The judgment of poor, rich, and young after death when they

Midrash Aggadah Exempla of the Rabbis, No. 91

Curated by The Jewish Mythology Team · Published January 11, 2025

The judgment of poor, rich, and young after death when they neglect study. The poor man who pleads want of

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means is compared to Hillel who was wont to work all day for a very small amount, half of which he used to pay to the porter at the college in order to obtain access to the study. Once when he had failed to earn anything he went on the roof and lay down by the window and listened to the discourse below. The people, noticing the darkness, looked up and saw him there all covered with snow and finding out the reason, they assisted him to obtain work. The rich who pleads being too busy with his affairs is compared to R. Eleazar b. Harsum, who was a very rich man, yet so immersed in study that his own slaves hardly knew him by sight. Once when he went to ransom some captives, his servants caught him and put him to work saying, “By the life of our master Eleazar b. Harsum, you shall work the whole night." When he heard that they were his own slaves he told them who he was and they released him. The young man who goes after the pleasures of the world is compared to Joseph, whom the wife of Potiphar tried to entice and who was yet able to resist, serving the Lord. Thus there is no excuse for any of them.

Themes

Death Torah Charity

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