R. Jose said: ‘From the day that R. Simeon left the cave, nothing was concealed from the Companions, and things became clear to them as if they had been revealed that day on Mount Sinai. But after he died, then “the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were closed”, and the Companions could no longer get to the bottom of things, as shown by the following instance.’
One day R. Judah was sitting at the gate of Tiberias, and he saw two camels laden with bundles of clothes. One of the bundles fell down and a flock of birds flew to the spot. Before they could reach it, however, they dispersed.
Then a number of other birds came up, and perched on the rock. The men threw stones and shouted at them but they would not go away. He heard a voice saying: “The crown of crowns is plunged in darkness and does not rest on the head of the Master.”
While he was still sitting, a man passed by and said: “You are not following the example of Abram, who, when the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses drove them away (Gen. 15, 11).” “I am doing so,” said R. Judah, “but they will not go”. The man turned his head away and said: “This man has not yet plucked the hairs from the head of his Master, nor shorn the Matron.” R. Judah followed him three miles asking him to explain, but he would not, so that R. Judah was greatly perturbed.
One day he fell asleep under a tree and dreamt that he saw four wings outstretched and R. Simeon ascending on them with a scroll of the Law, and also with all manner of books containing hidden expositions and Agadahs. They all ascended to heaven and were lost to his view.
When he woke he said: ‘Verily, since the death of R. Simeon wisdom has departed from the earth. Alas for the generation that has lost this precious jewel which used to illumine it and on which higher and lower beings were supported.’
He came and told R. Abba, who clapped his hands on his head, saying: ‘R. Simeon was the mill in which every day the goodly manna was ground. Now the mill and the manna have departed, and nothing is left of it in the world save as it were “one omerful put in a pot to be kept” (Ex. 16, 33), that is, kept in a private place and not exposed. Who now can reveal mysteries or even know them?’
R. Abba whispered to him: ‘The man that you saw was assuredly Elijah, and he was not willing to reveal secrets in order that you may appreciate the worth of R. Simeon, and that his generation may weep for him.’ He said to him: ‘He indeed deserves to be wept.
Woe is me that I did not depart this life with those three who died in the sacred chamber of R. Simeon, so as not to behold this generation that has been laid low.’
He then said to him: ‘Master, tell me. It is written: “And they shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet and the fine linen” (Ex. 28, 5). Why is there no mention here of silver, seeing that silver was also brought for an offering (v. Ex. 25, 3)?’ He replied: ‘You might ask the same question with regard to copper, which also is mentioned in one place and not in the other. As the Sacred Lamp has revealed the answer, I also may reveal it.’
תָּנָא, אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, מִן יוֹמָא דְּאִסְתַּלִּיק רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מִן מְעַרְתָּא, מִלִּין (אלין) לָא אִתְכַּסְיָין מִן חַבְרַיָא, וְרָזִין עִלָּאִין הֲווּ מִסְתַּכְּלָן וְאִתְגַּלְּיָין מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ, כְּאִלּוּ אִתְיְיהִיבוּ הַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא בְּטוּרָא דְסִינַי. בָּתַר דְּשָׁכִיב כְּתִיב, (בראשית ח׳:ב׳) וַיִּסָּכְרוּ מַעְיְינוֹת תְּהוֹם וַאֲרוּבּוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְהֲווּ חַבְרַיָיא מְרַחֲשָׁן מִלֵּי, וְלָא מִתְקַיְימֵי בְּהוּ.
R. Jose said: ‘From the day that R. Simeon left the cave, nothing was concealed from the Companions, and things became clear to them as if they had been revealed that day on Mount Sinai. But after he died, then “the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were closed”, and the Companions could no longer get to the bottom of things, as shown by the following instance.’
דְּיוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה יָתִיב רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, אֲפִתְחָא דִטְבֶרְיָה, וְחָמָא תְּרֵי גְּמַלֵּי, דְּסָלְקֵי קַטְפִירָא מֵעֲלוֹי דְּכִתְפִין, נָפַל מָטוּלָא דְּקַטְפִירָא, וְאֲתוּ צִפֳּרֵי. וְעַד לָא מָטוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ, אִתְבַּקָּעוּ.
