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Motek
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 Tue, May 20 2008, 8:32 pm
The name Rebbi Shimon can be found practically on every page throughout the entire Talmud. Whenever it mentions the name Rebbi Shimon without giving us the name of his father, it usually refers to none other than the great Tanna, Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai who was born just before the destruction of the Bais Ha'Mikdosh.
For more than thirteen years he studied under Rebbi Akiva, whose twenty four thousand students died in a terrible plague during the days between Pesach and Shavuos. It was then that Rabbi Akiva taught the Torah to Rebbi Meir, Rebbi Yehudah, Rebbi Yossi, Rebbi Shimon and to his son Rebbi Elozor. Even when his Rebbi was locked up in prison, Rebbi Shimon followed him there to learn Torah.
Actually, Rebbi Shimon received his semicha from the great Rebbi Yehudah ben Bava who, despite the Roman decree which did not allow rabbinical ordination, sacrificed his life to ordain these great Torah giants. While Rebbi Yehudah ben Bovo was riddled to death by more than three hundred arrows, the others all managed to escape. And so the entire oral Torah that they now taught to all oncoming generations was all handed down to them by their great teacher Rebbi Akiva.
His most famous work is the Zohar Ha'kodosh (also known by the name Medrash Yehi Or), a sefer dealing with the deep mystical secrets of kabbalah. Those who study these works are referred to as the Yodei Che'n which is an abbreviation for Chochmo Nistoroh -(the hidden wisdom). This sefer remained hidden for many years and was first made public by Rebbi Moshe de Leon who published it more than a thousand years later.
He was on the Roman government's "most wanted list" because of his disparaging remarks about the Roman Empire. The story goes as follows: (see mesechta Shabbos 33b)
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Motek
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Tue, May 20 2008, 8:33 pm
The three great sages Rebbi Yehudah, Rebbi Yossi and Rebbi Shimon were once engrossed in a heated debate. Rebbi Yehudah credited the Romans for their great achievements in building marketplaces, bridges and bath-houses. Rebbi Yossi sat silently.
Rebbi Shimon countered that this was done only for their own self interests (and certainly was not done with the Jews in mind). The marketplaces were for harlots, the bath-houses were built for their own enjoyment, and the bridges were built to collect taxes.
A man by the name of Yehuda ben Geirim (the son of a ger and giyores who overheard the discussion) repeated these comments to his students or to his father and mother, not so that the government would hear, but the government heard about it.
Rebbi Yehudah was rewarded by being made the speaker of the house for his favorable remarks. Rebbi Yossi was to be exiled to Zippori for his silence and lack of defense for the holy Roman Empire. Rebbi Shimon was to be killed for his disparaging remarks. (Rabbi Shimon looked at Yehuda ben Geirim and reduced him to a pile of bones).
Rebbi Shimon was forewarned that the soldiers were on their way to arrest him, so he quickly hid in the shul's attic. He stayed hidden there with his son while the police continued their search in vain. Each day his wife would come and bring them food. As the search for him intensified, he was afraid that they would torture his wife in order to discover his secret hiding place (for nashim daatan kala aleihen).
He left in the middle of the night and hid in a cave in the wilderness. A miracle occurred and a carob tree suddenly appeared and a spring of water burst forth nearby. All day they would learn Torah together uninterrupted by any disturbances. They only wore their clothes during davening and covered their bodies in sand while learning in order to preserve them.
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Motek
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Tue, May 20 2008, 8:34 pm
After having spent twelve years learning Torah constantly, Eliyahu Hanovi appeared at the entrance of the cave and notified them that the Roman Emperor had died and therefore all prisoners were granted an automatic pardon to return home.
As they began their walk back into town, they noticed a farmer plowing and planting a field. "Why is he wasting his precious time preparing for his needs for this world when he ought to spend his valuable time making preparations for the world to come," he wondered. Whatever they looked at, burned.
Thereupon a heavenly voice called out, "Do you want to destroy my world? Go back to the cave.
They spent one more year in the cave totally immersed in Torah. After a year they began their journey back to civilization. On the way he saw a Jew carrying two bundles of myrtles. When he questioned him as to their purpose , the man replied that they were for the holy Shabbos. One was in honor of the word shomor (keep), while the other was in honor of the word zochor (remember).
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Motek
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Tue, May 20 2008, 8:34 pm
There was great elation in town when the people saw their great Rebbi return. When Rebbi Pinchas Ben Yair (his son-in-law) saw Rebbi Shimon's badly scarred body caused by his many years of immersion in the sand, he immediately took him to the bath house and began to wash him.
As Rabbi Pinchos' salty tears fell upon his body adding to Rebbi Shimon's pain, Rebbi Pinchas cried out, "Woe be it to me that I see you in such a terrible state".
Whereupon Rebbi Shimon immediately replied, " If I had not been in this state, then I certainly would not have been able to achieve the high level of learning that I was able to reach."
It was told that previously when Rebbi Shimon had questioned Rebbi Pinchos, Rabbi Pinchos would offer him twelve answers for every question asked. Now things were reversed. For every question Rabbi Pinchos would ask, Rabbi Shimon would offer him twenty-four answers in return.
In order to celebrate this great miracle, he offered to do a good deed for the townspeople. There was a road under which there had been a lost grave and therefore the kohanim had to take a long detour in order to cross over to the other side. The holy Rabbi Shimon was immediately able to discover the unknown burial place and the problem was corrected.
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Motek
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Tue, May 20 2008, 8:36 pm
After leaving the cave, he established a yeshivah in Tekoa where he was surrounded by many of the great leaders of the generation, amongst whom was none other then Rabbeinu Hakodosh.
While Rebbi Yishmael taught that a person must live a normal life by plowing, planting and reaping, Rebbi Shimon preached that one had the right to totally immerse himself in Torah and have complete faith and trust that Hashem would take care of his needs.
While some tried to emulate his ways and were successful, most others tried but failed. Obviously they were unable to reach his great degree of love, fear and faith in Hashem, for he never wasted a moment. He learned non-stop, not even stopping to pray. Yet he warned others that could not reach this uninterrupted state of concentration to be extremely careful to pray properly. (see Shabbos 11 and Berochos 78 )
As he was once in midst of teaching, a former student returned from a very successful business trip having amassed lots of wealth. He noticed that some of his students were getting a little edgy and were considering leaving the life of Torah and going out to seek their fortune as well. He thereupon called out, "Valley, Valley, I command that you fill up with gold coins", whereupon the entire valley suddenly sparkled with gold coins.
He now turned to his students and told them that they could take all the gold they wanted. "But remember," he warned them, "it will all be deducted from your share in the world to come." Not a single student moved from his place. He had made his point loud and clear!
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Motek
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Tue, May 20 2008, 8:38 pm
"One must never partake of a meal that is not a seudas mitzvah," was another one of his teachings. (Psachim 49).
"The death plague of askarah comes on account of bittul Torah-time wasted from Torah. (Shabbos 33)
When his students asked him, "Why didn't Hashem grant the miracle of mon (the heavenly bread) just once and let it suffice for all forty years?" he answered that Hashem wanted them to concentrate their hearts and look up to Him every single day (Yuma 76).
He put great stress on the important quality of yiras shomayim - fear of Heaven. (Berochos 33)
If only all Jews would keep two consecutive Shabbosos then the Moshiach would come at once, he said.
He taught his students that it is far better to throw oneself into a fire than to shame someone in public.
He would always try to find and darshen the reason and logic behind every verse, even when the posuk did not state any reason.
Miracles always seemed to be happening to him. And so it was when the Roman Emperor Antuninus proclaimed some terrible decrees against the Jews, it was he that was chosen to go to Rome to try and get them rescinded. Sure enough, when he arrived in Rome, the emperor's daughter became very sick and he was miraculously able to cure her. As an expression of thanks, the emperor tore up the decrees.
While many of the sages believed that the day would come when the Torah will be forgotten, he believed that this would never happen since the posuk promises "that it will never be forgotten from your children and children's children." In fact, you will find this very posuk engraved upon the stone archway that leads into his cave.
He was buried in the city of Meron just to the side of his great son Rebbi Elozer (bar Rebbi Shimon).
On the thirty-third day of the Omer, the day of his passing, thousands upon thousands of people flock to his holy gravesite in Meron where they sing, dance and study his holy writings.
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Mama Bear
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Tue, May 20 2008, 10:06 pm
My husband went to Meron when we were married almost four years. a month later we had our first pregnancy. (We miscarried but it was still amazing that we got pregnant).
four years later he went back to Meron and promised hte name Shimon. 18 months later we kept our promise!!!!
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mama-star
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Tue, May 20 2008, 10:14 pm
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I know that the lubavitcher rebbe gave a sicha about him speaking about him in the highest of terms, I can't even tell you. that he was a tzadik amongst tzadikim, and how he and his son upheld the entire world with their torah learning, etc.
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suomynona
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Wed, May 21 2008, 4:14 am
| Quote: | | On the thirty-third day of the Omer, the day of his passing, thousands upon thousands of people flock to his holy gravesite in Meron where they sing, dance and study his holy writings. |
Did you know that lag b'omer is NOT the real yarzeit of R' Shimon?
