251. Rabbi Shimon sat while his son, Rabbi Elazar, stood and explained the secrets of the words of wisdom, and his face shone like the sun. And the word spread and flew in the sky. They sat two days and neither ate nor drank, and they did not know if it was day or night. When they went out, they realized that already two days had passed and they had eaten nothing. Rabbi Shimon exclaimed, "And he was there with Hashem forty days and forty nights, he did neither eat bread nor drink water" (Shemot 34:28). If for us, WHO MERITED TO CLEAVE TO HASHEM for a while it was so, THAT WE SPENT TWO DAYS IN THE LIGHT OF HASHEM AND DID NOT KNOW WHERE WE WERE, with Moses, about whom the Torah bears witness, "And he was there with Hashem forty days" - it is much more so.

252. When Rabbi Chiya came before Rabbi? and told him the story, Rabbi was amazed. His father, Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said to him, My son, Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai is a lion, and his son Rabbi Elazar is a lion, and Rabbi Shimon is not like the other lions. About him is written, "A lion has roared, who will not fear?" (Amos 3:8). Now that the higher worlds tremble before him, we certainly do. He is man who never decreed a fast for what he asked or prayed for. He would just decree and the Holy One, blessed be He, would fulfill. The Holy One, blessed be He, decrees and he annuls. This is what we learned of the meaning of the passage, "He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of Elohim" (II Shmuel 23:3). The Holy One, blessed be He, rules over man, and who rules over the Holy One, blessed be He, but the righteous man? For He decrees and the righteous man annuls it.