Both the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud tell the story of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the cave. There are plenty of similarities between the two, but many differences stand out as well. This sheet includes both versions, as well as questions to guide your learning.
Here are some questions to discuss as you read through each story and compare and contrast the different versions:
- What does Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai see that upset him?
- Why does Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai go to the cave? What is the function of the cave in each version?
- What transpires while Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is in the cave?
- Why does Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai decide to leave the cave?
- What happens after Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai leaves the cave?
- What are Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's primary concerns, complaints, or fears in the stories?
- What's your perspective on what kind of teacher or leader Shimon bar Yochai is in each version?
- What do you think the editors of the respective Talmuds want us to learn from stories of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai?
Historically, the Jerusalem Talmud's version of the story was likely written earlier and a text on which the Babylonian Talmud's version is based and elaborates. However, since the Babylonian Talmud's version is most commonly taught and may be more familiar to some Sefaria learners, we will present that version first, and then the Jerusalem Talmud's version:
The Babylonian Talmud's Version
וְאַמַּאי קָרוּ לֵיהּ ״רֹאשׁ הַמְדַבְּרִים בְּכָל מָקוֹם״? דְּיָתְבִי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וְיָתֵיב יְהוּדָה בֶּן גֵּרִים גַּבַּיְיהוּ. פָּתַח רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְאָמַר: כַּמָּה נָאִים מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל אוּמָּה זוֹ: תִּקְּנוּ שְׁוָוקִים, תִּקְּנוּ גְּשָׁרִים, תִּקְנוּ מֶרְחֲצָאוֹת. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי שָׁתַק. נַעֲנָה רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי וְאָמַר: כׇּל מַה שֶּׁתִּקְּנוּ, לֹא תִּקְּנוּ אֶלָּא לְצוֹרֶךְ עַצְמָן. תִּקְּנוּ שְׁווֹקִין — לְהוֹשִׁיב בָּהֶן זוֹנוֹת, מֶרְחֲצָאוֹת — לְעַדֵּן בָּהֶן עַצְמָן, גְּשָׁרִים — לִיטּוֹל מֵהֶן מֶכֶס. הָלַךְ יְהוּדָה בֶּן גֵּרִים וְסִיפֵּר דִּבְרֵיהֶם, וְנִשְׁמְעוּ לַמַּלְכוּת. אָמְרוּ: יְהוּדָה שֶׁעִילָּה — יִתְעַלֶּה. יוֹסֵי שֶׁשָּׁתַק — יִגְלֶה לְצִיפּוֹרִי. שִׁמְעוֹן שֶׁגִּינָּה — יֵהָרֵג.
אֲזַל הוּא וּבְרֵיהּ, טְשׁוֹ בֵּי מִדְרְשָׁא. כׇּל יוֹמָא הֲוָה מַתְיָא לְהוּ דְּבֵיתְהוּ רִיפְתָּא וְכוּזָא דְמַיָּא וְכָרְכִי. כִּי תְּקֵיף גְּזֵירְתָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ לִבְרֵיהּ: נָשִׁים דַּעְתָּן קַלָּה עֲלֵיהֶן, דִילְמָא מְצַעֲרִי לַהּ וּמְגַלְּיָא לַן. אֲזַלוּ טְשׁוֹ בִּמְעָרְתָּא. אִיתְרְחִישׁ נִיסָּא אִיבְּרִי לְהוּ חָרוּבָא וְעֵינָא דְמַיָּא, וַהֲווֹ מַשְׁלְחִי מָנַיְיהוּ וַהֲווֹ יָתְבִי עַד צַוְּארַיְיהוּ בְּחָלָא. כּוּלֵּי יוֹמָא גָּרְסִי. בְּעִידָּן צַלּוֹיֵי לָבְשִׁי מִיכַּסּוּ וּמְצַלּוּ, וַהֲדַר מַשְׁלְחִי מָנַיְיהוּ כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלָא לִיבְלוּ. אִיתִּיבוּ תְּרֵיסַר שְׁנֵי בִּמְעָרְתָּא. אֲתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ וְקָם אַפִּיתְחָא דִמְעָרְתָּא, אֲמַר: מַאן לוֹדְעֵיהּ לְבַר יוֹחַי דְּמִית קֵיסָר וּבְטִיל גְּזֵירְתֵיהּ.
