What do non-Hasidic Jews think of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai?

Perhaps the most troubling rabbinic statement about non-Jews was attributed to the 2nd-century sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai: “The best of the Gentiles should be killed. read more

All Jews who study the Talmud regard Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai as a great sage of the Mishnaic period. There is no dispute amongst Jews regarding his status and authority in the Talmud. If the question is regarding what non-Hasidic Orthodox Jews think ("Litvaks" or "Lithuanian", non-Hasidic Orthodox Jews), that's the bottom line. read more

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (in English, Rabbi Simon bar Yochai or Rabbi Simon son of Yochai and, in Hebrew, also known as Rashbi) was a sage mentioned in the Mishnah and is widely regarded as the author of the Zohar, the major text of Jewish mysticism . read more

On Lag BaOmer we commemorate the death of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai – a Talmudic sage from the second century. As such, every year on Lag BaOmer, tens of thousands of people travel to his burial place in Meron, a small town in northern Israel, where they sing and dance around giant bonfires to celebrate his legacy. read more

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (in English, Rabbi Simon bar Yochai or Rabbi Simon son of Yochai and, in Hebrew, also known as Rashbi) was a sage mentioned in the Mishnah and is widely regarded as the author of the Zohar, the major text of Jewish mysticism . read more

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was one of the sages of Israel. The Mishnah records his name 325 times, and the times that he is mentioned in the tractates of Talmud are innumerable. At the grave of Rabbi Simeon Bar Yochai in Meron, Israel on Lag B'Omer. (Photo by Jonathan Stein) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. read more