The Miracle @ R' Akiva's Daughter's Wedding

Rabbi Akiva and his wife, Rachel, had a kind and beloved daughter, a rare jewel. As she grew up, her family concerned themselves with finding a suitable match for her, a young man who would appreciate her special qualities. When such a person was found, the family began making wedding preparations. The family was understandably excited. But Rabbi Akiva was a bit worried. Years before, an astrologer had told him that a terrible disaster would occur on his daughter's wedding day. She would be bitten by a poisonous snake and die.

Rabbi Akiva placed his trust in G-d, knowing well that the stars and astrology do not control the lives of Jews. With great devotion, Rabbi Akiva prayed that no harm would befall his cherished child.

The wedding day arrived. Guests came from far and near to celebrate the wedding of the daughter of the esteemed and revered Rabbi Akiva. Everything proceeded seemingly uneventfully.

During the wedding meal, while everyone was enjoying the delicious repast, a poor man walked into the hall. "Can anyone give me something to eat?" he called out in a soft voice, too weakened by hunger to speak loudly. No one heard the poor man. No one except for the bride, herself. She got up from her place of honor. Though she had fasted the entire day, she quietly, humbly, gave the beggar her own portion of the wedding feast. No one noticed this simple act of kindness which the bride showed to the poor man.

Later that evening, as some of the guests had begun to leave, the bride went to her room to rest. She had been wearing a gold pin in her hair to keep her veil in place. She removed the pin from her hair and looked around in the dim light for a place to put it. Finding no suitable, secure place, she stuck it in the wall near her bed.

When the bride awakened in the morning and went to take her pin, an incredible sight met her eyes. A dead snake had been impaled by the pin!

Not much time passed before Rabbi Akiva heard about the snake. He immediately remembered the words of the astrologer. Certainly this was the snake about which he had foretold.

Rabbi Akiva asked his daughter, "Tell me, did you perform any good deeds yesterday at your wedding?"

The bride considered the events of the previous day. "I saw a poor, hungry man at the wedding who was asking for food. No one heard him but I. So, I took my own portion of food from the wedding feast and gave it to him."

Rabbi Akiva then told her of the astrologer's forecast and concluded by saying, "In the merit of your charitable act - the food which you gave to the poor man, your own life was saved."

Our Sages teach, "Tzedaka saves from death." In addition, it is customary for bride and groom, and their relatives (and anyone who cares about them) to give charity on the wedding day, as the Lubavitcher Rebbe explains: In light of the saying of our Sages, "Great is tzedaka, for it hastens the Redemption," there is a special quality to the tzedaka given by groom and bride - "king and queen" - to hasten and bring about the imminent true and complete Redemption...

The Rebbe also explained: Parents, grandparents, siblings, and all relatives and friends who desire the welfare of the groom and bride and who want to participate in the joy of the groom and bride, should increase the amount they give to charity on the day of the wedding. This applies as well to the teachers and the "matchmaker" of the groom and bride. Their gift should be in honor of and accompanied by prayerful wishes for the eternal well-being of the groom and bride, that the mitzva (commandment) and merit of tzedaka stand them in good stead and that their joy be unbounded and everlasting.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi & Eliyahu Hanavi

Once, when Rabbi Yehoshua encountered Elijah the Prophet, he asked Elijah if he could accompany him so that he could learn from his conduct. Elijah refused, explaining that Rabbi Yehoshua would not understand what he would see. On the contrary, his mortal mind would raise countless questions and there would be no time for explanations.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi begged and pleaded; he promised that he would not ask any questions. Elijah finally agreed on the condition that if Rabbi Yehoshua would begin to ask questions, they would part company.

And so they set out together. Toward evening, they reached an old hut. An elderly couple was sitting outside. They were obviously poor, but their poverty did not hamper their enthusiasm to welcome guests. As soon as they saw the travelers, they jumped up and eagerly invited them into their home, offering them a meal and a place to sleep.

The accommodations were somewhat lacking because the people did not have very much. But whatever they had, they willingly shared, doing the best they could to observe the mitzva (commandment) of hospitality to guests.

