[28] Rabbi Meïr’s teacher was Elisha ben Abuyah, "the Faust of the Talmud," as he has been strikingly styled by Mr. Deutsch. The Talmud preserves a beautiful story illustrative of the devoted affection which Meïr continued to cherish for his apostate master. Four men, so runs the legend, entered _Paradise_; that is, according to Talmudic symbolism, they entered upon the study of that secret science with its bewildering labyrinth of speculative dreams, through which it is given only to a few rare spirits to find their way. Of these four, "one beheld and died, one beheld and lost his senses, one destroyed the young plants, one only entered in peace and came out in peace." The destroyer of the young plants was Elisha ben Abuyah. Once he was passing the ruins of the temple on the great day of atonement, and heard a voice within "moaning like a dove,"--"All men shall be forgiven this day save Elisha ben Abuyah who, knowing me, has betrayed me." After his death flames hovered incessantly over his grave, until his loving disciple threw himself upon it and swore an oath of devout self-sacrifice, that he would not partake of the joys of heaven without his master, nor move from the spot until his master's soul had found forgiveness before the Throne of Grace. See Emanuel Deutsch's _Literary Remains_, p. 15; and Jost's _Geshichte des Judenthums_, Vol. ii., pp. 102-4. [29] _The Gates of Light._--_Trans._ [30] "Thus saith the Lord" in the English version.--_Trans._ [31] About 150 English miles.--_Trans._ [32] Highpriest about the time of Antiochus the Great, that is, the first half of the third century before Christ.--_Trans._ [33] Also named below Jehudah Hanassi or Hakades, died probably in 219 or 220 A.D.--_Trans._ [34] _Rabbina_ is a contraction for Rabbi Abina and _Rabassi_ for Rabbi Ashe. Maimon puts Abina first, but he was the younger of the two. They both belonged to the fifth century.--_Trans._ [35] This seems to be Psalm cxix., 126, rendered in our Authorised Version:--"It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void thy law." See Mendelssohn's _Jerusalem_, Vol. ii., p. iii., (Samuels' translation).--_Trans._ [36] _Charakteristik der Asiatischen Nationen_, Theil ii., pp. 159-160. [37] "And Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah" in the English Authorised Version.--_Trans._ [38] Here apparently Maimon makes a slip. He seems to forget the passage he had selected for illustration; and his eye, if not his memory, glances at the last word in verse 30, instead of verse 22.--_Trans._ [39] Probably Isaiah xxxiii., 6.--_Trans._ [40] Psalm, lxxxi., 9.--_Trans._ [41] In the original, "Das Kind mit dem Bade ausschütten."--_Trans._