Judah ben Gerim repeated these remarks to his friends, and finally they reached the ears of the emperor.  He would not allow them to pass unnoticed.  He ordered that Judah, who had spoken well of the nation, should be advanced in honor; that Joseh, who had remained silent instead of seconding the assertions, should be banished to Zipore; and that Simon, who had disputed the compliment, should be put to death.

The latter with his son fled and concealed himself in the college when this fiat became known to him.  For some time he remained there comparatively safe, his wife bringing his meals daily.  But when the officers were directed to make diligent search he became afraid, lest through the indiscretion of his wife his place of concealment might be discovered.

“The mind of woman is weak and unsteady,” said he, “perhaps they may question and confuse her, and thus may death come upon me.”

So leaving the city, Simon and his son took refuge in a lonely cave.  Near its mouth some fruit trees grew, supplying them with food, and a spring of pure water bubbled from rocks in the immediate vicinity.  For thirteen years Rabbi Simon lived here, until the emperor died and his decrees were repealed.  He then returned to the city.

When Rabbi Phineas, his son-in-law, heard of his return, he called upon him at once, and noticing an apparent neglect in the mental and physical condition of his relative, he exclaimed, “Woe, woe! that I meet thee in so sad a condition!”

But Rabbi Simon answered:—­

“Not so; happy is it that thou findest me in this condition, for thou findest me no less righteous than before.  God has preserved me, and my faith in Him, and thus hereafter shall I explain the verse of Scripture, ‘And Jacob came perfect.’  Perfect in his physical condition, perfect in his temporal condition, and perfect in his knowledge of God.”

* * * * *

Antoninus, in conversing with Rabbi Judah, said to him: 

“In the future world, when the soul comes before the Almighty Creator for judgment, may it not find a plea of excuse for worldly wickedness in saying, ’Lo, the sin is the body’s; I am now free from the body; the sins were not mine’?”

Rabbi Judah answered, “Let me relate to thee a parable.  A king had an orchard of fine figs, which he prized most highly.  That the fruit might not be stolen or abused, he placed two watchers in the orchard, and that they themselves might not be tempted to partake of the fruit, he chose one of them a blind man, and the other one lame.  But lo, when they were in the orchard, the lame man said to his companion, ’I see very fine figs; they are luscious and tempting; carry me to the tree, that we may both partake of them.’

“So the blind man carried the lame man, and they ate of the figs.

“When the king entered the orchard he noticed at once that his finest figs were missing, and he asked the watchers what had become of them.