נְפַקוּ, חֲזוֹ אִינָשֵׁי דְּקָא כָּרְבִי וְזָרְעִי, אָמְרִין: מַנִּיחִין חַיֵּי עוֹלָם וְעוֹסְקִין בְּחַיֵּי שָׁעָה. כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנּוֹתְנִין עֵינֵיהֶן מִיָּד נִשְׂרָף. יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה לָהֶם: לְהַחֲרִיב עוֹלָמִי יְצָאתֶם?! חִיזְרוּ לִמְעָרַתְכֶם! הֲדוּר אֲזוּל אִיתִּיבוּ תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחֵי שַׁתָּא. אָמְרִי: מִשְׁפַּט רְשָׁעִים בְּגֵיהִנָּם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: צְאוּ מִמְּעָרַתְכֶם! נְפַקוּ. כָּל הֵיכָא דַּהֲוָה מָחֵי רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, הֲוָה מַסֵּי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. אָמַר לוֹ: בְּנִי, דַּי לָעוֹלָם אֲנִי וְאַתָּה.
בַּהֲדֵי פַּנְיָא דְּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבְּתָא חֲזוֹ הָהוּא סָבָא דַּהֲוָה נָקֵיט תְּרֵי מַדָּאנֵי אָסָא וְרָהֵיט בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: הָנֵי לְמָה לָךְ? אֲמַר לְהוּ: לִכְבוֹד שַׁבָּת. וְתִיסְגֵּי לָךְ בְּחַד! — חַד כְּנֶגֶד ״זָכוֹר״ וְחַד כְּנֶגֶד ״שָׁמוֹר״. אֲמַר לֵיהּ לִבְרֵיהּ: חֲזִי כַּמָּה חֲבִיבִין מִצְוֹת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. אִיְּתִיבָה דַּעְתַּיְיהוּ.
שְׁמַע רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר חַתְנֵיהּ וּנְפַק לְאַפֵּיהּ. עַיְּילֵיהּ לְבֵי בָנֵי, הֲוָה קָא אָרֵיךְ לֵיהּ לְבִישְׂרֵיהּ. חֲזָא דַּהֲוָה בֵּיהּ פִּילֵי בְּגוּפֵיהּ. הֲוָה קָא בָכֵי וְקָא נָתְרָן דִּמְעָת עֵינֵיהּ וְקָמְצַוְּחָא לֵיהּ. אָמַר לוֹ: אוֹי לִי שֶׁרְאִיתִיךָ בְּכָךְ. אָמַר לוֹ: אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁרְאִיתַנִי בְּכָךְ, שֶׁאִילְמָלֵא לֹא רְאִיתַנִי בְּכָךְ — לֹא מָצָאתָ בִּי כָּךְ. דְּמֵעִיקָּרָא כִּי הֲוָה מַקְשֵׁי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי קוּשְׁיָא, הֲוָה מְפָרֵק לֵיהּ רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר תְּרֵיסַר פֵּירוּקֵי. לְסוֹף, כִּי הֲוָה מַקְשֵׁי רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר קוּשְׁיָא — הֲוָה מְפָרֵק לֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי עֶשְׂרִין וְאַרְבְּעָה פֵּירוּקֵי.
