When Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai and his son were pursued by the Roman government, they were forced to hide in a cave for twelve years. During this time they occupied themselves with Torah study. When they eventually emerged, they could not fathom how people could spend time engaged in temporal pursuits. Then, after another year in the cave, and upon seeing how much the Jews loved the mitzvot, they were placated.

Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosei, and Rabbi Shimon were sitting, and Yehuda the son of converts was sitting beside them. Rabbi Yehuda began, and said: How pleasant are the deeds of this Roman nation, as they established marketplaces, built bridges, and erected bathhouses. Rabbi Yosei remained silent. Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai responded and said: Everything that they established, they established only for their own purposes. They established marketplaces to place prostitutes there. They established bathhouses to pamper themselves. They built bridges to collect taxes from all who cross them. Yehuda the son of converts went and related their statements to others, and ultimately their statements were heard by the Roman authorities. They said: Yehuda, who elevated the Roman authorities, shall be elevated and appointed head of the Sages. Yosei, who remained silent, shall be exiled to Tzippori [a city in the Galilee]. Shimon, who condemned the Romans, shall be killed.

Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai and his son Rabbi Elazar went and hid in the study hall. Every day, Rabbi Shimon’s wife would bring them bread and a jug of water, and they would eat. When the decree intensified, Rabbi Shimon said to his son: Women’s minds are pliable. Perhaps the authorities will torture her and she will reveal our whereabouts to them. They went and hid in a cave. A miracle transpired, and a carob tree and a spring of water were created for them. They would remove their garments and sit covered in sand up to their necks, and they would study Torah all day. At the time for prayer they would dress, cover themselves, and pray, and would then remove their garments again so that they would not become tattered.

They remained in the cave for twelve years, until Elijah the prophet came and stood at the entrance to the cave and said: Who will inform ben Yohai that the emperor has died and his decree has been abrogated?

Rabbi Shimon and his son Rabbi Elazar came out and saw people plowing and sowing. They said: These people forsake eternal life [Torah study] and engage in temporal life [to make a living]. Every place that they directed their eyes was immediately burned. A divine voice emerged and said to them: Did you come out to destroy My world? Return to your cave. They went and returned and remained there for the twelve months of the year…. A divine voice emerged and said: Leave your cave. They emerged. Every place that Rabbi Elazar would destroy, Rabbi Shimon would repair. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar: My son, you and I are sufficient for the entire world.

As the sun was setting on Shabbat eve, they saw an elderly man holding two bundles of myrtle branches and running at twilight. They said to him: Why do you have these? He said to them: In honor of Shabbat. They said: But isn’t one sufficient for you? He said: One corresponds to: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8), and one corresponds to: “Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy” (Deuteronomy 5:12). Rabbi Shimon said to his son: See how beloved the mitzvot are to Israel. They were placated.

Rabbi Pinhas ben Ya’ir, Rabbi Shimon’s son-in-law, heard of his return and went out to greet him. He brought him into the bathhouse and was tending to his flesh [which was chafed after all the years in the cave]. He saw that he had cracks in his skin. He began crying, and the tears from his eyes fell, and the salty tears on his wounds caused Rabbi Shimon pain. Rabbi Pinhas said to his father-in-law: Woe is me, that I have seen you like this. Rabbi Shimon said to him: Happy are you that you have seen me like this, as had you not seen me like this, you would not have found me with this prominence in Torah. For initially, when Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai would raise a difficulty, Rabbi Pinhas ben Ya’ir would respond with twelve explanations. Ultimately, after he emerged from the cave, when Rabbi Pinhas ben Ya’ir would raise a difficulty, Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai would respond with twenty-four explanations. (Shabbat 33b)