I just found this out.
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marina
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Wed, May 21 2008, 6:23 am
| Quote: | | He now turned to his students and told them that they could take all the gold they wanted. "But remember," he warned them, "it will all be deducted from your share in the world to come." Not a single student moved from his place. He had made his point loud and clear! |
Why would it be deducted from their share in the world to come?
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gryp
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Wed, May 21 2008, 12:52 pm
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What about the story of his death?
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NotInNJMommy
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Wed, May 21 2008, 12:58 pm
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I learned something that someone gave over from a sichah or the Rebbe, referring to the Rebbe Maharash or Tzemach Tzedek, can't remember, telling over that Shimon Bar Yochai didn't pass away completely at first. That part of his soul (ruach?) stayed 'down' here, but the rest of him went 'up' and was learning new and profound secrets of Torah. His lips were speaking this Torah, and his students were able to learn new ideas previously unrevealed in this world (ie. Kabbalistic concepts).
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Motek
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Thu, May 22 2008, 11:19 am
| GR wrote: | | What about the story of his death? |
In the Zohar in Parshas Ha'azinu we find a description of Rabbi Shimon's final day:
He spent the entire day teaching his disciples. When the sun started to sink into the west, he said:
"Blessed be He, and Blessed be the Name of the Holy One, for ever and ever. All our words are valid, and all are holy. Do not deviate from them to the left or the right. They are all secrets and concealed knowledge that were hidden and masked until now, for I was wary of revealing them. It is revealed and known before the Holy One, Blessed Be He, that I have not acted to aggrandize my own honor or that of my fathers, but in order to instruct my disciples. And I see that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, agrees with me and rejoices in my joy."
He braced himself and sat up, and his lips moved in prayer. He gave off such a glow that it was not possible to look in his direction, and certainly not directly at him. He said: "All my days I sought to reveal this secret, and I was not successful. But now that I have permission, I decree that this day shall not grow dark as do all the days, for this day is entirely in my control, and behold, I am beginning to reveal hidden secrets on it."
And indeed, so it was.
Rabbi Shimon sat and expounded. Rabbi Abba sat before him and wrote, and his son, Rabbi Elazar repeated the matters. All the disciples listened and were moved. The fire rose in flames around them, and the sun did not set. He revealed secrets of the Torah from the furnace of the hidden secrets, until he came to the verse: "For there G-d commanded the blessing, eternal life." (Psalms 133:30)
Rabbi Abba said, "Our holy teacher did not finish saying the word 'life' before his words grew weak. I, who was writing, wanted to write more, but I could not hear. And I did not lift my head, because the light was so intense, and I was not able to look. When I heard a heavenly voice call out, saying 'They will add length of days and years of life and peace for you…' I was shaken. I heard another voice: "He asked life of You, You gave it to him, a length of days forever and ever.'
The entire day, the house was enveloped in fire, and no one drew close to it, of it was surrounded by fire and light."
That same day, we fell on the ground and wept. After the fire died down, we saw that our holy teacher, holy of holies, had passed away, wrapped in his garment, lying on his right side, and with a smile on his face. Rabbi Elazar his son and Rabbi Abba rose up and carried his bed out of the house. The bed began to float in the air, a fire flaming before it. And everyone heard the heavenly voice saying: "Rise up and come and gather for the festival of Rabbi Shimon."
When they entered the burial cave, they heard a voice say: "This man shook the earth. He made kingdoms tremble. How many evil decrees were revoked this day because of you! You are Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, whose Creator boasts of him each day. Happy is your lot! How many sublime worlds have been reserved for you! Of you it is said: 'And you, go to your end and repose, and rise to your destiny at the end of days.'"
In addition, the Zohar records page after page of esoteric teachings transmitted by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai to his disciples on that day. Rabbi Shimon passed away on Lag Be'Omer, the thirty-third day of the Counting of the Omer, and was buried in the town of Meron.
Some five hundred years ago, Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura wrote: "On Lag B'Omer, the day of his passing, everyone gathers (at his tomb in Meron) from all the surrounding towns and they light large torches, in addition to the usual memorial candles… for many barren women are remembered (and healed) and many sick people are cured as a result of pledges they made and donations they donated at this gathering."
The saintly Rabbi Isaac Luria (Ari zal) went to Meron to be there on Lag B'Omer. The saintly Rabbi Chayim ben Attar, author of Or Hachayim, made a point of visiting Rabbi Shimon's gravesite when he arrived in the Holy Land from his native Morocco in 1742. When he reached the foot of the mountain where the grave is located, he got down from the donkey on which he was riding and began to climb uphill on foot. Along the way, he asked himself out loud: "Where am I, the lowly one, headed? To the flames of holy fire, and the hosts of Heaven, and the souls of all the righteous ones!"
