בן מ׳ שנה הלך ללמוד תורה סוף שלש עשרה שנה לימד תורה ברבים אמרו לא נפטר מן העולם עד שהיו לו שולחנות של כסף ושל זהב ועד שעלה למטתו בסולמות של זהב. היתה אשתו יוצאה בקרדמין ובעיר של זהב אמרו לו תלמידיו רבי ביישתנו ממה שעשית לה אמר להם הרבה צער נצטערה עמי בתורה:
Avot D'rebbe Natan
He was 40 years old when he went to go and learn. At the end of thirteen years he began teaching Torah to the masses. They used to say, that he would not perish from this world until he had tables of silver and gold and until he when up to his bed on a ladder of gold. His wife used to go out in a crown of Gold (Jerusalem of Gold). His students would say to him, Rabbi, are you not embarrassed by what you have done for her? He said to them: She went through great pains with me in my Torah learning.
אמר לו רבי טרפון עקיבא עליך הכתוב אומר (איוב כח) מבכי נהרות חבש ותעלומה יוציא אור דברים המסותרים מבני אדם הוציאם רבי עקיבא לאורה. בכל יום ויום היה מביא חבילה של עצים חציה מוכר ומתפרנס וחציה מתקשט בה עמדו עליו שכניו ואמרו לו עקיבא אבדתנו בעשן מכור אותן לנו וטול שמן בדמיהן ושנה לאור הנר אמר להם הרבה ספוקים אני מסתפק בהן אחד שאני שונה בהן ואחד שאני מתחמם כנגדן ואחד שאני יכול לישן [בהם]
Avot D'rebbe Natan Chapter 6
It was said of Rabbi Akiva that every day (after he began studying) he would go and gather two bundles of wood. He would take one bundle to the market and sell if there. The other he would take home and use to make a fire to keep warm. His neighbors complained to him: "Akiva, you are killing us with smoke! Sell your bundle of wood and buy oil with the proceeds" (so that he might light a lamp with the oil). He replied to them: I get many things from this wood:I study but its light, I am warmed by its heat, and I use it as a pillow.
Rabbi Akiva said: This was the beginning of my service to the sages.
I got up early one morning and came upon a person who had been killed. I carried this body for about six thousand cubits until I brought it to a cemetery and buried him there. When I came before Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Eliezer, and with great excitement told them what had happened, they said to me: 'Every step you took is counted as a sin against you, as if you had shed blood.'...
Whenever people reminded Rabbi Akiva of this incident, he would say. "This is how I began to gain merit! From this moment on I always continued to serve the sages."
It was taught in a baraita in tractate Derekh Eretz that Rabbi Akiva said: I once entered the bathroom after my teacher Rabbi Yehoshua, and I learned three things from observing his behavior: I learned that one should not defecate while facing east and west, but rather while facing north and south; I learned that one should not uncover himself while standing, but while sitting, in the interest of modesty; and I learned that one should not wipe with his right hand, but with his left. Ben Azzai, a student of Rabbi Akiva, said to him: You were impertinent to your teacher to that extent that you observed that much? He replied: It is Torah, and I must learn.
There was another incident involving Rabbi Eliezer, who descended to serve as prayer leader before the ark on a fast day. And he recited twenty-four blessings, but he was not answered. Rabbi Akiva descended before the ark after him and said: Our Father, our King, we have no king other than You. Our Father, our King, for Your sake, have mercy on us. And rain immediately fell. The Sages were whispering among themselves that Rabbi Akiva was answered while his teacher, Rabbi Eliezer, was not. A Divine Voice emerged and said: It is not because this Sage, Rabbi Akiva, is greater than that one, Rabbi Eliezer, but that this one is forgiving, and that one is not forgiving. God responded to Rabbi Akiva’s forgiving nature in kind by sending rain.