The following morning, the two travelers bade their hosts farewell and set out again. Shortly after they had departed, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi saw that Elijah was praying. He listened closely. What was Elijah praying for? The elderly couple who had hosted them owned a cow. The cow was the most valuable possession they owned - indeed, the majority of their income came from the cow's milk. Elijah was praying that this cow should die.

When Rabbi Yehoshua heard this, he was shocked. The couple had been so kind, so pleasant, so warm. Why did they deserve that their cow should die? But he could not ask any questions; that was the agreement.

As they proceeded on their journey, they talked. Rabbi Yehoshua hoped that Elijah would offer an explanation for what happened. But that was not so. Toward evening, they came to a beautiful mansion. Although many members of the household saw them, no one offered them hospitality.

They asked the owner of the house, a very wealthy man, for permission to spend the night. Reluctantly, the man agreed. But he was very cold to them; he did not offer them any food, and he hardly said a word to them.

After they set off on their way in the morning, Rabbi Yehoshua noticed that Elijah was praying again. What was he praying for this time? One of the walls in this rich man's house was cracked and weak. Elijah was praying to G-d that this wall should be restored and should remain strong and solid.

Rabbi Yehoshua could not understand. This person had not acted kindly toward them. And yet Elijah was praying to G-d on his behalf! But once more, he abided by the terms of his agreement: no questions allowed.

Eventually, the two travelers arrived in a beautiful city; everything about the place reflected prosperity and opulence. They made their way to the synagogue. It was a magnificent structure, designed with elegance and taste. Everything, even the benches, was beautiful.

Rabbi Yehoshua thought that they would have no problem receiving hospitality in such a town. But it did not work out that way. The people were not very kind. When the prayers were over, nobody approached them to ask where they planned to eat or where they planned to stay. Ultimately, they had to spend the night in the synagogue without eating supper.

In the morning, when they were ready to leave, Elijah blessed the inhabitants of the city, wishing them that they should all become leaders. Again, Rabbi Yehoshua was puzzled. Why did Elijah bless people who had not shown them hospitality?

That evening, they came to another city. It was not as wealthy a community as the first; the shul (synagogue) was nowhere near as beautiful. But the people were very fine, warm and kind. They did everything they could to make the two travelers comfortable. Before leaving that city, Elijah told them, "May G-d help that only one of you becomes a leader."

At this point, Rabbi Yehoshua could no longer contain his curiosity. He told Elijah, "I know that by asking I will forfeit my right to accompany you, but I cannot go on like this. Please, explain these four incidents to me."

And so Elijah began to explain: "The elderly couple whom we met first were wonderful people who always performed acts of kindness. It was destined for the woman to pass away that day. By hosting us, she was given the opportunity to perform a mitzva. And the merit of her hospitality was great enough for the decree to be lifted, but not entirely. So I prayed that their cow - which meant so much to them and which was their source of income - should die. So the cow's death was really a blessing for them.

"About the wealthy person's home. In that wall, a great treasure lay buried. But the wall was weak and would soon break. Because he was a miserly person and conducted himself so rudely, I prayed that the wall should become strong so that he would not be able to benefit from the treasure.

"What about the people in the prosperous city?" Elijah continued. "My prayer that they should all become leaders in the city is not a blessing; if anything, it is the opposite. For the most destructive thing that can happen in a city is that everybody becomes a leader.

"In the other city, where the people were kind, I gave them a genuine blessing: that one, and only one, of them becomes a true leader."

From The Chasidic Approach to Joy by Rabbi Shloma Majeski

R' Zeira's Move To The Holy Land

After the destruction of the First Holy Temple, many of the Jewish people lived in exile in Babylonia, where they built great Torah academies and established flourishing Jewish communities. Rabbi Zeira was amongst those who lived in exile, learning Torah from the greatest scholars. Though he had a satisfying life, he wanted one thing more - to live in the land of Israel and to study Torah from the great Sages there.

