The Oral Talmud with Benay Lappe and Dan Libenson Episode 86

One day, Rabbi Yoḥanan was bathing in the Jordan River. Reish Lakish saw him and jumped into the Jordan after him. He said to him: Your strength for Torah. He said to him: Your beauty for women. He said to him: If you return yourself, I will give you my sister, who is more beautiful than I am. He accepted it upon himself. He wanted to jump back to bring his clothes, but he was unable to return.

He Torah-ed him, and he Mishna-ed him, and turned him into a great man.

One day the study hall was engaging in a dispute: the sword, the knife, the dagger, the spear, the hand sickle, and the harvest sickle--from when are they susceptible to ritual impurity? From the time of the completion of their making. And when is the completion of their making? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From when one fires them in the furnace. Reish Lakish said: From when one douses them in water. He said to him: A bandit knows his banditry.

He said to him: What good did you do me? There they called me master, and here they call me master. He said to him: I did do you good, for I brought you close under the wings of the Divine Presence.

Rabbi Yoḥanan's mind weakened and Reish Lakish fell ill. His sister came crying, saying to him: Do it for the sake of my children! He said to her: “Leave your fatherless children, I will rear them” (Jeremiah 49:11). Do it for the sake of my widowhood! He said to her: “And let your widows trust in Me.”

The soul of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish [Reish Lakish] rested. Rabbi Yoḥanan was grieved greatly over him. The Rabbis said: Whom shall we send to ease his mind? Let's send Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat, for his learnings are sharp.

He went and sat before him. Every matter that Rabbi Yoḥanan would say, he would say to him: There is a teaching that supports you. He said: Are you the son of Lakish? The son of Lakish--when I would state a matter, he would raise twenty-four challenges against me, and I would answer him with twenty-four resolutions, and from this, the tradition became wider. And you! You say: "A teaching supports you." Don't I know that what I say is right?

He went around, rending his clothing, weeping and saying: Where are you, son of Lakish? Where are you, son of Lakish? He cried out until he lost his mind. The Rabbis begged for mercy on him and his soul rested.