Nachum Ish Gamzu was a Tanna who lived during the second century. He was the teacher of Rebbe Akiva.
It is related that in later years Nahum's hands and feet became paralyzed, and he was afflicted with other bodily ailments. He bore his troubles patiently, however, and even rejoiced over them. In answer to a question of his pupils as to why, since he was such a perfectly just man, he had to endure so many ills, he declared that he had brought them on himself because once when he was on the way to his father-in-law's and was carrying many things to eat and drink, he met a poor man who asked him for food. As he was about to open the bundle the man died before his eyes. In deepest grief, and reproaching himself with having perhaps caused by his delay the man's death, he cursed himself and wished himself all the troubles to which his pupils referred. Various other stories are told of miracles that happened to him.
One tradition places the burial site of Rabbi Nachum Ish Gamzu in Safed, Israel, and his tomb may be found in Gamzu Street, named for him, inside a modern protective structure. Another tradition places his burial site on the main road as one approaches Farradiyya (Parod).
Nachum gained his name because of his use of this phrase as his response to anything that happened to him.
