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Lives1st century CE

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkaiרבן יוחנן בן זכאי

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Chapter 3 of 10

His son falls ill

Berakhot 34b:28

Berakhot 34b:28 · Tractate Berakot by A. Cohen

וְשׁוּב מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא שֶׁהָלַךְ לִלְמוֹד תּוֹרָה אֵצֶל רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי, וְחָלָה בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי. אָמַר לוֹ: חֲנִינָא בְּנִי, בַּקֵּשׁ עָלָיו רַחֲמִים וְיִחְיֶה. הִנִּיחַ רֹאשׁוֹ בֵּין בִּרְכָּיו וּבִקֵּשׁ עָלָיו רַחֲמִים, וְחָיָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי: אִלְמָלֵי הֵטִיחַ בֶּן זַכַּאי אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ בֵּין בִּרְכָּיו כׇּל הַיּוֹם כּוּלּוֹ — לֹא הָיוּ מַשְׁגִּיחִים עָלָיו. אָמְרָה לוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ: וְכִי חֲנִינָא גָּדוֹל מִמְּךָ? אָמַר לָהּ: לָאו, אֶלָּא הוּא דּוֹמֶה כְּעֶבֶד לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וַאֲנִי דּוֹמֶה כְּשַׂר לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ.

It also happened with R. Hannina b. Dosa that he went to Torah with Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai. The son of Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai fell ill, and he said to him, "Hannina, my son ! Pray on his behalf that he may live" R. Hannina laid his head between his knees, and prayed on his behalf, and he recovered. Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai said, "Were Ben Zakkai to press his head between his knees all the day long, no notice would be taken of him." His wife said to him, "Is, then, Hannina greater than thou?" He replied, "No; he is like a slave before the King, and I like a nobleman before the King."

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Every word is the text itself, with its translator named. Texts from Sefaria.