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him over hills and valleys, across countries and throughthorns and briars. At last he said," Old man, just get a
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⚫ little lighter! Otherwise I will throw you off." Elijahasked him if he wanted to breathe a little and Eleazar said" Yes." So they went into a field and they sat under a treeand he gave him to eat and to drink, Then Elijah said tohim," Thou hast this strength and beauty and yet thou dostnot work for thy Father, God." And he answered," Isthere anyone who can teach me?" And Elijah replied," Yes." Some say that he studied for 13 years until he wasable to read the law and that he was then scarcely ableto carry the weight of his mantle. The like is told of a manwho belonged to R. Gamliel who used to carry 40 loaveson his back to the baker, but who after he was taught andinstructed could not carry even one.
95. R. Eleazar b. Shimeon, who was appointed an officialof the government, was accustomed to catch thieves in avery clever way when he found them drinking very heavilyin the drinking booths. The men who looked tired had eitherpassed the night in study or they had been in mischief, andso he caught all the latter. He was rebuked by R. Joshuab. Quorha, who cried out at him," Vinegar son of wine,why do thou deliver up thy people?" And he replied," I am only weeding the vineyard." R. Joshua said," Letthe Master of the vineyard look after the thorns that growin it Himself." Once Eleazar caught a man who spoke tohim with levity. He arrested him but afterwards re-proached himself for delivering up what migh thave been aninnocent man. At the execution, however, the man con-fessed that he had committed a heinous crime. Eleazarwas exceedingly stout and a very giant. He was once re-buked by the Prophet Elijah who said to him," Thy fatherfled to Asia and thou shalt flee to Laodicaea."[ After thenarration of this there follows in the text a long descriptionof his enormous strength and of the patience with which heused to suffer pains which came and went.] After his deathhe was hidden by his wife in the loft. He had promised her
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