| Elisha ben Abuyah, Acher, or the Most (In)famous Apicorus |
Talmud Bavli, Hagigah 14bת"ר ארבעה נכנסו בפרדס ואלו הן בן עזאי ובן זומא אחר ורבי עקיבא אמר להם ר"ע כשאתם מגיעין אצל אבני שיש טהור אל תאמרו מים מים משום שנאמר (תהילים קא) דובר שקרים לא יכון לנגד עיני בן עזאי הציץ ומת עליו הכתוב אומר (תהילים קטז) יקר בעיני ה' המותה לחסידיו בן זומא הציץ ונפגע ועליו הכתוב אומר (משלי כה) דבש מצאת אכול דייך פן תשבענו והקאתו אחר קיצץ בנטיעות רבי עקיבא יצא בשלוםOur rabbis taught: Four entered the Garden (Pardes) and they were: Ben Azzai and Ben Zoma, Acher, and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Avika said to them: “When you arrive at the stones of pure marble, do not say, ‘Water! Water!’ for it is said: ‘He who speaks untruth shall not stand before my eyes’ (Psalm 100:7b).” Ben Azzai cast a look and died. About him, it is written: ‘The death of his faithful ones is grievous in the Lord’s sight’ (Psalm 116:15). Ben Zoma cast a look and became demented. About him, it is written: ‘If you find honey, eat only what you need, Lest, stuffing yourself, you throw it up’ (Proverbs 25:16). Acher mutilated the shoots. Rabbi Akiva departed in peace. Talmud Bavli, Hagigah 15aAcher mutilated the shoots. Of him it is written: ‘Suffer not your mouth to bring your flesh into guilt’ (Ecc. 5:5). What does it refer to? He saw that permission was given to Metatron to sit and write down the merits of Israel. Said he: ‘It is taught as a tradition that on high there is no sitting and no emulation, and no back, and no weariness. Perhaps—God forbid—there are two divinities!’ Thereupon they led Metatron forth, and punished him with sixty fiery lashes, saying to him: Why didn’t you rise before Him? Permission was then granted to him to strike out the merits of Acher. A Bat Kol said: ‘Return, backsliding children—except Acher.’ Thereupon he said: ‘Since I have been driven forth from the world to come, let me go forth and enjoy this world. So Acher went forth into evil courses. He went forth, found a harlot, and demanded her. She said to him: ‘Are you not Elisha ben Abuyah?’ But when he tore a radish out of its bed on Shabbat and gave it to her, she said: ‘It must be another [Acher].’... Our rabbis taught: Once Acher was riding on a horse on Shabbat, and R. Meir was walking behind him to learn Torah at his mouth. Acher said to him: Meir, turn back, for I have already measured by the paces of my horse that thus far extends the Shabbat limit. He replied: ‘You, too, go back!’ Aher answered: ‘I have already told you that I have heard from behind the Veil: ‘Return you backsliding children—except Acher.’’ Talmud Bavli, Hagigah 15bBut what of Acher? Greek song did not cease from his mouth. It is told of Acher that when he used to rise [to go] from the schoolhouse, many heretical books used to fall from his lap.When Acher died, they said: ‘Let him not be judged, nor let him enter the world to come.’ Excerpts from Sefer Ha-AggadahWhat did Aher see that made him go wrong? It is said that once, while sitting and studying in the valley, he saw a man climb to the top of a palm tree on the Sabbath, take the mother bird with the young, and descend in safety. At the end of the Sabbath, he saw another man climb to the top of the same palm tree and take the young, but let the mother go free; as he descended, a snake bit him and he died. Elisha exclaimed: It is written, “Let the mother go and take only the young, that you may fare well and have a long life” (Deut. 22:7). Where is the well-being of this man, and where is the prolonging of his life?Some say that Elisha became a heretic when he saw a pig dragging along in its mouth R. Huzpit the Interpreter’s tongue. He said then: The tongue from which peals of purest ray used to come forth is to lick the dust? Immediately, he resolved to commit sin. Compiled by Shira Wallach |
