Rabbi Akiva: Learning from our Sages

§ Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: When Moses ascended on High, he found the Holy One, Blessed be He, sitting and tying crowns on the letters of the Torah. Mosessaid before God: Master of the Universe, who is preventing You from giving the Torah without these additions? God said to him: There is a man who is destined to be born after several generations, and Akiva ben Yosef is his name; he is destined to derive from each and every thorn of these crowns mounds upon mounds of halakhot. It is for his sake that the crowns must be added to the letters of the Torah. Mosessaid before God: Master of the Universe, show him to me. God said to him: Return behind you.Moseswent and sat at the end of the eighth row in Rabbi Akiva’s study hall and did not understand what they were saying.Moses’ strength waned, as he thought his Torah knowledge was deficient. WhenRabbi Akivaarrived at the discussion of one matter, his students said to him: My teacher, from where do you derive this? Rabbi Akivasaid to them: It is a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai. When Moses heard this, his mind was put at ease, as this too was part of the Torah that he was to receive. Mosesreturned and came before the Holy One, Blessed be He, and said before Him: Master of the Universe, You have a man as great as this and yet You still choose to give the Torah through me. Why? God said to him: Be silent; this intention arose before Me.Mosessaid before God: Master of the Universe, You have shown meRabbi Akiva’s Torah, now show me his reward. God said to him: Return to where you were. Moseswent back and saw that they were weighingRabbi Akiva’s flesh in a butcher shop [bemakkulin], as Rabbi Akiva was tortured to death by the Romans. Mosessaid before Him: Master of the Universe, this is Torah and this is its reward? God said to him: Be silent; this intention arose before Me.

Rav Huna said that Rav said that Rabbi Meir said; and so it was taught in a baraitain the name of Rabbi Akiva: One must always accustom oneself to say: Everything that God does, He does for the best.The Gemara relates: Like this incident, when Rabbi Akiva was walking along the road and came to a certain city, he inquired about lodging and they did not give him any. He said: Everything that God does, He does for the best. He went and slept in a field, and he had with him a rooster, a donkey and a candle. A gust of wind came and extinguished the candle; a cat came and ate the rooster; and a lion came and ate the donkey. He said: Everything that God does, He does for the best. That night, an army came and took the city into captivity. It turned out that Rabbi Akiva alone, who was not in the city and had no lit candle, noisy rooster or donkey to give away his location, was saved. He said to them: Didn’t I tell you? Everything that God does,He does for the best.