Rookie Billet - 1990 - When Bad Things Happen to Good People" Part 2

Then Rabbi Chiya said to his students: "The master of the fig tree knows the season of each fig, and when it ought to be gathered, and gathers it. knows the season of the righteous, and when it is best to remove them from this. world."

"God forbid," exclaimed the owner of the fig tree; "I rise early to gather the figs because, if the sun shines on them, they breed worms." So he persuaded them to return and study under his tree. That morning he did not gather figs, and the sun shone on the fig tree, and ripe fruit bred worms, and was no longer fit to gather.

A story told of Rabbi Chiya bar Aba and his disciples. It was their custom to rise early in the morning, and to sit and learn under a certain fig tree. The tree's owner used to rise earlier and gather the figs. The scholars thought that the owner suspected they would steal the figs so they moved their place of learning. The owner of the tree found them and said: My masters, You used to show me honor by learning Torah under my tree, why have you left? The students explained their concern.

A portion of this recording was cut out because a story was cut off when the tape turned from Side A to Side B.