There is a Mishna (Keilim, V., 10) which treats of an oven which R. Eliezer makes clean and the sages unclean, and it is the oven of a snake. 1 What does this mean? Said R. Jehudah in the name of Samuel: It intimates that they encircled it with their evidences as a snake winds itself around an object. And a Boraitha states that R. Eliezer related all answers of the world and they were not accepted. Then he said: Let this carob-tree prove that the Halakha prevails as I state, and the carob was (miraculously) thrown off to a distance of one hundred ells, and according to others four hundred ells. But they said: The carob proves nothing. He again said: “Let, then, the spring of water prove that so the Halakha prevails.” The water then began to run backwards. But again the sages said that this proved nothing. He again said: “Then, let the walls of the college prove that I am right.” The walls were about to fall. R. Joshua, however, rebuked them, saying: “If the scholars of this college are discussing upon a Halakha, wherefore should ye interfere!” They did not fall, for the honor of R. Joshua, but they did not become again straight, for the honor of R. Eliezer [and they are still in the same condition]. He said again: Let it be announced by the heavens that the Halakha prevails according to my statement, and a heavenly voice was heard, saying: Why do you quarrel with R. Eliezer, who is always right in his decisions! R. Joshua then arose and proclaimed [Deut. xxx. 12]: “The Law is not in the heavens.” [How is this to be understood? said R. Jeremiah: It means, the Torah was given already to us on the mountain of Sinai, and we do not care for a heavenly voice, as it reads [Exod. xxiii. 2]: “To incline after the majority.” R. Nathan met Elijah (the Prophet) and questioned him: “What did the Holy One, blessed be He, at that time?” (when R. Joshua proclaimed the above answer to the heavenly voice), and he rejoined: “He laughed and said, My children have overruled me, my children have overruled me.”] It was said that on the same day all the cases of purity, on which R. Eliezer decided that they were clean, were brought into the college and were destroyed by fire. And they cast a vote, and it was decided unanimously to bless him (to place him under the ban). The question arose, then, who should take the trouble to inform him, and R. Akiba said: “I will do so immediately, for one who is not fit for such a message may go and inform him suddenly, and he will destroy the world.”
What did R. Akiba? He dressed himself in black and wrapped himself with the same color, and sat at a distance of four ells from R. Eliezer. And to his question: “Akiba, what is the matter?” he answered: “Rabbi! it seems to me that your colleagues have separated themselves from you.” The rabbi then tore his garments, took off his shoes, and sat on the floor, and his eyes began to flow. The world was then beaten a third in olives, a third in wheat, and a third in barley. According to others, even the dough which was already in the hands of the women became spoiled. A Boraitha states that that day was the severest of all days, as every place on which R. Eliezer had set his eyes was burned. And also Rabban Gamaliel, who had at that time been sailing, was in danger of drowning by a tempest, and he said: “It seems to me that this storm is because of R. Eliezer b. Hurkanus.” He then arose and prayed: “Lord of the Universe, it is open and known before thee that not for the sake of my honor or the honor of my parents I acted so, but for thy glory, to prevent a quarrel in Israel.” And the sea then became quiet.
Eima Shalum, the wife of R. Eliezer, was a sister of Rabban Gamaliel, and since that time she prevented her husband from falling upon his face. 1 It happened, however, in a day which was the last of the month, and she erred, thinking that this day was the first of the month (in which the falling upon the face is not customary). According to others, a poor man knocked at the door and she was going to give him some bread, and when she returned she found her husband falling on his face, and she said to him: “Arise, you have already killed my brother!” In the meantime it was heralded by the house of Rabban Gamaliel that he was dead, and to the question R. Eliezer asked her: “Whence did you know this?” she answered: “I have a tradition from the house of my grandfather that all gates are closed for prayers, except for him who cries upon cheating.”