Elisha ben Avuya, known as Aher, “the Other,” had been one of the greatest Torah scholars of his generation, but he became a heretic and forsook the way of Torah and mitzvot. Nevertheless, his loyal student Rabbi Meir continued to study Torah from him and attempted to persuade him to repent.

Aher, after he had gone astray, asked Rabbi Meir: What is the meaning of what is written: “It cannot be valued like gold and glass, or its exchange be vessels of fine gold” (Job 28:17)? He said to him: These are matters of Torah, which are as difficult to acquire as gold vessels and vessels of fine gold but are as easy to lose as glass vessels, which break easily. Aher said to him: Rabbi Akiva, your teacher, did not say so, but rather: Just as concerning golden vessels and glass vessels, even though they broke they can be restored; so too concerning a Torah scholar: Although he has strayed, he can be restored. Rabbi Meir said: Then you too, repent. Aher said to him: I have already heard from behind the heavenly curtain [which serves as a partition between God and the world]: “Return, deviant children” (Jeremiah 3:22) except for Aher.

The Sages taught: There was an incident involving Aher, who was riding a horse on Shabbat, and Rabbi Meir was walking behind him, to study Torah from him. Aher said to him: Meir, turn back, as I have already calculated, and according to the paces of my horse the Shabbat boundary ends here. Rabbi Meir said to him: You, too, turn back. He responded: Haven’t I already told you that I already heard behind the heavenly curtain: “Return, deviant children” except for Aher? Rabbi Meir grabbed Aher and took him into the study hall. Aher said to a child in an attempt to divine his fate: Recite your verse that you studied today to me. He said to him: “There is no peace, said the Lord, for the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22). He took him to another synagogue. Aher said to another child: Recite your verse to me. He said to him: “For if you launder with natron, and use much soap, your iniquity is stained before Me” (Jeremiah 2:22). He took him into another synagogue. Aher said to a child: Recite your verse to me. He said to him: “And you, plundered one, what will you do? If you don scarlet, if you ornament yourself with gold jewelry, if you enlarge your eyes with eye shadow, in vain you beautify yourself” (Jeremiah 4:30).

He took him into another synagogue, until he had taken him into thirteen synagogues, and all the children recited verses to him in a similar vein. In the last one, he said to a child: Recite your verse to me. He said to him: “But to the wicked one [velarasha] God says: What right have you to speak of My statutes?” (Psalms 50:16). That particular child stuttered, and it sounded as though he said to him: And to Elisha [vele’elisha] God says. Some say that Aher had a knife, and he tore the child open and sent pieces of his body to all thirteen synagogues. Others say that Aher said: If I had a knife, I would tear him open.

When Aher passed away, the members of the heavenly court said: They will not condemn him [as would appear warranted by his actions], but he will not come into the World to Come. He will not be condemned, because he engaged in Torah study; but he will not enter the World to Come, because he sinned. Rabbi Meir said: It is preferable that they condemn him, as then he will receive his punishment and eventually come into the World to Come. When will I die so I can cause smoke to rise from his grave? Indeed, when Rabbi Meir passed away, smoke rose from the grave of Aher.

Rabbi Yohanan said: Is it heroic for Rabbi Meir to burn his teacher? There was one Sage among us who strayed, and yet we are incapable of saving him? If we take him by the hand, who will remove him from our protection; who? Rabbi Yohanan said: When will I die so I can extinguish the smoke from his grave? Indeed, when Rabbi Yohanan passed away, the smoke ceased from the grave of Aher. A certain eulogizer began his eulogy of Rabbi Yohanan: Even the guard at the entrance of Gehenna could not stand before you, our rabbi, [as you succeeded in extricating Aher from Gehenna.]

Aher’s daughter came before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and said to him: Rabbi, sustain me. He said to her: Whose daughter are you? She replied: I am the daughter of Aher. He retorted: Are there still descendants of his in the world? Isn’t it written: “He will have neither son nor grandson among his people, and there will be no remnant in his dwellings” (Job 18:19)? She responded: Remember his Torah study, and do not remember his deeds. Immediately, fire descended and licked the bench on which Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi was sitting. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi wept and said: If God protects the honor of those who treat the Torah with contempt this way, all the more so will He protect the honor of those who treat it with honor. (Ĥagiga 15a–b)