<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><font face="monospace">R</font></span><font face="monospace"><span style="font-size:12pt">abbi Ari Kahn cites two
Gemaras in which Rabbi Akiva himself criticizes a chacham for lack of s</span><span style="font-size:12pt">ufficient
respect for another chacham, and the deathly consequence Rabbi Akiva attributed to
such behavior. (My translations.)</span><br></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed;font-size:11pt"><font face="monospace"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><b><span lang="HE" style="font-size:12pt"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span></b><span dir="LTR"></span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt 0.5in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:11pt"><font face="monospace"><b><span style="color:black">Nedarim 40a</span></b><span style="color:rgb(54,54,54)"> … one of Rabbi Akiva's disciples fell sick, but
Sages did not visit him. Rabbi Akiva entered [his house] to visit him [and
attend to his needs/ask Hashem to have pity on him], and because they swept
and sprinkled the ground before him, he recovered. "My master," he said, "you
have revived me!" Rabbi Akiva went forth and lectured: "Anyone who does not
visit the sick is like a shedder of blood."</span><span lang="HE" dir="RTL" style="font-size:12pt"></span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt 0.5in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:11pt"><font face="monospace"><b><span style="color:rgb(54,54,54)">Menachos 68b</span></b><span style="color:rgb(54,54,54)"> tells us that </span><span style="font-size:12pt">Yehuda ben Nechemia’s
face shone when he dismissed a kushya posed by his rebbi, Rabbi Tarfon, leaving
him speechless.</span><span style="color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt">R. Akiva, Rabbi Tarfon’s
colleague (with whom he often disagreed) said to him, "Yehudah! Your face
has brightened with joy because you have refuted an elder?! I wonder whether
you will live long."</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt 0.5in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:11pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><font face="monospace">Said Rabbi Yehudah ben Ila'i, " That
happened half a month before Passover. When I ascended again [to the beis
medrash] for Shavuos, I asked for him: Where is Rabbi Yehuda ben Necḥemia? And
they said to me: He passed away.</font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:11pt"><span style="color:rgb(54,54,54)"><font face="monospace">RAK
notes that this second source is particularly impressive as the death clearly
takes place between Passover and Shavuot, and, ironically, the topic of
discussion included the Omer!</font></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12pt"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:11pt"><span style="color:rgb(54,54,54)"><font face="monospace"><br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:11pt"><span style="color:rgb(54,54,54)"><font face="monospace">Zvi Lampel</font></span></p></div>