On this particular evening he was walking down toward the city gates. He could not have missed the great crowd of people walking towards him. His curiosity piqued he stood still.

‘’He’s coming, he’s coming. The teacher is coming.’’ shouted some children as they hurried past him.

‘’Did you hear what He did for Benyamin? They say he is completely healed.’’ He heard a woman behind him say.

Eliyah had heard about Benyamin. He was there when the priests were inspecting him. They had to be sure that he had been healed of his leprosy; it would have been utter damnation to let a leper into the temple.

If indeed the great Rabbi was around, Eliyah had to follow the crowd. This was his chance.

He ran to the front of the crowd and got there just in time. The Rabbi and his men were getting into a boat and they seemed intent on moving across the lake.

‘’Wait! Teacher wait. I want to go with you. I will follow you wherever you go.’’ Eliyah said trying to catch his breath.

The Rabbi turned and Eliyah wished he had not said a word. He just realized he had not completely thought out his plan. What was he going to say next? He didn’t have to speak because just then, the Rabbi staring straight at him said;

‘’ Foxes have dens to live, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to even lay his head’’.

Eliyah still a bit tongue tied stood still, he saw another man ran past him towards the teacher but he didn’t quite catch what the man had inquired. Before Eliyah could say anything else, he saw that the Rabbi and his men had already gotten into the boat and were sailing away.

Ever since he had heard about the great Teacher he had become fascinated by him. He heard the other scribes talk about the things he had said at the Mountain. They had been quite infuriated. But not Eliyah, he had wanted to hear more. He was even more impressed when he saw Benyamin at the temple courts and heard about his miraculous healing. Someone had also whispered to him that the Great Teacher was going around looking for people to join his Talmidim. What an honor it would be to be one of the men that walked with The Rabbi. That was when Eliyah knew that he could not let that opportunity pass him by. Rabbi Moshe had already started wearing him out.

But now, he had just lost his big chance. What did the Rabbi mean? He didn’t have a house to live in? Eliyah would have willingly let the teacher live with him if he needed a bed for a night or two... even longer. He had plenty of room in his home.

He paused in his tracks and considered his options. He could take a boat and follow the Rabbi across the lake. Couldn’t he? But hiring a boat would cost him money that he was not sure he wanted to spend. Just then his good friend Yacob approached him from a distance.

‘’Was that the blasphemer? He seems to attract all manner of delinquents doesn’t he? Were you listening to him?’’

‘’No no… no… of course not.’’ Eliyah said quickly without even blinking.

Yacob was already leading him toward the city gates and it seemed so much easier to just walk with him and so he did.

‘Oh well,’ Eliyah thought, ‘maybe the great Rabbi will come again soon.’

But what if he never did?