rabban

Our Rabbis have taught thus: There is a matter concerning Rabban Jochanan ben Zakkai, that he was riding upon his ass and was travelling on the road, and R. El'azar ben Arakh was behind him, as driver. [El'azar] said to him, Rabbi, teach me a section on the subject of the Chariot. [Jochanan] said to him, Have I not taught you thus, nor the Chariot with one, but if a man do so, he must be a wise man and one who has much knowledge of his own? [El'azar] said to him, Rabbi, allow me to say before thee one thing which thou hast taught me. [Jochanan] said to him, Say on. Immediately Rabban Jochanan ben Zakkai dismounted from the ass, and wrapped himself up and seated himself upon the stone under the olive tree. [El'azar] said to him, Rabbi, wherefore didst thou dismount from the ass? [Jochanan] said to him, Is it possible that thou shouldest investigate the subject of the Chariot and that the Shechinah is with us, and that the ministering angels accompany us, and that I should ride upon the ass? Immediately R. El'azar ben Arakh entered upon the subject of the Chariot and expounded, and there came down fire from heaven and encircled all the terebinth trees which were in the field. They all opened their mouths and uttered a song. What was the song which they uttered? "Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons and all deeps ... fruitful trees and all cedars ... praise ye the Lord" (Ps. cxlviii. 7, 9, 14). An angel answered from the fire and said, This is the subject of the Chariot. R. Jochanan ben Zakkai stood up and kissed him upon his head and said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath given to Abraham our father a son who knoweth to do wisely and to search and expound in the subject of the Chariot. There is one who expoundeth well, but doth not perform well. There is one who performeth well, but doth not expound well. Thou dost expound well and dost perform well. Blessed art thou, Abraham our father, from whose loins hath come forth El'azar ben Arakh.

Our Rabbis have taught thus: There is a matter concerning Rabban Jochanan ben Zakkai, that he was riding upon his ass and was travelling on the road, and R. El'azar ben Arakh was behind him, as driver. [El'azar] said to him, Rabbi, teach me a section on the subject of the Chariot. [Jochanan] said to him, Have I not taught you thus, nor the Chariot with one, but if a man do so, he must be a wise man and one who has much knowledge of his own? [El'azar] said to him, Rabbi, allow me to say before thee one thing which thou hast taught me. [Jochanan] said to him, Say on. Immediately Rabban Jochanan ben Zakkai dismounted from the ass, and wrapped himself up and seated himself upon the stone under the olive tree. [El'azar] said to him, Rabbi, wherefore didst thou dismount from the ass? [Jochanan] said to him, Is it possible that thou shouldest investigate the subject of the Chariot and that the Shechinah is with us, and that the ministering angels accompany us, and that I should ride upon the ass? Immediately R. El'azar ben Arakh entered upon the subject of the Chariot and expounded, and there came down fire from heaven and encircled all the terebinth trees which were in the field. They all opened their mouths and uttered a song. What was the song which they uttered? "Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons and all deeps ... fruitful trees and all cedars ... praise ye the Lord" (Ps. cxlviii. 7, 9, 14). An angel answered from the fire and said, This is the subject of the Chariot. R. Jochanan ben Zakkai stood up and kissed him upon his head and said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath given to Abraham our father a son who knoweth to do wisely and to search and expound in the subject of the Chariot. There is one who expoundeth well, but doth not perform well. There is one who performeth well, but doth not expound well. Thou dost expound well and dost perform well. Blessed art thou, Abraham our father, from whose loins hath come forth El'azar ben Arakh.

And when these things were told to R. Joshua, he and R. Jose, the priest, were travelling on the road. They said, Let us also expound on the subject of the Chariot. R. Joshua opened his mouth and expounded. And it was the day of the summer solstice. The heavens were wrapped in clouds, and there appeared the form of a bow in the cloud, and the ministering angels were assembling and coming to hearken, as the children of men assemble and come to look on at the festivities of bridegroom and bride. R. Jose the priest went forward and uttered these words before Rabban Jochanan ben Zakkai, and he said, Blessed are ye, and blessed is she that bare you. Blessed are mine eyes, that they have thus seen. And also in my dream I and ye were resting upon Mount Sinai, and a Bath-kol was sent to us from heaven which said, Come up hither, come up hither. Large banqueting chambers are prepared and fair coverlets are spread for you, you and your disciples and your disciples' disciples, as fitted to attain to the third degree of blessedness.

And from where does Rebbi Yitzchak learn [re'shia bar re'shia]? He learns it out from a kal v'chomer (fortiori), That it was taught in a barasia, Rabbi Akiva says, I asked Raban Gmaliel ad Rebbi Yehosua [while] in the meat market of Iemus, (that they had traveled to to purchase an animal for the wedding feast of Rabban Gamliel's son), If one had [inadvertently] cohabited with his sister, who was his father's sister, who his mother's sister, what would the halacha be? Would he only be liable one sacrifice for all of them, or would he be liable [a separate sacrifice] for each one?

And once Rabban Gamaliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Joshua, and Rabbi Akiva, were traveling together, when they heard the sound of the crowds of Rome from the plaza one hundred and twenty mil away. They started to cry, but Rebbi Akiva was laughing. They said to him Because of why are you laughing? He said to them And you, why do you weep? They told him, these Goyim that bow down to wood and burn frankincense to the worship of the stars are living in peace and tranquility. While us, our house - the footstool of our God is burnt