Even though Rabbi Zeira longed to live in the Holy Land, he was torn in making his decision, since his teacher, Rabbi Yehuda ben Yechezkel was opposed to returning to Israel. It was his belief that the Jews were obligated to remain in exile in Babylonia, since they did not yet merit to return. Not only did Rabbi Zeira not want to oppose his teacher, he had doubts as to whether his own personal merits were sufficient to allow him to live in the Holy Land.

One morning Rabbi Zeira woke up feeling assured that he could live in the Holy Land; he had had a dream in which he received Divine assurance of his worthiness. But he still had to solve the problem of his teacher's opposition. He was afraid that if he went to bid good-bye to Rabbi Yehuda, the Sage would forbid him to leave, so he avoided meeting him. Then, one day, he happened to hear Rabbi Yehuda speaking and he caught a few wise words which made him feel ready to depart for the Land of Israel.

Journeying by foot, Rabbi Zeira came to a river with no bridge. Usually crossed by ferryboat, the boat was nowhere in sight. Rabbi Zeira spied a foot-bridge consisting of a narrow plank secured by ropes. Now, Rabbi Zeira was not a young man, and t his shaky bridge was used only by nimble workers who had no time to wait for the ferry. Rabbi Zeira felt a great urgency to proceed on his way and he grabbed onto the rope and mounted the slippery bridge. He slipped and slid his way across the plank, occasionally falling into the cold river until he finally reached the other side.

When he mounted the other bank, Rabbi Zeira was greeted by a smirking gentile who said, "You are a rash and thoughtless race! Right from the beginning you acted without consideration. You said, 'We will do and we will understand.' That's not the normal way of approaching a situation. First you find out about something, and only then you make a commitment to it. Why didn't you have the patience to wait for the ferry? No, you had to cross like a young boy, in spite of the danger."

Rabbi Zeira explained to the man, "I'm on my way to Israel. To live in Israel was the greatest wish of Moses and Aaron, but they were not permitted to realize their dream. I am no longer a young man and I don't know if I will live long enough to r each the Land of Israel. Every minute that I will live in Israel is precious to me, and I cannot lose even one minute. How could I lose time waiting for the ferry?"

Rabbi Zeira reached Israel where he settled in Tiberius and learned in the famous yeshiva of Rabbi Yochanan.

A Beautiful Jewish Girl

In the village of Aziz in Israel there once lived a poor family whose eldest daughter was Rachel. She was a responsible girl with a wonderful character and a sharp mind. She didn't spend her time moping over her poverty. Instead, Rachel devoted herself to helping her family in any way she could.

One day, Rachel mounted a rickety, old ladder to retrieve a pot, which was stored on the flat rooftop. At that moment a rung became dislodged and the girl fell to the ground, striking her mouth on a rock. Her brothers and sisters ran to help, but to their horror, blood was gushing from her mouth. Rachel stood up and ran into the house. Rachel had knocked out her front tooth. From that day on, Rachel's life wasn't the same. Always sensitive, Rachel now suffered terribly from the teasing of the village girls, who giggled every time she opened her mouth to speak. She gradually stopped joining the other girls in their work and games, and she was careful to never laugh or speak in public, lest she become the butt of their thoughtless jokes.

As her despair deepened, her distraught parents racked their brains for a way to make their beloved daughter happier. Despite the fact that they could barely put food on the table, Rachel's parents scraped together enough money to make her a false tooth. They couldn't afford the best dentist, and the false tooth made matters worse instead of better; it didn't fit well, and it was also too dark. Instead of improving her appearance, it made her look even worse. Soon, Rachel resembled a dejected, old woman.

As the months and years passed, all the other girls married. Only Rachel had no suitor, for who would be interested in a sad, withdrawn girl who never smiled. Her parents were heartbroken, but what could they do? A large dowry, which might attract a match, was far out of their reach. Finally they had an idea. Rachel had an uncle, her mother's youngest brother, who lived near Jerusalem. He was as poor as they, but he was a kind, hard working man, who would make a good husband for Rachel. He responded favorably to their message, and agreed to their suggestion. Of course, he remembered Rachel as a sunny little girl, who fluttered around the house like a cheerful butterfly.

