Eleazar b. Simeon

R. Eleazar ben Simon (also: Eleazar ben Simeon [ ben Yohai ] ) was an account of his sagacity very esteemed Jewish scholar of antiquity, is counted among the Tannaim of the fourth or the fifth generation and worked in the second half of the second century AD.

Eleazar was the son of Shimon ben Yohai and his pupil and disciple of R. Simon b. Gamaliel. He was a fellow student of Judah ha - Nasi, with whom he was often at odds, however.

For years lived Eleazar on the run from the Romans hid with his father in a cave, made ​​the Romans but unlike his father, which the Romans were extremely hateful, services in its pursuit of lawbreakers and moved as though to do so by the Romans compelled the hatred of his fellow- up. Narrated in this regard is the coined to Eleazar acclamation: "You, Vinegar, son of wine, how long do you want the executioner deliver the people of God " What Eleazar said to have replied: " I will remove only the thorns from the vineyard " - and his activity continued. Later he regretted his actions and underwent a severe penance imposed by him.

He died in Akbara in Northern Galilee and stayed at his own request unburied for many years. When they finally went to it, but to bury him yet, this provoked the protest of the inhabitants Akbaras because the city had been allegedly spared during the entire period prior to his funeral of wild animals. Then they buried him in Meron alongside his father.