Then Rabbi Eliezer, feeling wroth at the reply, said to them also:
"Verily, if ye die a natural death, I shall marvel greatly. And as for
thee, Akiva, thy death shall be the worst of all! It is well for thee
that I do not give thee my malediction, seeing thou hast dared to say
that one may not have time to learn the law!"
And Rabbi Eliezer, folding his arms upon his breast to die, continued:
"Woe, woe is me! Woe unto these two arms of mine, that they are now
even as two scrolls of the law rolled up, whereof the contents are
hidden! Had ye waited upon me before, ye might have learned many
strange things; and now my knowledge must perish with me! Much have I
learned, and much have I taught, yet always without diminishing the
knowledge of my Rabbis by even so much as the waters of the ocean might
be diminished by the lapping of a dog!"...
And he continued to speak to them: "Now, over and above all those
things, I did expound three thousand Halachoth in regard to the growing
of Egyptian cucumbers; and yet none save only Rabbi Akiva ben Joseph
ever asked me so much as one question regarding them!... We were
walking on the road between the fields, when he asked me to instruct
him regarding Egyptian cucumbers. Then I uttered but one word; and,
behold! the fields forthwith became full of Egyptian cucumbers. He
asked me concerning the gathering of them. I uttered but one word;
and, lo! all the cucumbers did gather themselves into one place before
me."...
And even as Rabbi Eliezer was thus speaking, his soul departed from
him; and Rabbi Akiva with all his disciples mourned bitterly for him
and for themselves, seeing they had indeed come too late to learn the
law.
But the prediction of Rabbi Eliezer was fulfilled. ...For it came to
pass, when Rabbi Akiva had become a most holy man, and marvelously
learned, that the Romans forbade the teaching of the law in Israel;
and Rabbi Akiva persisted in teaching it publicly to the people,
saying: "If we suffer so much by the will of the Holy One--blessed be
He!--while studying the law, how much indeed shall we suffer while
neglecting it!"
So they led him out to execution, and tortured him with tortures
unspeakable. Now it was just at that hour when the prayer must be said:
"Hear, O Israel! the Lord our God is One."
And even while they were tearing his flesh with combs of iron, Rabbi
Akiva uttered the holy words and died. And there came a mighty Voice
from heaven, crying: "Blessed art thou, O Rabbi Akiva, for thy soul and
the word ONE left thy body together!"