R. Johanan was in the habit of sitting at the door of the place whither the women used to repair for their ritual baths; for he said: "When the women come and take their ritual bath, they will look at me, and at night when they are with their husbands, they will think of me and they will have handsome children like me, who will be as studious as I am. For a great deal depends upon the thoughts of the woman when husband and wife lie together. If, God forbid! they have evil thoughts, the children do not turn out well, but if the thoughts of man and wife are good, the children turn out well."

We have an example in the case of the wife of Elisha, the high priest, who gave birth to a child who became Rabbi Ishmael the high priest, and was one of the ten martyrs. The story is as follows.

Elisha was a very pious man, but his children died as soon as they were born. One day his wife said to him: "How is it that other people have children and we have not?"

Elisha replied: "I will tell you. The thing depends upon the state of mind of the women when they return from the bath, that is, whether they are modest and have good thoughts when they lie with their husbands. If a woman thinks of a learned man, the children ate likely to turn out the same way."

When the woman heard this, she said: "I will endeavor henceforth to concentrate my mind on good thoughts."

One day as she was returning home from the bath, a pig met her on the way. She went back and took another dip, for she was afraid she would be thinking of the pig the whole night, As she was going home again, an ass met her on the road and again she returned to the bath; The third time a leper met her on the way and she again returned to the bath.

When the Lord saw how pure the woman was, He said to the angel Metatron: "Place yourself in her way when she comes out again from the bath, so that nothing may happen, for this night she will conceive a worthy man, who is to be a high priest before Me."

The angel came down and placed himself in her way, for she had taken the hath well nigh forty times that night. When she beheld the angel she was frightened, for he was as handsome as a king, and she thought it was her husband and wanted to return again to the bath. But the angel said to her: "You need not turn back, for I am the angel Metatron sent by the Lord, blessed be He, to tell you that He has seen the good thoughts which you had. Therefore I am to say to you that you will bear a son who will cause you joy."

The good woman was frightened and came home with great joy, having her mind full of thoughts of the angel. That night she conceived and bore a son who became Ishmael, the high priest.

When the child was born, the angel Metatron came and took the child in his arms and he became its godfather. And he taught the child all that he knew, so that he knew everything that happened in the heavens above and the earth beneath, and he could ascend into heaven whenever he liked. That was the reward which the Lord gave her for her good and pious thoughts, for everything depends upon the thoughts entertained by husband and wife when they are together. The child takes after the thoughts of the mother at that time.