The Tale of Rabbi Akiva and the Dead Man

The anonymous legend called “The Tale of Rabbi Akiva and the Dead Man” appears in a number of midrashic collections and was frequently highlighted in twelfth- and thirteenth-century discussions about the recitation of the Mourner’s Kaddish during the evening prayer after the close of the Sabbath. The legend, usually told about Rabbi Akiva but sometimes about Yoḥanan ben Zakkai, insists that certain prayers are efficacious in ameliorating the punishment of the dead. This version of the story appears in the twelfth-century Maḥzor Vitry of Simḥah ben Samuel of Vitry and highlights themes related to the increased ritualization of the Mourner’s Kaddish in this period, such as the emphasis on the deceased’s son.