Chapter 1 (PDF) - Stanford University Press

``You are not entitled to see him.'' He wept and fasted another forty days.
told,
a vision he was shown Rabbi Shim'on and his son Rabbi El'azar, studying
In
word that Rabbi Yose had spoken, 140 with thousands listening. Meanwhile
the
noticed many huge celestial wings, 141
which Rabbi Shim'on and his son
he
El'azarmounted, and they soared to the Academy of Heaven. All those
Rabbi
waited forthem. He saw them returning, theirsplendorrenewed, and
wings
shone more brilliantly than the dazzle of the sun.
they
Shim'on opened, saying, ``Let Rabbi Ḥiyya enterand see how the
Rabbi
Holy One intends to rejuvenate the faces of the righteous in the time
blessed
come. 142 Happy is one who enters here without shame. Happy is one who
to
in that world 143 as a sturdy pillar.''
stands
Ḥiyya saw himself entering. Rabbi El'azar rose together with the other
Rabbi
sitting there. Embarrassed, he drew back, then entered and sat at the
pillars
of Rabbi Shim'on. A voice issued: ``Loweryoureyes, do not raise your
feet
do not gaze!'' Lowering his eyes, he saw a light shining in the distance.
head,
voice returned: ``O high, hidden, concealed ones, open-eyed, roaming the
The
who has replaced him as the spiritual
Shim'on,
hero, welcomes him to heaven.
Mount Sinai Moses fasted forforty
On
(Exodus 34:28). According to Rabbi
days
son of Ḥanilai (Midrash Mishlei 1:1),
Tanḥum
did the same ``so that God would
Solomon
him a spirit of wisdom and understanding.''
give
See BT Bava Metsi'a 85a, where
Yosef is said to have fasted forty fasts,
Rabbi
forty more, then forty more, in order to
then
that Torah not depart from him. On
ensure
following page (85b) we read of Rabbi
the
glorious state in heaven, a passage
Ḥiyya's
influences the Zohar's description here
which
Rabbi Shim'on and Rabbi El'azar: ``Rabbi
of
said, `Rabbi Ḥaviva son of Surmaki
Ḥaviva
me: ``I saw one of the rabbis whom Elijah
told
to frequent. In the morning his eyes
used
lovely, but in the evening they looked as
were
they had been burnt by fire. I asked him,
if
is this?' He told me that he had asked
`What
`Show me the [departed] rabbis as
Elijah,
ascend to the Heavenly Academy.' He
they
replied: `You can gaze at all of them
[Elijah]
for the carriage of Rabbi Ḥiyya, at
except
you cannot gaze.' `What is theirsign?
which
can I distinguish between them?]'
[How
are accompanied by angels as they as-
`All
and descend, except forRabbi Ḥiyya's
cend
which ascends and descends on its
carriage,
`Unable to restrain myself, I gazed at
own.'
Two sparks of fire shot forth and struck
it.
man [i.e., me], blinding him. The next
that
I went and prostrated myself upon his
day
Ḥiyya's] grave, crying out, ``Your mishnah
[Rabbi
is my mishnah,'' and I was healed.''''''
the special relationship between Rabbi
On
and Rabbi Shim'on, see Zohar 2:14a
Ḥiyya
). On weeping as a technique forattaining
(MhN
a vision, see Idel, Kabbalah: New
bara). See above, pages XX124±
(Be-reshit
XX135.
wings Of angels, or``winged
141.
beings.''
rejuvenate the faces . . . See Qohelet
142.
on 1:7: ``Rabbi Yirmeyah son of Ra-
Rabbah
El'azarsaid, `In the time to come, the
bbi
Holy One will rejuvenate the light of
blessed
faces of the righteous, as is said: But
the
those that love him be as the sun going
may
in its might (Judges 5:31).'''
forth
in that world On earth.
143.
Haqdamat Sefer ha-Zohar
[1:4a]
21
Rabbi Yose had transmitted a teaching
75±88.
Perspectives,
the word that Rabbi Yose had spo-
140.
ken
C
\K[BZ
BZC
of Rabbi Shim'on's concerning