Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai

[To better understand this passage, one needs to know that the Mezuzah parchment is rolled with the written torah portions inside and the Holy name Shin-Dalet-Yud written on the outside. The first two letters of this name is the same as that of a damaging...

Rabbi Aba said, what [is meant] when written, "They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and have hewn them out cistern, [broken cisterns that cannot hold water...]"? (Jeremiah 2:13) "They have forsaken Me" refers to he who is false to the sig...

[What follows is a story concerning the wondrous reward of loving G-d and sanctifying His Name.] One day Rabbi Yosi was ill. Rabbi Aba and Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yitzchak visited him. They saw him prostrated on his face, sleeping. They sat [and waited for...

Those present at the King's feast behaved properly to show they were members of the King's table; we should behave likewise at a Shabbat Meal, for numerous rectifications are brought about by various details enacted then.

The wise who are initiated in the high secrets, [prefer to] perform their marital obligation on Shabbat nights, as was explained. (Ketuvot 62a) However, this subject I asked the holy luminary [Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai], for we see that the lower crown [of ...

We have learned (Berachot 4a) that a man should always apply himself to arousing the Good Inclination against the Evil Inclination. [When the Evil Inclination leads man to sin, one should connect with holiness to overpower the Satan who accuses against hi...

We have learned that nothing in the world withstands repentance, and G-d surely accepts everyone who returns to Him. If one repents, the path to holiness is that is the path of true life, is opened up before him. Even though he caused a spiritual blemish,...

Come and see, "but he went perversely in the way of his heart," followed by, "I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and bestow comforts on him and on his mourners." (Isaiah 57:17-18) "But he went perversel...

"If a soul shall sin [through ignorance]." (Lev. 4:2) Rabbi Yosi returned to his discourse expounding on this with the verse: "Before the day cools and the shadows flee" (Song of Songs 2:17) This is advice to the soul to beware of sinn...

We learned that when G-d looks down and supervises this world and sees that people have rectified their deeds below, this causes Atika Kadisha to be revealed, shining into Zeir Anpin [Atika Kadisha gazes and illuminates Zeir Anpin]. All these faces [of Ab...