Akiva The Shepherd. English edition

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Gertcel Davydov. Akiva The Shepherd. English edition

Akiva The Shepherd

Life In The Horse Barn

A Donkey With A Flower On Its Back

The Twenty-Two Letters Of The Hebrew Alphabet

The Yeshiva In The City Of Yavneh

Jerusalem

Shulamit – The Daughter Of Rabbi Akiva And Rachel

Everything Is For The Best

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Before the Second Temple was destroyed, Akiva lived in the Galilee – a region in northern Israel. He was born into a poor family and worked as a simple shepherd in his youth, not knowing how to read or write. He had to work hard from early morning till late evening to earn his daily bread. When Akiva wasn’t tending sheep, he chopped wood and sold it at the market.

In the year 66 of the Common Era, the Jews rose up against the Roman Empire, only to be suppressed. The Second Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed soon after, and the Romans levied exorbitant taxes on the people of Judea. Life became very difficult for the Jews. That is when Akiva decided to move to Jerusalem. Once there, he continued chopping wood and selling it at the market until he finally secured a job as a shepherd at an estate belonging to a very wealthy resident of Jerusalem, a man named Kalba Savua, which means “satisfied dog” in Hebrew. His hospitality was so great that even dogs that wandered into his yard would leave well fed and satisfied. He strived to emulate the forefather Abraham, who together with his wife Sarah had set up a tent to welcome wayfarers.

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– Everything we had, – Rachel replied, looking at Akiva with anticipation.

– Rachel! – Akiva exclaimed loudly, grabbing his head. – You gave away all our savings for this old donkey?! Whatever do you need it for? Do you want to show it off to people at the market for money? But it can’t do anything other than eat and sleep!

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