Yochanan bar Nafcha, known in the Talmud as Rabbi Yochanan, was a rabbi born in Tzipori in the Galil region in the Land of Israel in the third century CE. His physical beauty was said to be like a gleaming silver chalice filled with pomegranate seeds, adorned with red roses and placed between the sunlight and the shade. Shimon ben Lakish, known as Resh Lakish, was from Busra, farther north and east, in present-day Syria. He was a large, corpulent man blessed with great physical strength. In his youth, he was a brigand and a gladiator. He roamed the countryside with his fellow ne’er-do-wells, stealing goats, acting as goons for unscrupulous Roman officials and committing, we can speculate, various other sins. One day, Rabbi Yochanan was bathing in the River Jordan when Resh Lakish glimpsed him from afar. Resh Lakish saw his beauty, and mistaking him for a woman, bounded into the water, splashing poor Rabbi Yochanan and giving him a fright. Seeing his mistake, Resh Lakish exclaimed, “Your beauty should be for women!” to which Rabbi Yochanan replied, “Your strength should be for Torah!” He offered Resh Lakish the hand of his also very beautiful sister in marriage, on the condition that he renounce his marauding ways and devote himself to study of the holy Law. Resh Lakish accepted, and suddenly found that his strength was depleted. But he acquired great knowledge of Torah and became a rival to his brother-in-law Rabbi Yochanan. Their debates are recorded in the Talmud.

When Resh Lakish died, Rabbi Yochanan was melancholy. The other rabbis said: “Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat should go and comfort Rabbi Yochanan, for he is sharp in learning.” So Rabbi Elazar went to sit with Rabbi Yochanan in the house of study. Every time Rabbi Yochanan said something, Rabbi Elazar cited a supporting Tannaitic source [these were sayings of the previous generations of rabbis, who therefore had greater authority]. Rabbi Yochanan said to Rabbi Elazar: “Are you like Resh Lakish? When I said something, he would ask me twenty-four questions, and I would respond with twenty-four answers. As a result, learning increased. And you give me Tannaitic support. Do I not know already that I say good ideas?” He walked out of the house of study, and tore his garment, and wept.

He said: “Where are you, ben Lakish? Where are you, ben Lakish?” He was crying out until he lost his mind. The rabbis asked for mercy on him and he passed away.