Commentary for Avodah Zarah 20:7
כל יומא הוה משמש לרבי מאכיל ליה משקי ליה כי הוה בעי רבי למיסק לפוריא הוה גחין קמי פוריא א"ל סק עילואי לפורייך אמר לאו אורח ארעא לזלזולי במלכותא כולי האי אמר מי ישימני מצע תחתיך לעולם הבא
Every day [he came] he would attend on Rabbi. He would give him food and drink. When Rabbi wanted to get on his bed Antoninus crouched in front of the bed saying, “Step on me to get into your bed.” Rabbi said, “It is not proper to treat a king so cheaply.” Antoninus responded: “Would that I would serve as a mattress for you in the world to come.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
This conversation sets the notion that Antoninus, the Roman emperor, secretly acted like Rabbi’s personal servant. Rabbi recognized that such behavior was not becoming. But Antoninus seems to have thought that this was his way to get into the world to come.
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