24 Kislev · Yahrzeit
Yahrzeit/Hillula of Shimon ben Yaakov Avinu - 12 Tribes
Shimon ben Yaakov Avinu - the 2nd son of Yaakov Avinu and Leah - one of the 12 tribes.
Yahrzeit - 24 Kislev
Burial place - near Kfar Sava
He was born in Charan on 28 Tevet, year 2193. (Bereishit 29:33; Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 162; Seder Hadorot Hakatzar)
According to the Torah, the name given to him was connected with the words his mother Leah said after giving birth: "G-d has heard (שָׁמַע — shama), and He has given me this son." (Bereishit 29:33)
Later the family moved from Charan to the land of Canaan and set up camp near the city of Shechem.
Shimon died at the age of 120 (Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 162). Shimon and Levi were buried in Masada. The city was given as an inheritance to Shimon's children, while the open land around it was given to Levi's children. (Sefer HaYashar, end of Yehoshua)
At the end of the year 2206, a tragedy occurred: the son of the king of Shechem abducted seven-year-old Dinah, the daughter of Yaakov, who had come to the city with her mother for a women's festival. After violating the girl, he came with his father to Yaakov's camp to ask for Dinah's hand in marriage. Following Shimon's advice, the brothers cunningly replied: "We cannot give our sister to an uncircumcised man—this would be a disgrace to us! Only if all your men are circumcised will we be able to give you our daughters—we will settle among you and become one people." (Bereishit 34:1—17; Sefer HaYashar, Vayishlach; Seder Hadorot)
On the third day after all the men of Shechem were circumcised by order of their king, thirteen-year-old Shimon and his younger brother Levi carried out their plan, leaving not a single man alive. (Bereishit 34:25—29; Bereishit Rabbah 80:10)
When Yaakov, who believed only the king's son who had committed the assault should have been killed, bitterly reproached his two sons: "You have brought trouble on me, making me odious to the inhabitants of this land…"—Shimon and Levi answered uncompromisingly: "No one is permitted to treat our sister like a harlot! Let people not talk about how uncircumcised idolaters defiled the daughter of Yaakov—let them talk about how uncircumcised idolaters were slain for the daughter of Yaakov!" (Bereishit 34:30-31; Targum Yonatan, Bereishit34:31; Sefer HaYashar, Vayishlach; Ramban, Bereishit 34:13)
When Shimon came to the palace of the Shechem heir to fetch his sister, she was in despair, fearing that no one would want to marry a dishonored woman. Then Shimon, showing great compassion, vowed to marry her, and afterward he could not go back on his oath. (Bereishit Rabbah 80:11, Etz Yosef)
His second wife was young Bunah, who was among the women and girls taken captive in Shechem. (Sefer HaYashar, Vayishlach)
Over time, Shimon had five sons from Dinah: Yemuel, Yamin, Ohad, Yachin, and Tzochar, and one son from Bunah—Shaul. (Bereishit46:10; Sefer HaYashar, Vayeshev; Seder Hadorot)
Some say that Shaul was also a son of Dinah. (Bereishit Rabbah 80:11; Rashi, Bereishit 46:10)
Shimon also played a no less important role at the trial of Yosef, whom the brothers suspected of seeking to unlawfully seize power over Yaakov's entire clan. This trial took place near Shechem in the year 2216, and it was Shimon who demanded the death penalty for Yosef. (Bereishit 37:19—20, Targum Yonatan; Sefer HaYashar, Vayeshev; Rashi, Bereishit 42:24)
And when the brothers decided not to kill Yosef with their own hands but rather to throw him into a deep pit, it was Shimon who pushed him down. (Bereishit 37:24; Bereishit Rabbah 84:16, 91:6; Rashi, Bereishit 42:24)
Commentators emphasize that Shimon and the other brothers acted purely for the sake of Heaven, fearing that Yosef's "reports" would cut them off from their father's spiritual legacy, and that they would not become the forefathers of the nation of Israel. (Michtav meEliyahu 5, p. 136)
Moreover, the brothers held a prophetic tradition that in the future the Jewish people would unite around kings from the house of Yehudah, not from the house of Yosef. And so they judged him as a rebel rising up against the legitimate king of Israel. (Shlah, Tzon Yosef; Mima'amakim, Bereishit 32)
And when passing Midianite merchants pulled Yosef out of the pit, it was Shimon who stopped them and demanded the prisoner be returned so the death sentence could be carried out. But the merchants persuaded the brothers to sell Yosef to them, and at Yehudah's insistence, supported by the other brothers, the deal went through against Shimon's will: thus was fulfilled G-d's plan, who did not want Yaakov's sons to kill their own brother. (Bereishit 37:28; Sefer HaYashar, Vayeshev; Anaf Yosef, Bereishit Rabbah 91:6).
