Beruriah, the brilliant wife of Rabbi Meir, was the daughter of the martyred sage Hanina ben Teradyon. When her father was burned at the stake by the Romans for teaching Torah, her sister was captured and placed in a Roman brothel.
Beruriah could not bear the thought. She called Meir and said, “Husband, go and bring back my sister. I cannot leave her there.”
Meir took a pouch of gold and made his way to the place where she was held. He approached the guard at the door and offered the bribe. “I will pay you well, but you must release her.” The guard hesitated. “If they catch me, I will be killed.”
Meir said, “When trouble comes for you, say, ‘God of Meir, answer me!’ and you will be saved.” The guard took the gold and slipped the sister out.
Sure enough, the Romans caught the guard. They were about to hang him. In desperation, he cried out, “God of Meir, answer me!” The rope snapped. His captors, astonished, took it as a sign and released him. He later became a Jew.
But Meir’s name had now become the phrase through which a miracle was invoked — and the Romans hunted for him. Meir fled to Babylonia, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Beruriah had her sister back. Meir had saved her. But his whole life was uprooted for that rescue. The rabbis preserved the story as a reminder that in dark times, the righteous pay prices we never see on the ledger.