Lag B'Omer And the Legacy of
R' Shimon Bar Yochai

By Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht
Spiritual Leader Beth Israel of Westport/Norwalk

The Hebrew month of Iyar is unique in that it is the only month of the year in which Sefirat Ha'Omer, the counting of the omer, is done each and every day of the month. Counting the days of the omer teaches us that our lives are significant not only for what we accomplish on a yearly, monthly or weekly basis, but also each and every day is a complete unit of time that presents us with an opportunity to do mitzvoth, study Torah, and refine our character.

Since this idea is stressed throughout the month of Iyar, it is not surprising that our sages tell us that the word "Iyar" (spelled aleph, yud, yud, reish) is an acronym for Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaacov and Rachel, the four foundations of the Jewish people, who dedicated every day of their lives to being "Divine chariots," totally dedicated to following G-d's commands and doing good deeds.

Highlighting the month of Iyar is the joyous holiday of Lag B'Omer, which falls on the 18th day ("Chai") of Iyar. This year it is celebrated the eve of May 22nd and Friday, May 23rd.

On this day the remaining students of the great Rabbi Akiva were spared from a plague that decimated 24,000 of his talmidim during the days of sefira. Lag B'Omer also marks the yahrzeit celebration of the great Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (also known, after his initials, as the "Rashbi"), one of the few surviving disciples of Rabbi Akiva, who, years after the plague, returned his immortal soul to his Maker on this day.

Indeed, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's life was the epitome of studying Torah and revealing the secrets of Torah, called "razin d'oraita." Due to his absolute commitment, Rebbe Shimon merited to author the holy "Zohar," meaning "Light," in which he revealed many of the mysteries and secrets of the Torah. As we read in Ethics of the Fathers (Avot 6:1), "Whoever occupies himself with the study of Torah for its own sake merits many things...the mysteries of the Torah are revealed to him."

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai had been forced to escape, together with his son Eliezer, from the clutches of the Roman occupation. A death sentence was issued against him for speaking the truth about the Roman Empire, in the solitude of a cave; Rabbi Shimon studied the holy Torah uninterrupted for twelve years. The Almighty caused a spring of fresh water to appear, and a carob tree to grow at the foot of the cave, so that the Tzadik would have food and water to sustain him.

Rabbi Shimon reached indescribable heights of kedusha and knowledge of Torah during the difficult twelve years he spent in total isolation and deprivation. It was during his experience in the cave that the Rashbi formulated many of the esoteric concepts of the Torah that he later transmitted for all of Israel.

The Talmud (Shabbat 33b) relates that when Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was notified by Elijah that he was no longer in danger, he and his son emerged from the cave and they noticed a man tilling the soil. After their years of solitude, steeped solely in Torah, this seemed wrong and intolerable. They exclaimed "They forsake eternal life (Torah study) and engage in temporal life (working at a job)!" and a fire broke out wherever they gazed. A heavenly voice proclaimed, "Have you emerged to destroy My world?

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son returned to their cave for one more year, until another heavenly voice told them to leave. When they exited they encountered a Jew running with two bouquets of fragrant myrtle. They asked him what they were for, and he answered, "They are in honor of the Shabbat." They asked him why one bouquet wasn't enough, and he replied that one was for "zachor" (the command to "remember" the Shabbat) and one was for "shamor" (the command to "observe" the Shabbat). The Rashbi and his son exclaimed "See how precious the commandments are to Israel," and their minds were at ease, since they were again able to see the purpose of living in the mundane world where one can do Mitzvoth with physical objects and bring sanctity into one's life.

The Talmud records that one of the first things the Rashbi did next was to ask if there was anything that needed fixing. He was told about a place which the kohanim could not use for fear of defiling their purity, because it contained unmarked graves they did not know how to avoid. The Rashbi was able to identify where the lost graves were situated, and he had them marked so that kohanim were again able to use the path.

The current weekly portion, Parshat Emor, contains many associations with the ideas discussed above. Not only does it speak about the mitzvahs of Sefirat Ha'Omer, but also about the obligations of the kohanim to protect their sanctity by avoiding contact with the dead. Our Torah leaders throughout history taught that in the merit of joyously observing the day of Lag B'omer which is also Rashbi's yahrzeit we receive many wonderful blessings, including "children, health and sustenance in abundance". We are also assured that "with this book of the Zohar we will be mercifully redeemed from exile." Indeed, through following the teachings of the Rashbi and the strengthening of Sabbath observance we are granted the redemption of the Jewish people from the galut exile. May it be soon Amen.