Straight to Miron
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was a “fifth-generation” Tanna, or scholar of the Mishnaic period, around 135 C.E. - 170 C.E. He was a student of Rabbi Akiva, and a contemporary of Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel II, who was the Nasi, the Scholar-President, and of Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehudah ben Ilai, and Rabbi Yossi ben Chalafta. His main achievement was the authorship of the “Zohar,” the Torat HaNistar, or hidden Torah that he received orally from his teacher, Rabbi Akiva. The latter is described in the Talmud as the only one of a group of four outstanding Torah scholars who attempted to enter the “Pardes,” the Orchard, a metaphor for the depths of Kabbala (Jewish Mysticism), who was able to emerge safely.
Once, when Rabbi Shimon was together with Rabbi Yehudah ben Ilai and Rabbi Yossi ben Chalafta, Rabbi Yehudah praised the Romans for their construction of markets, bridges and bathhouses. Rabbi Yossi remained silent. But Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said that all those engineering marvels were made for their own self-interest. When the Romans heard this, they rewarded Yehudah by appointing him to a position in government. Rabbi Yossi, for not supporting him, was punished by exile. For his disparagement of the Romans, Rabbi Shimon was condemned to death.
To escape this punishment, Rabbi Shimon fled with his son Rabbi Elazar to a cave. There they remained for thirteen years, studying Torah together, both the Revealed and the Hidden Torah. Rabbi Shimon wrote down the latter material for the first time in a book called the “Zohar,” Splendor, or Radiance.
Rabbi Shimon and his son, Rabbi Elazar, are buried in Miron, quite close to the cave where they hid and learned for 13 years. This is a very holy place where prayers are readily answered. As soon as I got off the plane from the USA earlier today, I met my wife and daughter and we headed straight for Miron, in honor of Lag B'Omer, Rebbe Shimon's yartzeit, when more than half a million people make the pilgrimage here.



