Said Rabbi Abba: "The Holy Beacon had not yet finished speaking the word 'life' when his words weakened. I myself was writing, preparing to write more, but I did not hear. I did not raise my head, because the light was strong, and I could not see. While I was shuddering, I heard a voice that called and said (Prov. 3:2) 'Length of days and years of life,' etc. I heard another voice (Ps. 21:5): 'Life he asked of you' etc.
All that day, fire did not stop from the house, and no one could come into it, because they could not due to the light and fire that was around it. All that day I fell to the earth and moaned. After the fire left, I saw the Holy Beacon, the Holy of Holies, departing from the world. covered, lying on his right side, his face smiling."
Rabbi Elazar his son stood up and took his hands and kissed them, and I licked the dust that was under his feet. The Companions wished to weep, but could not find the words. The companions started weeping, and Rabbi Elazar his son fell three times, and could not open his mouth. Afterwards, he started and said, "Father! Father! Three there were, one returned! Now the animals migrate, the birds fly, sinking into the pits of the great sea, and the Companions all drink blood!"
Rabbi Ḥiyya stood on his feet and said, "Before now, the Holy Beacon saw (alt: endeavored) for us. There is no time but now to endeavor for his honor!" Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba stood, took him to a ladder-bed. Whosoever saw the (alt: struggle and) confusion of the companions! As all the house was going up with scents, they took him up on his stretcher, and none but Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba ministered to him.
Came rabble-rousers and shield-bearers of the village of Sepphoris, but the children of Meron struggled with them, shouting violently, for they thought he should not be buried there. After the stretcher departed, it went up in the air, and fire burned before it. They heard a voice: "Rise and come, be gathered to the celebration of Rabbi Shimon! 'Let peace come, let they rest in their lying-places.' (Isa. 57:2)."
When he entered the cave, they heard a voice in the cave: "'This is the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms! (Isa. 14:16) How many heavenly-accusers are silenced (alt: are not found) on this day on your account! This is R. Shimon son of Yoḥai, whose Lord lauds him every day. Worthy is his portion above and below. How many high treasures are hidden for him! About him it is said, 'And you, go to your end, and rest, and stand for your portion at the end of days.' (Dan. 12:13)" Therein ends the Lesser Holy Idra.
אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, לָא סִיֵּים בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא לְמֵימַר חַיִּים, עַד דְּאִשְׁתְּכָכוּ מִלּוֹי, וַאֲנָא כָּתַבְנָא, סָבַרְנָא לְמִכְתַּב טְפֵי, וְלָא שְׁמַעְנָא. וְלָא זָקִיפְנָא רֵישָׁא, דִּנְהוֹרָא הֲוָה סָגִי, וְלָא הֲוָה יָכִילְנָא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא. אַדְּהָכִי אִזְדַּעֲזַעַנָא, שְׁמַעְנָא קָלָא דְּקָארֵי וְאָמַר (משלי ג׳:ב׳) אֶרֶךְ יָמִים וּשְׁנוֹת חַיִּים וְגוֹ'. שְׁמַעְנָא קָלָא אַחֲרָא, (תהילים כ״א:ה׳) חַיִּים שָׁאַל מִמְּךָ וְגוֹ'.
Said Rabbi Abba: "The Holy Beacon had not yet finished speaking the word 'life' when his words weakened. I myself was writing, preparing to write more, but I did not hear. I did not raise my head, because the light was strong, and I could not see. While I was shuddering, I heard a voice that called and said (Prov. 3:2) 'Length of days and years of life,' etc. I heard another voice (Ps. 21:5): 'Life he asked of you' etc.
כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא, לָא אַפְסִיק אֶשָּׁא מִן בֵּיתָא, וְלָא הֲוָה מַאן דְּמָטֵי לְגַבֵּיהּ, דְּלָא יָכִילוּ דִּנְהוֹרָא וְאֶשָּׁא הֲוָה בְּסוּחֲרָנֵיהּ. כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא נָפִילְנָא עַל אַרְעָא, וְגָעֵינָא. בָּתַר דְּאָזִיל אֶשָּׁא, חֲמֵינָא לְבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים, דְּאִסְתְּלַּק מִן עָלְמָא, אִתְעֲטָּף שָׁכִיב עַל יְמִינֵיהּ, וְאַנְפּוֹי חַיְיכִין.
All that day, fire did not stop from the house, and no one could come into it, because they could not due to the light and fire that was around it. All that day I fell to the earth and moaned. After the fire left, I saw the Holy Beacon, the Holy of Holies, departing from the world. covered, lying on his right side, his face smiling."
