Yehuda HaNasi

On the day Rabbi Akiva died, Rebbe was born

During years of scarcity, Rebbe once opened his storehouses of food provisions, and proclaimed: let all those who are masters of Torah, masters of Mishnah, masters of Gemara, masters of Halacha, or masters of Aggadah (Midrash) enter, but those who are unlearned may not. Rabbi Yonatan ben Amram pushed his way in and said to Rebbe, "Master, feed me!" Rebbe asked him, "My son, Have you studied Torah?" "No," he answered. "Have you studied Mishnah?" "No," he answered. "How can I then give you food {since you have not met the minimum requirements}." Rabbi Yonatan said, "give me food, for even a dog and a raven are given food." So he gave him so food.

Later, Rebbe was sorry for what he did. "Woe is me that I gave food to an Am Ha'aretz {derogatory term for an unlearned person}." Rabbi Shimon son of Rebbe said to him: Perhaps it is your disciple, Yonatan ben Amram, who all his life has refused to derive anything from the Honor of the Torah." They checked, and found that it was him. Rebbe then said, "All may enter {the storerooms}."

Rav said: I was once one of the voters in the House of Study of Rebbe, and I used to vote first. But doesn't it teach, "we begin voting with the Eldest?" Rabba son of Rava (or, some say, Rabbi Hillel son of Rabbi Wallas) said: They voted differently in the House of Study of Rebbe, in that they began their voting from the side benches.

Our Rabbis taught: When Rebbe was about to depart from this life he said, 'I require the presence of my sons'. When his sons entered into his presence he instructed them: 'Take care that you show due respect to your mother. The light shall continue to burn in its usual place, the table shall be laid in its usual place and my bed shall be spread in its usual place. Joseph of Haifa and Simeon of Efrath who attended on me in my lifetime shall attend on me when I am dead'....

'I require'. he said to them, 'the presence of the Sages of Israel', and the Sages of Israel entered into his presence. 'Do not lament for me', he said to them, 'in the smaller towns, and reassemble the college after thirty days. My son Simeon is wise my son Gamaliel Nasi and Hanina b. Hama shall preside at the college.'

'Do not lament for me in the smaller towns'. He was understood to give this instruction In order to cause less trouble for the people. As it was observed, however, that when lamentations were held in the large towns everybody came they arrived at the conclusion that his instruction was in order to enhance the honor of the people, so that they may be honored in greater measure through him.

'Reassemble the college after thirty days', because he thought 'I am not more important than our teacher Moses concerning whom it is Written in Scripture, And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days'. For thirty days they mourned both day and night; subsequently they mourned in the day-time and studied at night or mourned at night and studied during the day, until a period of twelve months of mourning passed

(1) Rebbe said: Which is the straight path that a person should choose for himself? Whichever path that is itself praiseworthy for the person adopting it, And praiseworthy to him from other people. And be as careful with a light commandment as with a weighty one, for you do not know the reward given for the fulfillment of the respective commandments. Also, weigh the loss that may be sustained through the fulfillment of a commandment against the reward that may be obtained for fulfilling it. And weigh the gain that may be obtained through the committing of a transgression against the loss that may be sustained by committing it. Keep your eye on three things, and you will not come into the grip of sin: Know what is above you: An Eye that sees, and an Ear that hears, and all your deeds are written in a book.