Said Rabbi Eleazer, the great, “It is commanded ’thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul and with all that is loved by thee.’

“Does not ‘with all thy soul’ include ‘with all that is loved by thee?’

“Some people love themselves more than they love their money; to them ’tis said, ‘with all thy soul;’ while for those who love their money more than themselves the commandment reads, ’with all that is loved by thee.’”

But Rabbi Akiba always expounded the words, “with all thy soul,” to mean “even though thy life be demanded of thee.”

When the decree was issued forbidding the Israelites to study the law, what did Rabbi Akiba?

He installed many congregations secretly, and in secret lectured before them.

Then Papus, the son of Juda said to him:—­

“Art not afraid, Akiba?  Thy doings may be discovered, and thou wilt be punished for disobeying the decree.”

“Listen, and I will relate to thee a parable,” answered Akiba.  “A fox, walking by the river side, noticed the fishes therein swimming and swimming to and fro, never ceasing; so he said to them, ’Why are ye hurrying, what do ye fear?’

“‘The nets of the angler,’ they replied.

“‘Come, then,’ said the fox, ‘and live with me on dry land.’

“But the fishes laughed.

“‘And art thou called the wisest of the beasts?’ they exclaimed; ’verily thou art the most foolish.  If we are in danger even in our element, how much greater would be our risk in leaving it.’

“It is the same with us.  We are told of the law that it is ’our life and the prolongation of our days.’  This is it when things are peaceful with us; how much greater is our need of it then in times like these?”

It is said that it was but shortly after this when Rabbi Akiba was imprisoned for teaching the law, and in the prison in which he was incarcerated he found Papus, who had been condemned for some other offense.

Rabbi Akiba said to him:—­

“Papus, what brought thee here?”

And Papus replied:—­

“Joy, joy, to thee, that thou art imprisoned for studying God’s law; but woe, woe is mine that I am here through vanity.”

When Rabbi Akiba was led forth to execution, it was just at the time of the morning service.

“‘Hear, O Israel! the Lord our God, the Lord is one,’” he exclaimed in a loud and firm voice.

The torturers tore his flesh with pointed cards, yet still he repeated, “The Lord is one.”

“Always did I say,” he continued, “that ‘with all thy soul,’ meant even though life should be demanded of thee, and I wondered whether I should ever be able to so observe it.  Now see, to-day, I do so; ’the Lord is one.’”

With these word he died.

* * * * *

Elishah ben Abuyah, a most learned man, became in after-life an apostate.  Rabbi Meir had been one of his pupils, and he never failed in the great love which he bore for his teacher.