One more reference to consider from the Jerusalem Talmud:
Four entered the Garden [or Paradise]. One cast a look and died. One cast a look and was stricken [or went mad]. One cast a look and cut among the shoots. One entered safely and departed safely. Ben Azzai cast a look and was stricken. Of him Scripture says: "If you have found honey, eat only enough for you" (Prov. 25 : 16). Ben Zoma cast a look and died. Of him Scripture says: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints Psalms 116:15. Aher cast a look and cut among the shoots. Who is Aher? Elisha ben Abuyah, who slew the masters of the Torah. They say: He used to kill every every disciple he saw mastering the Torah.” Moreover, he used to enter the schoolhouse, and when he saw the pupils in the presence of the teacher, he would say, “What are these doing here? This one should be a mason. should be a carpenter. This one should be a fisherman. This one should be a tailor.” When they heard this, they would leave the teacher and go and become workmen. Of him Scripture says, “Let your mouth not lead you into sin” (Eccles 5:5) For he ruined his own deeds (שחיבל מעשה ידיו של אותו האיש).
Also at the time of the persecution they [the Romans] made [the Jews] carry burdens [on the Sabbath], and the Jews arranged it so that two people should share one load, because of the rule that two people doing one piece of work [are not liable in regard to a Sabbath violation]. Elisha said, "Make them carry the loads by themselves." They went and made them carry them by themselves, but they arranged to unload in a kar- melit [an area that cannot be classified either as private or as public space], so that they might not bring them out from private to public ground [which is forbidden]. Elisha said, "Make them carry bottles" [which would get broken if left lying]
R. Aqiba entered safely, and departed safely. Of him Scripture says: “Draw me after you, let us run” (Song of Songs 1:4). Rabbi Meir was sitting teaching in the schoolhouse of Tiberias. Elisha, his master, passed by riding on a horse on the Sabbath day. They came and said to him, "Look, your master is outside." He stopped his teaching and went out to him. He said to him, "What were you expounding today?" [Meir] said to to him, “And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning Job 42:12 Elisha said to him: With what [verse] did you begin to expound it? He said to him, "And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before" (Job 42 : 10), for he doubled for him all his wealth. [F] Elisha said, "Alas for the things that are lost and not found [masters of Torah]. Aqiba, your master, did not explain it thus, but, 'And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job from [i.e. , because of] his beginning' on account of the merit of the commandments and good deeds that he possessed in his former state." [G] [Elisha] said to him, "And what else have you been expounding? [H] He said to him, "Better is the end of a thing than its beginning" (Eccles. 7:8). He said to him, "How did you begin to expound it?" [J] He said to him, "[By comparing it] with a man who begot children in his youth and they died, then in his old age he started again. The end of the matter was better than its beginning. [Also by comparing it] with a man who did business in his youth and lost money, while in his old age he made a profit. This is an application of 'the end of a thing is better than its beginning.' [It applies] to a man who learned Torah in his youth and forgot it, while in his old age he learned and remembered it [lit., kept it alive]. The end of the matter was better than its beginning."
[K] [Elisha] said, "Alas for the things that are lost and not found. Aqiba your master did not explain it thus "'the end of a thing is better than its beginning' so long as it is good from its beginning."
"And so it happened to me. My father, Abuyah, was one of the important people in Jerusalem. When the day of my circumcision came, he invited all the important people of Jerusalem and sat them down in one room, with R. Eliezer and R. and R. Joshua in another room. [M] When they had eaten and drunk they began stamping their feet and dancing. [N] "R. Eliezer said to R. Joshua, "While they are occupying themselves in their way we will occupy ourselves in our way.' So they sat down and engaged in the study of the Torah, from the Pentateuch to the Prophets, and from the Prophets to the Writings. And fire fell from heaven and surrounded them. [O] "Abuyah said to them, 'My masters, have you come to burn my house down around me?' [P] "They said, 'God forbid! But we were sitting searching around in the words of the Torah from the Pentateuch to the Prophets, and from the Prophets to the Writings and the words were as alive as when they were given from Mt. Sinai.
[Q] "And the essential attribute of their being handed over at Sinai? They were given only by fire: 'And the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven' (Deut. 4:11). [R] "Abuyah, my father, said to them, 'My masters, if this is the power of the Torah, if this son of mine lives I will dedicate this son of mine to Torah.' Because his [original] intention was not for the sake of heaven, therefore it was not realized with this man (באותו האיש)
The last line of course is said by the writer. I find it very interesting that the 'fire' (eesh) on Sinai convinces the heretic to devote his sons to Torah study - but notice he at once is also 'that man.' Hmmm.
“Finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind.”
― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote
