והיה העולם שמם עד שבא ר"ע אצל רבותינו שבדרום ושנאה להם ר"מ ור' יהודה ור' יוסי ורבי שמעון ורבי אלעזר בן שמוע והם הם העמידו תורה אותה שעה
The world remained desolate until Rabbi Akiva came to our Masters in the South and taught the Torah to them, and it was they who revived the Torah at that time. These were Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Judah, Rabbi Yossi, Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Eleazar ben Shammua; And it was upon them which the Torah stood at that time.
מעשה באשה אחת שבאתה לבית מדרשו של ר"מ אמרה לו רבי אחד מכם קדשני בביאה עמד רבי מאיר וכתב לה גט כריתות ונתן לה עמדו כתבו כולם ונתנו לה
There is a story of a woman who came to the Beit Midrash of Rabbi Meir and said, "Rabbi, one of you has taken me as their wife by having sex with me." Rabbi Meir stood and gave her a Get (bill of divorce), and afterwards every one of his students also stood up and gave her a Get.
Rabbi Meir used to ridicule sexual transgressors. One day Satan appeared to him as a woman standing on the opposite bank of a river. As there was no bridge across the river, Rabbi Meir grabbed a rope and proceeded to cross. When he reached halfway along the rope, Satan (resuming his usual form) let him go, saying, "Had they not proclaimed in heaven, "Beware of Rabbi Meir and his Torah," I would have valued your life at no more than two Meah.
{In response to a request by Rabbi Simlay to learn the Book of Geneaologies in three months} If Beruriah, wife of Rabbi Meir and daughter of Rabbi Hanina son of Teradyon, who studied three hundred laws from three hundred teachers in one day, could nevertheless not do this {learn the book of Geneaologies} in three years, yet you propose to do it in three months!
There were some lawless men living in the neighborhood of R. Meir, and they used to cause him pain. Once R. Meir asked of God that they should die. His wife, Beruriah, asked, "What are you thinking? Is it because it is written (in the book of Psalms), 'Let sinners cease out of the earth'? But has the text hoteim (sinners)? It is written hata'im (sins). Glance also at the end of the verse, 'And let the wicked be no more' — i.e. when 'sins will cease,' then 'the wicked will be no more.' Rather you should ask God that they repent and stop being evil." R. Meir asked God on their behalf and they repented.
Midrash, Book of Proverbs
Beruriah was the learned and compassionate wife of Rabbi Meir. While Rabbi Meir was teaching on a Shabbat afternoon, both of his sons died from the plague that was affecting their city. When Rabbi Meir returned home, he asked his wife, “Where are our sons?” She handed him the cup for havdalah and he said the blessing. Again he asked, “Where are our sons?” She brought food for him, and he ate. When he had finished eating, Beruriah said to her husband, “My teacher, I have a question. A while ago, a man came and deposited something precious in my keeping. Now he has come back to claim what he left. Shall I return it to him or not?” Meir responded, “Is not one who holds a deposit required to return it to its owner?” So she took his hand and led him to where their two children lay. He began to weep, crying “My sons, my sons.” She comforted him, “The Lord gave, the Lord took. Y’hei sh’mei rabah mevorach, May the Name of the Lord be blessed…”
איכא דאמרי משום האי מעשה - ערק:
ואיכא דאמרי משום מעשה דברוריא - שפעם אחת ליגלגה על שאמרו חכמים (קדושין דף פ:) נשים דעתן קלות הן עלייהו ואמר לה חייך סופך להודות לדבריהם וצוה לאחד מתלמידיו לנסותה לדבר עבירה והפציר בה ימים רבים עד שנתרצית וכשנודע לה חנקה עצמה וערק רבי מאיר מחמת כסופא:
One time, Rabbi Meir was teasing Beruriah based on what the Chachamim had said, "Women are light of mind." He said to her, "your life will end praising those words." He commanded one of his students to sway her into sin. The student cajoled her for many days until she finally relented. When she became aware of the plan, she hung herself, and Rabbi Meir fled out of shame
Talmud Yerushalmi, Kilayim 32c
Rabbi Meir was dying in Asia. he said: Go tell the people of the Land of Israel: Your messiah is coming. Even so, he said to them: place my funeral bier on the seashore, as it is written: "For he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers" (Psalms 24:2)