In the year 2236 /1524 BCE/ a famine caused by drought and crop failure began in the land of Canaan, and Shimon, together with nine brothers, went to Egypt, where grain was rumored to be available. (Bereishit 42:1—3; Seder Hadorot) In the capital of Egypt they were suddenly seized by guards and brought before the ruler of the land, who accused them of being spies sent from Canaan. Under interrogation they had to explain that they had left behind in Canaan an old father and a younger brother, Binyamin—and then the ruler, taking Shimon hostage, ordered the rest to return home to bring back the younger brother as proof of their story. (Bereishit42:6—24; Sefer HaYashar, Miketz; Tanchuma, Miketz 8)
The ruler of Egypt (who was Yosef) took specifically Shimon into custody, because Shimon was the one who had thrown him into the pit. At the same time, Yosef sought to separate Shimon from Levi, since these two brothers, who together had wiped out the men of Shechem, represented too great a combined force. (Bereishit Rabbah 84:16, 91:6; Tanchuma, Vayigash 4; Rashi, Bereishit 42:24)
Learning that the ruler's choice had fallen on him, Shimon reproached his brothers: "Just as you once sold Yosef, now you are abandoning me too!" But they answered: "What can we do? Otherwise our families will die of hunger!" "Do as you see fit," Shimon said bitterly. And when they tried to seize him, Shimon resisted so fiercely that the Egyptian guards recoiled, and only the ruler's son, named Menashe, who possessed the strength of a mighty warrior, was able to subdue him. (Tanchuma, Vayigash 4; Bereishit Rabbah 91:6; Sefer HaYashar, Miketz)
Before the eyes of the brothers, Shimon was put in chains and led away to prison (Bereishit 42:24; Sefer HaYashar, Miketz; Tanchuma, Vayigash 4). But as soon as the brothers left the city, Shimon was released, and he lived in the ruler's house as an honored guest rather than as a prisoner. (Sefer HaYashar, Miketz; Bereishit Rabbah91:8; Tanchuma, Miketz 8)
And when, two months later, the brothers returned together with Binyamin, the ruler released Shimon along with them. But then the Egyptian guards seized Binyamin, accusing him of theft. At first the ruler of Egypt ordered that the captured "thief" remain as a slave and the other brothers be let go. But after they refused to leave without their youngest brother, the ruler suddenly drove all the Egyptians out of his throne room and, unable to hold back his tears, said: "I am Yosef, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt." (Bereishit 43:15—45:4)
Shimon, together with his father's entire family, moved to Egypt. (Bereishit46:6; Seder Olam Zuta 4:7)
In the year 2255 /1505 BCE/, when Yaakov, before his death, gave his final instructions to his sons, he once again rebuked Shimon for the sin of his youth—the massacre of the inhabitants of Shechem: "Shimon and Levi are brothers; instruments of violence are their trade. Into their council let my soul not come; unto their assembly let my glory not be united, for in their anger they slew a man! …Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Yaakov, and scatter them in Israel." (Bereishit 49:5—7, Onkelos)
And then Yaakov blessed Shimon together with all his brothers. (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:8)
Carrying out their father's last wish, Shimon and his brothers brought the coffin bearing Yaakov's body to the land of Canaan and buried it in the family tomb—the Cave of Machpelah.