His happy anticipation quickly turned to shock when he arrived to find a drab, worn-out looking woman who was presented as his betrothed. "No," he flatly refused. He would not honor his promise. Without further word, he quickly departed from the village.

The family was devastated, and the shocking news traveled through the village and even further. Finally, word of the shameful debacle reached the ears of Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha. Rabbi Yishmael was a saintly man who loved his fellow Jews more than anything else in life. He was especially devoted to the mitzva of dowering poor Jewish brides. He was touched by the girl's tragic situation and he offered to take the girl into his home. "My wife will take good care of her, and before long, the young man will sorely regret having refused her," he told Rachel's parents.

Rachel's parents accepted his offer and she was received like a daughter in the wealthy home of this kind family who spared no effort to make her comfortable. For the first time in her life she ate nourishing meals and was pampered with exotic lotions and fine soaps. It wasn't long before her cheeks glowed and her new found happiness radiated outward. Still, there was the problem of the tooth. Rabbi Yishmael ordered an expert dentist to make her a new tooth, this time of gold. Rachel was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. In those days gold teeth were a mark of beauty and high station. When the tooth was finished Rachel just stood before the mirror and stared in astonishment at the beauty who looked back at her.

The following week Rabbi Yishmael sent for her uncle, saying, "There is a lovely young woman I would like you to meet. I think she would make a fine wife for you. Why don't you come and meet her?"

The young man was very pleased that Rabbi Yishmael had thought of him, and he lost no time in arriving. When he entered the room and saw the attractive woman who sat next to Rabbi Yishmael's wife, an involuntary smile crept across his face, for he recognized his niece at once, but she was completely transformed. How could the person who had seemed so forlorn and undesirable before have changed so completely into a radiant, happy young woman? His thoughts were interrupted by Rabbi Yishmael's voice saying, "Isn't this the same young woman you vowed not to marry?"

The rabbi's comment caught the young man off guard, and he protested, "I made a mistake! In truth I would like to marry her very much!" When she heard his words, Rachel's face lit up with happiness.

As he smiled at her joy, Rabbi Yishmael was assailed by a stab of sorrow. He suddenly envisioned all the other poor Rachels he would never know and couldn't help. In a quiet voice he said to the young man, "I absolve you of the vow which you made by mistake. You may marry Rachel, and I pray that G-d grant you many years filled with happiness and peace." And so it was.

Land Of Milk & Honey

The Talmud illustrates the bounty of the Land of Israel with the tale of various sages who enjoyed the wonderful fruits of the land said to be flowing with milk and honey. Once the scholar Rami ben Yechezkel was visiting Bnei Brak and came upon an orchard of fig trees. It was the height of their season and the trees were heavy with fruit which fell to the ground oozing their delectable syrup. As he watched, a flock of goats which was grazing nearby was attracted by the smell, and began eating the fallen fruits. He noticed that the goats were full to bursting with milk, with dripped from their udders, and Rami ben Yechezkel exclaimed, "See, how this is truly a land which flows with milk and honey! Here are the words of Torah so clearly seen!"

The Talmud further tells of the time Rav Yehuda of Saskin asked his son to go to their attic and bring him some dried figs which were stored in a barrel. The boy went up to the attic, but when he put his hand into the barrel, he felt only a thick, sticky substance. "Father," he called, "I cannot find the figs. It seems there is only something sticky and wet in the barrel."

His father replied, "Put your hand further into the barrel. What you are feeling is the fig honey. The figs are deeper in the barrel." His son did as he was told, and lo and behold, he found huge, soft figs, so rich in honey, that they dripped with thick, sweet syrup.

