Shimon bar Yochai

The grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron on Lag Ba'Omer.

Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai, (Aramaic: רבן שמעון בר יוחאי) Shimon son of Yohai, Simon son of Yohai or Rashbi (Hebrew: רשב"י, pronounced "Rash-bee," from Rabbi Shimeon bar Yochai.), was a famous ancient rabbi and one of the greatest of the tannaim (rabbis of the Mishnah) after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. He was one of the most eminent disciples of Rabbi Akiva, and the important legal homilies called Sifre and Mekhilta are attributed to him. In the Mishnah.

A noted patriot, who, like Akiva, eventually ran afoul of the Roman authorities Shimon bar Yochai spent 13 years hiding in a cave with his son. After coming out of hiding he became famous for cleansing the city of Tiberias of his ritual impurity. He soon developed a reputation as a powerful worker of miracles and was sent to Rome as an envoy, where (legend tells) he exorcised from the emperor's daughter a demon.

Shimon is often quoted in the Talmud and other Jewish texts. When the Talmud attributes a teaching to "Rabbi Shimon" (or Simeon) without specifying which Shimon is meant, it means Shimon bar Yochai. To him were attributed the important legal homilies called Sifre and Mekhilta.

Also known as a great mystic, later tradition made him the author of the Zohar, the main work of the Kabbalah. His son, Rabbi Eleazar ben Simon was also a noted scholar and one of the tannaim.

Biography

Rabbi Akiva

Shimon bar Yochai was one of the principal pupils of Rabbi Akiva, the greatest of the second generation of the tannaim. He seems to have studied previously under Gamaliel II (Ber. 28a) and Joshua ben Hananiah, and is traditionally believed to have been the cause of the quarrel that broke out between these two leading scholars. He studies with Akiva for 13 years and was one of only two disciple, together with Rabbi Meïr, to be ordained by Akiva.

Shimon stayed for some time in the city of Sidon. There, a man and his wife who had no children after ten years of marriage cae to him to secure a divorce. Observing that they still loved each other, but admitting that the request was allowed by Jewish law, Simeon advised them that their separation should be marked by a feast, just as their marriage had been. Not only did the couple remain together as a result, butShimon's player of blessing on their continued union moved God to grant them a child (Pesiḳ. xxii. 147a).

Shimon's love for his great teacher was profound. When Akiva was thrown into prison by Hadrian, Shimon, who had some influence at Rome, found a way to enter the prison to be instructed by him (Pes. 112a). Despite his Roman connections, Shimon shared Akiva's patriotic zeal. When another rabbi spoke in favor of the Roman government, Shimon replied that their institutions were self-serving and essentially wicked. When his words were reported to the Roman governor, Shimon was sentenced to death. As a result, he was compelled to seek refuge in a cave, for an extended period (Yer. Sheb. ix. 38d; Shab. 33b; Pesiḳ. 88b; Gen. R. lxxix. 6).

Accounts of his life during this period differ from one another. In one version, he and his son Eleazar hid in a cavern near Gadara for 13 years, living on dates and the fruit of the carob-tree, their whole bodies becoming covered with painful boils. Seeing a bird had repeatedly escaped a trapper's net Simeon took this as a sign that God would bless their escape. When outside the cavern, they heard a voice from heaven say, "You are free!" and accordingly continued on their way. Shimon then bathed in the warm springs of Tiberias, which rid him of the skin disease contracted in the cavern. In another version of the story, the two mean leave their hiding place after the prophet Elijah announced to them the death of the emperor, and the consequent annulment of the sentence of death against them.

Tiberias had been built by Herod Antipas on a site where there were many tombs, the exact locations of which had been lost. The town therefore had been regarded as unclean by many pious Jews. Resolving to remove the cause of the uncleanness, Simeon planted lupines, a legume which was a popular food in Roman times, in all suspected places, and wherever they did not take root he knew that a tomb was underneath. The bodies were then removed and entombed elsewhere, and the town was pronounced ritually clean.

Shimon was said to possess fearful prophetic powers. For example, to discredit Shimon a certain Samaritan secretly replaced one of the bodies removed from Tiberias. Shimon learned of the deed through the power of the Holy Spirit and declared: "Let what is above go down, and what is below come up." Legend holds that the Samaritan soon died and was buried, while a schoolteacher who mocked Shimon for his declaration was turned into a heap of bones. Likewise, when he observed people neglecting the Torah, he smote them by his glances. One of the victims of Shimon's wrath was his former Simeon's Judah ben Gerim, who had earlier informed the Roman's of his allegedly treasonous remarks.

