An Appointment With Death

Sukkah 53a

He too once saw a skull floating upon the surface of the water. He said to it: Because you drowned others, they drowned you; and in the end those who drowned you will themselves be drowned. Rabbi Yohanan said: A man's feet are his guarantors; to the place where he is summoned, there they carry him. There were those two Cushites who used to stand before Solomon: Elihoreph and Ahiyah, the sons of Shisha, who were the scribes of Solomon. One day the Angel of Death saw that he was sad. He said to him: Why are you sad? He said to him: Because they have demanded of me these two Cushites who sit here. Solomon handed them over to demons and sent them to the city of Luz. When they reached the city of Luz, they died. The next day the Angel of Death saw that he was cheerful. He said to him: Why are you cheerful? He said to him: To the very place where they were demanded of me, there you sent them. Immediately Solomon opened his mouth and said: A man's feet are his guarantors; to the place where he is summoned, there they carry him.

Themes

Original Sources

  • B. Sukkah 53a.

Biblical References