Once upon a time there was a reptile in the synagogue which bit the people and prevented

their attending service. It was a kind of snake that was full of poison. The people complained

to R. Hanina ben Dosa and begged him to pray for its removal.

R. Hanina said: "Come with me and show me the hole where the snake is."

The people took him and showed him the hole. Thereupon R. Hanina put his foot over the hole,

covering it with his heel. The snake came out, bit him in the heel, and died as a result. R. Hanina took the snake on his shoulders and carried it to the college.

Then he said: "You see, my dear children, it was not the snake that killed the people, it was their sins that killed them." Then he said again: "Woe unto the man who is met by this snake, and woe unto the snake if he is met by R. Hanina."

Rashi explains that the snake has a poison, and when it bites anyone, then whichever of the two reaches water first the other one dies. If the snake gets, to the water first, the person must die, but if the person gets there first, the snake must die. But a miracle happened to R. Hanina and a spring came out of his heel. R. Hanina was therefore close to water before the snake, and the snake had to die.