A Righteous Roman

Every day, he [Antoninus] would wait on R. Judah, giving him food and drink. When Rabbi wanted to climb onto his bed, Antoninus would crouch in front of the bed saying, “Step on me to climb onto your bed.” Rabbi, however, said, “It is not proper to treat a king so ungraciously.” He [Antoninus] would reply, “If only I could be positioned as a mattress beneath you in the world to come!”

Once he [Antoninus] asked him, “Will I enter the world to come?” He [Rabbi] answered, “Yes.” He [Antoninus] asked, “But isn’t it written: There will be no remnant to the house of Esau? (Obadiah 1:18).” [He replied], “That only applies to those who commit evil acts like those of Esau.” [ . . . ] He [Antoninus] said to him, “But isn’t it also written: There [in the netherworld] is Edom, her kings, and all her princes? (Ezekiel 32:29).” He [Rabbi] explained, “[It says] her kings but it doesn’t say all her kings; [it says] all her princes, but not all her officers!”