Editing Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (section)

== His Passing ==
On the day of his passing on Lag BaOmer, he gathered some of his disciples for a special occasion, where he revealed hidden secrets in the teachings of Kabbalah, which he had not revealed to his disciples throughout his life. In Chassidic teachings, it is explained that the secrets he revealed during his lifetime were of the level of "Nishmata D'Oraita" - Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama of Torah, and the secrets that he revealed on the day of his passing were the inner secrets of his lifetime, of the level of "Nishmata L'Nishmata" - Chaya, Yechida of Torah.

Among his words at that gathering, he also expressed a rare statement about himself:<blockquote>"I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me, all the days that I was bound in this world, with one bond I was bound to the Holy One, blessed be He... my soul is united with Him, yearns for Him, cleaves to Him"

— Idra Zuta (Zohar Part 3, 288a, 292a).</blockquote>In Chassidic teachings, it is explained that Rashbi's connection to the Holy One, blessed be He, throughout all his days was at the level of hiskashrus (connection), a level expressing an inner connection between two things (not just external like devekut). This connection was achieved through his engagement with the inner dimensions of Torah, which reveals how a Jew is connected in the inner dimensions of his soul to the Holy One, blessed be He, at all times, even when he is engaged in the revealed part of Torah. But since even such a connection expresses a relationship between two things that connect—Rashbi was not satisfied with this and aspired for a connection at the level of unity, revealing how his soul is "one" with the Holy One, blessed be He, through the Yechida of the soul (even without the need for connection through Torah); and this unity he succeeded in achieving completely on the day of his passing.

At that time, he was in great joy, his face illuminated, and he commanded that on this day they should celebrate his day of joy for generations. As he recited the verse "life unto the world," his soul departed.

In Chassidut, it is brought that this day is like the giving of the Torah of the hidden Torah, since on this day Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai's Torah was completed. It is also brought that Rabbi Shimon is like Moses—just as he gave and taught the revealed Torah, so too is Rabbi Shimon called the "giver" of the hidden Torah.
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