justice. The generation of the Flood perished from the world only because they transgressed against justice." Rabbi Eleazar ben Pedat said: What is written concerning them? "From morning to evening they are crushed; without anyone heeding, they perish forever" (Job 4:20). Hence, AND THESE ARE THE ORDINANCES.