Rabbi
Yehudah the Prince opened his storehouses of food to feed the poor
during the years of famine. However, he said that only the students of
the Torah may enter and take food, but not unlearned folk, since he
held that misfortunes come to the world only because of unlearned
people.
His disciple, Rabbi Yonatan ben Amram, disguised himself and pushed his way in:
- Master, please sustain me.
- My son, are you a student of the Torah or related areas?
- No.
- If so, on what merit shall I sustain you?
- Sustain me as you would a dog or a raven.
Rabbi
Yehudah relented, but later became distressed. His son Rabbi Shimon
said, “Perhaps this is Rabbi Yonatan, who did not wish to benefit from
his Torah.” They found that this was indeed so, and Rabbi Yehudah
announced, “Let everyone enter.”