Rav Shimon bar Yochai

The supreme of Tanaim
Greatest in the mind’s eye
The talmid of Rav Akiva
Rav Shimon bar Yochai

The depth of his great learning
And secrets there belie
Toras niglah venistar
Rav Shimon bar Yochai

To speak the truth of Roman deeds
Somewhere there was a spy
And so they’d flee
His son and he
Rav Shimon bar Yochai (Shabbos 33b)

His wife would feed them
Till the search
would much intensify
And so they fled,
No water, bread
Rav Shimon bar Yochai

To a cave they ran and hid
As twelve years past them by
Rav Elazar and the great
Rav Shimon bar Yochai

In the sand they’re buried
From foot ‘till near the eye
Immersed in Torah totally
Rav Shimon bar Yochai

A stream appeared to give them drink
Carob for food supply
To nurture the existence of
Rav Shimon bar Yochai

And when they left their holy cave
They could not just comply
Eternity! Not Vanity!
Rav Shimon bar Yochai

For frivolities of life they burned
A look from a holy eye
Until Heaven called out to them
Rav Shimon bar Yochai!

“To destroy the world I made
Your actions do imply
Return back to your holy cave!
Rav Shimon bar Yochai”
And then they saw a simple Yid
Hadasim held so high
Kineged Zachor V’Shamor!
Rav Shimon bar Yochai

Behold! How precious are the Yidden
Was his great reply
So he returned, a lesson learned
Rav Shimon bar Yochai

And with him came the Zohar
The secrets from on high
That we share with utmost fear
Rav Shimon bar Yochai

And all the while with us
No rainbow in the sky
His zechus not small,
Did save us all
Rav Shimon bar Yochai (Kesubos 77)

To save the Yidden from decrees
He’d readily comply
Both ben T’malyon and decrees gone!
Rav Shimon bar Yochai (Meilah 17a)

To release the world from din
He could do with one cry
Together with Elazar beno
Rav Shimon bar Yochai (Sukkah 45b)

“Your greatness,” said Rav Akiva
“Know just Hashem and I.”
You transcend
The greatest men
Rav Shimon bar Yochai
(Yerushalmi, Sanhedrin 1:2 Daf 5)

And every year they travel
To Har Meron on high
They sing and pray
All night they stay
For Rav Shimon bar Yochai

And the sun does rise inspired
All souls awake on high
Their spirits raised, as they have praised
Rav Shimon bar Yochai