Avoda Zara 10: King Antonius and Rebbe

The rabbis discuss postdated loan documents.  Often documents would be dated based on the beginning of a ruler's reign.  Different 'rosh hashanahs' and festivals were counted as the start of different segments of time.

Speaking about the days that kings are crowned, we are offered numerous stories which illustrate the crowning of kings and the relationships between students and teachers.  How do they determine this date?  How do they determine which is the day the king is crowned and which is when his son is crowned?  How do they determine which is the king's birthday and which is his son's birthday?

A story is told about Rebbi and Antonius.  Antonius said that he wanted his son to succeed him and he wanted to exempt a city from paying taxes, but the nobles would not allow it.  Rabbi told a story of climbing on top of Almoni, and give Almoni a dove, and then tell Almoni to let the dove go.  Antonius interprets: I should ask the nobles to let my son succeed me, and then I should ask my son, Asvirus, to exempt the city from paying taxes.

When Antonius complained that the nobles were oppressing him, Rebbi walked with Antonius in the garden, uprooting one tree each day.  Antonius interprets: I should kill one noble each day and not deal with all of them together.

The Gemara helps us understand why the Rebbi spoke in non-verbal metaphors.  Perhaps he was afraid of the nobles.  And whispering wouldn't have been effective.

We learn that Antonius's daughter, Gira, was accused of being promiscuous.  Antonius sent Rebbi a plant called gargira, suggesting that Gira had gar,  illicit sexual relations.  First, Rebbi sent back coriander, which is called kusbarta.  Kus barta, slaughter his daughter.  Antonius responded with karti, leeks, meaning that he was uncomfortable with karet, cutting off.  The response of Rashi would be chas, compassion, lettuce.  Tosafot believe that kus barta was meant to mean coverup for your daughter, and that Antonius misunderstood.

Antonius would send Rebbi a leather bag of gold each week. At the top of the bag was straw to hide the gold.  Rebbi did not want the gold.  Antonius said that Rebbi's descendants would need it to pay tribute to his descendants.  

Antonius learnd Torah at Rebbi's house.  He would take two guards with him through a cave, killing one on arrival and the other on return.  No-one was supposed to see him there, but one day Rabbi Chanina bar Chama was present at Rebbi's home.  When Antonio complained, Rebbi explained that the rabbi was not a regular person.  Antonius intimidated Rabbi Chanina by sending him to witness his dead servant at the door.  Rabbi Chanina asked G-d to revive him; he could not return without having met the king's request, nor could he run from the king.  G-d brought the servant back to life.  Antonius was impressed.

Antonius looked up to Rebbi.  He lowered himself; he had Rebbi step on him when getting into bed.  

In contrast, there was a kaiser who hated Yisrael.  He asked his nobles that if one has a sore foot, should he cut it off and heal from the infection or should he let the wound fester and cause pain?  They advised him to cut it off.  But not Yisrael.  Keti'a bar Shalom explains, using verses, why the Jewish people cannot be wiped out. The rabbis discussed this in some detail.