Antoninus Caesar asked Rabbi (the Holy), "Why does the sun rise in the
east and set in the west?" "Thou wouldst have asked," answered the
Rabbi, "the same question if the order had been reversed." "What I
mean," remarked Antoninus, "is this, is there any special reason why he
sets in the west?" "Yes," replied Rabbi, "to salute his Creator (who is
in the east), for it is said (Neh. ix. 6), 'And the host of heaven
worship Thee.'"

_Sanhedrin_, fol. 91, col. 2.

Caesar once said to Rabbi Tanchum, "Come, now, let us be one people."
"Very well," said Rabbi Tanchum, "only we, being circumcised, cannot
possibly become like you; if, however, ye become circumcised we shall be
alike in that regard anyhow, and so be as one people." The Emperor said,
"Thou hast reasonably answered, but the Roman law is, that he who
nonpluses his ruler and puts him to silence shall be cast to the lions."
The word was no sooner uttered than the Rabbi was thrown into the den,
but the lions stood aloof and did not even touch him. A Sadducee, who
looked on, remarked, "The lions do not devour him because they are not
hungry," but, when at the royal command, the Sadducee himself was thrown
in, he had scarcely reached the lions before they fell upon him and
began to tear his flesh and devour him.

_Sanhedrin_, fol. 39, col. 1.

A certain Sadducee asked Rabbi Abhu, "Since your God is a priest, as it
is written (Exod. xxv. 2), 'That they bring Me an offering,' in what did
He bathe Himself after He was polluted by the burial (Num. xix. 11, 18)
of the dead body of Moses? It could not be in the water, for it is
written (Isa. xl. 12), 'Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His
hand?' which therefore are insufficient for Him to bathe in." The Rabbi
replied, "He bathed in fire, as it is written (Isa. lxvi. 15), 'For
behold the Lord will come with fire.'"

Ibid.

Turnus Rufus asked this question also of Rabbi Akiva, "Why is the
Sabbath distinguished from other days?" Rabbi Akiva replied, "Why art
thou distinguished from other men?" The answer was, "Because it hath
pleased my Master thus to honor me." And so retorted Akiva, "It hath
pleased God to honor His Sabbath." "But what I mean," replied the other,
"was how dost thou know that it is the Sabbath-day?" The reply was, "The
river Sambatyon proves it; the necromancer proves it; the grave of thy
father proves it, for the smoke thereof rises not on the Sabbath."

Ibid., fol. 65, col. 2.

See B