Over the past few years, we have more or less discussed the various halachos related to Lag B’Omer, therefore, this year I would like to do something different, and would like to discuss some of the Torah teachings of R’ Shimon ben Yochai.
We are told: לנו מגן תורתו היא מאירת עינינו הוא ימליץ טוב בעדינו אדונינו בר יוחאי – “His Torah protects us, it enlightens our eyes, it advocates on our behalf for the good, our master son of Yochai”, therefore, it certainly seems like a worthy thing to be doing. We will bring various questions and answers on various teachings which talk about R’ Shimon or are things that R’ Shimon himself said. Read on and be enlightened.
Why Did R’ Shimon Run and Hide Due to the Danger of the Romans, Surely He Could Have Killed them by Simply Looking at Them?
The Gemara in Shabbos (33b) relates that the Roman’s decreed that R’ Shimon bar Yochai who spoke badly about them, deserved to be killed. Originally, R’ Shimon and his son went to hide in the beis hamedrash. However, the decree intensified and R’ Shimon was scared that the Romans would torture his wife and she would reveal where he was hiding, so he went and hid in a cave.
Please note, that R’ Shimon bar Yochai and R’ Shimon are both the same person.
The question is, why did R’ Shimon bar Yochai need to run away, the Gemara in Shabbos (34a) relates that there was a certain person who disgraced the honor of R’ Shimon, and: יהב ביה רבי שמעון עיניו ועשה ממנו גל של עצמות – “R’ Shimon set his eyes on him and turned him into a heap of bones”. The Gemara also says, that when he met R’ Yehudah ben Gerim, he looked at him and turned him into a heap of bones. The Gemara in Shabbos (33b) further relates, that when R’ Shimon left the cave, he saw people working, and he looked at them and they were immediately burnt. If R’ Shimon had this special power, why was he so scared of the Roman’s, he could have simply set his eyes upon anyone who tried to harm him and turn them into a heap of bones?
The Madanay Asher (R’ Asher Anshel Shwartz shlita) suggests five answers:
- Perhaps, this holy madreigah [level] that any time R’ Shimon looked at someone bad he turned them into a heap of bones, was only after he sat in the cave learning for many years. The Gemara in Shabbos (33b) relates that after R’ Shimon left the cave he had tremendous ko’ach [strength]. Originally, when R’ Shimon ben Yochai had a question, R’ Pinchos ben Yoir would respond with twelve possible solutions. However, in the end, after R’ Shimon was in the cave, R’ Shimon ben Yochai would respond to him with twenty-four possible solutions. We see that after he left the cave, he had more strength than beforehand. Perhaps, the power to kill people by simply looking at them, only came after he left the cave and not before, therefore, he had no choice but to run away.
- Perhaps R’ Shimon did not want to rely on miracles, therefore, instead of relying on killing people by looking at them, he went and hid. With this we can answer another question. The Gemara in Shabbos (30a) says, that when Dovid HaMelech was learning, the Angel of Death was unable to kill him. The Gemara in Makkos (10a) relates a similar thing regarding R’ Chisda. If so, why did R’ Shimon run to hide in a cave, he should have just continued to learn in the beis hamedrash? Based on the above we can answer, that he didn’t want to rely on miracles.
- He was scared, that he may not notice one of the Roman’s trying to kill him, and he would not be able to kill him by looking at him, therefore, he didn’t want to rely on this method of killing and he went to hide in the cave instead. We can add, that R’ Shimon was busy learning all day, and if he had to constantly watch his back it would be very distracting and difficult to learn, therefore, he went to the cave so he could learn with menuchas hanefesh [peace of mind].
- Perhaps, R’ Shimon only had the strength to kill individual people by looking at them, however, he didn’t have the strength to kill an entire nation. As a result, when it came to the Roman’s which was an entire nation, he did not want to rely on looking at them to kill them and he went and hid in a cave instead.
- The Gemara in Megillah (29a) teaches, that it is forbidden to look at the face of a rosha. Perhaps for this reason he did not want to rely on killing them via looking at them, as he didn’t want to have to look at them.
