מַעֲשֶֹה בְּתַלְמִיד אֶחָד מִתַּלְמִידֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ בַּחֲלוֹם, בַּאֲדָר אַתָּה מֵת וְנִיסָן אֵינְךָ רוֹאֶה, וּמַה שֶּׁזָּרַעְתָּ לֹא תִקְצֹר. וְהָיָה מֵצֵר עַל הַחֲלוֹם הַרְבֵּה, וְסִפֵּר חֲלוֹמוֹ לִפְנֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. אָמַר לוֹ: בַּאֲדָר אַתָּה מֵת, בְּהִדּוּרָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה אַתָּה מֵת. וְנִיסָן אֵין אַתָּה רוֹאֶה, שׁוּב אֵין בָא לִידֵי נִסָּיוֹן. וּמַה שֶּׁזָּרַעְתָּ אֵין אַתָּה קוֹצֵר, בָּנֶיךָ אֵין אַתָּה קוֹבֵר. It happened that one of R. Akiba’s disciples heard the following in a dream: “You will die in the month of Adar, you will not see the month of Nisan; and what you sow you shall not reap.”45Y. Ma’aser Sheni 4, end of 55c. He was sorely troubled by this dream and related it to R. Akiba. R. Akiba explained it as follows: “In the month of Adar (adar), you will die” indicates that you will die for the glory (hadar) of the Torah; “the month of Nisan (nisan) you will not see” means that you will never be tested (nasa); and “what you sow you will not reap” implies that you will not bury your own offspring.
וְתוּ רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן בֶּן עַכְסַאי וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶן גֵרִים, הֲווֹ תְנוֹ פָּרָשַׁת נְדָרִים קַמֵּי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחַאי, אִפְטְרוּ מִנֵּהּ בְּאֻרְתָּא. בְּצַפְרָא אֲתוּ וְקָא מִפְטְרֵי מִנֵּהּ. אֲמַר לְהוּ, מִי לֹא אִפְטְרִיתוּ מִקַּמַּאי מֵאֶתְמוֹל, אָמְרוּ לוֹ: לִמַּדְתָּנוּ רַבֵּנוּ, תַּלְמִיד הַנִּפְטָר מֵרַבּוֹ וְלָן בְּאוֹתָהּ הָעִיר, צְרִיכִים לְהִפָּטֵר מִמֶּנּוּ, דִּכְתִיב: בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי שִׁלַּח אֶת הָעָם וַיְבָרְכוּ אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְגוֹ' (מלכים א ח, סו). Further, R. Judah, a descendant of proselytes, and R. Jonathan the son of Akhsai were studying the portion of Vows before R. Simeon the son of Yohai. They bade him farewell in the evening when they departed, and they again bade him farewell in the morning. Whereupon he said to them: “Did you not bid me farewell last night?” They replied: “Our master taught us that when a disciple departs from his mentor, and the mentor remains overnight in the same city, he must greet him once again, as it is written: On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king (I Kings 8:66).”46They greeted him when they arrived and bade him farewell when they departed.
אֲמַר לֵהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחַאי לִבְרֵהּ, הַלָּלוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁל צוּרָה, זִיל לְגַבַּיְהוּ כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלִבְרְכוּךְ. אָזַל אַשְׁכְּחִנְהוּ דְּקָא רָמוּ קְרָאֵי אַהֲדָדֵי, כְּתִיב: פַּלֵּס מַעְגַּל רַגְלֶךָ וְכָל דְּרָכֶיךָ יִכֹּנוּ (משלי ד, כו). וּכְתִיב: אֹרַח חַיִּים פֶּן תְּפַלֵּס נָעוּ מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ לֹא תֵדָע (משלי ה, ו). לָא קַשְׁיָא, כָּאן בְּמִצְוֹת שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹתָם עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים, כָּאן בְּמִצְוֹת שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹתָם עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים. R. Simeon the son of Yohai said to his son: “These are worthy men, go to them that they may bless you.” He visited them and found them comparing two texts. It is written: Make plain the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established (Prov. 4:26), and it is written as well: Lest she should walk the even path of life, her ways wander but she knoweth it not (Prov. 5:6). There is no contradiction here (they decided). The former text refers to an obligation that can be discharged through another person, while the latter verse has reference to an obligation that cannot be discharged through another person.
