The
Discovery of the Torah
Akiva worked for
Kalba Savu'a as a shepherd. Having noticed his piety, the daughter
of the latter agreed to marry him on condition that he would begin
to study (the Torah). They became secretly engaged and Akiva left
to study. But Kalba Savu'a discovered their secret, banished his daughter
(from home) and pronounced a vow disinheriting her.
After having spent
twelve years studying in the academies, Akiva returned, surrounded
by twelve thousand disciples. Upon returning home, he overheard an
old man asking Rachel: " How long will you continue to live like a
widow? - If it depended only on me, she said, my husband could spend
twelve more years studying. " Taking into account that he had his
wife's blessing, Akiva left to spend twelve more years studying in
the academies. When he returned this time, 24,000 disciples accompanied
him. As soon as the news of his return spread, Rachel rushed to welcome
him. On her way, she came across some neighbors who told her: " Borrow
some clothes to make yourself a little more presentable. " She replied
with the verse: " The just man recognizes the soul of his beast. "
(Proverbs XII, 10.) She went to meet him, fell at his feet and began
to kiss them. Not knowing who she was, his disciples wanted to turn
her away: " Leave her alone, said Akiva, what I possess and what you
possess, we owe to her. " When Kalba Savu'a heard that a sage had
arrived in his city, he said to himself " I will go see him. Perhaps
he will agree to annul my vow. " He appeared before Akiva (whom he
did not recognize). Akiva asked: " Would you have made the same vow
if the man in question had been a sage? - If he had only known a portion
(of the Torah) or a paragraph (of the Law), I would not have pronounced
this vow. " Akiva then revealed his identity to him. The father, in
turn, knelt down and kissed his feet and granted him half of his property.
TB Ketuvim
62b - 63a