Rabbi Yochanan Sold His Fields for the Torah

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 363:3

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights." Rabbi Yochanan was walking and going up from Tiberias to Sepphoris, leaning on the shoulder of Rabbi Chiya bar Abba. They reached a certain field. He said: This was mine, and I sold it in order to toil in Torah. They reached a certain olive grove. He said: This olive grove was mine, and I sold it in order to toil in Torah. They reached a certain vineyard. He said: This vineyard was mine, and I sold it in order to toil in Torah. Rabbi Chiya bar Abba began to weep. He said to him: Why are you weeping? He said to him: I am weeping because you left nothing for your old age. He said to him: Chiya my son, is it a light thing in your eyes that I sold a thing that was given in six days and acquired a thing that was given in forty days and forty nights? The whole world was created only in six days, as it is written, "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth," but the Torah was given over forty days, as it is written (Exodus 34:28), "And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights." When Rabbi Yochanan passed away, his generation applied to him (Song of Songs 8:7), "If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love" - for Rabbi Yochanan loved the Torah - "he would be utterly despised."

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