The judgment of poor, rich, and young after death when
they neglect study. The poor man who pleads want of
75 -
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.
91. The judgment of poor, rich, and young after death when
they neglect study. The poor man who pleads want of
75 -
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.
