Rebbe Elazar was sick, so Rebbe Yochanan came to visit him. He saw that Rebbe Elazar was lying in a dark room, so he rolled up his sleeve, and the room filled up with light.
Rebbe Yochanan saw that Rebbe Elazar was crying.
"Why are you crying?" Rebbe Yochanan said.
"Are you crying because you can't learn Torah? Remember the Mishna that says regarding sacrifices: some bring many sacrifices and some bring few, but it's the thought that counts? Well, the same thing applies to studying Torah."
"Are you crying because you don't have enough food? Not everyone merits two tables, you know."
"Are you crying because your kids died? It could be worse -- ten of my kids died! Look, here is a bone from the tenth one."
"No," Rebbe Elazar said. "I'm crying because of the beauty that is rotting in the dust."
"Oh," Rebbe Yochanan said. "That's a good reason to cry." And they cried together.
Rebbe Yochanan asked Rebbe Elazar, "Are these afflictions dear to you?"
"Not them and not their reward," Rebbe Elazar said.
"Give me your hand," Rebbe Yochanan said.
Rebbe Elazar gave his hand to Rebbe Yochanan, and Rebbe Yochanan cured him.
(Brachot 5b)
I thought it would be helpful to point out out that this story is part of a general section about sages and the afflictions that G-d has set upon them.
ReplyDeleteThe repeated motif is that ideally these afflictions are supposed to be ennobling, but the victims usually fell its something that they have not profited from, and would rather live without.
I agree with your synopsis. I would just add two points:
Delete1) All the sages in these stories are miraculously cured by other sages.
2) The series of stories here follows a number of midrashic claims that studying Torah protects one from illness ("a daf a day keeps the doctor away"). The Gemara does not explicitly state that these claims are falsified by the stories that follow, but I think that's what the wise reader is meant to conclude.