Rabbi Pinchas Ben Yair was a Talmudic sage (Tanna) of the 2nd century CE, son-in-law of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. He is famous for his formulation of the ladder of spiritual ascent known as the Pinchas Ben Yair ladder: Torah leads to carefulness, carefulness to diligence, diligence to cleanliness, cleanliness to abstinence, abstinence to purity, purity to piety, piety to humility, humility to fear of sin, fear of sin to holiness, holiness to the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit to resurrection of the dead. His kever near Tzfat is a major site of pilgrimage.