(147.) R. Akiba began his life as a very poor man and ended it as a very rich one. He had a large crown made for his wife set with many precious stones, and when his children asked him why he gave her such valuble presents, he replied that he could never repay her adequately. She was the daughter of Kalba Shebua who was one of the richest men in Jerusalem and he was at that time a shepherd tending the flocks of her father. She fell in love with him and on his promise to study she betrothed herself to him. She refused to marry a rich man. Driven out of the house by her father, she lived with R. Akiba’s mother. The neighbours used to bring her work secretly, as she belonged to the highest family in the place, and she used to send part of her earnings to R. Akiba who was studying. Once a lame man laughed at her saying, “Her hair will turn grey before that shepherd will ever be a scholar/ ' It is said that R. Akiba was 40 years old when he started to learn and he did not believe that he would ever succeed in learning anything. Once he was sitting before a fountain in Lud and saw there a large stone with a hole in the middle, and he asked, “Who has bored out that hole ?” and he was told that the groove in the stone had been caused by the rope with which the bucket was let down into the well passing along the stone. Then he said, “If such a soft material can cut a stone, why should not the words of the Law which are as hard as iron make an inpression on my heart which is flesh?” He was frightened at being laughed at but his wife showed him by practical example
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that people only laughed once or twice; then they became accustomed to the sight, and so he devoted himself heart and soul to the study of the Law. It is said that every day he used to gather hay half of which he sold to support himself and the other half he used for lighting the fire. His neighbours said to him: “Akiba! thou art killing us with this smoke; sell us the other half and buy oil with the money and you can study by the light of the oil.” But Akiba said, “I cannot very well do that, because I learn, warm myself and obtain my living by the straw.”—After 12 years he returned to Jerusalem with 2000 pupils and all the people came to meet him. Kalba Shebua came also and asked him what he should do with his daughter whom he had driven away from his house and with regard to whom he had made a vow not to support her. Now she was starving and he wanted R. Akiba to release him from his vow. Akiba asked him the reason and he replied, "She betrothed herself to an ignorant shepherd who could not even say the blessing over meals.” And Akiba replied “But if he has since become a scholar?” Kalba Shebua replied, “If he only knew the blessing I would give him half my fortune.” And Akiba replied, “I am the man,” and his father-in-law at once arose and kissed him and thanked the Lord for His mercy. As Akiba drew near to his house his wife came to meet him and fell at his feet and wanted to kiss them; the pupils wished to push her away not knowing who she was, but Akiba said, “Leave her alone, for all that you know and all that I know is due to her, for it is the wisdom of women that builds up the house.”
(149.) 148. King Antoninus was a friend of R. Jehuda ha-Nassi. The King went to visit him by an underground passage and the two servants who accompanied him were always killed, lest through them the people should get to know that he had friendly intercourse with the Rabbi. He also gave strict orders that no one should be with the Rabbi at the time. Once he met Haninab. Hama there, but R. Jehuda said that he could be trusted. The King ordered him to call the
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attendant who had been killed. When Hanina saw what had happened, he prayed to God and the attendant came to life again. The King was greatly astonished and said/ ‘It is wonderful that even the smallest amongst you is able to bring the dead to life." Once Antoninus asked the Rabbi what he should do since he wanted his son to be his successor and he also wished to exempt Tiberias from taxes for one year, and but it was not lawful to promulgate two decrees within one year. R.Jehuda placed one man on the shoulders of another and gave him a bird which he was to let fly, thereby suggesting that the king's son should promulgate the decree freeing the people from taxes. Another time Antoninus asked him what he should do to prevent the nobles from rebelling against him, and the Rabbi took him to the garden and every day pulled out one plant. Another time lie wanted to know what he should do with his daughter who had misbehaved herself, and the Rabbi sent him a plant the name of which meant “spare her," and this was the way in which they used to communicate with one another.
(150.) 149. R. Jehuda ha-Nassi showed Antoninus by metaphor how to fill his empty treasuries; he should uproot old trees and plant new' ones, (dismiss old governors and appoint new ones instead).
