sited him, and said, "Rabbi,
teach us the way of life, that we may inherit eternity."

The Rabbi answered, "Give honor to your comrades. Know to whom you pray.
Restrain your children from frivolous conversation, and place them among
the learned men, in order that they may acquire wisdom. So may you merit
life in the future world."

When Rabbi Jochanan was sick his scholars also called upon him. When he
beheld them he burst into tears.

"Rabbi!" they exclaimed, "Light of Israel! The chief pillar! Why weep?"

The Rabbi answered, "Were I to be brought before a king of flesh and
blood, who is here to-day and to-morrow in the grave; who may be angry
with me, but not forever; who may imprison me, but not forever; who may
kill me, but only for this world; whom I may sometimes bribe; even then
I would fear. But now, I am to appear before the King of kings, the Most
Holy One, blessed be He, who lives through all eternity. If He is wroth,
it is forever. If He imprisons me, it is forever; if He slays me, it is
for the future world; and I can bribe Him neither with words nor money.
Not only this, two paths are before me, one leading to punishment, the
other to reward, and I know not which one I must travel. Should I not
weep?"

The scholars of Rabbi Johanan, the son of Zakai, asked of their teacher
this question:--

"Wherefore is it, that according to the law, the punishment of a
highwayman is not as severe as the punishment of a sneak thief?
According to the Mosaic law, if a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills
it or sells it, he is required to restore five oxen for the one ox, and
four sheep for the one sheep; but for the highwayman we find, 'When he
hath sinned and is conscious of his guilt, he shall restore that he hath
taken violently away; he shall restore it and its principal, and the
fifth part thereof he shall add thereto.' Therefore, he who commits a
highway robbery pays as punishment one-fifth of the same, while a sneak
thief is obliged to return five oxen for one ox, and four sheep for one
sheep. Wherefore is this?"

"Because," replied the teacher, "the highway robber treats the servant
as the master. He takes away violently in the presence of the servant,
the despoiled man, and the master--God. But the sneak thief imagines
that God's eye is not upon him. He acts secretly, thinking, as the
Psalmist says, 'The Lord doth not see, neither will the God of Jacob
regard it.' Listen to a parable. Two men made a feast