In the town of Mayence there lived a very pious man, whose name is said to have been R. Amnon and who had a son R. Eliezer. When the father was about to die, he left a will forbidding his son to cross the river called Danube.

Now R. Eliezer had heard a great deal of R. Judah, the Pious, and was eager to go to see him in Regensburg and study with him, for he was also distantly related to him. So he crossed the Danube, contrary to his father's will, and came to Regensburg to visit the pious man.

When the pious man saw him, he greeted him, and Eliezer returned the greeting.

Then the pious man said to him: "I should really not have greeted you, for I see that you have disobeyed your father's will, but I greeted you out of respect for your father's memory."

Eliezer was greatly frightened on hearing the words of the pious man. R. Eliezer remained a long time with R. Judah, the Pious, and was very eager to learn from him the knowledge of the mystical science and many other great things, but the pious man kept putting him off and taught him nothing, although he was with him an entire term, and although he had gone on such a long journey and had been away from his house for such a long time, and yet he did not learn anything. The eve of Passover came and R. Eliezer felt very sad, for he thought: "At this season I ought to be at home and give Seder in my house, as beseems every respectable family man, whereas I am here, sitting at another man's table. I had hoped to be home for Passover, for I have been away from home now three seasons and my people do not know how I am." Thus thinking, he was very sad because he had been away so long and besides had learned nothing.

R. Judah, the Pious, saw that he was very sad and knew very well the reason thereof. But the treatment he accorded him was deliberate, as a punishment, namely, for his having disobeyed his father's will.

Addressing R. Eliezer, he said to him: "I see that you are sad and I know the reason of your sadness and I know also that you would like to be at home now with your wife and children and give the Seder."

R. Eliezer replied: "I would have liked it very much if it were possible by the will of God, but now it is impossible, for today is the eve of Passover and it is too late."

The pious man said to him: "What will you give me if I bring you home today before the holy day begins?"

Eliezer became sadder still and said to him: "Master, you are making fun of me!"

The pious man said: "No, I am quite serious."

Eliezer replied: "I would give anything I were asked, for I know of no greater joy than to be with my wife and child."

The pious man replied: "It is getting late, we must go and bake mazzot and then I will see whether you can get home."

Eliezer was greatly astonished at the words of the pious man. R. Judah, the Pious, went to bake the mazzot and R. Eliezer helped him.

And when they had taken the mazzot out of the oven, R. Judah said to R. Eliezer: "Take the special cakes for the blessings with you and put them in your bosom, for you must bring them home while they are still warm."

R. Eliezer laughed with joy and made himself ready. R. Judah himself put the special cakes in R. Eliezer's bosom and went with him into the open country. R. Eliezer was still sad, for he had to go home now without having learned anything from R. Judah.

R. Judah, the Pious, knew very well why R. Eliezer was so sad and he said to him: "I know what is troubling you now, you were eager to learn from me the knowledge of the mysteries."

R. Eliezer replied: "Yes, that was the reason of my coming."

Then the pious man replied: "In justice to your father's command, which you disobeyed, I should not teach you anything; still, in consideration of the fact that your father was related to me and was a pious man besides, I will teach you something."

Then R. Judah took the staff which he had in his hand and wrote some mystical names in the sand. Then he said: "My dear R. Eliezer, read what I have written here."

As soon as he read it, he knew as much as the pious man himself. Then the pious man erased the writing and covered it with sand. Immediately R. Eliezer forgot everything that he had learned before. R. Judah, the Pious, did this three times, writing down the words and erasing them again.

R. Eliezer grieved because he always forgot what he had learned. The fourth time R. Judah again wrote some words in the sand and told R. Eliezer to lick them up with his tongue. R. Eliezer did so, and as soon as he had swallowed the words with the sand, he knew as much as the pious man and never forgot it again.

Having acquired the mystic knowledge and wisdom from the pious man, he took leave of him, having received his blessing, went away joyfully, feeling very happy, for he trusted the promise of the pious man that he would reach home before the beginning of the Passover. The pious man blessed him with the priestly benediction and pronounced so many mystic names that R. Eliezer soon saw Mayence, and in a short while found himself at home.

In the evening when the people went to the synagogue, they met R. Eliezer and greeted him. They asked him where he had spent the night, for it is not proper for a scholar to travel on the eve of Sabbath or on the eve of a festival.

R. Eliezer replied: "At noon I was in Regensburg and I helped R. Judah, the Pious, to bake mazzot, and as a proof of my statement I have here in my bosom a mizvah (a special mazzah), still warm, which the pious man gave me to bring to my wife."

He also delivered to the community a letter which R. Judah, the Pious, had written to them. His wife and child greatly rejoiced at his happy homecoming and at the great miracle which had happened to him.