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present but R. Gidel would not accept it; hence it wascalled" The field of the Rabbis."

131. The story of the conversion to Judaism of Abu Golis, apriest of Damascus living in Tiberias. Making a bad use ofsome money entrusted to him, he lost his sight. His formerfriends said that the idol had punished him. He then re-turned to Damascus and said to the assembly that the idolnever punished him before, however much he used to steal,but that God who sees everything had punished him forhis theft. He then regained his sight and a great numberof people embraced Judaism.

132. R. Jose wept on his death bed because he had nottaken sufficient part in the deliberations of the Court ofJustice. Israel was like a ship and every member like a beam;if one were loose, the whole was in danger of foundering.

133. R. Johanan b. Zakkai wept on his death bed because hehad to appear before a King where no bribe was possible.He lamented over the difficulty of the choice between thetwo ways, the narrow and the broad, to Eden and Ge-hinom. His final blessing to his disciples was that the fear ofGod should be to them as their fear of man, for they sawthe latter and took care not to be detected.

G33288 134. R. Akiba met a dead man gathering sticks for hisown burning in Gehinom. Akiba inquired how he could besaved and acted accordingly; viz., he educated the man'sson until he could say the blessing in the Synagogue andthus saved his father from tortures in Gehinom.

135. The daughter of Nakdimon b. Gorian was very poorand picked up grains from dung for food. She was seenby R. Johanan b. Zakkai, who recognised her and marriedher to one of his disciples.

136. Matia b. Haresh was tempted by Satan in the formof a beautiful woman. He blinded himself rather than see herand fall a victim to temptation. The angel Raphael cured himafterwards.

137. The story of Ben Sabar who helped an orphan to bemarried. On his journey home he was met by the angel