Lag BaOmer
1. It is known1 that the reason for the rejoicing2 on Lag BaOmer3 is that on this day was the passing (histalkus) of Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai), and at the time of the histalkus, all the service and toil that a person labored in Torah and mitzvos throughout his entire life becomes included and ascends on high.4
Therefore Rashbi, at the time of his passing, when he was elevated to the very greatest elevation, said then:5 "בחד קטירא אתקטרנא בי' אחידא בי' להטא" ("With one bond I am bound to Him; I am attached to Him, aflame in Him") — he bound himself in an eternal bond with the A-lmighty, the Life of all life. And therefore, when he then said the verse6 "כי שם צוה ה' וגו'" ("For there G‑d commanded etc."), "לא סיים בוצינא קדישא למימר חיים" ("the holy luminary did not finish saying 'life'")7 — he bound himself in an eternal union with the level of "life."
And since the elevation of the day of passing is "נזכרים ונעשים" ("remembered and enacted anew") — it is repeated every year on the same day — therefore every year the day of Lag BaOmer is a day of rejoicing.
2. It is stated in the Yerushalmi8 that when Rabbi Akiva ordained his students Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Shimon, he said: "ישב ר' מאיר תחלה" ("Let Rabbi Meir sit first"). "נתכרכמו פני ר' שמעון" ("Rabbi Shimon's face darkened"). Rabbi Akiva said to him: "דייך שאני ובוראך מכירים כחך" ("It is enough for you that I and your Creator recognize your strength"). That is to say, the power of Rashbi was so great that even the students of Rabbi Akiva did not recognize it. Regarding Rabbi Meir the Gemara says:9 "שלא יכלו חביריו לעמוד על סוף דעתו" ("his colleagues could not fathom the full depth of his mind") — the Sages could not get to the bottom of the depth of his understanding; nevertheless, they understood his greatness to the extent that he had to "sit first." Whereas of Rabbi Shimon's power they (and even Rabbi Meir) had no recognition at all. Only "I and your Creator recognize your strength": only Rabbi Akiva (whose service, as explained in Chassidus, was even greater than the service of Nadav and Avihu — "נכנס בשלום ויצא בשלום" ("he entered in peace and left in peace")10), about whom it is stated11 (regarding the matter of the Ten Martyrs) that he corresponds to the Holy One, blessed be He — only "I (Rabbi Akiva) and your Creator recognize your strength."
Accordingly: since even during his lifetime in this world Rashbi was incomparably higher than the people of his generation, it is understood how great his elevation was on the day of his passing. Seemingly, then, the elevation and joy of Lag BaOmer is far too lofty to have any connection to others.
However, it is told12 about one of the disciples of the Arizal that he used to say the prayer "נחם ה'" ("Console, O L‑rd") in Grace after Meals13 (and from the unqualified wording of the story — that he said "Nachem" in Grace after Meals — it is implied that he used to say "Nachem" also on Shabbos and Yom Tov). When he came to Meron on Lag BaOmer to prostrate himself on the grave of Rashbi, and said "Nachem" then as well, Rashbi took offense at his (the Arizal's disciple's) saying "Nachem" "on the day of his rejoicing" (Rashbi's), until the displeasure harmed him.
The explanation of this is: Rashbi was one of those souls for whom the matter of the Destruction did not exist,14 and consequently there is no place to feel the Destruction on the day of his rejoicing (and his revelation).
We see two things from this: (a) that there is something in Lag BaOmer that no other day has (even Shabbos and Yom Tov do not have it). The proof is that the Arizal's disciple was punished only for saying "Nachem" on Lag BaOmer, and not for saying "Nachem" on the other days of rejoicing as well (Shabbos and Yom Tov). (b) that the joy of the hilula of Rashbi is for all Jews — even one who is not above the matter of the Destruction (which is why he said "Nachem" every day), even he should not have grieved on the day of rejoicing of Rashbi's hilula, but should have been in joy.
