Caesar once said to Rabbi Tanchum, “Come, now, let us be one people.”  “Very well,” said Rabbi Tanchum, “only we, being circumcised, cannot possibly become like you; if, however, ye become circumcised we shall be alike in that regard anyhow, and so be as one people.”  The Emperor said, “Thou hast reasonably answered, but the Roman law is, that he who nonpluses his ruler and puts him to silence shall be cast to the lions.”  The word was no sooner uttered than the Rabbi was thrown into the den, but the lions stood aloof and did not even touch him.  A Sadducee, who looked on, remarked, “The lions do not devour him because they are not hungry,” but, when at the royal command, the Sadducee himself was thrown in, he had scarcely reached the lions before they fell upon him and began to tear his flesh and devour him.

Sanhedrin, fol. 39, col. 1.

A certain Sadducee asked Rabbi Abhu, “Since your God is a priest, as it is written (Exod. xxv. 2), ‘That they bring Me an offering,’ in what did He bathe Himself after He was polluted by the burial (Num. xix. 11, 18) of the dead body of Moses?  It could not be in the water, for it is written (Isa. xl. 12), ’Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?’ which therefore are insufficient for Him to bathe in.”  The Rabbi replied, “He bathed in fire, as it is written (Isa. lxvi. 15), ’For behold the Lord will come with fire.’”

Ibid.

Turnus Rufus asked this question also of Rabbi Akiva, “Why is the Sabbath distinguished from other days?” Rabbi Akiva replied, “Why art thou distinguished from other men?” The answer was, “Because it hath pleased my Master thus to honor me.”  And so retorted Akiva, “It hath pleased God to honor His Sabbath.”  “But what I mean,” replied the other, “was how dost thou know that it is the Sabbath-day?” The reply was, “The river Sambatyon proves it; the necromancer proves it; the grave of thy father proves it, for the smoke thereof rises not on the Sabbath.”

Ibid., fol. 65, col. 2.

See Bereshith Rabba, fol. 4, with reference to what is here said about Turnus Rufus and his father’s grave.  The proof from the necromancer lies in the allegation that his art was unsuccessful if practiced on the Sabbath-day.  The Sambatyon, Rashi says, is a pebbly river which rushes along all the days of the week except the Sabbath, on which it is perfectly still and quiet.  In the Machsor for Pentecost (D.  Levi’s ed. p. 81), it is styled “the incomprehensible river,” and a footnote thereto informs us that “This refers to the river said to rest on the Sabbath from throwing up stones, etc., which it does not cease to do all the rest of the week.” (See Sanhedrin, fol. 65, col. 2; Yalkut on Isaiah, fol. 3, 1; Pesikta Tanchuma.  See also Shalsheleth Hakabbala and Yuchsin.)

Those Israelites and Gentiles who have transgressed with their bodies (the former by neglecting to wear phylacteries, and the latter by indulging in sensuous