רבי חייא בר אבא חלש. על לגביה ר' יוחנן. א"ל חביבין עליך יסורין? א"ל לא הן ולא שכרן. א"ל הב לי ידך. יהב ליה ידיה, ואוקמיה.
ר' יוחנן חלש. על לגביה ר' חנינא. א"ל חביבין עליך יסורין? א"ל לא הן ולא שכרן. א"ל הב לי ידך. יהב ליה ידיה, ואוקמיה. אמאי? לוקים ר' יוחנן לנפשיה. אמרי: אין חבוש מתיר עצמו מבית האסורים.
רבי אליעזר חלש. על לגביה רבי יוחנן. חזא דהוה קא גני בבית אפל. גלייה לדרעיה ונפל נהורא. חזייה דהוה קא בכי ר' אליעזר. א"ל אמאי קא בכית? אי משום תורה דלא אפשת, שנינו אחד המרבה ואחד הממעיט ובלבד שיכוין לבו לשמים. ואי משום מזוני, לא כל אדם זוכה לשתי שלחנות. ואי משום בני, דין גרמא דעשיראה ביר. א"ל להאי שופרא דבלי בעפרא קא בכינא. א"ל על דא ודאי קא בכית, ובכו תרוייהו. אדהכי והכי א"ל חביבין עליך יסורין? א"ל לא הן ולא שכרן. א"ל הב לי ידך. יהב ליה ידיה, ואוקמיה.
Rabbi Hiya Bar Abba was sick. Rabbi Yohanan went to visit him.
He [Rabbi Yohanan] said to him, "Are your sufferings dear to you?"
He [Rabbi Hiya Bar Abba] replied "Not them and not their reward."
He said: "Give me your hand."
He gave him his hand and he stood him up. [i.e. he was healed]
Rabbi Yohanan was sick. Rabbi Hanina went to visit him.
He [Rabbi Hanina] said to him, "Are your sufferings dear to you?"
He [Rabbi Yohanan] replied "Not them and not their reward."
He said: "Give me your hand."
He gave him his hand and he stood him up.
Why doesn't Rabbi Yonhanan stand himself up?
They say - A prisoner can't free himself from prison.
Rabbi Eliezer was sick. Rabbi Yohanan went to visit him.
He saw that he lived in a dark house. He revealed his arm and light fell. He saw that Rabbi Eliezer was crying. He said to him "Why are you crying? If it's because of Torah that you didn't study, we've learned: 'one who does more and one who does less, as long as his heart is oriented to heaven'. And if it's because of sustenance [wealth], not every person merits two tables [wealth and Torah]. And If it's because of children [who had died] - this is the bone of my tenth son [who had died.]"
He [Rabbi Eliezer] said, "Because of this beauty that will be swallowed in the dirt, I'm crying."
He [Rabbi Yohanan] said to him, "For this surely it's worth crying", and they cried together. Eventually he [Rabbi Yohanan] said to him, "Are your sufferings dear to you?"
He [Rabbi Eliezer] replied "Not them and not their reward."
He said: "Give me your hand."
He gave him his hand and he stood him up.