שבת ל׳׳ג ב
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 שְׁוָוקִין — 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.
Shabbat 33b
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.
Discussion Questions:
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What questions do you have so far?
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What do you think about the reactions of the Romans (monarchy) to the three Rabbis?
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How were the punishments just or unjust?
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What do you think will happen next?
[...] 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.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai and his son, Rabbi Elazar, [...] 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.
Discussion Questions:
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Share images that come to mind after reading this section.
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What questions come to mind after learning what happens to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son?
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How do you think this time affected their relationship?
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What do you think will happen next in the story?
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.
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.
Discussion Questions:
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Why do you think Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar reacted in this way?
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How was it justified or not?
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Share a time when you have had a reaction similar to the two Rabbis about a situation.
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What emotions were present during this reaction?
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What was the other person’s reaction to your “laser beam eyes”?
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יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה לָהֶם: לְהַחֲרִיב עוֹלָמִי יְצָאתֶם?! חִיזְרוּ לִמְעָרַתְכֶם!
הֲדוּר אֲזוּל אִיתִּיבוּ תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחֵי
שַׁתָּא. [...]
יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: צְאוּ
מִמְּעָרַתְכֶם! נְפַקוּ. כָּל הֵיכָא דַּהֲוָה
מָחֵי רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, הֲוָה מַסֵּי רַבִּי
שִׁמְעוֹן. אָמַר לוֹ: בְּנִי, דַּי לָעוֹלָם אֲנִי וְאַתָּה. [...]
אֲמַר לֵיהּ לִבְרֵיהּ: חֲזִי כַּמָּה
חֲבִיבִין מִצְוֹת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. אִיְּתִיבָה דַּעְתַּיְיהוּ.
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. [...]
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. [...] 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.
Discussion Questions:
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When you have had a “laser beam eye” reaction to a situation, how do you get through that moment?
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Who are the people in your family who help you get through the moment?
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How can we help each other through these moments?