The Strength of Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai

Tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai | source: איתי פרץ

Rebbe Nachman’s magnum opus, the Likutey Moharan, starts with the following teaching about Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai’s greatness, mission and message for all ensuing generations. Because it appears as a prologue to the actual lessons of Likutey Moharan this short teaching can be seen as hinting to the connection between Rebbe Shimon and Rebbe Nachman. Perhaps as future guidelines to his students…
“Come and see the wonders of HaShem! An awesome revelation of the hidden greatness of the Godly Tanna (Mishnaic Sage) Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai, of blessed memory:

Rebbe Shimon Ben Yochai assured and promised that through him the Torah will not be forgotten from the Jewish nation. The Talmud recounts (Shabbat 138): ‘When our Sages assembled in Kerem BeYavneh they declared that [due to the darkness of the exile] the Torah is destined to be forgotten from the Jewish nation. And Rebbe Shimon Ben Yochai retorted that it would not be forgotten, as the verse states: For [the Torah] will not be forgotten from the mouth of his offspring (Devarim 31)’. And as is brought down in the Zohar (Nasso 124): ‘Through this work, the Book of Zohar [which is written by Rebbe Shimon], the Jews will come out of the exile.’

Now come and see and understand the awesome depth of our holy Torah! It was precisely that Rebbe Shimon Ben Yochai brought his support from the verse ‘For [the Torah] will not be forgotten from the mouth of his offspring’. For in truth this verse contains the allusion that through the offspring of Yochai – Rebbe Shimon – the Torah will not be forgotten from the Jewish nation. For the last letters of each word (כ’י ל’א תשכ’ח מפ’י זרע’ו) spell out the name “Yochai-יוחאי”. And this is what the verse is coming to hint at and reveal when it states ‘from the mouth of his offspring’. It is specifically through the offspring of the person himself who is hinted to in the last letters of the verse’s words, the Tanna Yochai, that the Torah will not be forgotten. Since through the Holy Zohar the Jewish nation will leave the exile.

And know! Rebbe Shimon himself is hinted to in another verse. For the holy Tanna Rebbe Shimon is the aspect of ‘the supernal and holy one who descended

from Above’ (Daniel 4).  The first letters of each word spell out Shimon-שמעון ((ע’יר ו’קדיש מ’ן ש’מיא נ’חית etc.”

* * *

Rebbe Nachman begins the prologue with a story from the Talmud that recounts how when the Sages entered Kerem BeYavneh they foresaw that the Torah would be forgotten from Israel. As the verse states: “Behold days are approaching, says HaShem, and I will send a famine in the land. Not a famine for bread … but a famine for the word of HaShem.” And as it states: “And they [the Jews] will wander from sea to sea. From the north until the east they will roam in search of the word of HaShem, but they will not find it.” From these verses the Sages deduced that the Torah would be forgotten from Israel.

Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai who was present responded: “Heaven forbid that the Torah be forgotten! The verse states: ‘For it [the Torah] will not be forgotten from the mouth of his offspring.’ So how do I resolve the other verse: ‘they will roam in search of the word of HaShem, but they will not find it’? That they will not find clear halakhic rulings and clear learning in one place.”

In reality Rebbe Shimon did not disagree with the Sages. However Rebbe Shimon is guaranteeing that he has the power to enable the Jewish nation not to forget the Torah. Rebbe Nachman teaches us here that if Rebbe Shimon and his Torah are in our perspective and a part of our Torah study, then we will merit that the Torah will not be forgotten from us.
Yet, the question remains – why did the Sages conclude that the Torah would be forgotten?
The answer is quite simple. Rebbe Nachman teaches that vitality determines the continual existence of any item, bringing its’ awareness to man. But once the item becomes “dry” and lacking of vitality it becomes forgotten from man. Why does mankind forget a dead man? Because he is lacking vitality.

Thus it was specifically Rebbe Shimon who could assure and secure the survival of the Torah and its legacy. For he revealed and founded a way how man can arouse and renew his soul with a spirit of holiness – the light of the Torah i.e. the Holy Zohar – even within the deepest concealment. And it is this “vitality” which ensures the continuity of the Torah.

* * *

Rebbe Nachman teaches that in the inner-depth of every Jew is found a very profound point of great Divine wisdom that is enlightened with the light of HaShem. No external force or concealment can overcome this inner point. When the light of this inner point is revealed we can then leave our concealment and become aware of HaShem and His Divine wisdom. The main toil of the Tzaddikim in every generation is to enlighten every Jew with his unique inner point. Through this inner point every Jew can receive a new arousal to the service of HaShem and come ever closer to Him.

But how do the Tzaddikim do this? Through their Torah insights and teachings. When the Tzaddik reveals his Torah he is actually constricting and channeling an awesome Divine light down to this world. And it is this light which reveals the light of our inner point.

Thus Rebbe Nachman connects Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai’s guarantee that the Torah will not be forgotten with his other statement that through the Holy Zohar the Jews will come out of exile. For Rebbe Shimon infused his work, the Holy Zohar, with such a powerful light (the word Zohar means light) that enlightens and shines to each person his lofty inner point of holy awareness. This is also one of the reasons why many leading Tzaddikim of the past have stated that simply reciting the words of the Holy Zohar – even without understanding them – has the power to arouse a person from his spiritual sleep.

* * *

Furthermore it can be understood from Rebbe Nachman’s statement, “Now come and see and understand the awesome depth of our holy Torah!” just how wondrous is our Torah. For specifically the verse “For [the Torah] will not be forgotten…” which was said in regards to a time of great concealment from HaShem, contains the antidote and vessel with which we can come out of the most extreme concealment. It is through the light of the Tzaddik that Rebbe Shimon reveals to us that we will come out of our exile.