Praises of Rebbe Shimon and the Zohar

• "This man uproars the land and upsets governments" Bas Kol ^[11]
• "The supernal holy light that the entire world must welcome his face" Rabbi Abba ^[12]
• "From the day Rebbe Shimon emerged from the cave, the supernal mysteries were open and revealed amongst the Chavarim as if they were given at that moment from Mount Sinai. After his passing the streams of the depth and the channels of the sky became sealed and the Chavarim whisper the teachings but they would not remain with them" Rebbe Yossi^[13]
• "A place of fire, the flame of Holy One Blessed Be He and the entire entourage of the upper realms are here and all the souls of the Tadikim are there." The Holy Ohr Hachaim when he traveled to Meron^[14]
• "In the future he will be the head to all the tzadikim sitting in Gan Eden." Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai regarding Rabbi Shimon^[15]
• Just like Shabbos is holy to Hashem, so to Rabbi Shimon is holy Shabbos for Hashem. Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai^[16]
• The holy Arizal gave a tikkun to a baal teshuva that each day he should recite five pages from the Zohar.^[17]
• "It says in the verse 'All males should go see the face of the Master Hashem', who is the 'face of the Master Hashem' this is Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai." Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yossi ^[18]
• "Hashe engraved the form of Rebbe Shimon's face in the Upper Realm." Rabbi Yossi^[19]
• In all generations when people occupy themselves with the holy Zohar, they awaken the power of the souls and the power of the Tzadikim along with the power of Moshe Rabbanu who all participated in the creation of the Zohar and through this they nullify the power of the external forces. The Ramak^[20]
• One who attaches himself to the book of the Zohar gets away from the Sitra Acher and does not need to go through the birth-pangs before the arrival of Moshiach. The Ramchal^[21]
• "Even though a person does not understand the Zohar, just reading the words is auspicious for the soul" The Ramchal^[22]
• "And there was light" this is Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai"^[23]
• "The merit of Rebbe Shimon in the Upper Worlds is greater than all the Tzadikim" Rabbi Yackov Abuchatzera ^[24]
• "Rebbe, Rebbe, you are the large tree and strong in Torah. In your branches which are holy limbs, many birds dwell there, which are holy souls, representing the Upper worlds as it says "in its branches will dwell the birds of the sky^[25]. Many people below will attain sustenance from your work (the Zohar) when it will be revealed below in the final generation, at the end of the days. Because of it "freedom will be decreed in the land"^[26]. A melodious voice from the supernal tree^[27]
• The Baal Shem Tov commanded his followers to study a teaching from the Zohar before each prayer^[28]
• "Studying Zohar is higher then all other studies, even if a person does not know what he is saying, and even if he mistakenly reads it wrong. It is a huge rectification for the soul." the Chida ^[29]
• "It is know that studying Zohar is very, very auspicious. Know, that through the study of Zohar a person receives desire for sorts of other Torah studies." The holy Tzadik Rabbi Nachman of Breslov ^[30]

See full page on Rebbe Shimon