THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
809
According to another legend, it would appeur thai Akiba owed almost everything to his wife. Akilia was a shepherd in tlie employ of the rich and respected Kalba Sabu'a, whose daughter took a liking She conto him, the modest, conscientious servant. sented to secret betrothal on the condition that he When the thenceforth devote himself to study. wealthy father-in-law learned of this secret betrothal, he drove his daughter from his house, and swore that he would never help her while Akiba remained her husband. Akiba, with his young wife, lived perforce in the most straitened circumstances. Indeed, so poverlyAkiba stricken did they become thatthe bride and His Wife, had to sell her hair to enable her husband to pursue his studies. Hut these very straits only served to bring out Akiba's greatIt is related that once, wlien a ness of character. bundle of stniw was the only be<l they pos.sessed, a poor man <ame to beg some straw for a bed for
Akiba at once divided with him his his sick wife. scanty possession, remarking tohis wife, " Thou seest, my child, there are those poorer than we!" This pretended poor man was none other than the prophet Elijah, who had come to test Akiba (Ned. .5(l((). By agreement with his wife, Akilia spent twelve years away from her. iiursuing his studies under Eliezer ben llyreanus and Josliua ben Hananiah. Returning at the end of that time, la- was just about to enter his wretched home, when he overheard the following answ'er given by his wife to a neighbor wlio was bitterly censuring him for his long absence: "If I had my wish, he should stay another twelve years at the academy." Without crossing the threshold, Akiba turned about and went back to the academy, to return to her at the! expiration of a The second time, further perioil of twelve years. however, he came back as a most famous scholar, e.scorted liy 24,000 disciples, who reverently followed their beloved master. When his poorly clad wife was about to embrace him, some of his students, not knowing who she was, sought to restnun her. But Akiba e.claime<l, " IaX her alone; for what I am, and for what we are, to this noble woman the thanks are due " (Ned. SO^, Ket. (j'ih tt xq.). Akiba's success a.s a teacher put an end to his poverty: for the wealthy father-in law now rejoiced to acknowledge a son-in-law so distinguished as Akilia. There were, however, other circumstan<es which made a wealthy man of the former sbciiherd lad. It appears that Akiba. authorized by certain rabbis, bdrrowed a large sum of money from a prominent heal hen woman a miilnniii, ssiys the legend. As bondsmen for he loan, Akiba named God and the sea, on the shore of which the niatrona's hous(; stood. Akiba, being sick, couUl not return the money at the time appointed: but his "bonds" did not leave him in tlii' lurch. An imperial men
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princess suddenly became insane, in condition she threw a chest containing imperial treasures into the the Matrona. sea. It was cast upon the shore close to the house of Akiba's creditor: so that when the matrona went to the shore lo demand of the sea the amount she hail lent Akiba, the ebbing tide left boundless riches at her feet. Later, when Akiba arrived to ilischarge his indebtedness, the matrona not only refused to accept the money, but in sisted upon Akilia's receiving a large share of what the sea had brought to lier (("ommenturies to Ned.
Akiba and which
I.e.).
This was not the only (Kcasion on which Akiba was ma<le to feel the truth of his favorite ma.im C Whatever God doeth He doeth for the best"). Once,
Akiba ben Joseph
being unable to And any sleeping accommodation in a certain city, he was compelled to pass the night outside its walls. Without a nuirmur he resigned himself to this hardship; and even when a lion devoured his ass, and a cat killed the cock whose crowing was to herald the dawn to him, and the wind extinguished his candle, the only remark he made was," This,likewise,nuist be for a good His inirpose!" When morning dawned he
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learned how true his words were. band of robbers had fallen upon the city and carried its inhabitants into
captivity, but he
had escaped because
his
abiding
place had not been noticed in the darkness, anil neither beast nor fowl had betrayed him (Ber. GOi). Akilia's many journeys brought numerous advi'utures. some of which are embellished by legend. Thus in Ethiopia he was once called ipon to decide between the swarthy king and the king's wife; the latter having been accused of inlidelily because she had borne her lord a white child. Akiba ascertained that the royal chamber was adorned with white marble statuary, and. basing his decision upon a wellknown physiological theory, he exonerated the queen from suspicion (Num. R. ix. 'M). It is related that during his stay in Rome Akiba became intimately ac(Hiainlcd with th<' .Icwish proselyte Ketia' bar Shalom, a very inlluenlial Roman according to some scholars identical with Flavins Clemens, Domitian's nephew, who, before his execution for pleading the cause of the Jews, betiucathed to Akiba all his possessions ('Ab. Zarah, lOi). Another Roman, concerning whose relations with Akiba legend has nuich to tell, was Tiuuius Rufus, called in the Talmud "Tyraiwius" Rufus. One day Rufus asked; "Which is the more beautiful God's work or man's? " "Undoubtedly man's work is the better," was Akiba's reply " for while nature at God's comtnand supplies us only with the raw material, human skill enables us to elaborate the same according to the requirements <if art and good taste." Rufus had lioped to drive Akiba into a corner by his strange question; for he expected (|uitc a dilTcrent answer from the sage, and intended to compel Akiba to admit the w'iekedness of circumcision. He then put the question," Why has God not made man just as He wanted him to be'?" "For the very reason," was Akiba's ready answer, " that the duty of man is to perfect himsVlf" (Tan., Tazri'a. .5, ed. Ruber 7). legend according to which the gates of the infernal regions opened for Akiba is analogous to the more familiar tale that he entered (laradise and was allowed to leave it unscathed. Akiba and (Hag. 14/<). There exists the following the Dead, tradition; Akiba once met a coal-black man carrying a heavy load of wood and running with th<' speed of ahorse. .Vkiba slopped him and in(|uired; " My son. wherefore' ilost thou labor so hard'? If lliou art a slave and hasi a harsh master, If it be out of poverty I will i>urchase Iheeof him. that thou doi'st thus. I will care for thy recpiin?menls." "It is for neither of these," the man replied " I am dea<l and am comi>elled because of my In great sins to build my fuiund pyre I'verv day. life I was a tax-gatherer and oppi-e,sse<l the poor. Let me go at once, lest the demon lorlure nu' for my delay." "Is there no help for thee'/" askeil .kiba. ".Mmost none," replied the decejised; "for I understand that my sulTerings will end only when I have When I ilicd, my wife was pregnant; a pious son. but I have liltle hopi' Ihal she will give my chilli proper training." .kiba ini|inred the man's name and Ihal of his wife and her dwelling place; and when, in lh<' course of his Inivels. he reached the
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