Then all the brothers returned to Egypt. (Bereishit 50:13—14; Sefer HaYashar, Vayechi; Seder Hadorot)
Shimon died in Egypt at the age of 120 (Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 162; Sefer HaYashar, Shemot; Seder Hadorot). Later, the coffin with his remains was also brought out of Egypt and buried in the city of Megada, located in the territory allotted to his tribe. (Sefer HaYashar, Yehoshua; Seder Hadorot)
Shimon's descendants formed one of the 12 tribes of Israel, and along with the tribes of Reuven and Levi, they did not worship idols in Egypt. (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:8)
In the Sinai desert, in the second year after the Exodus from Egypt, the tribe of Shimon numbered 59,300 men aged twenty and older, and was one of the largest tribes (Bamidbar 1:23). Together with the tribes of Reuven and Gad, it belonged to the camp of Reuven, which was positioned to the south of the Tent of Meeting. The banner of the tribe of Shimon was green, and depicted on it was the wall of the city of Shechem. (R. Bechaye, Bamidbar 2:2)
About 24,000 men from the tribe of Shimon perished in the plague that broke out because of the sin of one of the tribe's leaders, Zimri ben Salu. (Bamidbar 25:6—14, Rashi; Bereishit Rabbah 99:7) And before entering the Land of Israel, this tribe turned out to be the smallest—only 22,200. (Bamidbar 26:7)
When the Land of Israel was divided, Shimon's descendants received "an inheritance within the inheritance of the children of Yehudah" (Yehoshua 19:1). Their cities were scattered throughout the territory of the tribe of Yehudah and were spread apart from one another—in accordance with the deathbed prophecy of the patriarch Yaakov: "I will scatter them in Israel." (Ramban, Bereishit 49:5—7)
Among Shimon's descendants there were especially many teachers and scribes of the Torah (sofrim). (Rashi, Bereishit 49:7) According to one tradition, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi), who wrote the foundational book of Kabbalah, the Zohar, descended from the tribe of Shimon. (Shivtei Nachalatecha p. 53—54)
The Gilgul of Shimon and Dinah
Our Sages teach that between Pesach and Shavuot, 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died from a plague (some specify that it was between Pesach and Lag BaOmer).
In the Book of Bereishit, we learn of the horrifying story of the abduction and violation of Yaakov Avinu's daughter Dinah, by Prince Shechem ben Chamor.
Shimon and Levi, upon learning of her abduction, came to Shechem and, in exchange for Shechem's wish to keep their sister as his wife, set the condition that all the men of Shechem be circumcised. On the third day after the men of Shechem had been circumcised, Shimon and Levi entered the city and killed 24,000 men of Shechem. Shimon rescued Dinah and married her, and from their union Shaul ben HaCanaanite was born.
The Midrash Tanchuma on Pinchas says: "Zimri had three names: Zimri ben Salu, Shaul ben HaCanaanite, and Shlumiel ben Tzurishadai."
Shaul ben HaCanaanite, the son of Shimon and Dinah, is Zimri, the gilgul of Shechem ben Chamor.
Shechem returned in the gilgul of the son of Dinah and Shimon. Later he is reincarnated and returns as Zimri, a leader of the tribe of Shimon.
Dinah is reincarnated as Princess Kozbi bat Tzur, daughter of Balak, king of Moav.
Balak realized that Bilaam could not curse Israel, and Bilaam advised Balak to entice Israel into sinning with the women of Moav, knowing that Ha-Shem hates immorality and punishes it without delay, before other sins.
Balak proposed that his own daughter seduce Moshe Rabbeinu or Elazar HaKohen. They sent young, attractive Moabite and Midianite women to sell the Israelites linen garments and wine.
After 40 years of living on manna and water, one wants to taste wine, and the Jews fell for it. At the entrance of the tent they were met by an older saleswoman—the young one was inside. The older woman offered the merchandise and quoted the price. The young one was gracious and attentive (as she had been taught), lowered the price, and courted the buyer with sweet words.
Further it is said: "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moav. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods, and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor."
The end was tragic: "…and the anger of the L-rd was kindled against Israel…"
G-d sent a plague upon the Jews, from which 24,000 people died, all of them from the tribe of Shimon. The survivors from the tribe of Shimon came to their leader, Zimri (a reincarnation of Shechem), and asked him to do something.
What did he do? He took Princess Kozbi, daughter of King Balak. She told him: "I am a princess, and I deserve only one king—Moshe Rabbeinu."
To which he replied: "I outrank him in status—he descended from Levi, the third tribe, while I descend from Shimon, the second tribe."
Zimri posed a provocative question to Moshe Rabbeinu—whether the daughters of Midian were permitted to Jews—to which Moshe Rabbeinu replied: "No—they serve idols."
Then Zimri asked: "Who gave you permission to take Yitro's daughter from Midian?"
At that moment HaKadosh Baruch Hu made Moshe Rabbeinu unable to speak, and he could not answer Zimri.
Why did Ha-Shem do this?
If Moshe Rabbeinu had killed Zimri, Rabbi Akiva would never have been born. Zimri was later reincarnated as Rabbi Akiva.
Everything Moshe Rabbeinu did became eternal and imperishable.
This is one reason Moshe Rabbeinu did not enter Eretz Yisrael—had he built the Beit HaMikdash, it would have stood forever. And then Ha-Shem would have been forced to destroy the Jewish people (Heaven forbid), rather than the Beit HaMikdash.
Pinchas saw that Zimri and Kozbi were sinning; he took a spear, entered the chamber, and pierced them both.
The 24,000 people who died in the plague were reincarnations of the 24,000 men of Shechem who had been circumcised. Even though they had circumcised themselves not for the sake of Heaven, they nevertheless did so, and this merit earned them another reincarnation.
There were 7 Clouds of Glory protecting Israel. Israel was protected within the 7 clouds, while outside the 7 protective clouds was the Erev Rav.
Since there were no longer any men left in the tribe of Shimon, the women of the tribe married men from the Erev Rav. And the sons of that union sinned in Canaan and died.
Zimri, the reincarnation of Shechem, had to correct his past mistakes with Kozbi, who was the reincarnation of Dinah. Zimri was 250 years old, and he was one of the 70 people who went down to Egypt with Yaakov Avinu.
At 250 years of age a man has no lust, but he did this to reproach Moshe Rabbeinu. He felt an enormous connection with Kozbi, and there is a great mystery in this.
The Zohar HaKadosh explains that all these events are a precursor to the birth of Melech HaMashiach. The Yetzer Hara, which is also the Angel of Death, is very afraid of Mashiach, because when Mashiach comes, its power will be nullified.
This is why Ha-Shem brings Mashiach in secret, out of sin and out of such situations that this angel could never even imagine.
Mashiach ben David
The union of Yehudah and Tamar produced Peretz, and from Peretz Mashiach will come. From Moav, from the union of Rut with Boaz, Oved was born. From Oved comes Yishai, and from Yishai—David HaMelech. From David HaMelech will come Mashiach ben David.
Mashiach ben Yosef
Osnat came from the union of Shechem ben Chamor and Dinah bat Yaakov; she married Yosef HaTzadik, and from their union Efraim was born. From this union comes Mashiach ben Yosef.
Pinchas, who is Eliyahu HaNavi, kills Zimri and Kozbi, but they had not yet finished their tikkun. Zimri is reincarnated as Rabbi Akiva, and Kozbi bat Tzur is reincarnated as the wife of Turnus Rufus. The wicked Turnus Rufus hated Rabbi Akiva, and when his beautiful wife asked him what was troubling him, he replied: "Rabbi Akiva!"
Who killed Zimri? Pinchas.
She told him she would take care of it, since Ha-Shem hates lust, and her plan was to seduce him, just as Kozbi bat Tzur had done with Zimri. She dressed in seductive clothing and went to Rabbi Akiva. When Rabbi Akiva saw her, he spat, laughed, and wept. She asked him to explain why he did this, and he told her he spat because she came from a foul-smelling drop of semen, wept because such beauty would one day be under the earth, but why he laughed he did not tell her.
Through his prophetic vision, he knew he would marry her. She insisted that he explain why he laughed, and when he revealed it to her, she married him and gave him all her wealth.
Rabbi Akiva and the wife of Turnus Rufus, Shechem and Dinah, Zimri and Kozbi…
The 24,000 men of Shechem who circumcised themselves and the 24,000 men from the tribe of Shimon who sinned with the women of Midian—they returned as the students of Rabbi Akiva, to complete their tikkun.
Those same 24,000 students died of a plague during the 50 days from Pesach to Shavuot, because they did not respect one another. Their deaths completed their tikkun.
How did Rabbi Akiva die? His skin was torn off with iron combs.
How did Shechem die? By the sword.
How did Zimri die? By the spear.
What were Rabbi Akiva's last words? "Shema Yisrael."
Zimri caused a great chillul Ha-Shem, and when he was reincarnated as Rabbi Akiva, he corrected it by making a kiddush Ha-Shem, saying "Shema Yisrael."
(Sites Tzadikim, Toldot, Silatehilim)
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Grave: Shimon ben Yaakov Avinu