Hi,
"When Shimon haTzaddik died, he told them he would die
that year… When he was dying, he said, "My son, Chonyo, shall serve in my
place." Chonyo's brother Shimi, who was two and a half years older than
Shimi, was jealous. He said to Chonyo, "I will teach you the order of
service." He dressed Chonyo in a leather tunic and girded him with an
ornamental belt and led him to the altar. He then told the other kohanim,
"See what this one vowed and fulfilled for his beloved! 'On the day I will
serve as high priest, I will wear your leather tunic and ornamental
belt!'" The other kohanim wished to kill Chonyo; he fled, and they pursed
him. He went to Alexandria in Egypt, where he built an altar and brought
offerings for idolatry. When the sages heard of this, they said, "If this
is the way one who never held power will act [upon losing it], how much more so
one who did hold it!" This was R' Meir's version.
"R' Yehudah said: That was not the story. Rather,
Chonyo did not accept the position, for his brother Shimi was two and a half
years his senior. Nonetheless, Chonyo became jealous of his brother Shimi, and
he told him, "I will teach you the order of service." He dressed
Shimi in a leather tunic and girded him with an ornamental belt and led him to
the altar. He then told the other kohanim, "See what this one vowed and
fulfilled for his beloved! 'On the day I will serve as high priest, I will wear
your leather tunic and ornamental belt!'" The other kohanim wished to kill
Shimi, but he then told them all that had happened. They wished to kill Chonyo;
he fled, and they pursed him. He went to the palace, and they pursued him; all
who saw him, said, "This is the one!" He fled to Alexandria in Egypt,
where he built an altar and brought offerings for Gd, as Isaiah 19:19 predicted,
"On that day there will be an altar for Gd in Egypt, and a monument for Gd
at her border." When the sages heard of this, they said, "If this is
the way one who fled from power will act [upon losing it], how much more so one
who seeks it!""
(Talmud, Menachot 109b)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
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