כא בשעת פטירתו אמר להן העמיקו לי ארוני
21 R. Joshua b. Levi said, 'I saw two, but heard the voice of a third.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he saw only himself and Elijah there, but heard a third voice — that of the Shechinah. ');"><sup>40</sup></span> He then asked him, 'When will the Messiah come?' — 'Go and ask him himself,' was his reply. 'Where is he sitting?' — 'At the entrance.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cur. edd. read ' … of the town:' The Wilna Gaon deletes this and substitutes 'of Rome.' ');"><sup>41</sup></span> And by what sign may I recognise him?' — 'He is sitting among the poor lepers: all of them untie [them]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The bandages of their sores for dressing. ');"><sup>42</sup></span> all at once, and rebandage them together,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if they have many leprous sores, they first take off all the bandages, and treat each sore, then replace them together. ');"><sup>43</sup></span> whereas he unties and rebandages each separately, [before treating the next], thinking, should I be wanted, [it being time for my appearance as the Messiah] I must not be delayed [through having to bandage a number of sores].' So he went to him and greeted him, saying, 'peace upon thee, Master and Teacher.' 'peace upon thee, O son of Levi,' he replied. 'When wilt thou come Master?' asked he, 'To-day', was his answer. On his returning to Elijah, the latter enquired, 'What did he say to thee?' — 'peace Upon thee, O son of Levi,' he answered. Thereupon he [Elijah] observed, 'He thereby assured thee and thy father of [a portion in] the world to come.' 'He spoke falsely to me,' he rejoined, 'stating that he would come to-day, but has not.' He [Elijah] answered him, 'This is what he said to thee, To-day, if ye will hear his voice.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XCV, 7, thus he made his coming conditional-the condition was unfulfilled. ');"><sup>44</sup></span> The disciples of R. Jose b. Kisma asked him, 'When will the Messiah come?' — He answered, 'I fear lest ye demand a sign of me [that my answer is correct].' They assured him, 'We will demand no sign of you.' So he answered them, 'When this gate<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [The gate of Caesarea Philippi, the home of R. Jose. Its fall would be a symbol of the destruction of the Roman power by the Parthians. Bacher, AT, I, p. 402.] ');"><sup>45</sup></span> falls down, is rebuilt, falls again, and is again rebuilt, and then falls a third time, before it can be rebuilt the son of David will come.' They said to him, 'Master, give us a sign.' He protested, 'Did ye not assure me that ye would not demand a sign?' They replied, 'Even so, [we desire one].' He said to them. 'if so, let the waters of the grotto of Paneas turn into blood;' and they turned into blood. When he lay dying he said to them, 'place my coffin deep [in the earth],