When Rabbi was dying, he called his children to him and said to them: "My dear children, I

am lying on my deathbed and desire to make my will. Take care of your mother. Keep a light

always burning on my table. Let the table be always set and the bed neatly covered with

white sheets, for I will come back every Friday night to my house and pronounce the kiddush."

And he did return.

One Friday evening, as he was sitting in his house, a neighbor came and knocked on the

door, wishing to come in.

The servant said: "No one is allowed to come in, for Rabbi is here."

When Rabbi heard this, he disappeared and never came again on a Sabbath eve.

On the day of Rabbi's death a voice came from heaven, saying: "All those attending the funeral of Rabbi will enter paradise."

There was a fuller who used to come every day to Rabbi while he was ill to see how Rabbi was getting along. But on the day when Rabbi died, the fuller did not come. He had heard the voice say that all those present at the death of Rabbi would enter paradise and yet he had not been there. This

grieved him so much that he mounted a ladder and threw himself down and died; Thereupon a voice came from heaven, saying: "The fuller will also enter paradise with Rabbi, although he was not present at the death of Rabbi."

While Rabbi was lying ill, R. Hiyya came to visit him. Seeing that Rabbi was weeping bitterly, R. Hiyya said: "Rabbi, why do you weep? Have we not been told that if a person is cheerful at the moment of death, it is a good sign, but if one dies weeping and in sadness, it is not a good sign for him?"

Rabbi replied: "I weep because I shall not be able to study the Torah any longer and I shall no longer be able to fulfill the commandments."

On the day when Rabbi died, the sages decreed a public fast. They recited prayers and declared a ban, saying that whoever said Rabbi was dead, should be pierced with a sword. Thereupon Rabbi's maid went up to the loft and said: "The sages who are below desire to keep Rabbi with them and the angels in heaven would like to have him with them. May it be the will of God that those below may prevail over those above, so that Rabbi may remain alive."

But when the sages saw that Rabbi had to move his bowels frequently and they had to put his phylacteries off and on very often, for he had a malady of the bowels and defecation was very painful to him, they exclaimed: "May it be the will of God that those above may prevail over those

below."

Nevertheless the sages prayed that Rabbi should not die. Suddenly the maid let a jar fall down the ladder. The noise startled the rabbis and they stopped studying. At that moment Rabbi died.

Then the rabbis said: "Bar Kappara, go and see what Rabbi is doing."

Bar Kappara went to see what Rabbi was doing and he found Rabbi dead. So he rent the back of his garment behind the door, for he dared not tell the rabbis.

Then he said: "Those above and those below had a dispute and those above have won."

Then the rabbis said: "How so? Is Rabbi dead?" For they understood his meaning.

Bar Kappara said: "It is you who say it, not I," for he stood in fear of his life.

Now, when Rabbi was on the point of death, he lifted up his ten fingers towards heaven and

said: "Master of the universe, it is known before Thee that I have toiled with these ten fingers in

the service of Thy Law, and all my life long I never enjoyed this world; not even as much as I

have earned with my little finger did I enjoy in this world. May it be Thy will that I may find

rest in the grave."

And a voice came from heaven, saying: "Rabbi shall find rest in the grave and is prepared for the world to come."