(ח) ד"א על כל בני ישראל - מלמד שהיו כולם בעלי תוכחה, ויכולים לעמוד בתוכחות. אמר רבי טרפון: העבודה! אם יש בדור הזה מי שיכול לקבל תוכחה! אמר רבי עקיבא: העבודה! אם יש בדור הזה יודע היאך מוכיחים! אמר ר' יוחנן מעידני עלי שמים וארץ, שיותר מחמשה פעמים נתקנתר עלי רבי עקיבא לפני רבן גמליאל ביבנה, שהייתי קובלני עליו והיה מקנתרו, ויודע אני בו שהיה מוסיף בי אהבה, לקיים מה שנאמר (משלי ט) אל תוכח לץ פן ישנאך, הוכח לחכם ויאהבך:
(8) Variantly: "to all of Israel": They all could stand up under rebuke. R. Tarfon said: I swear if (i.e., that there is not) anyone in this generation who is capable of receiving rebuke. R. Yochanan b. Nuri said: I testify by heaven and earth that more than five times R. Akiva was rebuked on my account before R. Gamliel and I know that he loved me even more (for it), in fulfillment of (Proverbs 9:8) "Reprove not a scorner lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man and he will love you."
(טז) וּבָנוּ מִמְּךָ חָרְבוֹת עוֹלָם מוֹסְדֵי דוֹר וָדוֹר תְּקוֹמֵם (ישעיה נח, יב), רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן יְהַב לְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא שִׁית מְאָה קַנְטָרִין דִּכְסַף, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲזֵיל זְבֵין לָן חָדָא אוּסְיָא דְּנֶהֱווֹן לָעְיָין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּמִתְפַּרְנְסִין מִנָּהּ. נָסַב יַתְהוֹן וּפַלֵּיג יַתְהוֹן לְסַפְרַיָיא וּלְמַתְנַיָיא וּלְאִלֵּין דְּלָעְיָין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְבָתַר יוֹמִין קָם עִמֵּיהּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ זְבַנְתְּ לָן לְהַהִיא אוּסְיָא דַּאֲמָרֵית לָךְ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִין, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִית בָּךְ מֶחֱמֵי לָהּ לִי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִין, נָסָאתֵיהּ וְחָמָאֵי לֵיהּ סַפְרַיָּא וּמַתְנַיָּא וּלְאִלֵּין דְּלָעְיָין בְּאוֹרַיְתָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִית בַּר נָשׁ יָהֵב מַגָּן, אַפּוֹכֵי דִידֵיהּ הָן הִיא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ גַּבֵּי דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ (תהלים קיב, ט):
Rabbi Tarfon gave Rabbi Akiva a a hundreed talents of silver, and said go an invest for yourself in a field and make a living from it. Rabbi Akiva went and distributed the money among others who were more needy.
Some months later, Tarfon said to him, "Have you bought the property?" Akiba replied, "Certainly." "Did you get a deed?" "Yes, and here it is," Akiva continued, as he opened a book of Psalms and pointed to the verse, "He has dispersed, he has given to the needy, his righteousness endures forever."
§ The Sages taught: Four entered the orchard [pardes], i.e., dealt with the loftiest secrets of Torah, and they are as follows: Ben Azzai; and ben Zoma; Aḥer, the other, a name for Elisha ben Avuya; and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva, the senior among them, said to them: When, upon your arrival in the upper worlds, you reach pure marble stones, do not say: Water, water, although they appear to be water, because it is stated: “He who speaks falsehood shall not be established before My eyes” (Psalms 101:7). The Gemara proceeds to relate what happened to each of them: Ben Azzai glimpsed at the Divine Presence and died. And with regard to him the verse states: “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones” (Psalms 116:15). Ben Zoma glimpsed at the Divine Presence and was harmed, i.e., he lost his mind. And with regard to him the verse states: “Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you become full from it and vomit it” (Proverbs 25:16). Aḥer chopped down the shoots of saplings. In other words, he became a heretic. Rabbi Akiva came out safely.