"He is a Mamzer," and Rabbi Yehoshua, "He is a Ben Haniddah,"
but Rabbi Akiva contended, "He is both a Mamzer and a Ben
Haniddah." Upon which the Elders said to Rabbi Akiva, "How
darest thou be so bold as dispute the assertion of thy masters?"
"Because I can substantiate what I say," was his answer. He then
went to the mother of the lad, and found her selling pease in
the market place. "Daughter," said he to her, "if thou wilt
answer all that I ask of thee, I will ensure thee a portion in
the life to come." She replied, "Let me have thy oath and I will
do so." Then taking the oath with his lips but nullifying it in
his heart, he asked her, "What sort of a son is thy lad?" She
replied, "When I entered my bridal chamber I was a Niddah, and
consequently my husband kept away from me." Thus it was found
out that the boy was a Mamzer and a Ben Haniddah; upon which the
sages exclaimed, "Great is Rabbi Akiva, for he has overcome his
masters;" and as they congratulated him they said, "Blessed be
the Lord God of Israel, who hath revealed His secret unto Akiva
the son of Joseph." Thus did the Rabbi forswear himself, and
thus did his companions compliment him on the success of his
perjury; yet the Bible says, "Thou shalt not take the name of
the Lord thy God in vain" (Exod. xx. 7), and "Keep thou far from
a falsehood" (Exod. xxiii. 7).

Here is a companion picture from Yoma, fol. 84, col. 1.--"Rabbi
Yochanan was suffering from scurvy, and he applied to a Gentile
woman, who prepared a remedy for the fifth and then the sixth
day of the week. 'But what shall I do to-morrow?' said he; 'I
must not walk so far on the Sabbath.' 'Thou wilt not require any
more,' she answered. 'But suppose I do,' he replied. 'Take an
oath,' she answered, 'that thou wilt not reveal it, and I will
tell thee how to compound the remedy.' This he did in the
following words: 'By the God of Israel, I swear I will not
divulge it.' Nevertheless, when he learned the secret, he went
and revealed it. 'But was not that profaning the name of God?'
asks one. 'No,' pleads another Rabbi, 'for, as he told her
afterward, that what he meant was that he would not tell it to
the God of Israel.' The remedy was yeast, water, oil, and salt."

The anecdote that follows is from Sanhedrin, fol. 97, col
1:--"In reference to the remark of