Avodah Zarah 11A

נתפרדה חבילה.

The bundle is separated.

אונקלוס בר קלונימוס איגייר, שדר קיסר גונדא דרומאי אבתריה, משכינהו בקראי, איגיור. הדר שדר גונדא דרומאי [אחרינא] אבתריה, אמר להו: לא תימרו ליה ולא מידי.

§ The Talmud mentions other Romans who converted to Judaism. It relates: Onkelos bar Kelonimos converted to Judaism. The Roman emperor sent a troop [gunda] of Roman soldiers after him to seize Onkelos and bring him to the emperor. Onkelos drew them toward him with verses that he cited and learned with them, and they converted. The emperor then sent another troop of Roman soldiers after him, and said to them: Do not say anything to him, so that he cannot convince you with his arguments. The troops followed this instruction, and took Onkelos with them.

כי הוו שקלי ואזלי, אמר להו אימא לכו מילתא בעלמא: ניפיורא נקט נורא קמי אפיפיורא, אפיפיורא לדוכסא, דוכסא להגמונא, הגמונא לקומא, קומא מי נקט נורא מקמי אינשי? אמרי ליה: לא. אמר להו: הקדוש ברוך הוא נקט נורא קמי ישראל, דכתיב: ״וה׳ הלך לפניהם יומם וגו׳״. איגיור כולהו.

When they were walking, Onkelos said to the troop of soldiers: I will say a mere statement to you: A minor official [nifyora] holds a torch before a high official [apifyora], the high official holds a torch for a duke [dukasa], a duke for the governor, and the governor for the ruler [koma]. Does the ruler hold a torch before the common people? The soldiers said to Onkelos: No. Onkelos said to them: Yet God holds a torch before the Jewish people, as it is written: “And YHWH went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light” (Exodus 13:21). They all converted.

הדר שדר גונדא אחרינא אבתריה, אמר להו: לא תשתעו מידי בהדיה. כי נקטי ליה ואזלי, חזא מזוזתא דמנחא אפתחא, אותיב ידיה עלה, ואמר להו: מאי האי? אמרו ליה: אימא לן את.

The emperor then sent another troop of soldiers after him, to bring Onkelos, and said to them: Do not converse with him at all. The troops followed this instruction, and took Onkelos with them. While they grabbed him and were walking, Onkelos saw a mezuza that was placed on the doorway. He placed his hand upon it and said to the soldiers: What is this? They said to him: You tell us.