קָם רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ, וְנָטִיל יְדוֹי וְנָשִׁיק לוֹן, וַאֲנָא לָחִיכְנָא עַפְרָא דִּתְחוֹת רַגְלוֹי. בָּעוּ חַבְרַיָיא לְמִבְכֵּי, וְלָא יָכִילוּ לְמַלְּלָא. שָׁארוּ חַבְרַיָיא בְּבִכְיָה, וְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ נָפִיל תְּלַת זִמְנִין, וְלָא יָכִיל לְמִפְתַּח פּוּמֵיהּ. לְבָתַר פָּתַח וְאָמַר, אַבָּא אַבָּא. תְּלַת הֲווֹ, חַד אִתְחֲזָרוּ. הַשְׁתָּא תְּנוּד חֵיוָתָא, צִפֳּרָאן טָאסִין, מִשְׁתַּקְּעָן בְּנוּקְבָּאן דְּיַמָּא רַבָּא, וְחַבְרַיָּיא כֻּלְּהוּ שַׁתְיָין דָּמָא.
Rabbi Elazar his son stood up and took his hands and kissed them, and I licked the dust that was under his feet. The Companions wished to weep, but could not find the words. The companions started weeping, and Rabbi Elazar his son fell three times, and could not open his mouth. Afterwards, he started and said, "Father! Father! Three there were, one returned! Now the animals migrate, the birds fly, sinking into the pits of the great sea, and the Companions all drink blood!"
קָם רִבִּי חִיָּיא עַל רַגְלוֹי וְאָמַר, עַד הַשְׁתָּא בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא מִסְתְּכַּל (ס"א משתדל) עֲלָן. הַשְׁתָּא לָאו הוּא עִדָּן, אֶלָּא לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בִּיקָרֵיהּ. קָם רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא, נַטְלוּ לֵיהּ בְּטִיקְרָא דְּסִיקְלָא, מַאן חָמָא (ס"א ערעורא וערבוביא) עִרְבּוּבְיָא דְּחַבְרַיָיא, וְכָל בֵּיתָא הֲוָה סָלִיק רֵיחִין סְלִיקוּ בֵּיהּ בְּפוּרְיֵיהּ, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּמַּשׁ בֵּיהּ, אֶלָּא רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא.
Rabbi Ḥiyya stood on his feet and said, "Before now, the Holy Beacon saw (alt: endeavored) for us. There is no time but now to endeavor for his honor!" Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba stood, took him to a ladder-bed. Whosoever saw the (alt: struggle and) confusion of the companions! As all the house was going up with scents, they took him up on his stretcher, and none but Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba ministered to him.
אָתוּ טְרִיקִין, וּמָארֵי תְּרִיסִין דִּכְפַר צִפֳּרִי וְטַרְדָאן בְּהוּ (ס"א דצפרי וטרדיא והוו) בְּנֵי מְרוֹנְיָא, צַוְוחִין בִּקְטִירִין, דְּחָשִׁיבוּ דְּלָא יִתְקְבַּר תַּמָּן. בָּתַר דְּנָפַק פּוּרְיָיא, הֲוָה סָלִיק בַּאֲוִירָא. וְאֶשָּׁא הֲוָה לָהִיט קַמֵּיהּ, שָׁמְעוּ קָלָא, עוּלוּ וְאָתוּ, וְאִתְכְּנָשׁוּ לְהִילּוּלָא דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, (ישעיהו נ״ז:ב׳) יָבֹא שָׁלוֹם יָנוּחוּ עַל מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם.
Came rabble-rousers and shield-bearers of the village of Sepphoris, but the children of Meron struggled with them, shouting violently, for they thought he should not be buried there. After the stretcher departed, it went up in the air, and fire burned before it. They heard a voice: "Rise and come, be gathered to the celebration of Rabbi Shimon! 'Let peace come, let they rest in their lying-places.' (Isa. 57:2)."
כַּד עָאל לִמְעַרְתָּא שָׁמְעוּ קָלָא בִּמְעַרְתָּא, זֶה הָאִישׁ מַרְעִישׁ הָאָרֶץ מַרְגִּיז מַמְלָכוֹת, כַּמָה פִּטְרִין בִּרְקִיעָא מִשְׁתַּכְּכִין (ס"א ולא משתכחין) בְּיוֹמָא דֵּין בְּגִינָךְ, דְּנָא רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי, דְּמָארֵיהּ מִשְׁתְּבַּח בֵּיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. כַּמָה גְּנִיזִין עִלָּאִין מִסְתַּמְרָן לֵיהּ, עָלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר (דניאל י״ב:י״ג) וְאַתָּה לֵךְ לַקֵּץ וְתָנוּחַ וְתַעֲמוֹד לְגוֹרָלְךָ לְקֵץ הַיָּמִין. עַד כָּאן הַאִדְרָא קַדִּישָׁא זוּטָא
When he entered the cave, they heard a voice in the cave: "'This is the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms! (Isa. 14:16) How many heavenly-accusers are silenced (alt: are not found) on this day on your account! This is R. Shimon son of Yoḥai, whose Lord lauds him every day. Worthy is his portion above and below. How many high treasures are hidden for him! About him it is said, 'And you, go to your end, and rest, and stand for your portion at the end of days.' (Dan. 12:13)" Therein ends the Lesser Holy Idra.