Nedarim - Daf 50
- Rebbe Akiva’s poverty and subsequent wealth
The Gemara relates that when Rebbe Akiva married the daughter of the wealthy Kalba Savua, Kalba Savua made a neder prohibiting his daughter from benefiting from his property. Having nothing, they slept in a straw shed, and Rebbe Akiva would pick straw from her hair and tell her, “If I had the means, I would place a ‘Jerusalem of Gold’ upon you.” Eliyahu appeared to them as a pauper asking for straw for his wife who had given birth, whereupon Rebbe Akiva observed to his wife that there were those who had even less than they. The Gemara then tells the famed story of Rebbe Akiva going to learn for twelve years, and upon returning overheard his wife tell someone that she wishes he would go back for another twelve years, which he did. When he returned with thousands of students, she attempted to greet him, but the students were pushing her away, until Rebbe Akiva declared, הניחו לה, שלי ושלכם שלה הוא – “Leave her! What is mine and yours is hers” (i.e., to her credit). The Gemara concludes that Kalba Savua then received a heter for his neder for Rebbe Akiva to benefit from his estate, and the Gemara identifies this as one of six ways Rebbe Akiva became very wealthy, which it proceeds to enumerate.
- תורה מפוארה בכלי מכוער
The Gemara tells that the Caeser’s daughter once said to Rebbe Yehoshua ben Chananyah: תורה מפוארה בכלי מכוער – “Such beautiful Torah in such an ugly vessel?!” Rebbe Yehoshua’s appearance was blackened as a result from many fasts. He responded that she should take a lesson from her father’s house and asked her in what vessels they store wine. She responded that they store their wine in earthenware vessels. He said to her, “The whole world uses earthenware vessels, and you do likewise?! You should store your wine in gold and silver vessels,” which she did, and the wine soured. He told her that Torah, too, is better kept in “unattractive vessels.” When she asked him about others who were scholars and attractive, he responded that if they had been ugly, they would be even greater. Rashi, in the parallel account in Taanis (7b), explains that it is difficult for a handsome person to be humble, which is a prerequisite for successful Torah learning.
- The incident of Rebbe not inviting and then inviting Bar Kappara to his son’s wedding
Rebbe made a wedding for his son Rebbe Shimon and did not invite Bar Kappara. Bar Kappara then wrote on the wedding hall: “Twenty-four million dinars were spent on this wedding, and he did not invite Bar Kappara!” He then remarked to Rebbe: אם לעוברי רצונו כך, לעושי רצונו על אחת כמה וכמה – “If such fantastic wealth is given to those who transgress His will, then all the more so for those who perform His will!” Rebbe then invited him, whereupon Bar Kappara adjusted his comment and said: לעושי רצונו בעולם הזה כך, לעולם הבא על אחת כמה וכמה – “If such is given in this World to those who perform His will, then all the more so will it be given to them in the World to Come!”
