For one day R. Jesse mockingly repeated R. Simeon’s words, “An egg of trath1The primordial Yod. which issues from a bird which abides in fire and bursts forth on four sides; two go forth from there, one is depressed and one overflows into a great sea”.’ R. Abba said to him: ‘You have turned sacred into profane before R. Simeon.’ Said R. Simeon: ‘Before the egg breaks open, you shall depart from this world; and so it came to pass in the Chamber of R. Simeon.1v. Zohar, Numbers, 144a.
דְּיוֹמָא חַד שָׁאִיל רִבִּי יֵיסָא אָמַר, בֵּיעָא דְּקוּשְׁטָא (ס"א דקוסטא), דְּנָפְקָא מֵעוֹפָא דְּשַׁרְיָא (ס"א דשדי) בְּנוּרָא, וְאִתְבָּקַע לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין. תְּרֵין סַלְּקִין מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְחַד מָאִיךְ, וְחַד רְבִיעַ בִּרְבִיעָא (ס"א נביעי נביעא) דְּיַמָּא רַבָּא. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, עַבְדַת קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, קֹדֶשׁ חוֹל, דְּהָא כְּתִיב פֶּה אֶל פֶּה אֲדַבֶּר בּוֹ. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, עַד לָא יִתְבְּקַע בֵּיעָא, (שמות ס"א ע"ב, קע"ד ע"א) תִּסְתָּלַּק מֵעָלְמָא. וְכַךְ הֲוָה בְּאִדָּרָא דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן.
For one day R. Jesse mockingly repeated R. Simeon’s words, “An egg of trath1The primordial Yod. which issues from a bird which abides in fire and bursts forth on four sides; two go forth from there, one is depressed and one overflows into a great sea”.’ R. Abba said to him: ‘You have turned sacred into profane before R. Simeon.’ Said R. Simeon: ‘Before the egg breaks open, you shall depart from this world; and so it came to pass in the Chamber of R. Simeon.1v. Zohar, Numbers, 144a.
תָּאנָא, בְּיוֹמוֹי דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה אָמַר בַּר נָשׁ לְחַבְרֵיהּ, פְּתַח פִּיךָ וְיָאִירוּ דְּבָרֶיךָ. בָּתַר דְּשָׁכִיב רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הֲווֹ אַמְרֵי (קהלת ה׳:ה׳) אַל תִּתֵּן אֶת פִּיךָ לַחֲטִיא אֶת בְּשָׂרֶךָ.
We have learnt that in the days of R. Simeon one man used to say to another: Open thy mouth that thy words may spread light.