Shimon later settled Meron, near present-day Safed. He is also said to have established a flourishing school at Tekoa, probably in Galilee rather than the biblical town of the same name in the territory of Judah, and thought by some to be identical with Meron.

Accompanied by Rabbi Eleazar ben Jose, near the end of his life Shimon was sent to Rome to petition the emperor for the abolition certain anti-Jewish laws, and this his mission was said to be successful (Me'i. 17b). Shimon's success, like many of his accomplishments was said to have bee due to a miracle. On his way to Rome he was met by the demon Ben Temalion (alternatively Asmodeus), who, not being such an evil spirit after all, offered his assistance. The two agreed, and the demon then possessed the emperor's daughter, enabling Shimon exorcise it when he arrived at the Roman court. The emperor then took Shimon into his treasure-house, leaving him to choose his own reward. Shimon found there the offensive decree against the Jews, which he took as his reward and later tore into pieces.

Shimon displayed a notable sense of spiritual self-confidence. He said, for instance that if there were only two people allowed to enter heaven, he and his son would be the two (Suk. 45b; Sanh. 97b). He is also credited with saying that, together with his son and the ancient King Jotham of Judah (in alternate versions, Abraham or Ahijah of Shiloh are mentioned instead) he would be able to free the world from God's judgment (Suk. l.c.; comp. Yer. Ber. ix. 13d and Gen. R. xxxv. 3). On account of his exceptional piety and continual study of the Law, Shimon came to be seen as one of those whose merit preserves the world, and therefore during his life the rainbow was never seen because promise of God's forbearance was not needed (Yer. Ber. l.c.).

Teachings

Shimon bar Yochai legal opinions are very numerous and can be found in most of the treatises of the Talmud. Although he admired his teacher Akiva, he declared his own interpretations to be superior (Sifre, Deut. 31; R. H. 18b). Nor did he refrain from criticizing the tannaim of the preceding generations (comp. Tosef., Oh. iii. 8, xv. 11).

The particular characteristic of Shimon's teaching his concern to express the underlying reasons for various biblical and halakhic commands. This sometimes resulted in a modification of the command in question. For example, in the prohibition against taking a widow's raiment in pledge (Deut. 24:17) said that the reason for such a prohibition was that if such a pledge were taken it would be necessary to return it every evening, and going to the widow's home every morning and evening might compromise her reputation. Consequently, he declared the prohibition applies only in the case of a poor widow, since one who is rich would not need to have the garment returned in the evening (B. M. l.c.).

Because of his association with this form of interpretation, Shimon's contemporaries often appealed to him when they wanted to know the reason for certain halakot (Tosef., Zeb. i. 8). He also compiled a number of general rules summarizing various types of commandments (Bik. iii. 10; Zeb. 119b et al.). His approached was systematic and clear in its expression (Sheb. ii. 3; 'Er. 104b). Although was dogmatic in his halakic decisions, where there was a doubt as to which of two courses should be followed he admitted the legality of either course (Yeb. iii. 9).

Shimon is also a prominent figure in the non-legal texts that constitute the Aggadah. Many of his sayings there relate to the study of the Torah, which he held should be the main object of man's life. He placed greate stress on the importance of prayer, and particularly on the reading of the Shema, However, he also declared prayer must not interrupt the study of the Torah (Yer. Ḥag. ii. 77a).

Shimon believed, however, that more essential to a true spiritual life than Torah study and prayer is ethical action. He recognized that careful study of the Torah and of providing a livelihood at the same time may prevent those without wealth from attain the "crown" of scholarship. (Mek., Beshallaḥ, Wayeḥi, 1, Wayassa', 2). "There are three crowns," he says, "but the crown of a good name mounts above them all."

Simeon viewed God as willing to forgive those who truly repented of the sins. "So great is the power of repentance," he said, "that a man who has been during his lifetime very wicked, if he repent toward the end, is considered a perfectly righteous man" (Tosef., Ḳid. i. 14; Ḳid. 40b; Cant. R. v. 16). He was particularly decried the sin of haughtiness, which he said is like idolatry (Soṭah 4b). "One should rather throw himself into a burning furnace than shame a neighbor in public," he declared (Ber. 43b). He also denounced the crimes of usury, deceitful dealing, and disturbing domestic peace (Yer. B. M. 10d; B. M. 58b; Lev. R. ix.).

