The Laughter of Rabbi Akiva

Again it happened that Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria, Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Akiva went up to Jerusalem. When they reached Mt. Scopus, they tore their garments. When they reached the Temple Mount, they saw a fox emerging from the place of the Holy of Holies. The others started weeping; Rabbi Akiva laughed.

Said they to him: "Why are you laughing?"

Said he to them: "Why are you weeping?"

Said they to him: "A place [so holy] that it is said of it, 'the stranger that approaches it shall die,'1 and now foxes traverse it, and we shouldn't weep?"

Said he to them: "That is why I laugh. For it is written, 'I shall have bear witness for Me faithful witnesses—Uriah the Priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.'2 Now what is the connection between Uriah and Zechariah? Uriah was [in the time of] the First Temple, and Zechariah was [in the time of] the Second Temple! But the Torah makes Zachariah's prophecy dependent upon Uriah's prophecy. With Uriah, it is written: 'Therefore, because of you, Zion shall be plowed as a field; [Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the Temple Mount like the high places of a forest.]'3 With Zachariah it is written, 'Old men and women shall yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem.'4

"As long as Uriah's prophecy had not been fulfilled, I feared that Zechariah's prophecy may not be fulfilled either. But now that Uriah's prophecy has been fulfilled, it is certain that Zechariah's prophecy will be fulfilled."

With these words they replied to him: "Akiva, you have consoled us! Akiva, you have consoled us!"

Footnotes

Talmud, Makkot 24b

Image by chassidic artist Shoshannah Brombacher. To view or purchase Ms. Brombacher’s art, click here.

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11 Comments

Kepha November 11, 2021

Rabbi Akiva seems to be mistaken here and confuses Zechariah son of Jeberekiah with the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, son of Iddo. These two Zechariahs were separated by a period of roughly 200 years. How could Isaiah, who is clearly speaking about two individuals living in his time (8th Century BC - 1st Temple), be speaking about the prophet Zechariah (6th Century BC - 2nd Temple) some two hundred years later? The names are also different. This isn't the first time that two Zechariahs are confused, for even Targum Lamentations 2:20 confuses Zechariah the son of Berekiah, son of Iddo with Zechariah son of Jehoiada. Reply

Menachem Posner November 12, 2021

in response to Kepha:

It seems clear from the context that there is but on Zechariah (the father's names are too similar to be believed to be different people), and that Isaiah is predicting that which Zechariah will one day prophesy in the future. Reply

Kepha December 24, 2021

in response to Menachem Posner:

Thank you for your response!

When I read this passage, it seems that the context is speaking about an event that would happen within a year of the child, Maher Shalal Chash Baz's, birth. The name itself means "Swift [is] Spoil, Speedy [is] Plunder" and seems to point directly to Isa. 8:4 which speaks to the plundering of Damascus and Samaria by Tiglath-Pileser III. Both Uriah and Zechariah mentioned in Isa. 8:2 are said to be the Lord's "faithful witnesses" to the prophecy of this particular event. How does Zechariah son of Berekiah some 240 years later or so relate to this in any way? He lived in different circumstances with different people and experienced different events.

Thanks, Reply

Pam Machefsky August 3, 2022

in response to Menachem Posner:

Thank you Reply

Anonymous August 10, 2019

Question Was there mention of actual foxes in the first prophecy? If yes, can you provide details? Reply

Rabbi Mendel Adelman for Chabad.org August 12, 2019

in response to Anonymous:

In Eicha/Lamentations 5:18, foxes are mentioned as trampling on the Temple Mount. Of course, that has nothing to do with Uriah's prophecy.

So, the Chiddushei Aggadot goes on a different tack and explains that foxes are considered to be apex scavengers. If they cannot find anything growing in a field, then that field is truly completely plowed. Rabbi Akivah noted that the fox that was walking on the Temple Mount did not find anything to eat. As such, its presence testified to the fulfillment of Uriah's prophecy, which describes the Temple Mount as "a plowed field". It was as a plowed field, but not a planted one. Such a field gives no benefit to anyone.

When Rabbi Akivah saw that sight, he laughed. So, it wasn't the foxes themselves, but rather the fact that the area was devoid of plant life that caused Rabbi Akivah's laughter. Reply

Pam machefsy Mitzpe Ramon, Israel August 3, 2022

in response to Rabbi Mendel Adelman for Chabad.org:

Todah! Reply

Rabbi Z. July 30, 2019

The Rebbe teaches, that as Rabbi Akiva had trained himself to see the positive - for our brains are going to repeat our premises - so perhaps from this story we learn that, the soon to be Messianic Redemption (which being so close, it's light is accessible) is, wherein, no matter the darkness, we can reveal light. Reply

Shmuel Chanowitz Monticello June 7, 2020

in response to Rabbi Z.:

Where is the Rebbe's sicha Reply

mike london November 14, 2020

in response to Rabbi Z.:

Messianic redemption as we know it today did not exist in Temple times
Joseph in Egypt where life after death was part of religion never ever mentioned this
even though married to the chief priest's daughter Reply

cookie Melbourne, Australia July 14, 2010

thank you thank you for the very good article. is it possible to add an explanation? there is so much more on this story. Reply

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