Grave

Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai

Yahrzeit (Hillula)

25 Elul — Yahrzeit/Hillula of Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

Rabbi Elazar ben Shimon son of the great Rashbi and colleague of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi Yahrzeit - 25 Elul; Burial Place - Meron. Rabbi Elazar is mentioned in the Mishnah three times (Beitzah 4:5; Temurah 4:4; Negaim 12:2), and several anonymous mishnayot are attributed to him. (Chullin 30a, Bechorot 51b) He is often mentioned in baraitot, the Tosefta (especially Zevachim and Menachot), the Babylonian Talmud, the Jerusalem Talmud, and several aggadic teachings. He is involved in debates and discussions with Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi (Bava Metzia 84b), Rabbi Yosei, Rabbi Meir, and Rabbi Yehuda (Sotah 34a, Rosh Hashanah 4b). Rabbi Elazar and his father, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, fled from the Romans and hid in a cave for thirteen years. He took part together with his father in composing the holy Zohar. Rabbi Elazar was very strong and heavyset, and had a large appetite. (Pesikta d'Rav Kahana 90:2; 91:2) Rabbi Elazar was compelled to accept a position in the Roman administration, serving as the official responsible for apprehending thieves. This aroused the opposition of the Sages, including Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha, his teacher, who rebuked him, saying: "Vinegar, son of wine! How much longer will you go on handing over the people of our L-rd to death?" Rabbi Elazar replied: "I am removing the thorns from the vineyard." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha answered: "Let the Owner of the vineyard come and remove His own thorns." (Bava Metzia 83b) Once he was troubled that he might unjustly hand someone over to the government, so he prayed to be punished with suffering instead, and every evening he would pray for afflictions, saying: "Come to me, my brothers and friends," and in the morning he would send them away so he could study Torah. He was struck with illness and suffering so severe that every morning 60 vessels of blood were drawn from him. His wife would prepare 60 kinds of "pappa" (a fig-based dish) every day to heal him. When his wife learned that he was asking for these sufferings, she was so distressed that he had caused her so much trouble and expense - she had spent all of her father's money on his treatment - that she decided to leave her husband and return to her father's house. At that time a storm arose at sea, and boats returning from Rabbi Elazar's city were in danger. The sailors began to pray, and finally cried out in despair: "Save us, O L-rd, for the sake of Rabbi Elazar ben Shimon." The storm then subsided, and when the sailors came ashore, they visited Rabbi Elazar and gave him 60 servants, each of whom carried 60 purses of money. They also prepared 60 kinds of "pappa," which he ate and recovered. One day his wife sent their daughter to see how Rabbi Elazar was doing. Rabbi Elazar told his daughter to "go and tell your mother that he has become richer than her parents," after which his wife returned to him. When he recovered and went to the Beit Midrash, 60 blood samples were brought before him, and he examined them and declared them all pure. The other Sages wondered how it was possible that not one of the samples raised any suspicion. Rabbi Elazar answered: "If it is not as I say, then let there be one girl among them." All the children born were boys, and all were named Elazar in his honor. Before his death he told his wife: "I know that the Sages are angry with me [for having handed over many of their relatives], and they may not come to my funeral. You must leave me in the attic and do not be afraid." She followed his wishes and kept him in the attic for 18-20 years after his death. Every day she would go up there, check his hair, and find nothing wrong. When one day a hair fell out, she found a worm in his ear and became distressed, until he appeared to her that night and said: "There is no reason to be distressed, for this is a punishment for once having allowed a young scholar to be insulted in my presence." After his death, people with disputes would come and stand at the door and present their cases. Then a voice from the attic would say: "You, so-and-so, are right/wrong in your claim." Once, during an argument, a neighbor said to Rabbi Elazar's wife: "May she be like her husband, unworthy of burial!" When the Sages heard of this, they said that this insult must be atoned for, and that he must be buried. According to others, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, Elazar's father, appeared to the Sages in a dream and said: "There is a young dove among you, and you do not care to return him to me." When the Sages went to bury him, the people of Achbarin refused to give them the body, because as long as he remained in the attic, no wild animal had come near the town. On erev Yom Kippur, while the townspeople were occupied, the Sages hired men from the neighboring village of Biri to take Rabbi Elazar's body. They brought it to his father's grave in Meron, to be buried beside him. Rabbi Elazar was married to the daughter of Rabbi Shimon ben Yosei ben Lekunya. He had a daughter and a son. His son Yosei nearly became a criminal. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi placed him under the supervision of Rabbi Shimon ben Yosei ben Lekunya, and the boy eventually became a disciple of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. After Rabbi Elazar's death, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi wished to marry his widow. She refused, saying: "Shall a vessel that served a holy man be used by an ordinary person?" Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi replied: "Granted he was greater than me in Torah, but was he better than me in good deeds?" She answered: "I do not know whether he was greater than you in Torah, but in deeds I know, for he took suffering upon himself." May the merit of the tzadik Rabbi Elazar protect us all, Amen! (Tzadikim.com)