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turned home he asked after them. His wife put him off asshe did not wish to tell him of the calamity on the Sabbathday. Towards the evening when he became impatient, shetold him that a man had entrusted her with two jewelsand now claimed his own again and asked him whatshe was to do, and whether she should return the jewels.He expressed great surprise at such a question and replied," Certainly." She then told him that two jewels had beenentrusted to them by God and that now He had claimedthem and she was thus able to comfort him.

148.( 147.) R. Akiba began his life as a very poor manand ended it as a very rich one. He had a large crown madefor his wife set with many precious stones, and when hischildren asked him why he gave her such valuble presents,he replied that he could never repay her adequately. She wasthe daughter of Kalba Shebua who was one of the richestmen in Jerusalem and he was at that time a shepherd tendingthe flocks of her father. She fell in love with him and onhis promise to study she betrothed herself to him. Sherefused to marry a rich man. Driven out of the house by herfather, she lived with R. Akiba's mother. The neighbours usedto bring her work secretly, as she belonged to the highestfamily in the place, and she used to send part of her earningsto R. Akiba who was studying. Once a lame man laughed ather saying," Her hair will turn grey before that shepherdwill ever be a scholar." It is said that R. Akiba was 40 yearsold when he started to learn and he did not believe that hewould ever succeed in learning anything. Once he was sittingbefore a fountain in Lud and saw there a large stone witha hole in the middle, and he asked," Who has bored out thathole?" and he was told that the groove in the stone had beencaused by the rope with which the bucket was let downinto the well passing along the stone. Then he said," If sucha soft material can cut a stone, why should not the words ofthe Law which are as hard as iron make an inpression onmy heart which is flesh?" He was frightened at beinglaughed at but his wife showed him by practical example