Poster, quarto, 267:210 mm., light age staining, creased on folds, blue ink.

Unrecorded - No copy NLI & other major collections.

Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai, also known by his acronym Rashbi, was a 2nd-century tannaitic sage in ancient Judea, said to be active after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. He was one of the most eminent disciples of Rabbi Akiva, and attributed by many Orthodox Jews with the authorship of the Zohar, the chief work of Kabbalah.

In addition, the important legal works called Sifre and Mekhilta are attributed to him (not to be confused with the Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael, of which much of the text is the same). In the Mishnah, in which he is the fourth-most mentioned sage, he is referred to as simply "Rabbi Shimon" (with one exception, Hagigah 1:7). In the baraita, midrash and gemara his name occurs either as R. Shimon or as R. Shimon ben Yochai.

Some of his views were seemingly very harsh. He did not look kindly on people who were not involved in Torah and Kabbalah 24/7. The talmud (Shabbat 33b) tells us that when he and his son exited for the cave after hiding from the Romans for twelve years, they observed people occupied with agricultural pursuits to the neglect of the Torah, and, being angered thereby, smote them by his glances.. They Al-mighty is quoted to have told them "to destroy my creations you came forth! Return to the cave."

This sheet represents a prayer in kabbalah to prevent Rashbi's curse that all who do not study the holy discipline of the Zohar will perish or should never of have been born.

Hebrew Description