One day R. Judah was sitting at the gate of Tiberias, and he saw two camels laden with bundles of clothes. One of the bundles fell down and a flock of birds flew to the spot. Before they could reach it, however, they dispersed.
לְבָתַר אָתוּ כַּמָּה צִפֳּרִין, וְהֲווּ אָזְלֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ, וְשָׁרוּ (נ"א ושדיאו) לוֹן בְּטַרְטִישָׁא, וְלָא מִתְבַּקְּעִין. וְהֲווּ צָוְוחִין לוֹן, וְלָא הֲווּ מִתְפָּרְשָׁן. שָׁמְעוּ חַד קָלָא, עִטְרָא דְעִטְרִין בְּקִדְרִין שַׁרְיָא, וּמָרִיהּ לְבַר.
Then a number of other birds came up, and perched on the rock. The men threw stones and shouted at them but they would not go away. He heard a voice saying: “The crown of crowns is plunged in darkness and does not rest on the head of the Master.”
עַד דְּהֲוָה יָתִיב, עָבַר חַד גַּבְרָא, אַשְׁגַּח בְּהוּ. אָמַר, לָא קִיֵּים דָּא, הָא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ט״ו:י״א) וַיֵּרֶד הָעַיִּט עַל הַפְּגָרִים וַיַּשֵּׁב אוֹתָם אַבְרָם. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְהָא עֲבִידְנָא וְלָא אִתְפָּרְשָׁן. אַהֲדַר רֵישֵׁיהּ הַהוּא גַבְרָא וְאָמַר, עַד לָא מָרִיט דָּא רֵישֵׁיהּ דְּמָרֵיהּ, וְעַד לָא גָּלִישׁ לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא. רָהַט אֲבַתְרֵיהּ תְּלַת מִלִּין, וְלָא אָמַר לֵיהּ. חָלַשׁ דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי יְהוּדָה.
While he was still sitting, a man passed by and said: “You are not following the example of Abram, who, when the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses drove them away (Gen. 15, 11).” “I am doing so,” said R. Judah, “but they will not go”. The man turned his head away and said: “This man has not yet plucked the hairs from the head of his Master, nor shorn the Matron.” R. Judah followed him three miles asking him to explain, but he would not, so that R. Judah was greatly perturbed.
יוֹמָא חַד, אִדְמוּךְ תְּחוֹת אִילָנָא, וְחָמָא בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ, ד' גַּדְפִין מִתְתַּקְנָן, וְסָלִיק רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן עֲלַיְיהוּ, וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה עִמֵּיהּ. וְלָא שָׁבִיק כָּל סִפְרֵי רָזִין עִלָּאִין וַאֲגַדְתָּא, דְּלָא סָלִיק לוֹן בַּהֲדֵיהּ. וְסָלִיק לְהוֹן (ס"א וסליקן ליה) לִרְקִיעָא, וְחָמָא דְמִתְכַּסְיָא מֵעֵינָא, וְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָא.
One day he fell asleep under a tree and dreamt that he saw four wings outstretched and R. Simeon ascending on them with a scroll of the Law, and also with all manner of books containing hidden expositions and Agadahs. They all ascended to heaven and were lost to his view.
כַּד אִתְעַר, אָמַר, וַדַּאי מִדְּשָׁכִיב רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, חָכְמְתָא אִסְתַּלְּקַת מֵאַרְעָא. וַוי לְדָרָא דְּהַאי אַבְנָא טָבָא, דְהֲווּ מִתְחֲזָן (ס"א דמתאחדן) מִנֵּיהּ, וְסָמְכִין עֲלֵיהּ עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, אִתְאֲבִיד מִנַּיְיהוּ.
When he woke he said: ‘Verily, since the death of R. Simeon wisdom has departed from the earth. Alas for the generation that has lost this precious jewel which used to illumine it and on which higher and lower beings were supported.’
