Kabbalah Library

357. While they were walking, a dove came to Rabbi Elazar, landed, and tweeted in front of him. Rabbi Elazar said, “Kosher [upright/pure/worthy] dove, you are always faithful with your mission, go and tell Rabbi Yosi, my son-in-law, that friends are coming over to him, and I am among them. A miracle will happen to him for three days, and he will not be frightened, for we are going to him with joy. He replied another time and said, ‘I am not very happy because it is very bad in my eyes that one full pomegranate was given in his stead and died instead of him. His name was Yosi.” That dove went from him, and the friends walked.

358. Rabbi Elazar said, “That dove came to me on a mission from Rabbi Yosi, who is sick. But I know from that dove that he had already been saved and a surrogate was given for him. That is, another person was given to die instead of him, and he was healed.

359. While they were walking, a craw stood before them. It called out loudly and tweeted a big tweet. Rabbi Elazar said, “For this you are standing, and for this you are established, to convey bad news. Go your way, for I already know.” Rabbi Elazar said, “Let us go and return good to the pomegranate, which was filled with everything, and whose name was Rabbi Yosi of Pekiin, for he departed from this world, and there is no one worthy of dealing with him, and he is close to us.

360. They veered off the path and went there. Since all the town’s people saw them, they went toward them and these friends went into the house of Rabbi Yosi from Pekiin. Rabbi Yosi had a young son, and he would not let anyone approach his father’s bed after he died, but he alone would stand near him and cry over him, and his mouth clung to his mouth.

361. That child opened and said, “Master of the world, it is written in the Torah, ‘If you come across a bird’s nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself.’” The boy was shouting and crying. He said, “Master of the world, uphold this matter that is in the Torah. Two children from my father and mother, I and my little sister, You should have taken us and uphold the matter that is in the Torah, as it is written, ‘You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself.’

“And Master of the world, if you say, ‘It is written mother and not father,’ here there is everything, my father and my mother. The mother died, and you took her from over the children, and my father, who was protecting us, You also took from the children. Where is the judgment of the Torah?” Rabbi Elazar and the friends wept because of the cries and shouts of that child.

362. Rabbi Elazar said, “As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.” While Rabbi Elazar was saying this verse, a pillar of fire stopped between them and the deceased, and that child was glued to his father’s mouth and they would not separate. For this reason, the pillar of fire stopped. Rabbi Elazar said, “Either the Creator wants to make a miracle and revive him, or He wants no one else to deal with him, but I cannot tolerate the words of that child and his tears.”

363. As they were sitting, they heard a voice saying, “Happy are you Rabbi Yosi, that the words and tears of that little kid [young male goat] rose up to the throne of the holy King and the judgment has been passed. The Creator summoned thirteen people for you to the angel of death, to redeem you. And behold twenty-two years have been added to you, until you teach Torah to that complete kid, who is loved by the Creator.”

364. Rabbi Elazar and the friends arose and did not let anyone in the house stand. Promptly, they saw that that pillar of fire had gone away, and Rabbi Yosi opened his eyes. That child’s mouth was glued to his mouth. Rabbi Elazar said, “Happy are we that we have seen the revival of the dead eye to eye.” They approached him, and that child was sleeping, as though dying from this world. “They said, ‘Happy are you Rabbi Yosi, and blessed be the Merciful one, who has made a miracle for you on the shouts and crying of your son, with his words, who was pressing for the gate of heaven with his beautiful words. With his words and with his tears, life was added to you.

365. They took that child and kissed him, and wept with him for joy, and took him out to a different house, and awoke him from his sleep, and did not let him know right away about his father’s revival, but later. They rejoiced there three days, and made several innovations in the Torah with Rabbi Yosi.

366. Rabbi Yosi said, “Friends, I was not given permission to disclose what I saw in that world, but only after twelve years. But the 365 tears that my son shed were taken into account by the holy King. And I will tell you friends, that when my son opened in that verse, and shouted with those words, 300,000 benches in the seminary of the firmament, and all the souls stood before the holy King and asked for mercy over me, and vouched for me that I will not sin at that time. And the Creator was filled with mercy over me.

367. These words of my son were beautiful in His eyes, and how He gave his soul for me. And one guardian, a protector and advocate, was before him. He said, “Master of the world, it is written, “From the mouth of toddlers and infants, You have established strength because of Your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” May it please You that the merit of the Torah and the merit of that child who had given his soul for his father, that You may have mercy on him and he will be saved.”

368. He summoned for him thirteen people instead of me, giving the angel of death a collateral, a ransom for him, to pull me out of that harsh judgment. At that time, the Creator called the angel of death and commanded him in regard to me, to return after twenty-two years, since the thirteen people He has given him instead of me, are not regarded by him as actual collateral for me, to exempt me forever from death, but they were placed as securities in his hands.

That is, in any case, those thirteen were bound to die, and were in the hands of the angel of death. However, their time was made sooner. This is why they are not a ransom and redemption to release him from death altogether, but rather extended his time by twenty-two years. Now friends, because the Creator saw that you are a true righteous, the miracle happened before your eyes.”