(Fol. 103) Our Rabbis were taught: At the time when Rabbi (R. Juda the Patriarch) was about to die he said: "I want my sons." Accordingly his sons entered. He then besought them: "Be careful to honor your mother; the candle should always be lit in its usual place [as when I was alive;] the table should be set up in its usual place; the bed should be fixed in its usual place: Joseph, Chaphni, Simon and Ephrath who served me [with great affection] during my lifetime should serve me [take charge of the body] after I will die." "Be careful to honor your mother." Is this not a Biblical commandment of the following passage (Ex. 20, 12) Honor thy father and thy mother? She was only their father's wife (step-mother). But even a father's wife is also a Biblical commandment, for we are taught (Deut. 5, 16) Honor thy father and thy mother. The article Eth, preceding thy fathers, refers to the husband of the mother (step-father) and the Eth preceding thy mother refers to a step-mother; the superfluous letter Vav in the article Eth preceding mother refers to the oldest brother. [Hence even a step-mother is subject to the honor.] This refers only during the life time of their own father, but after the death of their own father they are not supposed to honor their step-mother and therefore Rabbi instructed his children to do so. "The candle should always be lit in its usual place; the table should be set up in its usual place; the bed should be fixed in its usual place." Why was this necessary? Because every Sabbath eve Rabbi would visit his house. It happened on one Sabbath eve, when he was there, that a neighbor came and knocked at the door. She was told by the servant of Rabbi to be quiet, because Rabbi was sitting. As soon as he heard this, he stopped to visit his house, in order that it might not cause suspicion upon the former righteous, who died and did not visit their houses. "Joseph, Chaphni, Simon and Ephrath, who served me [with great affection,] during my life-time, should serve me (take charge of the body] after I die." It was understood from this instruction that they should take charge in this world (to arrange the funeral), but when it happened that the [dead] bodies of his sons were brought in before his own, it was understood that he only referred it to the future world. And why did he give such instructions? So that people should not say: "His sons died of some grave sins, and until now they were spared only on account of Rabbi's merits." He then said to his children: "I desire to see the sages." The sages entered, and he besought them: "Do not allow any mourning ceremonies to be performed for me in the towns." (Ib. b) And you should reopen the college after the short interval of thirty days Simon, my son, should be the Chacham; Gamaliel, my son, should become the Nassi (Patriarch); and Chanina b. Chama should be the head of the academy." "Do not make any mourning ceremonies in towns." The sages thought, that because of too much trouble he ordered them not to do so; but after they observed that by having the mourning ceremonies held in the bigger cities more listeners came, they then understood that it was for his honor. "Reopen the academy after the short interval of thirty days." Because he was not better than Moses, our teacher, concerning whom it is written (Deut. 34, 8) And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. For thirty days they should mourn him, day and night, but after that they should mourn for him during the day time and study during the night, or mourn during the night and study during the day, until the end of one year. The day when Rabbi died a Heavenly voice came forth and said: "Whoever was present when Rabbi died, will be destined for the future world." There was a certain laundryman who every day would visit Rabbi, but on that particular day he did not come, and when he heard of this announcement, he went up on a roof and threw himself down. Thereupon a Heavenly voice said: "Also this man will be destined for the future world."
"Simon, my son, should be the Chacham." What did he mean by this? He means thus: although Simon, my son, is wise, nevertheless Gamaliel, my son, should be conferred with the dignity of Patriarch. Levi asked: "Why was it necessary to give such an instruction [since he was the oldest one?"] Said R. Simon b. Rabbi: "It was necessary for thee and for thy lame foot." Why did not R. Simon understand the question. Is there not a passage (II Chr. 21, 3) But the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the first born? There it was different, because he was able to fill out the place of his father in every respect; but Gamaliel was not able to fill out the place of his father. If so, then why did Rabbi give instructions to make him the Patriarch? Rabbi's reason was because, granted that he was not able to fill his father's place in wisdom, nevertheless in fearing God he did fill his father's place. "Chanina b. Chama should be the head of the academy." R. Chanina, however, did not accept the position, because R. Appas was two and a half years older than he. Therefore R. Appas became the head. R. Chanina, nevertheless, remained outside. Levi then joined R. Chanina as an associate to him, and when R. Appas died, which caused the elevation of R. Chanina to the chief of the academy, Levi, not having anyone to join him, left the land of Israel and emigrated to Babylonia, and this is what the people informed Rab. "A great man happened to come to Nehardea, lame on one leg, and expounded that a woman is permitted [on the Sabbath] to take a stroll, while bearing a wreath on her head." Rab then said: "This proves that R. Appas died and R. Chanina became the chief of the academy, hence Levi did not have anyone to associate with him and therefore came here." Why not say that R. Chanina died, so R. Appas remained as before, but Levi merely lost his associate and was compelled to come to Babylon? If you wish I will explain that Levi would have subordinated himself to the control of R. Appas [and his refusal was chiefly because he desired to be an associate to R. Chanina]; and if you wish I will say since Rabbi ordered that R. Chanina should become the chief of the academy, it became impossible that he should die and not become a chief, for it is said (Job. 22, 28) And if thou decree a thing, it will be fulfilled unto thee. But why did not Rabbi appoint as the chief of the academy R. Chiya, who was the oldest? Because R. Chiya had been dead already. But do we not find that R. Chiya said: "I saw the grave of Rabbi upon which I shed tears"? This was the reversed condition [that Rabbi saw R. Chiya's grave and shed tears on it.] But has not R. Chiya said that the day on which Rabbi died, holiness was abolished? This was taught in the reversed way. But again, is there not a Baraitha that when Rabbi became ill, R. Chiya entered to visit him and found him weeping, whereupon R. Chiya said to him: "Why art thou crying? Are we not taught in a Baraitha that when one dies while laughing it is a good omen, but when one dies while crying it is a bad omen, dying with his face upward, it is a good omen; but with his face downward, it is a bad omen; with his face towards the wall, it is a bad omen; but with his face towards the people, it is a good omen. If one's face turns green after death, it is a bad omen; but if one's face looks reddish or yellow, it is a good omen. If one dies on the Sabbath eve, it is a good omen; but if one dies on the termination of the Sabbath, it is a bad omen. If one dies on the eve of the Day of Atonement, it is a bad omen; but if one dies on the termination of the Day of Atonement, it is a good omen. If one dies of an intestinal sickness, it is a good omen, because the majority of the righteous die of an entrail sickness." Whereupon Rabbi answered him: "I am weeping because of the Torah and the meritorious deeds which I will not be able to perform." [Hence we see that R. Chiya was alive when Rabbi died.] If you wish, you may reverse the above Baraitha, and if you wish you may say that it is not necessary to reverse the Baraitha; but since R. Chiya devoted his time to important meritorious deeds, Rabbi thought it is better not to disturb him.
