Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar was a fourth‑generation Tanna, a close disciple of Rabbi Akiva and a contemporary of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, remembered both as a halachic authority and as a humble artisan whose life became deeply associated with Eretz Yisrael, unity “for the sake of Heaven,” and mystical symbolism around shoes/steps; later tradition connects his kever in Meron with yeshuot and kabbalistic meditations, though there is no single, universally codified “segulah” like some other tzaddikim.​
Historical and Biographical Profile
Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar (“the Shoemaker/the Sandalmaker”) lived in the second century as part of the fourth generation of Tannaim, primarily in Eretz Yisrael under Roman rule.​
He was a primary disciple of Rabbi Akiva and a colleague of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, participating in the post–Bar Kochba rebuilding of Torah and halachah and risking his life to maintain contact with his imprisoned teacher.​
Sources describe him as a descendant of Rabban Gamliel and, through that line, as tracing his ancestry back to King David; later tradition records that Rashi was a 33rd‑generation descendant of him.​
His nickname may refer either to his actual trade (shoemaker/leather worker) or to origin from Alexandria (“Alexandri”), but in any case it highlights that he combined Torah greatness with simple, honest craftsmanship.​
Central Teachings and Spiritual Themes
In the Mishnah (Pirkei Avot 4:11), Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar teaches: “Every assembly that is for the sake of Heaven will endure; one that is not for the sake of Heaven will not endure,” a line often quoted to evaluate communities, movements, and partnerships.​
His life story also models mesirut nefesh for halachah: at great personal risk he disguised himself to consult Rabbi Akiva in prison on a difficult marital law question, showing that getting halachah right was worth more than his own safety.​
Biographical notes tell that during the Hadrianic persecutions he once left Eretz Yisrael with Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua intending to settle in Nisibis, but when they reached Sidon they were overcome with longing for the Land, tore their garments, and turned back, declaring that living in Eretz Yisrael equals all the mitzvot.​
This episode turns him into a symbol of deep attachment to the Land and is often quoted in discussions about the spiritual weight of yishuv Eretz Yisrael.​
Kever and Pilgrimage in Meron
Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar is buried in Meron, about 200 meters from the tziyun of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, on the slopes of Har Meron in the Galil.​
Pilgrimage guides describe his grave as part of the Meron complex of “kivrei tzaddikim,” with a marked tziyun and small domed structure, and note that his hilula is observed on 29 Tammuz.​
Contemporary accounts describe gatherings and music at his kever, especially on and around Lag BaOmer when crowds overflow from Rashbi’s tziyun; there is a well‑known niggun recorded specifically “by the grave of Rabbi Yochanan the Shoemaker” that is sung by Meron pilgrims.​
Popular books on holy graves in Israel include him among the “holy sages buried in Israel,” encouraging visitors to say Tehillim, give tzedakah, and ask for personal yeshuot in his merit.​
Kabbalistic and Symbolic Dimensions
Kabbalistic and Chassidic writers pay attention to his title “HaSandlar,” connecting shoes and sandals with the interface between the soul and the world—how holiness “steps” into physical reality.​
An Emuna Builders teaching, for example, notes parallels between Yochanan HaSandlar and Chanoch (Enoch), another “shoemaker” figure in Midrash, suggesting that both sanctified each stitch and step, turning mundane craftsmanship into channels of Divine light.​
Kabbalah often reads shoes as symbols of the lowest spiritual “garment” that protects and yet separates holiness from impurity, so a tzaddik whose identity is “the Sandalmaker” is seen as a master of navigating boundaries—between sacred and profane, Israel and exile, inner and outer life.​
Later mystical anecdotes (of the type that connect souls across generations) mention that various sages had to be careful with wine or other physical experiences because of soul‑roots from earlier figures; within that framework, Yochanan HaSandlar’s trade becomes a remez for his role in “repairing the steps” of Am Yisrael in exile.​
Segulot and Practices Associated With Him
Unlike the highly formalized segulot of some later tzaddikim (such as specific tefillot or candle rituals), there is no widely codified classical segulah that is uniquely and universally tied to Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar.​
However, a few practical patterns show up in contemporary usage and kabbalistic framing:
Seeking guidance and clarity in halachic/family questions: Because he risked his life to obtain a precise halachic ruling on a sensitive marital issue, some people go to his kever or invoke his zechut when facing complex shalom bayit, marriage, or halachic‑family dilemmas, asking for clear, truthful psak and unity “for the sake of Heaven.”​
Tefillah for unity and “for the sake of Heaven” gatherings: His Pirkei Avot teaching about assemblies that are l’shem Shamayim leads some to use his name in prayers for communities, shuls, boards, or partnerships torn by machloket, asking that their “assembly” be transformed into one that will endure.​
Avodah in work and parnassa at the level of kedushat ha‑ma’aseh: Because he was explicitly remembered as a shoemaker or craftsman, teachings about sanctifying one’s job, tying shoes with halachic/kabbalistic intention, and walking in the world with tevunah often draw on his figure; some, inspired by such teachings, dedicate their daily work to Hashem and mention his merit when trying to turn parnassa into avodat Hashem.​
General guides for visiting Meron advise a simple, mainstream derech: immerse in teshuvah, give tzedakah, say Tehillim, and then speak in personal tefillah at the kevarim of Rashbi and Yochanan HaSandlar, framing them as channels for rachamim rather than magical shortcuts.​
Within that, each person can shape their own “segulah” according to his themes: unity and l’shem Shamayim, love of Eretz Yisrael, mesirut nefesh for Torah, and sanctifying daily steps and shoes as part of walking humbly with Hashem