The Torah tells us that the rainbow is a sign of the covenant between God and humanity after the flood, a promise that the world will never again be destroyed in that way. As it says in Genesis 9:12, “God said: This is the sign of the covenant that I place between Me and you, and every living soul that is with you, for eternal generations.”
But what if rainbows weren't always necessary? What if there were times when the merit of certain generations was so great that the world didn’t need a reminder of God's promise?
That's the fascinating question raised in Bereshit Rabbah 35, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Here, the verse about the rainbow being a sign "for eternal generations" (ledorot) is interpreted in a surprising way. The Hebrew word ledorot, spelled without two vavs in the text, is taken to exclude two generations from needing the sign of the rainbow. The text suggests that not all generations required this sign.
Which generations? The text names the generation of Hezekiah, the righteous king of Judah, and the generation of the members of the Great Assembly – figures who helped establish Jewish practice and law after the Babylonian exile. The idea is that during these periods, the people were so righteous that the rainbow, a reminder of humanity's potential for destruction, simply wasn't needed.
Rabbi Hizkiya offers a slightly different view, replacing the generation of the Great Assembly with the generation of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a prominent figure in the Kabbalah tradition.
This leads to a truly remarkable story involving Elijah the prophet and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi. They were studying Mishna together, grappling with a teaching of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai. They disagreed on a detail and decided to consult the source himself! Remember, Rabbi Shimon had already passed away. But his grave was nearby, located in a cave.
Elijah went into the cave to ask Rabbi Shimon directly. Rabbi Shimon's spirit asked, "Who is with you?" Elijah replied, "It is the foremost figure of the generation, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi." Rabbi Shimon then asked, "Has a rainbow ever been sighted in his days?" When Elijah answered yes, Rabbi Shimon declared that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi was not worthy to see his countenance.
Think about that for a moment. The mere presence of a rainbow in Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi's time was seen as a sign of spiritual imperfection, preventing him from encountering Rabbi Shimon's holy spirit.
The passage continues with more incredible tales of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai’s power. Rabbi Hizkiya, quoting Rabbi Yirmeya, tells us that Rabbi Shimon once commanded, "Valley, valley be filled with gold dinars," and it was so!
Then comes an even bolder statement: Rabbi Shimon believed that Abraham, with his immense merit, could have drawn all people from his time until Rabbi Shimon's time closer to God. But, if Abraham didn't choose to do so, Rabbi Shimon and Aḥiya the Shilonite could together bring everyone from Abraham's time until the coming of the messianic king closer to God.
Finally, Rabbi Shimon states that the world needs at least thirty righteous people like Abraham to endure. If there are thirty, he and his son are two of them. This number dwindles down: if there are twenty, ten, five, or two righteous people, Rabbi Shimon and his son are among them. And if there is only one righteous person in the world? It is Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai himself!
What are we to make of these extraordinary claims?
On one level, it's a testament to the immense respect and reverence held for these figures, particularly Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai. He is portrayed as a towering spiritual figure whose merit could influence the fate of the world.
But perhaps there's a deeper message here. Maybe it's about the potential that lies within each of us. The idea that righteousness, spiritual dedication, and connection to God can create a world where reminders of destruction are unnecessary.
It challenges us to consider: what kind of world are we creating? Are we striving to live in a way that diminishes the need for such reminders? Are we contributing to a world where the "rainbow" of covenant is ever-present, or are we striving for a world that transcends even that?