And this is meant that whenever R. Chiya and R. Chanina used to quarrel with each other, that R. Chanina would say: "Art thou quarreling with me, who if the Torah should, God forbid, be forgotten in Israel, could be revised by me through my terse arguments?" Whereupon R. Chiya answered him: "I can bring it about that the Torah should not come to such a point of forgetfulness, for I bring flax twist out of its nets with which I capture deer. From its meat I feed the orphans. From its skin I prepare scrolls, which I bring to a town where there is no teacher. I write the five Scriptures of the Torah on five parchments, each one for a child. I then teach to six other children the six orders of the Mishnah, to each one an order, and I say to them: 'Study your order to your associate.' [Hence in a very short time all of these children knew the entire thing]." This is meant when Rabbi said: "How great are the deeds of Chiya!" When R. Simon b. Rabbi asked his father: "Is it even greater than yours?" "Yes," came the reply. R. Ishmael b. R. Geri asked him: "Is it even greater than my father's act?" Whereupon Rabbi replied: "This cannot happen in Israel." He then summoned his smaller son, whereupon R. Simon entered. He entrusted to him the ways of wisdom. Afterwards he summoned his elder son, whereupon R. Gamaliel entered. He said: "Conduct thy Exilarch office among the exalted (surround thyself with the best people), cast the bile among the students, (be austere against them)." Is this proper? Is there not a passage (Ps. 15, 4) He that honoreth these that fear the Lord, Upon which the master said elsewhere that this refers to Joshaphath, King of Juda, who, when he met a scholar, would arise from his chair, would embrace and kiss him, and call him Rabbi, Rabbi, Mori, Mori. This is not difficult to explain. The latter case refers to privacy [then one should love a scholar], but the former refers to publicly. We are taught in a Baraitha: Rabbi became sick in Sepphoris and his grave was destined to be in Beth She'arim. But was not Rabbi's household in Beth She'arim? We must therefore say that after he became sick he was brought to Sepphoris because of its elevated place and its wholesome climate.
(Fol. 104) On the day that Rabbi died the Rabbis proclaimed a day of fast and prayers. They also said: "Whoever should announce the mournful fact that Rabbi is dead should be killed with a sword." The servant of Rabbi went upon the roof and said thus: "Up in Heaven Rabbi is demanded, and down on the earth Rabbi is demanded. May it be the will that those here below should conquer those above." As soon as she noticed that Rabbi had so much pain, in taking off his phylacteriss and putting them on again, she said: "May it be the will that those above should conquer those below." The Rabbis, however, did not stop from offering prayers for his health, so the servant took a dish, and threw it down from the roof, causing the Rabbis to stop from offering prayers. At that moment Rabbi died. The Rabbis then said to Bar Kapara: "Go, find out what his condition is." The latter went and found that he was dead. He tore his clothes and turned them behind, and began saying: "Mortals and angels long have striven the tables of the covenant to gain, each champion to defeat now driven, weep for the treasures, that no more remain." At the moment when Rabbi was dying he lifted up his ten fingers and said: "Sovereign of the Universe, it is known and revealed to Thee that with my ten fingers I have labored unceasingly in the law, and did not enjoy the worldly profit in so much as my little finger. May it therefore please Thee that there may be peace in my rest!" Whereupon a Heavenly voice went forth and said (Is. 57, 2) He shall come to his father in peace: they shall repose in their resting place. It should have been said, in thy resting place. This will support the opinion of R. Chiya b. Gamda, who quoted R. Josi b. Saul: "In the moment when the righteous takes leave of the world, the ministering angels say before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the Universe, the righteous is coming to us.' Whereupon He says: 'Let the righteous go out to meet him, and greet him that he shall come in peace, and they shall repose in their resting place.' " R. Elazar said: "At the moment when the righteous takes leave of the world three groups of ministering angels are sent out to meet him. One group says: Came in peace. The other group says: Everyone that walketh in his uprightness. The third group says: He shall come in peace, they repose in their resting place. But, at the moment when a wicked is destroyed from the world, three groups of destroying angels go out to meet him. One says (Ib. 48, 22) There is no peace saith the Lord unto the wicked. The second one says (Ib. 50, 11) In pains shall ye lie down, and the third one says (Ez. 32, 32) Go down and be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised."