Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 33b
Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Shimon were sitting, and Yehuda, a strangers' son, sat beside them. Rabbi Yehuda opened and said “How pleasant are the actions of this nation, the Romans! They established marketplaces, built bridges, and set up bathhouses.” Rabbi Yosi was silent. Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai responded and said, “Everything that they established was only for their own benefit. They established marketplaces, to place prostitutes in them; bathhouses, to pamper themselves; and bridges, to collect taxes from all who pass over them.” Yehuda, the strangers' son, went and related their statements to his household, and those statements continued to spread until they were heard by the Roman monarchy. They decreed: “Yehuda, who exalted us shall be exalted. Yosi, who remained silent, shall be exiled to the city of Tzippori. And Shimon, who denounced the government, shall be killed.”
Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai and his son, Rabbi Elazar, went and hid in the study hall. Every day Rabbi Shimon’s wife would bring them bread and a jug of water and they would eat. When the search for them intensified, Rabbi Shimon said to his son, “Women are of weak character. Therefore, we should be concerned that the authorities will torture her and she will reveal our whereabouts.”
They went and they hid in a cave. A miracle occurred and a carob tree was created for them as well as a spring of water. They would remove their clothes, sit covered in sand up to their necks, and study Torah all day in that manner. At the time of prayer, they would dress, cover themselves, and pray, and they would remove their clothes again afterward so that they would not become tattered. They dwelled in the cave for twelve years.
Elijah the Prophet came and stood at the entrance to the cave and said, “Who will inform bar Yoḥai that the Caesar has died and his decree has been annulled?” They emerged from the cave, and saw people who were plowing and sowing. Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai said “These people abandon eternal life and occupy themselves with temporary things!” Every place that they directed their eyes was immediately burned with fire.
A Divine Voice emerged and said to them, “Did you emerge from that cave in order to destroy My world? Return to your cave.” They went back and sat there for twelve more months. ... [Once again] the Divine Voice emerged and said to them, “Emerge from your cave.” They emerged.
Everywhere that Rabbi Elazar would strike, Rabbi Shimon would heal. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar: My son, you and I suffice for the entire world.
As the sun was setting on Shabbat eve, they saw an elderly man who was holding two bundles of myrtle branches and running at twilight. They said to him: "Why do you have these?" He said to them: "In honor of Shabbat." They said to him: "Why not let one suffice?" He answered them, "One corresponds to: 'Remember the Shabbat day, to keep it holy,' (Ex. 20:8), and one corresponds to: 'Observe the Shabbat day, to keep it holy' (Deut. 5:12). Rabbi Shimon said to his son, "See how beloved the mitzvot are to Israel!" And their minds were put at ease.
Rabbi Pinḥas ben Ya’ir, Rabbi Shimon’s son-in-law, heard and went out to greet him. He brought him into the bathhouse and began tending to his flesh. He saw that Rabbi Shimon had cracks in the skin on his body. He was crying, and the tears fell from his eyes and caused Rabbi Shimon pain. Rabbi Pinḥas said to him, “Woe is me, that I have seen you like this!” Rabbi Shimon said to him, “Happy are you that you have seen me like this, for the fact that you see me like this means that I have found new wisdom.” ...
Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Shimon were sitting, and Yehuda, a strangers' son, sat beside them. Rabbi Yehuda opened and said “How pleasant are the actions of this nation, the Romans! They established marketplaces, built bridges, and set up bathhouses.” Rabbi Yosi was silent. Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai responded and said, “Everything that they established was only for their own benefit. They established marketplaces, to place prostitutes in them; bathhouses, to pamper themselves; and bridges, to collect taxes from all who pass over them.” Yehuda, the strangers' son, went and related their statements to his household, and those statements continued to spread until they were heard by the Roman monarchy. They decreed: “Yehuda, who exalted us shall be exalted. Yosi, who remained silent, shall be exiled to the city of Tzippori. And Shimon, who denounced the government, shall be killed.”
Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai and his son, Rabbi Elazar, went and hid in the study hall. Every day Rabbi Shimon’s wife would bring them bread and a jug of water and they would eat. When the search for them intensified, Rabbi Shimon said to his son, “Women are of weak character. Therefore, we should be concerned that the authorities will torture her and she will reveal our whereabouts.”
They went and they hid in a cave. A miracle occurred and a carob tree was created for them as well as a spring of water. They would remove their clothes, sit covered in sand up to their necks, and study Torah all day in that manner. At the time of prayer, they would dress, cover themselves, and pray, and they would remove their clothes again afterward so that they would not become tattered. They dwelled in the cave for twelve years.
Elijah the Prophet came and stood at the entrance to the cave and said, “Who will inform bar Yoḥai that the Caesar has died and his decree has been annulled?” They emerged from the cave, and saw people who were plowing and sowing. Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai said “These people abandon eternal life and occupy themselves with temporary things!” Every place that they directed their eyes was immediately burned with fire.
A Divine Voice emerged and said to them, “Did you emerge from that cave in order to destroy My world? Return to your cave.” They went back and sat there for twelve more months. ... [Once again] the Divine Voice emerged and said to them, “Emerge from your cave.” They emerged.
Everywhere that Rabbi Elazar would strike, Rabbi Shimon would heal. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar: My son, you and I suffice for the entire world.
As the sun was setting on Shabbat eve, they saw an elderly man who was holding two bundles of myrtle branches and running at twilight. They said to him: "Why do you have these?" He said to them: "In honor of Shabbat." They said to him: "Why not let one suffice?" He answered them, "One corresponds to: 'Remember the Shabbat day, to keep it holy,' (Ex. 20:8), and one corresponds to: 'Observe the Shabbat day, to keep it holy' (Deut. 5:12). Rabbi Shimon said to his son, "See how beloved the mitzvot are to Israel!" And their minds were put at ease.
Rabbi Pinḥas ben Ya’ir, Rabbi Shimon’s son-in-law, heard and went out to greet him. He brought him into the bathhouse and began tending to his flesh. He saw that Rabbi Shimon had cracks in the skin on his body. He was crying, and the tears fell from his eyes and caused Rabbi Shimon pain. Rabbi Pinḥas said to him, “Woe is me, that I have seen you like this!” Rabbi Shimon said to him, “Happy are you that you have seen me like this, for the fact that you see me like this means that I have found new wisdom.” ...
"We thought maybe there was a (bomb) alert over a suspicious package. No one imagined that this could happen here. Rejoicing became mourning, a great light became a deep darkness," a pilgrim who gave his name as Yitzhak told Channel 12 TV.
"Rabbi Shimon used to say that he could absolve the world... If he didn't manage to cancel this edict on the very day of his exaltation, then we need to do real soul-searching."
"In Lag Ba'omer Mount Meron stampede 45 killed, at least 150 injured," Jerusalem Post 5/1/21
"Rabbi Shimon used to say that he could absolve the world... If he didn't manage to cancel this edict on the very day of his exaltation, then we need to do real soul-searching."
"In Lag Ba'omer Mount Meron stampede 45 killed, at least 150 injured," Jerusalem Post 5/1/21
Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 33b
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: "In appreciation of the miracle that has been done for me, I will go and fix something. ... Is there something that needs repair?” They said to him, “There is a place where there is a doubt about impurity and the priests are unable to go there." ... Rabbi Shimon went to that place, and everywhere that the soil was hard, he designated as pure, and everywhere it was soft, he designated as impure.
A certain elder scoffed at him: "Bar Yochai has purified a cemetery!" He said to him ... "Even prostitutes apply makeup to each other. Isn't it appropriate for Torah scholars to be kind to one another?'"
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: "In appreciation of the miracle that has been done for me, I will go and fix something. ... Is there something that needs repair?” They said to him, “There is a place where there is a doubt about impurity and the priests are unable to go there." ... Rabbi Shimon went to that place, and everywhere that the soil was hard, he designated as pure, and everywhere it was soft, he designated as impure.
A certain elder scoffed at him: "Bar Yochai has purified a cemetery!" He said to him ... "Even prostitutes apply makeup to each other. Isn't it appropriate for Torah scholars to be kind to one another?'"
מנהג ישראל אשר התלמידים בני בי רב יורו בקשת ביום הזה והנה שמעתי מאת כבוד אדומ"ו ברב הקדוש מהרמ"מ זצוק"ל הטעם הוא כי בימי ר' שמעון לא נראתה הקשת. והנה ביום עלותו למרום עושין הסימן בזה עכ"ד. והוא כעין ללמד בני יהודא קשת. ונ"ל ע"ד דברי אדמ"ו דהנה אמר רשב"י לר"א ברי' (בזהר) ברי לא יתצפי לרגלי דמשיחא עד דתתחזי קשתא בגוונין נהורין. הוא סימן התגלות אור של מלך המשיח. אשר יגלה האור בי טוב הגנוז. הנה ביום הזה אשר נכתב הס' הקדוש הזהר שהוא מהארת האור כי טוב הגנוז. מפי ביצינא קדישא. וזה מאיר לנו בגלות עד יתגלה בזכות זה משיח צדקינו יהי אור זה אור"ו של מלך המשיח והסי' מסור בידינו בשעתא דתתחזי קשתא בגוונין נהורין. ע"כ ביום זה לסימן הטוב הלזה ויורו המורים בקשת:
One particular custom practiced on the day of Lag B'Omer is unique: Children go to parks and fields to play with bows and arrows. What is the reason for this peculiar custom? One well-known explanation has to do with the fact that during Rabbi Shimon's lifetime, no rainbow ever appeared in the sky. This is profoundly significant, because Genesis relates that the rainbow represented God's covenant never to destroy the world again even if the human race would degenerate to its status prior to the Flood. But as long as Rabbi Shimon was alive, his merit and piety alone were enough to ensure that God would not regret the Divine creation, with no need for the rainbow. On the day of Rabbi Shimon's passing, however, the world was in need of the rainbow. Thus, each year on that day we recall this man's greatness by playing with the bow.