More Discussions for this daf
1. Histaklus 2. Lo Sasuru 3. Histaklus
4. rav moshe 5. Rabbi Akiva and the Wife of TurnusRufus
DAF DISCUSSIONS - AVODAH ZARAH 20

Michael Geller asked:

Can you explain further regarding Rabbi Akiva marrying Turnus Rufus' ex-wife? I assume this was after Rachel died. And after Turnus Rufus died? Did he forsee that he would marry her while Rachel was alive? Was her teshuva on the level of R' Elazar Ben Durdia? Even if not, it is an inspiring teshuva story; why isn't more known? Kasiva V'Chasima Tova

Michael Geller, Dallas, Texas USA

The Kollel replies:

Rebbi Akiva married the wife of Turnusrufus after both Rachel and Turnusrufus died.

The commentary ascribed to Rashi on Nedarim (50b, DH "u'Min") explains that Turnusrufus (whose real name was just Rufus) was someone who would always debate Rebbi Akiva regarding the validity of Judaism, and lose. He eventually told this to his wife, who said that she will try to make him sin, as she was very beautiful. She went over to him and revealed her thighs. Rebbi Akiva spit, laughed, and then cried. When she asked why he did so, he said that he spit because she came from a smelly drop (making himself conscious of the fact that he should not sin with her), and that he cried because her beauty was going to eventually rot in the ground. He laughed because she would eventually convert and marry him. She asked him, Can I in fact repent? He answered affirmatively. She repented, converted, and eventually married Rebbi Akiva.

I doubt that her level of Teshuvah was that of Rabbi Eliezer ben Durdiya, as she did not die after doing Teshuva. Then again, it is not clear that she required such a harsh repentance.

A very similar story of a sinner repenting is told regarding Rachav. Moments after repenting for being a prostitute for forty years she received Ruach Ha'Kodesh (see Rashi on the second chapter of Yehoshua). Later, she married Yehoshua himself.

This story is not too well known, although it is more familiar than the story of the wife of Turnusrufus and Rebbi Akiva.

All the best,

Yaakov Montrose