The end of a guard

It happened that a great man came to Hebron and his name was Rabbi Yitzchak Damieu, and he was extremely rich and toured the Land of Israel to prostrate at the graves of the ancestors and the graves of the righteous. From the entrance to the Cave of the Patriarchs he told the guard to let him in and give him fifty gold coins. And Abba the guard did not listen to him. The gentleman told him that he would pay him a hundred gold coins if he would let him in. The guard replied that he would give him the money first. The gentleman wanted to enter first and give the money later. Finally it was agreed that the guard would receive half the money upon entering and half upon leaving. Nathan gave the guard fifty gold coins and the guard opened the cave and let him in.

As he entered, the guard closed for him. In the meantime, the guard went to the minister and told him the incident and showed him the fifty gold coins and told him that he would receive another fifty gold coins, and the Jew a large bundle of money with him, and if he slandered him he could take everything from him. The minister immediately stood up and ran to the cave.

In the meantime, a great fear fell on the gentleman lest the guard closed his door in order to molest him, the gentleman passed through the cave to the entrance of the second cave and began to cry and beg with prayers and requests and supplications, that he did not enter there out of complacency but to see the works of God and to tell of His greatness and glory. With a bitter cry, the first door was opened and he left safely. Without being, he got on a horse and immediately rode to Jerusalem. And there was a minister and a great governor there, and there is no reason for the man to be afraid of her.

When the minister of Hebron came to the cave and saw that the Jew was gone, the guard was frightened and did not utter a word. The minister asked the guard: "Where is the Jew? In your soul, you must die if you let a Jew in, because you violated my commandments. If you did not let any Jew in, then you have committed robbery and you fear that this will be known and you came to me with such excuses." The minister immediately ordered the guard to guard his head, and he kept the fifty gold pieces for himself.

(The book of Hebron told by Rabbi Moshe Yerushalmi)