Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod, Part 4
Introduction
Get ready for some more strange Antoninus and Rabbi stories.
הוה ליה ההוא ברתא דשמה גירא. קעבדה איסורא. שדר ליה גרגירא. שדר ליה כוסברתא. שדר ליה כרתי. שלח ליה חסא.
He [Antoninus] had a daughter named Gira who committed a sin. So he sent Rabbi an herb, and Rabbi in return sent him coriander. The Emperor then sent some leeks and Rabbi sent lettuce in return.
In this strange story, Antoninus s daughter commits a sin, assumedly fornication. He sends Rabbi an herb called gargira which is an Aramaic wordplay for Gira fornicated. Rabbi sends back coriander, kusbarta, an Aramaic hint at kill your daughter. Antoninus sends back leeks, an Aramaic hint at if I do so, I too will be cut off. Rabbi sends back lettuce an Aramaic hint at if so leave her be. Seems like Rabbi and Antoninus communicated quite well through some simple herbs and vegetables.
כל יומא הוה שדר ליה דהבא פריכא במטראתא וחיטי אפומייהו, אמר להו אמטיו חיטי לרבי
אמר [ליה רבי] לא צריכנא אית לי טובא
אמר ליהוו למאן דבתרך דיהבי לבתראי דאתו בתרך ודאתי מינייהו ניפוק עלייהו.
Every day Antoninus sent Rabbi gold-dust in a leather bag, with wheat at the top, saying [to his servants]: Carry the wheat to Rabbi! Rabbi sent back to him, I do not need it, I have enough of my own. He answered, Leave it then to those who will come after you, so that they might give it to those who will come after me, for your descendants and those who will follow them will hand it over to them.
In this story, Antoninus sends gold to Rabbi, but disguises it as dust. Antoninus seems to think of this as some sort of long term deposit. Antoninus s descendants will eventually be paid back.
ה"ל ההיא נקרתא דהוה עיילא מביתיה לבית רבי.
כל יומא הוה מייתי תרי עבדי חד קטליה אבבא דבי רבי וחד קטליה אבבא דביתיה.
Antoninus had a cave which led from his house to the house of Rabbi. Every time [he visited Rabbi] he brought two slaves. He killed one at the door of Rabbi’s house and the other [who had been left behind] was killed at the door of his own house.
Antoninus was so zealous about hiding his frequent visits to Rabbi s house that he would kill the slaves who accompanied him there and back.
א"ל בעידנא דאתינא לא נשכח גבר קמך
יומא חד אשכחיה לר’ חנינא בר חמא דהוה יתיב.
אמר לא אמינא לך בעידנא דאתינא לא נשכח גבר קמך
א"ל לית דין בר איניש
א"ל אימא ליה לההוא עבדא דגני אבבא דקאים וליתי
אזל ר’ חנינא בר חמא אשכחיה דהוה קטיל
אמר היכי אעביד? אי איזיל ואימא ליה דקטיל אין משיבין על הקלקלה. אשבקיה ואיזיל קא מזלזלינן במלכותא בעא רחמי עליה ואחייה ושדריה
אמר ידענא זוטי דאית בכו מחיה מתים מיהו בעידנא דאתינא לא נשכח איניש קמך
Antoninus said to Rabbi: When I come let no one be found with you.
One day he found R. Hanina b. Hama sitting there, so he said: Did I not tell you that when I come let no one be found with you?
And Rabbi replied, This is not an [ordinary] human being.
Antoninus said, Let him tell that servant who is sleeping outside the door to rise and come in.
R. Haninah b. Hama went out but found that the man had been killed. He said to himself, what should I do? If I go and say that the man is dead, one should not bring a bad report. If I leave him and walk away, that would be slighting the king. So he prayed for mercy for the man and he was restored to life.
He then sent him in.
Antoninus said, I know that the least one among you can bring the dead to life, still no one should be here when I come.
This story again illustrates how much Antoninus wanted to make sure that no one would be in Rabbi s how when he comes for a visit. Even a person with super human abilities like R. Hanina b. Hama.