Bereishis
Rabba (65:22):
Jakum of Zeroroth was the nephew of R. Jose b. Jo'ezer of Zeredah.5 Riding on a
horse he went before the beam on which he [R. Jose] was to be hanged,6 and taunted
him: ‘See the horse on which my master has let me ride, and the horse upon
which your Master has made you ride.’ ‘If it is so with those who anger Him,
how much more with those who do His will,’ he replied. ‘Has then any man done
His will more than thou?’ he jeered. ' If it is thus with those who do His
will, how much more with those who anger Him,’ he retorted. This pierced him
like the poison of a snake, and he went and subjected himself to the four modes
of execution inflicted by the Beth Din: stoning, burning, decapitation, and
strangulation. What did he do? He took a post and planted it in the earth,
raised a wall of stones around it and tied a cord to it. He made a fire in
front of it and fixed a sword in the middle [of the post]. He hanged himself on
the post, the cord was burnt through and he was strangled. The sword caught
him, while the wall [of stones] fell upon him and he was burnt. Jose b. Jo'ezer
of Zeredah fell into a doze1 and saw his [Jakum's] bier flying in the air. By a
little while he has preceded me into the Garden of Eden,’ said he..