Midrash
Kohelet Rabbah 9:4 קהלת רבה ט׳:ד׳
Part of: Chapter 9
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כִּי לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִן הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת, אַנְדְּרִיָּאנוּס שְׁחִיק טְמַיָּא שָׁאַל אֶת רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲנָא טַב מִמּשֶׁה רַבָּךְ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָמָּה, דַּאֲנָא חַי וְהוּא מֵת, וּכְתִיב: כִּי לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִן הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת. אֲמַר לֵיהּ יָכֵיל אַתְּ לִגְזֹר דְּלָא יַדְלֵק בַּר נָשׁ נוּר תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִין, לְעִידָן רַמְשָׁא דְּיוֹמָא קָמוּ סְלָקוּ תַּרְוֵיהוֹן עַל אִיגַר פָּלָטִין חֲמֵי תְּנָנָא סָלֵיק מִן רָחֵיק, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַה כֵּן, אֲמַר אִיפַּרְכָא בִּישׁ וְעָאל אַסְיָא וּבַקַּר יָתֵיהּ וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ עַד דְּשָׁתֵי חֲמִימֵי לָא מִיתְּסֵי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ תִּיפַּח רוּחֵיהּ, עַד דְּאַתְּ בַּחַיִּים בָּטְלָה גְּזֵרָתָךְ וּמשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּגְזַר עָלֵינוּ (שמות לה, ג): לֹא תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכֹל משְׁבֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, לָא מַדְלֵיק יְהוּדָאי נוּר בְּשַׁבַּתָּא מִיּוֹמוֹהִי, וַעֲדַיִן לֹא נִתְבַּטְּלָה גְּזֵרָתוֹ מִכַּמָּה שָׁנִים עַד הַשְׁתָּא, אֲמַרְתְּ אַתְּ כֵּן דַּאֲנָא טַב מִינֵיהּ.
“As a living dog is better than a dead lion” – Hadrian, may his bones be crushed, asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya, he said to him: ‘I am better than Moses your master.’ [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘Why?’ [Hadrian answered:] ‘Because I am alive and he is dead, and it is written: “As a living dog is better than a dead lion.”’ [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘Are you able to decree that no person may kindle a fire for three days?’ [Hadrian] said to him: ‘Yes.’12Hadrian issued the decree. At nightfall of the [first] day, the two of them rose and ascended to the roof of the palace. They saw smoke rising at a distance. [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘What is that?’ [Hadrian] said: ‘The governor is ill and a doctor entered to visit him and said to him: You will not be cured until you drink hot water.’ [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘Let despair come upon him;13You, Hadrian, should be in despair. even while you are still alive your decree is voided. Moses our master, ever since he decreed upon us: “You shall not kindle fire in all your dwellings on the Sabbath day” (Exodus 35:3), a Jew does not kindle a fire on Shabbat in his life, and [Moses’s] decree has not been voided for all these years until now; yet you said: ‘I am better than he’?’
“As a living dog is better than a dead lion” – Hadrian, may his bones be crushed, asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya, he said to him: ‘I am better than Moses your master.’ [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘Why?’ [Hadrian answered:] ‘Because I am alive and he is dead, and it is written: “As a living dog is better than a dead lion.”’ [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘Are you able to decree that no person may kindle a fire for three days?’ [Hadrian] said to him: ‘Yes.’12Hadrian issued the decree. At nightfall of the [first] day, the two of them rose and ascended to the roof of the palace. They saw smoke rising at a distance. [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘What is that?’ [Hadrian] said: ‘The governor is ill and a doctor entered to visit him and said to him: You will not be cured until you drink hot water.’ [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘Let despair come upon him;13You, Hadrian, should be in despair. even while you are still alive your decree is voided. Moses our master, ever since he decreed upon us: “You shall not kindle fire in all your dwellings on the Sabbath day” (Exodus 35:3), a Jew does not kindle a fire on Shabbat in his life, and [Moses’s] decree has not been voided for all these years until now; yet you said: ‘I am better than he’?’