Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod Het, Part 1
Introduction
The Talmud continues with another story involving R. Hanina ben Tradion, obviously before he died (which happened at the end of the previous section).
תנו רבנן כשחלה רבי יוסי בן קיסמא הלך רבי חנינא בן תרדיון לבקרו.
אמר לו חנינא אחי (אחי) אי אתה יודע שאומה זו מן השמים המליכוה. שהחריבה את ביתו ושרפה את היכלו והרגה את חסידיו ואבדה את טוביו ועדיין היא קיימת ואני שמעתי עליך שאתה יושב ועוסק בתורה [ומקהיל קהלות ברבים] וספר מונח לך בחיקך.
Our Rabbis taught: When R. Yose b. Kisma was ill, R. Hanina b. Teradion went to visit him. He said to him: My brother, Hanina, do you not know, that this nation, Heaven has ordained that they reign? For though she laid waste to His House and burned His Temple, and slew His pious ones and caused His best ones to perish, she still is firmly established! Yet, I have heard that you are sitting and occupying yourself with the Torah, publicly gather assemblies, and a Torah Scroll is resting.
R. Yose b. Kisma presents R. Hanina with a theological problem if Jews believe that God has decreed that Rome should rule, why do we still protest against them?
אמר לו מן השמים ירחמו.
אמר לו אני אומר לך דברים של טעם ואתה אומר לי מן השמים ירחמו תמה אני אם לא ישרפו אותך ואת ספר תורה באש.
He replied, Heaven will show mercy.
He responded, I am making reasonable statement, and you say, Heaven will show mercy! It will surprise me if they do not burn you and the Torah scroll with fire.
R. Hanina seems totally indifferent to his fate. I read in these lines some criticism of R. Hanina. R. Hanina s answer strikes even R. Yose b. Kisma as ridiculous.
אמר לו רבי מה אני לחיי העולם הבא
אמר לו כלום מעשה בא לידך
אמר לו מעות של פורים נתחלפו לי במעות של צדקה וחלקתים לעניים
אמר לו אם כן מחלקך יהי חלקי ומגורלך יהי גורלי
He said back, What is my status with regard to the world to come?
He said, Is there any particular act that you have done?
He replied: I once mistook Purim-money for ordinary charity-money, and I distributed [of my own] to the poor.
He said then, If so, would that your portion were my portion and you lot my lot.
R. Hanina s willingness to pay tzedakah money out of his own pocket is what gets him a place in the world to come. Note, it is not his study of Torah or his willingness to die that allows him into the world to come. It is his good deeds. Again, I think there is some criticism here of the rabbinic movement.