The Rabbi, the Son, and the Cave

The education of Rabbi Elazar

Elazar, the son of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, fell into bad habits. While his father was leading the public, he stayed at home and cultivated his gluttony skills. When he grew up, he enlisted in the service of the Roman police, which was the cause of his father hiding in a cave. Three people tried to bring him back to his father’s path: the first scolded him, the second empowered him, and the third listened to him. We will read his story and identify the different educational approaches it offers, in light of the theories of Viktor Frankl and Abraham Maslow.

Dr. Ido Hevroni teaches Gemara, classical literature, and psychology at Shalem College, and is a research fellow at the Hartmann Institute.