Midrash su Ezechiele 32:29

(Fol. 10) Antoninus (the Caesar of Rome) said to Rabbi: "I would like that Asurius, my son, should reign after me, and also that Tiberius should be free from duty. However, I am aware that should I ask my people to do me one favor, they will, but two they will not. [What have I to do?]" Rabbi [who did not desire to give him a direct answer] brought a man, mounted him upon the shoulder of another one, and gave him a dove. He then said to the one beneath: "Tell the one who is mounted upon you to let the dove free." Antonius then said: "I understand that Rabbi intends to tell me that I should first request my people to proclaim my son king after me, and to instruct afterward my son that he should set Tiberius free." Once he said to Rabbi: "The officers of Rome irritate me. [What shall I do?]" Rabbi took him in the garden, and each day he would tear out the large radishes of the beds, planting smaller ones instead. Antoninus then said: "I understand that he intimates the necessity of removing the old officers by little and not all at once, so as to prevent a rebellion." (Ib. b) But why did not Rabbi answer him directly? (Ib. b) He thought perchance the officers of Rome might hear of it and harm him. Then he should have told him secretly! Because the passage says (Ecc. 10) For a bird of the air shall carry the voice. The same Caesar had a daughter by the name Girah, and it happened that she sinned. Antoninus then sent to Rabbi white mustard, which is called in Aramaic gargira (drag) [Rabbi understood that something had happened with Girah]. He sent him in answer a seed by the name of khusbratha [the meaning of which in Aramaic is chus bratha (remove the daughter)]. Antoninus again sent him garlic, named in Aramaic karthi [from which Rabbi understood that he questioned him: Shall I cut off my child?] And in answer he sent him lettuce [which is named Chassa, which means have mercy with her]. Antoninus used to send to Rabbi frequently pieces of pure gold in leather sacks covered with wheat. And to the objection of Rabbi: I have too much of my own, he explained: Leave them to him who will substitute thee, that he shall spend it to please those who will reign after me. From the house of Antoninus, there was a cave which reached the house of Rabbi, and each time that he went to the house of Rabbi through this cave, he would take with him two slaves. One he used to kill at the gate of Rabbi, and the other when he returned, at his own gate. He, however, told Rabbi that at the time of his visit no one should be found with him. It once happened that he found R. Chanina b. Chama with him, and to his question "Did I not say that no one should be found with you during my visit?" Rabbi answered: 'This is not a human being." Said Antoninus to R. Chanina: "Go and call for me the slave who sleeps at the gate." R. Chanina b. Chama went, and seeing that he was killed, he deliberated what to do: 'Shall I go to tell him that he is dead?" There is a rule that one needs not go back [to the sender] to bring bad news; "shall I leave him and go away?" This would be a disgrace to the king. He thereupon prayed, and the dead became alive, and he then sent him to his master. Said Antoninus to Rabbi: "I am aware that even the smallest of you is able to bring the dead to life. However, I wish that when I come here, I should not find a living soul with you." He used to serve Rabbi in all his needs, and he once questioned him if he would have a share in the world to come, to which Rabbi answered, "Yea." He said to Rabbi: "Is it not written (Ab. 1, 18) And there shall not be anyone remaining of the house of Esau?" "This means," replied Rabbi, "he who acts like Esau." "But there is another passage (Ez. 32, 29) There are Edom, her kings and all her princes." Rabbi again replied: "It reads kings, but not all her kings. Princes, but not all of them. So also have we learned in the following Baraitha: Her kings, but not all of them. This excludes Antoninus b. Asudius and his associates. Her princes, but not all of them. This excludes K'tiha b. Salum."