fled to Pumbeditha, and from thence to Akra, to Agmi, Sichin,
Zeripha, Ein d'Maya, and back again to Pumbeditha. Arrived at this
place, both the royal messenger and the fugitive Rabbi happened to put
up at the same inn. Two cups were placed before the former on a table,
when, strange to say, after he had drunk and the table was removed, his
face was forcibly turned round to his back. (This was done by evil
spirits because he drank even numbers--against which we are earnestly
warned in _P'sachim_, fol. 110, col. 1.) The inn-keeper, fearing the
consequences of such a misfortune happening to so high an official at
his inn, sought advice of the lurking Rabbi, when the latter suggested
that the table be placed again before him with one cup only on it, and
thus the even number would become odd, and his face would return to its
natural position. They did so, and it was as the Rabbi had said. The
official then remarked to his host, "I know the man I want is here," and
he hastened and found him. "If I knew for certain," he said to the
Rabbi, "that thy escape would cost my life only, I would let thee go,
but I fear bodily torture, and therefore I must secure thee." And
thereupon he locked him up. Upon this the Rabbi prayed, till the prison
walls miraculously giving way he made his escape to Agma, where he
seated himself at the root of a tree and gave himself up to meditation.
While thus engaged he all at once heard a discussion in the academy of
heaven on the subject of the hair mentioned in Lev. xiii. 25. The Holy
One--blessed be He!--declared the case to be "clean," but the whole
academy were of a different opinion, and declared the case to be
"unclean." The question then arose, "Who shall decide?" "Ravah bar
Nachmaini shall decide," was the unanimous reply, "for he said, 'I am
one in matters of leprosy; I am one in questions about tents; and there
is none to equal me.'" Then the angel of death was sent for to bring him
up, but he was unable to approach him, because the Rabbi's lips never
ceased repeating the law of the Lord. The angel of death thereupon
assumed the appearance of a troop of cavalry, and the Rabbi,
apprehensive of being seized and carried off, exclaimed, "I would rather
die through that one (meaning the angel of death) than be delivered into
the hands of the Government!" At that very instant he was asked to
decide the question in dispute, and just as the verdict "clean" issued
from his lips his soul departed from