Eliyahu Carries Rebbi Akiva

It once happened that Rebbi Akiva was imprisoned in jail, and Rebbi Yehoshua HaGarsi, his talmid, was attending to him. On Erev Yom Kippur Rebbi Yehoshua left him and went home.

Eliyahu arrived and stood at the entrance to the house. Rebbi Yehoshua said, "Shalom Aleichem, Rebbi." Eliyahu replied, "Shalom Aleichem, Rebbi uMori (peace be upon you, my master and teacher)." Rebbi Yehoshua asked, "Is there anything you need?" Eliyahu said, "I am a Kohen, and I have come to tell you that Rebbi Akiva has died in prison."

Immediately the two of them went and found the gate of the jail wide open. The jailkeeper was fast asleep, and all the people there were sleeping as well. They laid Rebbi Akiva on a bed and carried him out. Eliyahu, of blessed memory, lifted him onto his shoulders and attended to him.

When Rebbi Yehoshua saw this, he said to Eliyahu, "My master and teacher, did you not tell me that you are a Kohen, who is forbidden to defile himself with the tumah (impurity) of the dead?" Eliyahu replied, "Suffice it to say that there is no tumah from the righteous tzaddikim, nor from their talmidim."

They carried him all night, until they reached a manor house in Caesarea. They ascended three steps and went down inclines until a cavern opened before them, and there they saw a chair, a table and a lantern. They laid Rebbi Akiva down on the bed and left. As they went out they sealed the cave, and the lamp lit up.

When Eliyahu saw this, he said, "Happy are the righteous, and fortunate are those who toil in Torah, and happy are those who fear Hashem. A hidden place in Gan Eden is reserved for you in the World to Come. Fortunate are you, Rebbi Akiva, that you found a resting place prepared for you at the time of your death. That is why it says, 'She even prepared her table.'"