Lag B'Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, is one
of the most enigmatic days of the Jewish calendar.
Since the conclusion of Pesach, our children have been
zealously collecting flammables, from trees to matches. The
piles are everywhere, the children are nowhere. Sometimes
they suddenly pop into our living rooms proudly displaying
the fruits of their labors. After Ima recovers from the
shock, she "gently" orders her son to evacuate the boards or
branches immediately.
In the city of Meron, hundreds of thousands of Yidden
converge upon the kever of the Tanna Rebbe Shimon
Bar Yochai (Rashbi). At nightfall, meduros, or
bonfires, break out all over, illuminating the Holy Land.
Simultaneously, masses of Acheinu Bnei Yisroel burst
out in joy and jubilation, dance and song in praise of the
Rashbi . . . songs not composed for any other tzaddik
or sage throughout history.
Who was Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai? What is the root of these
extraordinary minhagim? Why do Yidden joyfully
visit his kever in such enormous numbers, like they
visit no other tzaddik's kever?
Lag B'omer is the yahrtzeit of the Rashbi. This holy
Tanna attained high spiritual levels in his lifetime.
The Zohar relates that he possessed the neshomoh
of Moshe Rabbeinu. Similar to Moshe Rabbeinu, Rashbi was
a man of unique anivus as well as extraordinary
ahavas Yisroel. To illustrate this point, the
gemora (Succah 45b) quotes the Rashbi as saying, "I am
able to exempt the entire world from the [harsh] attribute of
din, judgment."
The Nesivos Sholom explains that Rashbi possessed such a
storehouse of love for every Jew that, middoh kenegged
middoh, he was able to effect a sweetening of the din
to the whole world. That means that by accentuating the
positive qualities of Hashem's creations, Shomayim, as
it were, judged the world from a more merciful
perspective.
Lag B'Omer, as well as being the day of Rashbi's passing, was
also the day he revealed the Toras Hanistar, the inner
content of Torah: the Zohar. This day is referred to
as the Matan Torah of Toras Hanistar. Just as
Moshe Rabbenu was the liaison to accept Toras Hanigleh
on behalf of Bnei Yisroel, Rashbi revealed the
Toras Hanistar to Am Yisroel.
How did this revelation occur? And why is there so much
simcha and jubilation on the day of his passing? The
yom petiroh of a tzaddik is in some communities
a day of introspection and fasting.
Rav Eliyahu Kitov, in his Sefer Hatodaah, answers
these questions with a stunning account from the Zohar.
On the day of Rashbi's passing, his talmidim
gathered around him like a "yom hilulah," that is,
like the day a chosson rejoices with his kallah.
A beacon of limitless happiness illuminated the area
while the tzaddik disclosed secrets of the Torah.
The day was longer than any other and the sun did not set
until Rashbi taught the penimius haTorah that the
Creator permitted him to reveal. Then the sun was allowed to
set, and the soul of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai ascended on
High. (Zohar Idra Zutto — Parshas Ha'azinu)
Rav Kitov concludes that the day of Matan Toras
Hanistar became a yom simcha. "This was the
Rashbi's wish, even though the day of the petiroh of a
tzaddik is a day of fasting."
Multitudes of Yidden are therefore drawn to kever
Rashbi annually on his yom hilulah to envelope
themselves with the hashpo'oh of Matan Toras
Hanistar and to be inspired by the elevated atmosphere of
the place.
Another astounding middoh of the Rashbi was his self
effacement (bitul hayeish). Through his 13 year
sojourn in the cave with his son Eliezer, living on carob
fruit and water, he attained a profound level of bitul
hayeish and taharoh.
Fire achieves two purposes. It purifies by removing the dross
where there are impurities, and it illuminates. As our Lag
B'Omer bonfires crackle we are reminded of the high level of
purity that Rashbi attained, as well as the light of Toras
Hanistar that he revealed.
May Lag B'Omer this year enflame our neshomos to
greater heights of Avodas Hashem by following in the
footsteps of the holy Tanna and tzaddik Rebbe
Shimon bar Yochai.
