There was once a man called Abba Umna. Every day he heard a voice from heaven. A similar voice came to Abbaye every Friday, whilst Raba heard the heavenly voice only once a year, on the eve of the Day of Atonement.

Abbaye felt greatly hurt that the voice of heaven should come more often to Abba Umna than to him, for the people said to him, "Verily you do not perform so many good deeds as Abba Umna."

What were the good deeds performed by Abba Umna? He practiced bloodletting and had a separate operating room for men and for women. He also had a mantle with which he covered the women so that he should not see their bare bodies. He also had a box hanging on the wall into which everyone put his fee. He did this in order that no one might be put to shame, for it sometimes happened that people came to be bled who did not have money to pay. If they had been asked to pay, they would have been put to shame. So he used to say after the bleeding, "Put your fee into the box," so that he could not see whether a person had put in any money or not. And if anyone had no money, he could pretend to have put money in, and was not put to shame. And when a learned man came to be bled, he refused to accept any fee; and when the latter was about to leave, he put money in his purse and said to him, "Go and buy something good to eat that you may become strong and get new blood."

At this time Abbaye sent two rabbis to Abba Umna to find out whether he was equally pious in other matters. When they came to him, he gave them to eat and to drink and showed them every honor appropriate to deserving men, and when they retired, he put them in a comfortable bed and covered them with many fine coverings. The following morning they rose up very early and departed, taking with them many of the costly garments.

When they came to the market place, they met Abba Umna. So they went up to him and said, "Dear friend, please tell us what these garments are worth."

He estimated them at their true value.

Then they said to him, "Maybe they are worth more than the price you put upon them."

So he replied, "I will buy them willingly for the price which I have put upon them,"

Then they said to him, "Take these garments, for they belong to you." And they said further, "Dear friend, tell us, what did you imagine when you saw us taking away your clothes?"

He replied, "I thought that you were collecting money for the ransom of captives and were ashamed to ask me for a contribution."

Then they said, "Take your clothes back."

But he replied, "No, I will not take them back, for I have already vowed them for a sacred cause."

Raba was grieved that the voice of heaven came more often to Abbaye than to him, for it came to Abbaye every Friday, whereas Raba heard it only on the day of the Eve of Atonement. Accordingly Raba was told in a dream, "You have no reason to grieve on that account, for it is quite sufficient for you that through your great merit you protect an entire city, therefore you need not grieve."