In one more illustration of the wonder of the fruits of the Land of Israel, Rav Yossi of Tzippori once asked his son to bring him some olives which were kept in a barrel. The son went as his father asked, but he couldn't even get to the container, for the floor was slippery with the shiny olive oil which had spilled onto the floor. The olives of that time were so full of oil that the oil flowed out of the barrel in which the fruits were being stored. The blessings which were so apparent in those days have not been seen since, but in the time of Moshiach, these wonders will be common once again, only in a much greater measure.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel was head of the Sanhedrin and a wise leader of the Jewish people. One day he instructed his attendant, Tovi, to go to the market saying only, "Tovi, please buy something good to eat."

Tovi thought for a few moments and then went to the butcher. He purchased a tongue, known to be a great delicacy. Returning to his employer, Tovi proudly showed him his purchase.

"Excellent!" said Rabbi Shimon. "Now, go back to the market and buy something which is not good to eat." Tovi was surprised at Rabbi Shimon's unusual request, but he turned back to the marketplace. As he walked, he thought, "Why would my master desire that I buy bad food? There must be some purpose for his request. Perhaps he wants to teach his disciples something." Tovi's thoughts continued in this vein.

Tovi entered the butcher shop and ordered another tongue. Then he returned to his employer and showed him the purchase. Rabbi Shimon asked, "When I asked you to buy something good to eat, you bought a tongue. But then, when I sent you out a second time to purchase something bad to eat, you returned with another tongue. Is a tongue good or bad?"

Tovi replied, "A tongue is both. For when the tongue is good, there is nothing better, but when it is bad, there is nothing worse. When people learn Torah or speak G-d's praises with their tongues, there is nothing more exalted in the world. When they express kindness to their fellow man and use their words to help one another, it is a very great thing. However, when they speak ill of one another, when they insult or hurt another with their words, they bring about great evil and the tongue is very bad."

Rabban Gamliel smiled at his wise and understanding attendant. The incident circulated amongst all the students of Rabban Gamliel and was long remembered every time they used their tongues.

In the times of the Talmud a certain merchant who sold all kinds of herbs and medicines lived near the town of Zippori. Everyday he walked through the streets calling out, "Whoever wants to live a long life, come and buy this special potion!"

Of course, wherever he went people poured from their homes to see what this magical potion could be which would give them long life. Once, the great Sage, Rabbi Yannai came to see what the man was selling, for he, too, wanted long life. "No, Rabbi, you, who devote your whole life to studying the Torah, don't need this medicine."

But Rabbi Yannai was insistent. The salesman took from his bag a book of Psalms and handed it to the rabbi. "Is this the potion which offers long life?" the Sage asked.

The merchant opened the book and pointed to the words, "Who is the man who wants life? Guard your tongue from speaking evil." The merchant explained, "I teach this sentence to all the people who come to buy my medicine."

Rabbi Yannai was impressed by the merchant's explanation. "You are very correct," he said, "this is truly the potion of long life! Now I understand this teaching which King David implanted in his Psalms, for when we refrain from maligning others, G-d will grant us long life.

King Solomon, the wisest of men said, 'He who guards his mouth and tongue, guards his soul from evil.' You are selling the best possible 'medicine,' and I bless you that you will have lots of success in your work!"

In the Talmud it states: "Rabbi Eliezer said: 'A person should do teshuva [repent] one day before his death.'" Therefore, a person must do teshuva every day, not knowing exactly when the day of his death will arrive. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai explained this statement with a story.

Once, a king informed all of the people who resided in his palace that they were invited to a feast. However, he did not tell anyone at what time the party was scheduled.

Some of the servants said, "We have so much work to do. We cannot just cease working while we wait until the king tells us that it is time for the feast. When the king does decide that it is time, we will notice the preparations being made. Only then will we prepare ourselves and put on our fine clothes for the party."

Other servants were wiser. They said. "The king is capable of preparing a banquet at a moment's notice. We had better wash up and get dressed now, so we won't be caught off guard." They dressed in their finest clothing, eagerly awaiting any mention of the upcoming party.

After some time passed, the king suddenly made an announcement: "All residents of the palace are to come to the banquet hall immediately." Everyone rushed to follow the king's order. The clever servants were all dressed appropriately for a royal feast, and they proceeded to the banquet hall. The ones who had not prepared themselves were afraid that they would be locked out if they didn't hurry, so they didn't take the time to change out of their soiled work clothes.

