I've heard that the custom of saying tzu gezunt, bless you etc. When someone sneezes is because until Ya'akov, people used to sneeze and die, but Ya'akov was the first one to first get sick. What is the source for this.
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possible duplicate of Saying "Laberiut" "God bless you" or "Gesundheit" – DanF Sep 09 '14 at 18:49
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1@DanF The question is slightly different, he's looking for the halachik source to say tzu gezunt, while I'm looking for the story behind it, but some if the answers there definitely answer my question. – user613 Sep 09 '14 at 21:05
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The Pirkei D'Reb Eliezer 52(starting from the words Mofes Arba) writes that from creation until Yaakov people would go out to the shuk and they would sneeze and then die without sickness beforehand.
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Until Yaakov there was no sickness, once Yaakov came he begged for mercy and there was sickness. Bava Metzia 87a
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2Thanks, but it's only a partial answer (which is still good). Do you know where it speaks about people sneezing and then dieing? – user613 Sep 07 '14 at 03:40
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@Shokhet (1) By "it" you mean "sickness"? (2) if you mean "death": (a) Surely there are less afflicting ways to announce imminent departure. (b) Some people get sick, and get well to live long lives, yet others die in their sleep without warning. Sickness is hardly a reliable way to know death is coming. – Tamir Evan Sep 07 '14 at 16:41
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@TamirEvan I meant death. You're right, but that was the reason I heard given for this idea; never claimed it made sense :P – MTL Sep 07 '14 at 21:28
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@TamirEvan there is a part two to this. Its found in Bereishis Rabba 65 10. Chizkiya invented sickness to be cured. He said to Hakadosh Baruch Hu 'you have stayed him untill death? How will he do tshuva?' If a man will get sick and then be healed, sick and then be healed, he will do tshuva. Hashem said to him 'I swear you have asked for a good thing, and I will start with you'. – user6591 Sep 07 '14 at 21:51