הֲדוּר יַתְבֵי וְקָא מִבַּעְיָא לְהוּ, כְּתִיב: יְקָרָה הִיא מִפְּנִינִים וְכָל חֲפָצֶיךָ לֹא יִשְׁווּ בָהּ (משלי ג, טו), הָא חֶפְצֵי שָׁמַיִם יִשְׁווּ בָהּ. וּכְתִיב וְכָל חֲפָצִים (משלי ח, יא), אֲפִלּוּ חֶפְצֵי שָׁמָיִם, לָא קַשְׁיָא, כָּאן בְּמִצְוָה שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים, וְכָאן בְּמִצְוָה שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים. אֲמַרוּ לֵהּ, מַאי בָּעֵית הָכָא, אֲמַר לְהוּ, אֲמַר לִי אַבָּא זִיל לְגַבַּיְהוּ כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלִבְרְכוּךְ. אֲמַרוּ לֵהּ, יְהֵא רַעֲוָא דְּתִזְרַע וְלָא תִחְצַד, תְּעַיֵּל וְלָא תַפִּיק, תַּפִּיק וְלָא תְּעַיֵּל, לִחְרוּב בֵּיתָךְ וְלִיתִיב אֻשְׁפִּיזָךְ, לִבַּלְבַּל פְּתוֹרָךְ, וְלָא תֶחֱזֵי שַׁתָּא חֲדַתִּי. כִּי אֲתָא לְגַבֵּי אֲבוּהָּ, אֲמַר לֵהּ, לָא מִבַּעְיָא דִבְרוּכֵי לָא מְבָרְכִינָן, אֶלָּא צַעוּרֵי קָא מְצַעֲרֵי לָן. אֲמַר לֵהּ אֲבוּהּ, מַאי אֲמַרוּ לָךְ? אֲמַר לֵהּ, הֲכִי וַהֲכִי אֲמַרוּ לִי. אֲמַר לֵהּ, הַנֵּי בִרְכְתָא מַעַלְיָתָא נִינְהוּ. תִּזְרַע וְלָא תִחְצַד, תּוֹלִיד בְּנִין וְלָא יְמוּתוּן. תָּעִיל וְלָא תַפִּיק, תָּעִיל כַּלְּתָא וְלָא יְמוּתוּן בְּנָהּ. תַּפִּיק וְלָא תָעִיל, תַּפִּיק בְּנָתָךְ וְלָא יְמוּתוּן גַּבְרַיְהוּ. לִחְרוּב בֵּיתָךְ, בֵּיתָא דְהַאי עַלְמָא. וְלִיתִיב אֻשְׁפִּיזָךְ, בֵּיתָא דְהַאי עַלְמָא, דִּכְתִיב: קִרְבָּם בָּתֵימוֹ לְעוֹלָם מִשְׁכְּנֹתָם לְדֹר וָדֹר (תהלים מט, יב). אַל תִּקְרֵי קִרְבָּם אֶלָּא קִבְרָם. לִבַּלְבַּל פְּתוֹרָךְ, בִּבְנֵי וּבִבְנָתָא. וְלָא תֶחֱזֵי שַׁתָּא חֲדַתִּי, לָא תְמוּת אִתְּתָךְ וְתִנְסַב אִתְּתָא אַחֲרִיתִי. They remained seated and discussed two other verses. It is written: She (wisdom) is more precious than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her (Prov. 3:15). But the values in heaven may equal her for it is written: And all things desirable are not to be compared unto her (Prov. 8:11). Even the value of heaven. There is no contradiction here (they decided). The former verse applies to an obligation that may be discharged through others while the latter verse applies to an obligation that cannot be discharged thrugh others. Then they asked the lad: “What do you desire here?” He replied: “My father said to me : ‘Go to them that they may bless you.’” Whereupon they said to him: “May it be that you shall sow and not reap; that you shall bring in and nor bring out; that you take out and not bring in; that your house will be destroyed and your temporary shelter will remain; and that you shall not behold another year.” When he returned to his father, he said: “Not only did they not bless me, but their words pained me.” His father asked: “What did they say to you?” He repeated everything they had said. “All of these statements are blessings,” his father responded. ‘“You shall sow and not reap’ means that you will beget children and they will not die. ‘You shall bring in and not take out’ means that you will bring in a daughter-in-law and your son will not die. ‘You shall take out and not bring in’ means that you will give your daughters in marriage and their husbands will not die. ‘Your house shall be destroyed’ means that your earthly home will be only a temporary shelter, ‘your temporary shelter shall remain’ means that the world-to-come will be your eternal home, as it is written: Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue forever (Ps. 49:12). However, do not read kirbam (“their inward thought”), but kivram (“their grave”). ‘Your table shall be disturbed’ means that you will have many sons and daughters, and ‘you shall not behold another year’ implies that your wife will not die and you will not be compelled to remarry.”
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן חֲלַפְתָּא אַפְטַר מִנֵּהּ דְרַבִּי, אֲמַר לֵהּ לִבְרֵהּ, זִיל לְגַבֵּהּ כִּי הֵיכִי דְלִבְרְכָךְ. אֲזַל, אָמְרוּ לֵהּ, יְהֵא רַעֲוָא דְּלָא תֵבוֹשׁ וְלָא תִתְבַּיֵּשׁ. כִּי אֲתָא לְגַבֵּי אֲבוּהּ, אֲמַר לֵהּ, מִלְּתָא בְעָלְמָא הוּא דַאֲמַר לִי. אֲמַר לֵהּ, בֵּרְכָךְ בִּרְכְתָא דְבָרְכִנְהוּ קֻדְשָׁא בְרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְשָׁנָה בָהּ, דִּכְתִיב: וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אָכוֹל וְשָׂבוֹעַ וְגוֹ', וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי בְקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנִי וְגוֹ' (יואל ב, כו-כז), כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן. When R. Simeon the son of Halafta departed from Rabbi, the former said to his son: “Go to him that he may bless you.” He went and R. Simeon said: “May it be that you shall not cause others to be ashamed, and that others shall not make you ashamed.” Upon returning to his father, he declared: “He made some meaningless remark.” His father replied: “He blessed you with the blessing that the Holy One, blessed be He, bestowed upon Israel, as it is written: And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and My people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel … and My people shall never be ashamed (Joel 2:26–27). So may it be Thy will, amen.