The king was very pleased with the wise servants and served them a lavish feast. To the other servants he turned and said, "Fools! Why did you not get ready immediately? Did I not tell you that I was preparing a banquet? How dare you arrive in shabby work clothes! You do not deserve to partake in the feast!"

"What shall we do?" the servants asked, shame-faced.

The king replied, "You will stand by and watch as the others enjoy their feast. Your embarrassment will be your reward."

Rabbi Yochanan explained to his students, "You must be like the clever servants in the story. G-d can summon any one of us to His palace with a moment's notice. Prepare yourselves each day, through teshuva and good deeds. Then when your time comes, you will ascend directly to heaven with pure souls, and you will be admitted at once to the "banquet," to enjoy G-d's presence. This is the way of the righteous.

"The foolish servants are like people who feel that they can behave in any fashion for their entire life, and who insist that they will improve their behavior right before they die. When they are summoned to Heaven, sometimes at a moment's notice, they arrive still wearing their "dirty clothes," their bad deeds that they hadn't done teshuva for. Imagine their shame as they see the righteous enjoying the feast that G-d has set out for them.

Reprinted from the Tzivos Hashem Newsletter

Once, in the time of Rabban Gamliel, there was a wicked non-Jewish judge who wanted to undermine the authority of the rabbinical court. He spread stories everywhere about how fair and honest he was, so that the Jews would come to him to have their cases tried rather than go to the rabbinical court.

Rabban Gamliel and his sister devised a plan that would reveal to one and all the judge's dishonest character. That night Rabban Gamliel's sister approached the judge's home. The judge was surprised to see her there, and inquired as to how he could help her.

"I have a case that I wish for you to try, " she replied. "My father recently passed away, and my brother, Rabban Gamliel, has taken all the money and property for himself. I have received nothing.

"Why don't you go the Jewish courts?" asked the judge.

"I would surely lose," she answered. "My brother is an important, highly regarded member of the Jewish community. And besides, according to the Torah a daughter does not inherit anything if there are sons."

"What would you like me to do?" the wicked judge asked her.

Reaching under her cloak, she pulled out a beautiful golden lamp and placed it before the judge. "I want you to summon my brother to your court," she said. "I know I can rely on you that justice will be done."

"Go in peace," said the judge. "I will see to it that justice is done."

The next day Rabban Gamliel received a summons to appear in court with his sister. A large crowd of Jews and non-Jews gathered to witness the case.

"Rabban Gamliel," said the judge, "why do you not give your sister a share in your father's inheritance?"

"Our Torah states that a daughter does not inherit if there are sons," Rabban Gamliel answered.

"Since your Temple was destroyed Torah law is no longer the law of the land," the judge declared. "Roman law must be obeyed now. By Roman law sons and daughters divide the inheritance equally.

Rabban Gamliel appeared very solemn while his sister looked very happy.

The next day the judge heard a knock on his door. This time it was Rabban Gamliel. "Please accompany me to the courtyard," said Rabban Gamliel. "I want to show you a wonderful Libyan donkey which I inherited from my father. It is truly a beauty, without equal. I would like you to have it as a gift. Perhaps you will find a way to reconsider the ruling you handed down against me yesterday."

The judge recognized the animal as one of great value, and he would be pleased to acquire it. However, he remembered the golden lamp that he had already received from Rabban Gamliel's sister. He turned to Rabban Gamliel and told him, "I will have to study the law again. Perhaps I will find a solution."

A few hours later Rabban Gamliel and his sister were once again summoned to appear before the judge. Word quickly spread through the town, and a large crowd turned out to witness this unusual turn of events.

The crowd was silent as the judge entered. The judge addressed Rabban Gamliel and his sister. "I have been studying many law texts with regard to this case, and I have found one that states, `We cannot add or take away anything from the law of Moses.' In light of this, I must retract my original ruling and decide in favor of Rabban Gamliel, who informed me that the Torah says that a daughter has no claim on her father's inheritance."

