— What proof do you have that your views on the subject are correct? That your opinion, and only yours, is correct?

And the master, Rabbi Akiba, replied:

— I have it from my Masters, who had it from theirs, who for their part claimed Moses as their teacher. What I am telling you is what Moses heard at Sinai.

Amused, and flattered too, Moses—the first Jewish author—was mollified. But something continued to trouble him. He again turned to God:

— I don’t understand, said he. Since You have at Your disposal a sage such as he, a teacher such as he, why do You need me? Let him be Your messenger to transmit the Law of Israel to the people of Israel!

But God interrupted him:

— Moses, son of Amram, be quiet! This is how I envision things!

Satisfied or not, Moses submitted. He insisted no more. Yet, after a while he could not repress his curiosity:

— Tell me . . . What will happen to him, later?

And once again God made him turn around to show him the future. And Moses saw Rabbi Akiba at the hour of death. He saw his agony, his martyrdom at the hands of the Roman executioners. And in his astonishment and distress he cried out for the third time:

— I do not understand, Almighty! Is this justice? Is this the reward for studying Your Law? Do those who live by it deserve such a death?

And once again God cut him short:

— Be quiet, son of Amram! Such is My will! This is how I envision things!

And Moses kept a respectful silence, just as, centuries later, Rabbi Akiba remained silent on the day when he faced both death and eternity.

• • •

Another legend:

When Moses learned that his hour had come, he refused to accept it. He wanted to go on living—though he was old and tired of wandering and fighting and being constantly tormented by this unhappy and flighty people he was leading across the desert.

He put on sackcloth, covered himself with ashes and composed fifteen hundred prayers; then he drew a circle around himself and declared: I shall not move from here until the decree is revoked.

And once more his words shook the universe to its very foundation; heaven and earth, in panic, consulted one another. What was happening? Had God decided to put an end to His Creation?

Then there came to Moses’ aid the five Books of the Law which bear his name; they pleaded with God to extend his life. But their intervention was unsuccessful.

Then the fire joined its efforts to theirs—in vain. And the sacred letters too were rejected. Even the Name of God was turned down by God; its intervention proved useless as well.

Then followed an amazing dialogue between God and Moses, in which the Creator tried to persuade His trusted servant to submit to His laws:

— You must die, Moses, otherwise the people will turn you into an idol.