lba Sabua heard that a great Rabbi had come to
town, not dreaming that it was his son-in-law, he made up his mind to
go to him and have his vow absolved, for at the sight of his
daughter's misery his heart had softened, and but for his vow he would
long since have taken her back. He came to the Rabbi and the Rabbi
said to him, "If thou hadst known that her husband would one day be a
great scholar, wouldst thou have vowed?" "If he knew even one chapter
or even one Halakah, I would not have vowed," was the reply. "I am
he," said Akiba simply. At these words Kalba Sabua stared in
amazement, and then fell at his feet and begged pardon for all his
past unkindness towards both Akiba and Rachel. To make more
substantial amends he gave them half his fortune and they lived in
comfort ever after. The affluence in which Akiba henceforth lived,
contrasted with the poverty of his student days when he used to cut
wood for a living, is thus quaintly described in the Talmud: "When he
was a student Akiba used to fetch a bundle of wood every day. Half he
sold for food and half for clothing. But before Akiba departed from
this world, he had tables of silver and of gold, and he climbed into
his bed on golden ladders." His wife too had the satisfaction of
receiving from him and wearing the "Golden Jerusalem," that Akiba had
wished he could give her in the days of their poverty. Indeed the
magnificence of Rachel's jewels called forth a protest on the part of
the students of Akiba's academy. "Thou hast put us to shame before our
wives," they said, "for our wives do not possess any such precious
ornaments." "Ah, yes," said Akiba, "but she has suffered much with me
in the Torah."

_Akiba's Virile Ethics and Philosophy_

AKIBA'S philosophical speculations were no less famous than his
Halakic activities. Just about this time all sorts of hybrid religions
made up of decadent Greek philosophy and of dying Pagan creeds were in
vogue--the various forms of Gnosticism. Christianity--Jewish
Gnosticism, that is--was only one of the many perversions that Judaism
had to combat. These religions exercised a particular fascination
because they dealt largely in esoteric doctrines and in theosophic
speculation. There was great danger that Jewish minds might be led
astray, as in fact some were. Of the four great Rabbis, who the Talmud
says entered upon theosophic studies, only Akiba came through safely.
Upon ben Azzai and ben Zoma, both brilliant young stude