In this baraita Rabbi Yehuda is described as head of the speakers in every place. The Gemara asks: And why did they call him head of the speakers in every place? The Gemara relates that this resulted due to an incident that took place when Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Shimon were sitting, and Yehuda, son of converts, sat beside them. Rabbi Yehuda opened and said: How pleasant are the actions of this nation, the Romans, as they established marketplaces, established bridges, and established bathhouses. Rabbi Yosei was silent. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai responded and said: Everything that they established, they established only for their own purposes. They established marketplaces, to place prostitutes in them; bathhouses, to pamper themselves; and bridges, to collect taxes from all who pass over them. Yehuda, son of converts, went and related their statements to his household, and those statements continued to spread until they were heard by the monarchy. They ruled and said: Yehuda, who elevated the Roman regime, shall be elevated and appointed as head of the Sages, the head of the speakers in every place. Yosei, who remained silent, shall be exiled from his home in Judea as punishment, and sent to the city of Tzippori in the Galilee. 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 decree intensified, Rabbi Shimon said to his son: Women are easily impressionable and, therefore, there is room for concern lest the authorities torture her and she 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 and sit covered in sand up to their necks. They would study Torah all day in that manner. At the time of prayer, they would dress, cover themselves, and pray, and they would again remove their clothes afterward so that they would not become tattered. They sat 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 emperor died and his decree has been abrogated?
They emerged from the cave, and saw people who were plowing and sowing. Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai said: These people abandon eternal life of Torah study and engage in temporal life for their own sustenance. The Gemara relates that every place that Rabbi Shimon and his son Rabbi Elazar directed their eyes was immediately burned. A Divine Voice emerged and said to them: Did you emerge from the cave in order to destroy My world? Return to your cave. They again went and sat there for twelve months. They said: The judgment of the wicked in Gehenna lasts for twelve months. Surely their sin was atoned in that time. A 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 two of us are engaged in the proper study of Torah.
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: And let one suffice. He answered them: One is corresponding to: “Remember the Shabbat day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8), and one is corresponding to: “Observe the Shabbat day, to keep it holy” (Deuteronomy 5:12). Rabbi Shimon said to his son: See how beloved the mitzvot are to Israel. Their minds were put at ease and they were no longer as upset that people were not engaged in Torah study.
Rabbi Pineḥas 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 Pineḥas said to Rabbi Shimon, his father-in-law: 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, as had you not seen me like this, you would not have found in me this prominence in Torah, as the Gemara relates: At first, when Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai would raise a difficulty, Rabbi Pineḥas ben Ya’ir would respond to his question with twelve answers. Ultimately, when Rabbi Pineḥas ben Ya’ir would raise a difficulty, Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai would respond with twenty-four answers.
The Jerusalem Talmud's Version
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי הֲוָה עֲבַר בִּשְׁמִיטְּתָא וְחָמָא חַד מְלַקֵּט שְׁבִיעִית. אָמַר לֵיהּ וְלֵית אָסוּר וְלָאוּ סְפִיחִין אִינּוּן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְלָא אַתְּ הוּא מַתִּירָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְאֵין חֲבֵירַיי חֲלוּקִין עָלַי. קָרָא עָלָיו וּפוֹרֵץ גָּדֵר יִשְּׁכֶנּוּ נָחָשׁ וְכֵן הֲװָת לֵיהּ.