אֲתָא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי אַבָּא, סָח לֵיהּ. סָלִיק רִבִּי אַבָּא יְדוֹי עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ, וּבָכָה וְאָמַר, רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן רֵיחַיָיא דְּטַחֲנִין מִנֵּיהּ מַנָּא טָבָא כָּל יוֹמָא, וְלָקְטִין לֵיהּ. כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (במדבר י״א:ל״ב) הַמַּמְעִיט אָסַף עֲשָׂרָה חֳמָרִים, וְהַשְׁתָּא רֵיחַיָּיא וּמַנָּא אִסְתַּלְּקוּ וְלָא אִשְׁתָּאַר בְּעַלְמָא מִינֵיהּ, בַּר כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (שמות ט״ז:ל״ג) קַח צִנְצֶנֶת אַחַת וְתֶן שָׁמָּה מְלֹא הָעוֹמֶר מָן וְהַנַּח אוֹתוֹ לִפְנֵי ה' לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת. וְאִלּוּ בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָיא לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת, לְאַצְנָעוּתָא. הַשְׁתָּא מַאן יָכִיל לְגַלָּאָה רָזִין, וּמַאן יִנְדַע לוֹן.
He came and told R. Abba, who clapped his hands on his head, saying: ‘R. Simeon was the mill in which every day the goodly manna was ground. Now the mill and the manna have departed, and nothing is left of it in the world save as it were “one omerful put in a pot to be kept” (Ex. 16, 33), that is, kept in a private place and not exposed. Who now can reveal mysteries or even know them?’
לָחִישׁ לֵיהּ לְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה בִּלְחִישׁוּ, (אמר ליה רבי אבא) וַדַּאי הַהוּא גַבְרָא דְּחָמִית, אֵלִיָּהוּ הֲוָה. וְלָא בָּעָא לְגַלָּאָה רָזִין, בְּגִין דְּתִנְדַע שְׁבָחָא דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, דְּהֲוָה בְּיוֹמוֹי, וְיִבְכּוֹן דָּרָא עֲלוֹי. אָמַר לֵיהּ, דַּי לְמִבְכֵּי בְּכִיָּה עֲלֵיהּ.
R. Abba whispered to him: ‘The man that you saw was assuredly Elijah, and he was not willing to reveal secrets in order that you may appreciate the worth of R. Simeon, and that his generation may weep for him.’ He said to him: ‘He indeed deserves to be wept.
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה הֲוָה בָּכֵי כָּל יוֹמָא עֲלוֹי, דְּהָא אַעֲרַא עִמֵּיהּ בְּאִדְרָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וּשְׁאָר חַבְרַיָיא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, וַוי דְּלָא אִסְתַּלַּקְנָא הַהוּא יוֹמָא עִם אִינוּן תְּלָתָא דְּאִסְתַּלָּקוּ, וְלָא לֶחֱמֵי דָרָא דָא, דְּהָא אִתְהַפַּךְ.
Woe is me that I did not depart this life with those three who died in the sacred chamber of R. Simeon, so as not to behold this generation that has been laid low.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ, רִבִּי אֵימָא לִי, כְּתִיב, (שמות כ״ט:מ״ד) וְהֵם יִקְחוּ אֶת הַזָּהָב וְאֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת וְאֶת הָאַרְגָּמָן וְאֶת תּוֹלַעַת הַשָּׁנִי וְאֶת הַשֵּׁשׁ, וְאִילּוּ כֶּסֶף לָא כְּתִיב. וְהָא כְּתִיב זָהָב וָכֶסֶף. אָמַר לֵיהּ וְהָא נָמֵי נְחשֶׁת, דְּכֶסֶף וּנְחשֶׁת בְּחֻשְׁבְּנָא הֲווּ, וְהָכָא לָא. אֶלָּא, אִי לָא דְּגַלֵּי בּוֹצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ, לָא אִצְטָרִיכְנָא לְגַלָּאָה.
He then said to him: ‘Master, tell me. It is written: “And they shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet and the fine linen” (Ex. 28, 5). Why is there no mention here of silver, seeing that silver was also brought for an offering (v. Ex. 25, 3)?’ He replied: ‘You might ask the same question with regard to copper, which also is mentioned in one place and not in the other. As the Sacred Lamp has revealed the answer, I also may reveal it.’