Antoninus, in conversing with Rabbi Judah, said to him:
"In the future world, when the soul comes before the Almighty Creator for judgment, may it not find a plea of excuse for worldly wickedness in saying, 'Lo, the sin is the body's; I am now free from the body; the sins were not mine'?"
Rabbi Judah answered, "Let me relate to thee a parable. A king had an orchard of fine figs, which he prized most highly. That the fruit might not be stolen or abused, he placed two watchers in the orchard, and that they themselves might not be tempted to partake of the fruit, he chose one of them a blind man, and the other one lame. But lo, when they were in the orchard, the lame man said to his companion, 'I see very fine figs; they are luscious and tempting; carry me to the tree, that we may both partake of them.'
"So the blind man carried the lame man, and they ate of the figs.
"When the king entered the orchard he noticed at once that his finest figs were missing, and he asked the watchers what had become of them.
"The blind man answered:—
"'I know not. I could not steal them; I am blind; I cannot even see them.'
"And the lame man answered:—
"'Neither could I steal them; I could not approach the tree.'
"But the king was wise, and he answered:—