"Oh wise judge!" cried out Rabban Gamliel's sister. "Let the wisdom of your ruling shine like the golden lamp I gave you!"

Rabban Gamliel smiled. "That is impossible my dear sister. I gave the judge a beautiful donkey which kicked over your golden lamp."

Everyone started to laugh. The judge, realizing that his true nature had been revealed, fled the room. From then on, he ceased to try to undermine the rabbis' authority.

Reprinted from the Tzivos Hashem Newsletter

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya lived in Rome, and was recognized everywhere for his wisdom. At that time, the Romans were in the midst of a long drawn-out war against the Parthians.

One day the Roman emperor saw Rabbi Yehoshua and began to speak to him rudely. "Rabbi, it is said that you are a very wise man. And your Jewish Sages teach that a wise man is even superior to a prophet. Is it true? Are you wiser than a prophet? Can you tell me what I will dream tonight?"

Rabbi Yehoshua replied sharply, "Your Majesty, tonight you will dream that you will fall into the hands of your despised enemies, the Parthians. They will torture you and force you to do hard labor!"

The emperor was shocked. Rabbi Yehoshua went on, "After you are captured, your enemies will throw stinking garbage at you with a golden rod."

Now the emperor was really angry. "You lie, old man! I ought to have you killed. But I will let you live to see how foolish your words are. In my life, I have never had a dream in which I was so put to shame."

Without another word, Rabbi Yehoshua left the emperor.

Alone, the emperor wondered about what the Jewish Sage had said. "What did Rabbi Yehoshua mean?" he thought. "My army is ten times larger and more powerful than the Parthians. How could they defeat me and take me captive? It makes no sense. And what is that golden rod?"

The emperor continued to ponder Rabbi Yehoshua's words. As he did so, he became more and more agitated. "Could there really be any truth to his words?" the emperor wondered. "Could his wisdom be prophetic? Am I fated to fall into the hands of my enemies?"

As the emperor envisioned Rabbi Yehoshua's words coming true, he began to tremble with fear. "Oh woe!" he cried. "I would rather die than be defeated in battle and captured!"

His mind was awhirl. Rabbi Yehoshua's sharp words kept ringing in his ears, haunting him, following him wherever he went. Fear dulled his appetite and made him unable to concentrate on affairs of state.

When he finally lay down to sleep, fatigued and nervous, the emperor tossed and turned until he fell into a fitful sleep. Even in his dream he could not get the words of the Sage out of his mind. He saw himself in chains, tormented by his enemies who threw garbage on him with a golden rod. It was just as Rabbi Yehoshua had predicted.

The following morning, he called for the Jewish sage and admitted that indeed he was correct. Rabbi Yehoshua explained his students that a person dreams at night what he thinks about during the day.

The lesson we can glean from this is to surround ourselves with positive images and thoughts during the day, so that we can have a good nights rest, refreshing our bodies so we can serve Hashem the next day with inner peace and happiness.

Reprinted from the Tzivos Hashem Newsletter

Once Mar Zutra travelled to a certain city with many of his students. A wealthy Jew who lived in that city invited them all to stay at his house as guests for Shabbat.

The host treated them with the greatest respect, serving them wonderful meals, and honoring the Torah which they discussed.

Among the treasured possessions of the host was a beautiful silver goblet of rare workmanship, which he used for kiddush and havdala -- the service after Shabbat, separating Shabbat from the rest of the week. After Shabbat, as the servants were cleaning up and putting everything away, a cry suddenly arose in the household. The goblet was missing. Everyone looked high and low for it, but to no avail. It had vanished.

Everyone was bewildered. Mar Zutra and his students also helped in the search. But the goblet was not to be found.

The host was very upset. Reluctantly he said, "I am afraid that our precious goblet has been stolen!"

Mar Zutra was deeply troubled. Was it possible that one of his students had done such a terrible thing?

The students looked at one another with serious faces. They hoped that the thief would be discovered quickly. They did not want to be suspected of stealing. Everyone went to sleep with a troubled heart.

