Once the two great Torah Sages, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish and Rabbi Abbahu, students of Rabbi Yochanan, were traveling from Tiberias, where the Academy was located, to the city of Caesarea.
Many students from all over the land of Israel and even from other lands flocked to the great Torah center of Tiberias, to study at the feet of the greatest Torah giants of the time.
Caesarea was an international center populated not only by Jews, but also by the highest echelons of Roman society as well -- aristocracy and wealthy merchants. These Romans built beautiful palaces and lived an ostentatious and raucous lifestyle. They enjoyed theaters, sports, and the cruel spectacle of wild animal fights in which hapless prisoners were torn limb from limb.
Sadly, there were Jews who fell under the influence of the Romans, attending their theaters and joining in their vulgar entertainments, until some of them even deserted the path of Torah.
Rabbi Abbahu had once lived in Caesarea, and the closer he drew to the city, the more he longed to be back in the Academy in the company of the Sages. He remembered the unholy atmosphere of Caesarea with revulsion, and suddenly he wanted to turn back to Tiberias.
"Perhaps we shouldn't continue on our trip," he said to Rabbi Shimon. "The city of Caesarea is not the kind of place where we should spend our time. There are so many Jews who have strayed from Torah, it hurts me to see them."
Suddenly, Rabbi Shimon dismounted from his donkey, and without a word of explanation, he scooped up a handful of sand and placed it in Rabbi Abbahu's mouth!
Rabbi Abbahu was shocked. What could Rabbi Shimon be thinking to do something like this to him? He couldn't speak for some time as it was difficult to clean his mouth from the gritty sand. When he finally could speak, he turned to his colleague and asked, "Why did you do that to me?"
Rabbi Shimon replied, "G-d is pained when anyone speaks ill of the Jewish people. The Jews are His beloved children, and just as parents love their children, even when they disobey them, G-d also loves His children even when they sin, and he doesn't want to hear bad reports about them. If you see that the Jews are sinning, you should rebuke them and help them return to the proper paths."
Rabbi Abbahu accepted this harsh lesson from Rabbi Shimon with humility. He became one of the greatest defenders of his people, especially before the Roman rulers.
Many times he succeeded in persuading the Roman Emperor to revoke evil decrees which were so common during that difficult period. Under his beneficent influence, even Caesarea developed into a city where Torah could blossom again.