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי עֲבַד טְמִיר בִּמְעַרְתָּא תְּלַת עָשָׂר שְׁנִין בִּמְעָרַת חָרוּבִין. (דתרומה) עַד שֶׁהֶעֱלָה גוּפוֹ חֲלוּדָה לְסוֹף תְּלַת עָשָׂר שְׁנִין. אֲמַר לֵינָה נְפַק חָמִי מַה קָלָא עָֽלְמָא נְפַק וְיָתִיב לֵיהּ עַל פּוּמָא דִמְעַרְתָּא חָמָא חַד צַייָד צְייַד צִיפּוֹרִין פְּרַס מְצוּדָתֵיהּ שְׁמַע בְּרַת קָלָא אָֽמְרָה דִימִוס וְאִישְׁתֵּיזְבַת. אֲמַר צִיפּוֹר מִבַּלְעֲדֵי שְׁמַיָּא לָא יִבְדָּא. וְכָל־שֶׁכֵּן בַּר נַשָּׁא. כַּד חָמָא דְשַׁדְּכָן מִילַּייָא אֲמַר נִיחוֹת נִיחֲמוּ בַּהָדֵין דֵימוֹסִין דְּטִיבֵּרִיָא אֲמַר צְרִיכִין אֲנָן לַעֲשׂוֹת תַּקָּנָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשׂוֹ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וַיִּחַן אֶת פְּנֵי הָעִיר. שֶׁהָיוֹ עוֹשִׂין אִיטְלֵיסִין וּמוֹכְרִין בַּשּׁוּק. אֵמַר נִידְכֵי טִיבֵּרִיָּא וַהֲוָה נְסַב תּוּרְמוֹסִין וּמְקַצֵּץ וּמְקַלֵּיק וְכָל־הֵן דַּהֲוָה מִיתָא הֲוָה טַייֵף וּסְלַק לֵיהּ מִן לְעֵיל. חָֽמְתֵיהּ חַד כּוּתִי אֲמַר לֵינָה אֲזַל מַפְלֵי בְהוֹן סַבָּא דְיוּדָאֵי נְסַב חַד מִית אֲזַל וְאַטְמְרֵיהּ הֵן דְּדָכִי. אֲתָא לְגַבֵּי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָא דְכִית אֲתַר פַּלָּן. אִיתָא וַאֲנָא מַפִּיק לָךְ מִתַּמָּן. צִפָּה רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי בְרוּחַ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ שֶׁנְּתָנוֹ שָׁם. וְאָמַר גּוֹזֵר אֲנִי עַל הָעֶלְיוֹנִים שֶׁיֵּרְדוּ וְעַל הַתַּחְתוֹנִים שֶׁיַּעֲלוּ וְכֵן הֲוָת לֵיהּ. מִי עֲבַר קוֹמֵי מוּגְדָּלָא שְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ דְּסַפְרָא אֲמַר הָא בַּר יוֹחַי מַדְכֵּי טִיבֵּרִיָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ יָבוֹא עָלַי אִם לֹא שָׁמַעתִּי שֶׁטִּיבֵּרִיָּא עֲתִידָה לִיטָּהֵר. אֲפִילוּ כֵן לָא הֵימְנִין הָיִיתָ מִיַּד נַעֲשֶׂה גַּל שֶׁל עֲצָמוֹת.
Rebbi Simeon ben Ioḥai was travelling in the Sabbatical when he saw somebody collecting Sabbatical [produce]. He said to him, is this not forbidden, is that not spontaneous growth? He said to him, are not you the one who permits it? He said to him, are not my colleagues disagreeing with me? He read for him (Eccl. 10:8): “He who tears down a fence will be bitten by a snake.” That is what happened to him.
Rebbi Simeon ben Ioḥai was hidden in a cave for thirteen years, in a carob cave, until his body was covered with rust. At the end of thirteen years he said, should I not go out and see what voice is in the world?
He went and sat at the entrance to the cave. He saw a catcher out to catch birds spreading out his net. He heard a heavenly voice saying “acquitted”, and [the bird] was saved. He said, no bird will be adjudicated without Heaven, so much less a human.
When he saw that words of intercession were given, he said, let us go down and warm ourselves in the public baths of Tiberias. He said, we need to do something like our forefathers (Gen. 33:18): “He graced the entrance to the city,” they were putting up duty free shops and selling at wholesale prices. He said, let us purify Tiberias.
He took lupines, cut them up and threw them down in irregular fashion. Where there was a corpse it was floating and came to the surface.
A Samaritan saw him and said, should I not make fun of this old Jew? He took a corpse, went, and buried it at a purified place. He came to Rebbi Simeon bar Ioḥai and said to him, did you not purify place X? Come, and I shall take out [a corpse] from there!
Rebbi Simeon bar Ioḥai saw by the Holy Spirit that he had put it there. He said, I decree that the upper ones shall go down and the lower ones come up. So it happenend to him.
When he passed by Magdala, he heard the voice of the scribe who said, so bar Ioḥai purifies Tiberias? He said, it should come upon me if I did not hear that Tiberias once will be purified. Even so, you did not believe me! Immediately he turned into a bone heap.