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Motek
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Thu, May 22 2008, 11:31 am
| suomynona wrote: | Did you know that lag b'omer is NOT the real yarzeit of R' Shimon?
I just found this out. |
It is his yartzeit. I have seen the material and some sources of people who think it isn't, but this is wrong.
The Baal Ha'Tanya is quoted in the Responsa "Divrei Nechemia" as saying: It has already been publicized throughout the world for a number of generations, the inyan Hilula of Rashbi on Lag B'Omer.
Some five hundred years ago, Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura wrote: "On Lag B'Omer, the day of his passing, everyone gathers (at his tomb in Meron) from all the surrounding towns and they light large torches, in addition to the usual memorial candles… for many barren women are remembered (and healed) and many sick people are cured as a result of pledges they made and donations they donated at this gathering."
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gryp
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Thu, May 22 2008, 11:35 am
Thank you, Motek, for the story of his passing. 
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suomynona
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Thu, May 22 2008, 11:38 am
| Quote: | As I mentioned earlier many traditionally many claim the yarzheit of Rashbi is on Lag Ba-Omer. While this claim is well-known the source of this tradition is more difficult to locate. Avraham Yaari and Meir Benayahu show that the earliest source to mention Lag Ba-Omer as the yarzheit of Rashbi is none other than the Hemdat Ha-Yamim. (R. Yaakov Hillel also confirms this on page 13 in his Aid ha-Gal ha-Zeh.)
There were some, however, who attributed the Lag Ba-Omer death date of Rashbi not to Hemdat Ha-Yamim but to R. Hayyim Vital, whose source was the Arizal. In truth, it is a mistake to give R. Vital credit for this. The source of this mistake was based on a simple printing mistake in one version of the Prei Etz Chaim which was first printed in 1782 - available here. (For more on this edition see R. Yosef Avivi, Binyan Ariel, pp. 68-71.) That edition reads:
והטעם שמת רשב"י ביום ל"ג בעומר כי הוא מתלמידי רבי עקיבא הנ"ל שמתו בספירת העומר
The Chida already writes that this is a mistake and instead of שמת, one letter is missing and the correct reading is שמחת רשב"י. So it is not a reference to Rashbi’s death day at all. Avraham Yaari demonstrates that other sources aside from the Prei Etz Chaim confirm this reading of שמחת. Meir Benayahu also concludes this is the correct reading using manuscripts. Finally, R. Yakov Hillel also writes that it is clear from viewing many manuscripts of the Prei Etz Chaim that it is a mistake. [3]
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full text here: http://seforim.blogspot.com/20......html
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GetReal
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Thu, May 22 2008, 11:49 am
| Mama Bear wrote: | My husband went to Meron when we were married almost four years. a month later we had our first pregnancy. (We miscarried but it was still amazing that we got pregnant).
four years later he went back to Meron and promised hte name Shimon. 18 months later we kept our promise!!!! |
Mama Bear, that is so inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing.
May the zchus of this great tzadik bring brochos on all of us, and may you have many more healthy children!
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Motek
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Thu, May 22 2008, 12:43 pm
The Chida you quote is addressing the issue whether Rashbi died along with the 24,000 talmidim of Rabbi Akiva. You are confusing two issues here.
The Chida in his sefer "Mar'eh B'etzba" siman 123, refers to Lag B'Omer as Rashbi's yartzeit.
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suomynona
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Thu, May 22 2008, 1:01 pm
The Chida does say that in that sefer, but in a later sefer, Mareh Ha'ayin, he wrote several times, not only in reference to the 24,000 talmidim, that the yarzeit was based on a printing mistake.
All this can be found in the sefer Ad Hagal Hazeh by R' Yaakov Hillel.
(I'm just quoting my husband. I don't have time to open seforim...)
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Motek
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Thu, May 22 2008, 1:12 pm
I would like to hear a source from someone who lived 500 years ago, like R' O. Bartenura, who differs with him. Is there any?
What also bothers me about this is that I think of it like Kiddush Ha'Chodesh. The halacha is that if the beis din is mekadesh the chodesh and they're wrong in their calculations, the month is mekudash regardless, because Hashem follows their lead, as it were.
If centuries of Jews observe Lag B'Omer as the Yom Hilula of Rashbi, as his yartzeit, and people like R' O. Bartenura said this is what is done, I find it very troubling to tamper with this. Oops everybody, it's just a printing mistake and you've got the wrong day. Sounds off. By Divine Providence, this is the day that is observed as the yartzeit.
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