(151.) 150. R. Akiba used to say, "Whatever God does is done for the best." Once wrhen he was travelling he had with him a lamp, an ass and a cock. Coming to a place where he was refused shelter, he encamped a short distance from the town. The wind came and blew out his lamp but he said, "What God does is done for the best." Then a lion came and devoured his ass, and a cat strangled the cock, but he constantly repeated, "What God does is done for the best." In the morning he came again to the town and found it completely devastated by robbers, so he saw' how mercifully he had been spared. The light of the lamp, the braying of the ass and the crowing of the cock would have attracted the attention of the robbers.
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(152.) 151. A disciple who had left for business returned a rich man, whereupon R. Johanan b. Zakkai filled a vale (in Meron) with gold and said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes may now take from here some of the reward which is reserved for him in the world to come/’
(153.) 152. R. Simeon b. Halafta, being very poor, prayed on the eve of Sabbath and obtained a precious stone from the other world; his wife insisting, he prayed again and it was taken back, for she feared lest his share in the world to come might thereby be less than that of his companions.
(154.) 153. R. Akiba saw 13 rivers of balm as his reward in the other world.
(155.) 154. R. Johanan b. Elazar had a tree which was overhanging another man's field. A man came before him with a similar case for judgment. He asked him to come on the morrow; meanwhile he cut down his own tree and advised the other man to do likewise.
(156.) 155. David was asked by the Lord whether he would prefer to be delivered into the hand of the enemy or whether he would prever to be childless, as a punishment for various sins which had happened through him, such as the destruction of Nob, the death of Saul and his sons. He prefered to fall into the hands of the enemy. One day when he was out hunting, Satan in the form of a hart drew him slowly away from his followers until he brought him to the Philistines, and when Yishbi saw him he recognised him and said, “Oh, this is David who killed my brother Goliath." So he caught hold of him and put him under his seat, sat upon him and said, “After I have eaten and drunk I will kill him." The earth gave way under David, otherwise he would have been crushed to death. That happened on a Friday. Abishai bar Seruyah the cousin of David noticed that the mule of David was restive, and then a dove came flying in his face and he said, “Surely the King is in danger." According to another tradition the wine in his cup turned into vinegar, whilst yet another tradition says he held the crown of David [probably of leaves] and it withered.
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So he went in search of David but could not find him. Then he took the mule which sprang like lightning over 400 miles and brought him to the place. Orpah, the mother of Yishbi, who was sitting on the wall of the town saw him coming and she said, 'This man is coming to save David." And she wanted to throw the wheel of her spindle at him but she could not reach it. Her servant said, "Give me the spindle and I will throw it." She took the spindle and killed the old woman with it. When Yishbi saw Abishai coming, he took David and threw him up in the air 3 miles high and planted his spear in the earth, point upwards, for David to fall upon it. Abishai then pronounced the Ineffable Name of God and David remained suspended in the air. Abishai asked him how he came to be in such a position and David explained that in answer to God he had preferred to fall into the hands of the enemy rather than reign without issue. Abishai prayed to God for him, caught hold of David and took him away. Yishbi pursued them and when they reached Kobi, they cried out, "Stand up!" When they came to Yitri they said "Go and tell thy dead Mother Orpah the two whelps have killed the lion?" When Yishbi heard that he lost his strength and was overpowered by the two and killed. When the Israelites learned of the danger in which David had placed himself they would no longer allow him to go out alone.
(157.) 156. When God created the world the lower waters of the abyss tried to ascend to the heavens. So He made a stone, engraved thereon His Holy Name in 48 different forms, and stopped therewith the mouth of the abyss. When David laid the foundation of the Temple he dug the earth 15,000 cubits deep when he reached that very stone. Not knowing what it really was he tried to remove it, when a voice said, "Beware lest thou destroy the world, for the waters will flood it." He did not heed the voice, but dug up the stone; the engraved Name disappeared and the stone became like a clod of earth in his hands and the waters began to mount up. David prayed but he was not heard, and
then he said, “If anyone is here who knows how to write the Ineffable Name and refuses to do so, may he die by hanging/' Ahitophel wrote the Name, the waters then returned to their former place, the stone was again replaced in its former position and this is the foundation stone of the world and the Temple.