It happened that R. Johanan was lying ill and his pupils came to visit him. As soon as he saw them he wept, and his pupils said, "Dear Master, why do you weep, a man honored as you are, a master in the Torah?"

R. Johanan replied, "My dear children, why should I not weep? If I were taken before a king of flesh and blood, who is here today and gone tomorrow; whose wrath, if he were angry with me, could not last forever, because he could do no harm to me in the world to come; who, even if he should put me in fetters, could not keep me bound forever; and even if he should put me to death, could not keep me dead forever, for he could not take my soul away; whom, moreover, it is possible that by smooth words I might be able to appease or induce to take a bribe and let me go – yet for all that I should have reason to weep. How much more reason is there for me to weep now that I am to be brought before the King of Kings, Blessed be He, and may His Holy Name be blessed, who lives and rules forever; whose wrath, if He were angry with me, would be an everlasting wrath; who, if he kill me, would put me to death forever; and who cannot be appeased by kind words or bribes! And this is not all. I see two ways before me, one leading to Gehinnom (hell) and the other to Gan 'Eden (paradise), and I do not know which way they are going to lead me. Why, therefore, should I not weep?"

The pupils said, "Dear Master, bless us."

And R. Johanan replied, "May it be the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, that

you should fear Him as much as you fear man."

The pupils said, "Should our fear of His Holy Name not be greater than that of human beings? God forbid!"

Then R. Johanan replied, "It would be enough if you feared the Holy One as much as you fear human beings; for if a man commits a sin, his first care is that no man should see him, but he is not concerned whether God sees him or not."

Therefore he blessed them, wishing that they would fear God as much as they feared man.