וְשָׂנֵאתִי אֶת הַחַיִּים, אִימִיקַנְטָרוֹן הָיָה כּוֹתֵב לְאַדְרִיָּאנוֹס קֵיסָר, אָמַר לוֹ אִם לַמּוּלִים אַתְּ שׂוֹנֵא, אֵלּוּ הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים. אִם לִמְשַׁמְּרֵי שַׁבָּת אַתְּ שׂוֹנֵא, אֵלּוּ הַכּוּתִים. הֲרֵי אֵין אַתְּ שׂוֹנֵא אֶלָּא הָאֻמָּה הַזֹּאת בִּלְבָד, אֱלֹהֶיהָ יִפָּרַע מֵאוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ. גָּזַר אַדְרִיָּאנוֹס דְּכָל דִּי עֲבַד כֵּן יְפַרְסֵם גַּרְמֵיהּ לְמַלְכָּא, דְּמַלְכָּא בָּעֵי יִתֵּן לֵיהּ מִלָּה, אֲזַל חַד וּפַרְסֵים יַת גַּרְמֵיהּ, אֲמַר אֲרֵימִין רֵישֵׁיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָמָּה אֲמַרְתְּ כֵּן, אֲמַר לֵיהּ דְּאַתְּ פָּנֵי לְהַהוּא גַּבְרָא מִן תְּלַת נְסִיסִין בִּישִׁין, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מָה אִינוּן, אֲמַר לֵיהּ נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּהַהוּא גַבְרָא בָּעְיָא מֵיגַס גַּבֵּיהּ בְּצַפְרָא וּבְרַמְשָׁא וְלֵית לֵיהּ מַה דְּיִתֵּן לַהּ וְכֵן אִנְתְּתֵיהּ וְכֵן בְּנוֹי. אֲמַר אַדְרִיָּאנוֹס הוֹאִיל וְהוּא חָיֵי חַיִּין בִּישִׁין שְׁבוֹקוּ לֵיהּ, וְקָרָא אֲנַפְשֵׁיהּ: וְשָׂנֵאתִי אֶת הַחַיִּים. מַעֲשֶׂה בְּגַרְגְּרָן אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה עָמֵל כָּל יְמוֹת הַשָּׁנָה שֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה וּבְשַׁבָּת לֹא הָיָה לוֹ מַה יֹּאכַל, מֶה עָשָׂה, פַּעַם אַחַת נִתְעַטֵּף בִּכְלֵי קוּרְיָיס שֶׁלּוֹ וְעָלָה לְרֹאשׁ הַגַּג וְנָפַל וָמֵת, וּקְּרָא אֲנַפְשֵׁיהּ: וְשָׂנֵאתִי אֶת הַחַיִּים. רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא אֲתוֹן אָמְרִין לֵיהּ דַּיָּינָיךְ שָׁתְיִין חַמְרָא בְּשׁוּקָא וְלָא חֲמֵי לְהוֹן, חַד זְמַן נָפַק וְאַשְׁכַּח דַּיָּינוֹי שָׁתָן חַמְרָא בְּשׁוּקָא, וּקְרָא עַל נַפְשֵׁיהּ: וְשָׂנֵאתִי אֲנִי אֶת הַחַיִּים, וּדְמַךְ לֵיהּ בִּשְׁלָמָא. רַבִּי הוּנָא אָמַר (בראשית ב, ז): וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, וַעֲשָׂאוֹ מְכוּרָן עֶבֶד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, דְּאִין לָא לָעֵי לָא אָכֵיל, עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי הוּנָא, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי הוּנָא (איכה א, יד): נְתָנַנִי ה' בִּידֵי לֹא אוּכַל קוּם, דְּאִין לָא לָעֵי בִּימָמָא לָא קָאֵים בְּלֵילְיָא.
“I hated life, because the actions performed under the sun were distressing to me; as everything is vanity and herding wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:17). “I hated life” – Imikanteron wrote to Emperor Hadrian. He said to him: If it is the circumcised that you hate, there are the Ishmaelites. If it is those who observe Shabbat that you hate, there are the Cuthites. Rather, it is only this nation alone that you hate; its God will exact retribution against that man. Hadrian declared that whoever did so should reveal himself to the king because the king wants to give him something. One person went and revealed himself. He [Hadrian] said: ‘Behead him.’ [Hadrian then] said to him: ‘Why did you say so?’ He said: ‘It is because you are relieving this man from three severe pains.’ [Hadrian] said to him: ‘What are they?’ He said to him: ‘This man’s soul wants to eat with him morning and evening, and he does not have anything to give it, and likewise regarding his wife and likewise regarding his sons.’ Hadrian said: ‘Since he is living a bad life, let him go.’ [The man] recited about himself: “I hated life.” There was an incident involving a certain glutton, who toiled all the six days of labor [each week] throughout the year, but on Shabbat he had nothing to eat. What did he do? One time he donned his finest garments, climbed to the roof, fell, and died. He recited about himself: “I hated life.” They came and told Rabbi Hoshaya: Your judges are drinking wine in the marketplace, but he never saw them do so. Once, he went out and found his judges drinking wine in the marketplace. He recited about himself: “I hated life,” and he died in peace. Rabbi Huna said: “Man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7), and He rendered him a slave to himself, for if he does not toil he will not eat. This is consistent with the opinion of Rabbi Huna, as Rabbi Huna said: “The Lord delivered me into the hands of [bidei] those against whom I am not able to stand” (Lamentations 1:14); if one does not toil during the day, he will be unable to withstand the night.