Rabbi Ḥanan of Tzippori interpreted the verse regarding acts of kindness. The way of the world is that ten men enter into a house of mourning and none of them is able to open his mouth to recite the blessing of the mourners.24Many people are not fluent in this blessing. One opens his mouth and recites the blessing of the mourners; to what is he comparable? To “a lily among the thorns.”
The way of the world is that ten men enter the house of the wedding feast and none of them is able to open his mouth to recite the blessing of the bridegrooms. One opens his mouth and recites the blessing of the bridegrooms; to what is he comparable? To “a lily among the thorns.” The way of the world is that ten men enter the synagogue and none of them is able to recite aloud the blessings before Shema and pass before the ark.25To repeat the Amida prayer as the leader of the prayer service.
One of them recites aloud the blessings before Shema and passes before the ark; to what is he comparable? To “a lily among the thorns.” Rabbi Elazar went to a certain place. They said to him: ‘Recite aloud the blessings before Shema.’
He said to them: ‘I am not wise.’ [They said:] ‘Pass before the ark.’26Again he demurred, claiming that he did not know how. They said: ‘Is this Rabbi Elazar? Is this the one whom they praise? They call him “our master” for nothing.’
He turned pale and he went to his teacher Rabbi Akiva. [Rabbi Akiva] said to him: ‘Why do you look ill?’ He related the incident to him and he said to him: ‘Would my master like to teach me?’ He said to him: ‘Yes,’ and he taught him. Sometime later he went [back] to that place.
They said to him: ‘Recite aloud the blessings before Shema for us.’ He recited for them. ‘Pass before the ark.’ He passed. They said: ‘Rabbi Elazar has been fortified,’ and they called him Rabbi Elazar the strong.
Rabbi Yona would teach his students the blessing of the bridegrooms and the blessing of the mourners so that they would be prepared in every circumstance.