"
The word was no sooner uttered than the Rabbi was thrown into the den,
but the lions stood aloof and did not even touch him. A Sadducee, who
looked on, remarked, "The lions do not devour him because they are not
hungry," but, when at the royal command, the Sadducee himself was thrown
in, he had scarcely reached the lions before they fell upon him and
began to tear his flesh and devour him.
_Sanhedrin_, fol. 39, col. 1.
A certain Sadducee asked Rabbi Abhu, "Since your God is a priest, as it
is written (Exod. xxv. 2), 'That they bring Me an offering,' in what did
He bathe Himself after He was polluted by the burial (Num. xix. 11, 18)
of the dead body of Moses? It could not be in the water, for it is
written (Isa. xl. 12), 'Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His
hand?' which therefore are insufficient for Him to bathe in." The Rabbi
replied, "He bathed in fire, as it is written (Isa. lxvi. 15), 'For
behold the Lord will come with fire.'"
Ibid.
Turnus Rufus asked this question also of Rabbi Akiva, "Why is the
Sabbath distinguished from other days?" Rabbi Akiva replied, "Why art
thou distinguished from other men?" The answer was, "Because it hath
pleased my Master thus to honor me." And so retorted Akiva, "It hath
pleased God to honor His Sabbath.
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