Shimon's patriotism, developed through the horrors of the massacre of countless Jewish during the Bar Kochaba revolt, led him to express general animosity toward the Gentiles: "The best of the heathen merits death," he declared." Nor was he a defender of the general character of women: "The most pious of women is prone to sorcery." (Yer. Ḳid. iv. 66c; Massek. Soferim xv. 10; comp. Mek., Beshallaḥ, Wayeḥi, 1, and Tan., Wayera, 20). However, he apparently saw the Persians as possible liberators of the Jews. Probably alluding to the Parthian war which broke out in the time of Antoninus Pius, he said: "If you see a Persian horse tied in Palestine, then (you may) hope for the arrival of the Messiah." (Cant. R. viii. 10; Lam. R. i. 13)

Shimon combined with his rationalism in halakha with a certain mysticism in his non-legal teachings, as well as in his personal practice. He spoke of a magic sword, on which the Name of God was inscribed, being given by God to Moses on Sinai (Midr. Teh. to Ps. xc. 2). He also ascribed all kinds of miraculous powers to Moses beyond those mentioned in the Torah (Me'i. 17b; Sanh. 97b).

Legacy

After Shimon's death, he appeared to many Jewish saints in their visions (B. M. 84b; Ket. 77b; Sanh. 98a). Thus his name became connected with mystic lore, and he became a chief authority for the the Kabbalists. For this reason, the Zohar first appeared under the name of Midrash de-Rabbi Shim'on ben Yoḥai. Two other apocryphal tests are also ascribed to him. The first is entitled Nistarot de-R. Shim'on b. Yoḥai; the second, Tefillat R. Shim'on b. Yoḥai. The main point of these texts is that while Shimon was hidden in the cavern, he fasted 40 days and prayed to God to rescue Israel from such persecutions. A powerful angel revealed to him the future, announcing even the various Muslim rulers, the last one of whom would perish at the hands of the Messiah. As in similar Messianic apocrypha, the chief characters are Armilus, a type of Antichrist, and the three Messiahs: descended from the patriarch Joseph, Ephraim, and David.

Mark (behind blue fence) over cave in which Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai is buried. This main hall is divided in half in order to separate between men and women

Lag Ba'omer is traditionally regarded as his Yahrzeit (the anniversary of the death). Some dispute this.

Unlike other Yahrzeits, this one is widely known as a Yom Hillula, a day of celebration. This is based on the original text of Shaar HaKavanot by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, which refers to the day as Yom Simchato ("the day of his happiness"), rather than Yom SheMet ("the day that he died"). There is thus a very widely observed custom to celebrate on his yahrzeit, at Meron, the burial place of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son, Rabbi Eleazar ben Simon. With torches, song and feasting, the Yom Hillula is celebrated by tens of thousands of people. This celebration was a specific request by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai of his students. It is a custom at the Meron celebrations, dating from the time of Rabbi Isaac Luria, that three-year-old boys are given their first haircuts (called upshirin), while their parents distribute wine and sweets.

While it is widely accepted that Rabbi Shimon and his son were buried somewhere on Mount Meron,  the building generally accepted as being his grave is an arched structure typical of crusader architecture, which is clearly shown in the photo of the building interior.

Kabbalah Portal

See also

• Baqashot
• Bar Yohai, a community in northern Israel named after him

External links

• All about Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai Ohel HaRashbi Meron
• Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai chabad.org
• Audio Lecture Disputing that Lag Ba'Omer is Rashbi's Yahrzeit on MachonShilo.org
• SIMEON BEN YOḤAI in the Jewish Encyclopedia

Rabbis of the Mishnah

Hillel   Shammai           Teacher → Student                                                                             Gamaliel the Elder               Johanan b. Zakai                 Father → Son                                                                                 R. Gamaliel   Jose the Galilean   Eliezer b. Hyrcanus   Joshua b. Hananiah   Eleazar b. Arach   Eleazar b. Azariah                                                                         Elisha b. Abuyah       Akiva   Ishmael b. Elisha   Tarfon                                                                                                 Meir   Judah b. Ilai   Jose b. Halafta   Shimon b. Yohai                                                                                             Judah HaNasi   Hiyya   Oshiah

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• Shimon bar Yochai  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Shimon bar Yochai"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.