Shimon Hatzaddik

Josephus Antiquities 12:2
He was termed "the Righteous" because of the piety of his life and his benevolence toward his compatriots.^[4]

משנה אבות א׳:ב׳

(ב) שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק הָיָה מִשְּׁיָרֵי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד, עַל הַתּוֹרָה וְעַל הָעֲבוֹדָה וְעַל גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים:

Pirkei Avot 1:2

(2) Shimon the Righteous was one of the last of the men of the great assembly. He used to say: the world stands upon three things: the Torah, the Temple service, and the practice of acts of piety.

יומא ס״ט א:ח׳-י״ב

תָּא שְׁמַע: בִּגְדֵי כְהוּנָּה, הַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן לַמְּדִינָה — אָסוּר. וּבַמִּקְדָּשׁ, בֵּין בִּשְׁעַת עֲבוֹדָה בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא בִּשְׁעַת עֲבוֹדָה — מוּתָּר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבִּגְדֵי כְהוּנָּה נִיתְּנוּ לֵיהָנוֹת בָּהֶן. שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ. וּבַמְּדִינָה לָא? וְהָתַנְיָא: בְּעֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה [בְּטֵבֵת] יוֹם הַר גְּרִזִים [הוּא], דְּלָא לְמִסְפַּד? יוֹם שֶׁבִּקְּשׁוּ כּוּתִיִּים אֶת בֵּית אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֵאֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרוֹס מוֹקְדוֹן לְהַחְרִיבוֹ, וְנָתְנוּ לָהֶם. בָּאוּ וְהוֹדִיעוּ אֶת שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק. מֶה עָשָׂה? לָבַשׁ בִּגְדֵי כְהוּנָּה, וְנִתְעַטֵּף בְּבִגְדֵי כְהוּנָּה, וּמִיַּקִּירֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עִמּוֹ, וַאֲבוּקוֹת שֶׁל אוֹר בִּידֵיהֶן. וְכׇל הַלַּיְלָה, הַלָּלוּ הוֹלְכִים מִצַּד זֶה, וְהַלָּלוּ הוֹלְכִים מִצַּד זֶה, עַד שֶׁעָלָה עַמּוּד הַשַּׁחַר. כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָלָה עַמּוּד הַשַּׁחַר, אָמַר לָהֶם: מִי הַלָּלוּ? אָמְרוּ לוֹ: יְהוּדִים שֶׁמָּרְדוּ בְּךָ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְאַנְטִיפַּטְרֵס זָרְחָה חַמָּה וּפָגְעוּ זֶה בָּזֶה. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה לְשִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק, יָרַד מִמֶּרְכַּבְתּוֹ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לְפָנָיו. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: מֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל כְּמוֹתְךָ יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לִיהוּדִי זֶה?! אָמַר לָהֶם: דְּמוּת דְּיוֹקְנוֹ שֶׁל זֶה מְנַצַּחַת לְפָנַי בְּבֵית מִלְחַמְתִּי. אָמַר לָהֶם: לָמָּה בָּאתֶם? אָמְרוּ: אֶפְשָׁר בַּיִת שֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִים בּוֹ עָלֶיךָ וְעַל מַלְכוּתְךָ שֶׁלֹּא תֶּחְרַב, יַתְעוּךָ גּוֹיִם לְהַחְרִיבוֹ? אָמַר לָהֶם: מִי הַלָּלוּ? אָמְרוּ לוֹ: כּוּתִיִּים הַלָּלוּ, שֶׁעוֹמְדִים לְפָנֶיךָ. אָמַר לָהֶם: הֲרֵי הֵם מְסוּרִין בִּידֵיכֶם.

