The white-domed roof of the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, rebel against Rome and traditional author of the seminal kabalistic work, the Zohar, is one of the most beloved destinations in the world for Jewish pilgrims.
Tens of thousands of people stream to the tomb, located in Meron near Safed, on Lag Ba’omer, the traditional death date of Rabbi Shimon. A disciple of Rabbi Akiva, Shimon bar Yochai hid from the Romans with his son in a cave for many years, where they were miraculously nourished by a carob tree and a stream of water. A path from the southern part of his tomb complex leads to a cave and the spring of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
The cave is also known as the Cave of Hillel, according to a twelfth-century tradition identifying a tomb in it as that of Rabbi Hillel the Elder. According to tradition, only the righteous could witness a miracle in the cave: the sudden appearance of water. When such people beheld this event, their prayer requests would be answered.