Death of Elijah and Rabba

Rabba bar Abbahu knew that feeling all too well. He was a scholar, a man of wisdom, but poverty had him in its grip. He confessed to the prophet Elijah himself that his meager circumstances left him with no time to dedicate to his beloved studies. Can you imagine? Talking to Elijah the Prophet about your financial woes?

And then... something incredible happened.

Elijah, moved by Rabba's plight, led him into Gan Eden, Paradise itself! He told Rabba to take off his cloak and fill it with leaves from this blessed realm. Think about that for a moment – leaves touched by the Divine, emanating pure goodness.

As Rabba bar Abbahu was about to leave, his cloak overflowing with these otherworldly leaves, a voice boomed out, a voice that echoed through Paradise. It cried: "Who desires to anticipate his share in the world to come during his earthly days, as Rabba bar Abbahu is doing?" (This story can be found in Legends of the Jews by Ginzberg).

Talk about a spotlight!

Rabba, startled and perhaps a bit frightened, immediately cast the leaves away. Maybe he realized that true reward comes in its proper time, or perhaps he feared the implications of taking too much from Paradise early. We can only imagine what went through his mind.

But the story doesn't end there. Even though he discarded the leaves, his upper garment had absorbed their wondrous fragrance, that intoxicating scent of Paradise. And what happened because of it? He sold the garment for twelve thousand denarii! (Legends of the Jews). That was a small fortune in those days.

So, what's the takeaway here? Was it about the money? I don't think so. It's about the unexpected blessings that can come when we strive for something higher, even when life throws obstacles in our path. Even a fleeting encounter with Paradise, even a whiff of its fragrance, can change everything. It reminds us that even in the midst of our struggles, the possibility of wonder, of divine intervention, is always present. We just need to be open to it. And maybe, just maybe, a little bit of Paradise will rub off on us too.