Yoma 69a:8-12

Since the mishna’s intention is uncertain, it cannot provide a clear proof for the dilemma of whether it is permitted to derive benefit from priestly vestments. The Gemara therefore suggests another proof: Come and hear an explicit baraita concerning this issue: With regard to priestly vestments, it is prohibited to go out to the country, i.e., outside the Temple, while wearing them, but in the Temple it is permitted for the priests to wear them, whether during the Temple service or not during the service, due to the fact that it is permitted to derive benefit from priestly vestments. Learn from this that it is indeed permitted. § The baraita taught that the priestly vestments may not be worn outside the Temple. The Gemara challenges this: Is it really not permitted to wear priestly vestments in the country? Wasn’t it taught in another baraita, in Megillat Ta’anit: The twenty-fifth of Tevet is known as the day of Mount Gerizim, which was established as a joyful day, and therefore eulogizing is not permitted. What occurred on that date? It was on that day that the Samaritans [kutim] requested the House of our Lord from Alexander the Macedonian in order to destroy it, and he gave it to them, i.e., he gave them permission to destroy it. People came and informed the High Priest, Shimon HaTzaddik, of what had transpired. What did he do? He donned the priestly vestments and wrapped himself in the priestly vestments. And the nobles of the Jewish People were with him, with torches of fire in their hands. And all that night, these, the representatives of the Jewish people, approached from this side, and those, the armies of Alexander and the Samaritans, approached from that side, until dawn, when they finally saw one another. When dawn arrived, Alexander said to the Samaritans: Who are these people coming to meet us? They said to him: These are the Jews who rebelled against you. When he reached Antipatris, the sun shone and the two camps met each other. When Alexander saw Shimon HaTzaddik, he descended from his chariot and bowed before him. His escorts said to him: Should an important king such as you bow to this Jew? He said to them: I do so because the image of this man’s face is victorious before me on my battlefields, i.e., when I fight I see his image going before me as a sign of victory, and therefore I know that he has supreme sanctity. He said to the representatives of the Jewish people: Why have you come? They said to him: Is it possible that the Temple, the house in which we pray for you and for your kingdom not to be destroyed, gentiles will try to mislead you into destroying it, and we would remain silent and not tell you? He said to them: Who are these people who want to destroy it? The Jews said to him: They are these Samaritans who stand before you. He said to them: If so, they are delivered into your hands to deal with them as you please.

יומא ל״ט ב

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אוֹתָהּ שָׁנָה שֶׁמֵּת בָּהּ שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק, אָמַר לָהֶם: בְּשָׁנָה זוֹ הוּא מֵת. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: מִנַּיִין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ? אָמַר לָהֶם: בְּכׇל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים הָיָה מִזְדַּמֵּן לִי זָקֵן אֶחָד לָבוּשׁ לְבָנִים וְעָטוּף לְבָנִים, נִכְנַס עִמִּי וְיָצָא עִמִּי, וְהַיּוֹם נִזְדַּמֵּן לִי זָקֵן אֶחָד לָבוּשׁ שְׁחוֹרִים וְעָטוּף שְׁחוֹרִים, נִכְנַס עִמִּי וְלֹא יָצָא עִמִּי. אַחַר הָרֶגֶל חָלָה שִׁבְעָה יָמִים וָמֵת. וְנִמְנְעוּ אֶחָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים מִלְּבָרֵךְ בַּשֵּׁם. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה קוֹדֶם חוּרְבַּן הַבַּיִת לֹא הָיָה גּוֹרָל עוֹלֶה בְּיָמִין, וְלֹא הָיָה לָשׁוֹן שֶׁל זְהוֹרִית מַלְבִּין, וְלֹא הָיָה נֵר מַעֲרָבִי דּוֹלֵק.

Yoma 39b

The Sages taught: During the year in which Shimon HaTzaddik died, he said to them, his associates: In this year, he will die, euphemistically referring to himself. They said to him: How do you know? He said to them: In previous years, on every Yom Kippur, upon entering the Holy of Holies, I was met, in a prophetic vision, by an old man who was dressed in white, and his head was wrapped up in white, and he would enter the Holy of Holies with me, and he would leave with me. But today, I was met by an old man who was dressed in black, and his head was wrapped up in black, and he entered the Holy of Holies with me, but he did not leave with me. He understood this t

During Simeon's administration seven miracles are said to have taken place. A blessing rested (1) on the offering of the first fruits, (2) on the two sacrificial loaves, and (3) on the loaves of showbread, in that, although each priest received a portion no larger than an olive, he ate and was satiated without even consuming the whole of it; (4) the lot cast for God^[13] always came into the right hand; (5) the red thread around the neck of the goat or ram became white on Yom Kippur; (6) the light in the Temple never failed; and (7) the fire on the altar required but little wood to keep it burning.^[14]
The Mishnah records that during the priesthood of Simeon the Just, two red heifers were burnt at the sacrificial place built on the Mount of Olives.^[15]

According to Sirach, Shimon Hatzaddik rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem