COMMUNITY MAGAZINE May 2008

20 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai’s Emergence from the Cave The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (33b) tells the remarkable story of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai, author of the Zohar, and his son Rabbi Elazar, who hid from the Roman authorities in a cave for twelve years, during which time they did nothing but study Torah. They ate and drank only enough to survive, and rather than wear cloth- ing they buried their bodies in sand. When they finally emerged from the cave, the Gemara tells, they saw people working, tending to their fields and businesses, and were appalled. Rabbi Shimon exclaimed, “They abandon eternal life and involve themselves in ephemeral life?!” He was so disturbed that whenever he looked upon somebody busy working, that person was consumed by fire. Finally, a Heavenly voice burst forth and cried, “Did you leave [the cave] to destroy My world?” Gd ordered them to return to the cave. Rabbi Shimon and his son had achieved a level of spiritual perfection similar to Adam before the sin. They devoted themselves entirely to Torah, without diverting their attention at all onto mun- dane concerns. Upon emerging from the cave, they could not tolerate anything less than the level they had reached, they could not relate to anything short of absolute spiritual devotion. They simply could not bear the sight of people exert- ing time and effort to growing crops and developing businesses. From their per- spective, such engagement was repulsive and disgraceful. The Almighty admonished them not to view others through the lenses of their achievements; it is unfair to impose their unique standards of spiritual excellence upon everybody else. The fact that Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar rose to this extraordinary level of perfection did not mean that others did not deserve respect; each individual deserves credit for his accomplishments – even if his accomplishments cannot measure up to those of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai! “If Only I had the Mind of the Sha’agat Aryeh …” The notion of tolerance, as it emerges from the stories of Rabbi Akiva’s stu- dents and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai, touches upon the recognition of each person’s individual role in the world. Gd created every person with certain potential, and each individual’s potential obviously differs from that of his fellow. We cannot possibly expect all people to reach the same heights in all areas, and achieve the same levels of greatness in every respect. All we can expect is for every person to realize his own personal potential to the fullest, and become the person Gd intended him to become. The classic work Mesilat Yesharim begins by establishing that the basis of religious observance is for each individual to determine his particular obligation in this world. Gd does not make the same demands of all people, nor does He give each individual the same role. He demands only that each person harness his talents and capabilities, and develop them to the very best of his ability. The Hassidic master Rab Zusha of Anapoli would famously remark, “When I leave this world, I will not be asked why I was not Moshe Rabbenu; I will be asked why I wasn’t Reb Zusha!” A person enters this world to fulfill his role, not the role of somebody with greater potential, and he will thus be held accountable only for the task assigned specifically to him. Rabbi Aharon of Karlin In memory of Mrs. Rae Semah v"g  1969 Coney Island Ave (bet. P & Quentin)  718-382-5559 Call In To Pick Up or Deliver H alav Y israel  P at Y israel  K emaH Y asHan U nder tHe s UPervision of r abbi Y isroel P. G ornisH Please Your Palette . Dine In Elegance at alWaYs oPen satUrdaY nites till JUlY EASY ONLINE ORDERING : WWW.BURTOLUCCIS.COM