The next morning the students woke up and prepared for prayers. Immediately upon arising, each one carefully did the mitzva of washing his hands. Mar Zutra watched them with approval.

Then he noticed that one of the students wiped his hands on another student's cloak. Mar Zutra called the student aside, and said to him sternly, "Admit that you are the thief!"

"Rebbe, how can you say that?" the student protested.

"I saw you wiping your hands on another student's garment!" Mar Zutra said. "If you don't care about his garment, why should you care not to steal as well?"

"But I couldn't find my towel, and the garment will soon be dry. I didn't really damage it."

"Nonsense!" Mar Zutra said. "If you couldn't find your own towel, why didn't you wipe your hands on your own shirt instead? You pretend to fear G-d when you wash your hands, but you really are a thief! Your own actions betray you!"

The student's belongings were searched, and the goblet was discovered. Since he had been careless in one little thing, Mar Zutra had rightly understood that the student was a thief.

Talmudic Sages

Rabbi Chanina bar Chama was one of the first generation of great Talmudic Sages who followed the redaction of the Mishna by Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi [Rabbi Judah the Prince]. By the time he came from his native Babylonia, to study under Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi, Rabbi Chanina was already a very accomplished scholar and was received with great warmth and friendship. He developed strong ties with his teacher and many of his fellow disciples, particularly with Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi.

During those turbulent and dangerous times, it was often necessary to send Jewish dignitaries to plead with the Roman government on behalf of the Jewish people. Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Chanina were often chosen to appear before the Roman emperor. When one of the emperor's advisors asked him why he would rise in honor of these Jews, he replied, "They have the appearance of angels."

Rabbi Yehuda passed away and was succeeded by his son, Rabban Gamliel, who, according to his father's instructions, seated Rabbi Chanina in the place of greatest honor at the academy. However, Rabbi Chanina's tremendous modesty prevented him from taking that place. Only when the elderly sage, Rabbi Efes passed away did Rabbi Chanina occupy it.

According to the teaching of our Sages that we should not make the Torah "an ax with which to dig," Rabbi Chanina went into business dealing in honey. When he succeeded, he opened and supported a Torah academy in his town of Tzippori. He never ceased trying to bring the people closer to G-d and would often reprimand them; this, of course, caused some resentment.

Once, there was a severe drought in the northern part of Israel where Tzippori was situated. At the same time, in the southern part, where Rabbi Yehoshua lived, ample rain fell as soon as Rabbi Yehoshua prayed. The people of Tzippori complained, saying that the drought continued only because Rabbi Chanina didn't pray for them enough.

In response, Rabbi Chanina sent for Rabbi Yehoshua. When he arrived, a public fast was declared and prayers were said for rain. When no rain fell, the people finally understood that the fault was not Rabbi Chanina's, but their own, and they resolved to correct their behavior.

Rabbi Chanina was known as a gifted healer who was well-versed in the use of various kinds of herbs and also the antidotes to snake poisons. He frequently advised people to be careful not to catch colds and to take care of themselves and not neglect treating any disorder.

His Torah teachings and the example of his mitzva observance had a profound influence on his generation. He observed the Sabbath in a manner which showed his love and devotion to the mitzva and when the Shabbat departed he marked it with a Melave Malka -- a feast for the departing out the Sabbath Queen.

Although he lived through very difficult and trying times, he accepted all his suffering -- losing a son and a daughter -- with love of G-d and an abiding faith. He lived a long life and even when he was very old he was unusually fit. It is said that at the age of eighty, he was able to put on his shoes while standing on one foot. When asked to what he ascribed his good health, he replied that he was always careful to show respect to Torah scholars as well as for the elderly, even if they were not learned.

Before Rabbi Chanina passed away, Rabbi Yochanan, his disciple, (who compiled the Jerusalem Talmud) went to visit him. On the way, word reached him that his master had died and he tore his clothes in mourning. Rabbi Chanina was so loved and respected among the Jews of his time that he was given the honorary title, "Rabbi Chanina the Great."

Adapted from Talks and Tales