That is to say, the essence of Rashbi is to join two extremes: to draw down the highest of the high, even the level of "בחד קטירא אתקטרנא" ("With one bond I am bound"), and to bring it down even into the lowest of the low.15
3. These two extremes are found by Rashbi also regarding Torah study, and in the rulings of law in the revealed part of Torah. It is written: "לא ימוש ספר התורה הזה מפיך" ("This book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth").16 In a Baraisa there is a dispute:17 Rabbi Yishmael holds that this is not meant "ככתבן" ("as written," literally) — that one should actually never stop learning — but rather "הנהג בהן מנהג דרך ארץ" ("conduct yourself with them in the way of the world"), that one must also engage in sowing, plowing and the like. Rashbi holds that it is meant literally, that one must indeed learn Torah the whole day, and when Jews do the will of the A-lmighty, their work is then done "ע"י אחרים" ("by others"). And the Gemara concludes: "הרבה עשו כר' ישמעאל ועלתה בידן, כרשב"י ולא עלתה בידן" ("Many did as Rabbi Yishmael and succeeded; [many did] as Rashbi and did not succeed"). We see from this that Rashbi's order of Torah study is above the limitations of the world, and the world cannot receive such an order — which is why "they did not succeed."
And nevertheless — although Rashbi himself always conducted himself in this order that is above the world; "תורתו אומנתו" ("Torah was his occupation")18 — when Rashbi and his son Rabbi Elazar came out of the cave in which they had been for thirteen years (in the course of which, being in the cave twelve years, and especially the thirteenth year, he became tremendously elevated in Torah), then "כל היכא דהוה מחי ר' אלעזר" ("wherever Rabbi Elazar would strike") — wherever Rabbi Elazar punished for the conduct of plowing and sowing etc., because he could not grasp how "מניחין חיי עולם ועוסקין בחיי שעה" ("they forsake eternal life and occupy themselves with temporal life") — "הוי מסי ר' שמעון" ("Rabbi Shimon would heal"): not only did Rashbi not punish, but on the contrary, he even healed that which "Rabbi Elazar struck."19
The reason for his healing he explained to Rabbi Elazar: "די לעולם אני ואתה" ("You and I are enough for the world")20: our Torah study (in the manner of "Torah is his occupation") is sufficient for the world.
Further still, we find that Rashbi says:20 "אפילו לא קרא אדם אלא קריאת שמע שחרית וערבית קיים לא ימוש" ("Even if a person read only the Shema morning and evening, he has fulfilled 'shall not depart'") — even when a person has only read the Shema (and there is an opinion21 that the main part of the Shema is only the first verse), he has fulfilled "shall not depart." That is to say, when someone can in no way learn Torah the whole day, whether because he is occupied in accordance with Torah, or because he is an unlearned person,22 not only is he exempt from studying Torah all day, since he is under compulsion and "אונס רחמנא פטריה" ("the Merciful One exempts one who is compelled"), but through the Shema he actually fulfills the mitzvah of Torah study — and in the manner of "shall not depart."23
This is the power of Rashbi: to draw down from the very highest level of Torah — "shall not depart" in its literal sense, which is the eternity and infinity of Torah study — even to one who can learn no more than "פסוק אחד שחרית ופסוק אחד ערבית" ("one verse in the morning and one verse in the evening"), so that also to him, in the Torah that he learns, the quality of the eternity of Torah is drawn down.
4. Further still: not only did Rashbi draw the quality of the eternity of Torah into "עולם כמנהגו" ("the world following its natural course") as conducted according to Torah (for according to Torah there is "ואספת דגנך" ("you shall gather in your grain"), and "You and I are enough for the world"), but he even rectified the world — and rectification applies only to something that is not as it should be and needs a tikkun.
And it was not in a manner that when he saw a deficiency and could not bear it, he then rectified it; rather, he himself sought and inquired:24 "איכא מילתא דבעי לתקוני" ("Is there something that needs to be rectified?") — whether there is anything in the world that needs a tikkun, so that he would rectify it. And this was said concerning a place where there was a doubt of impurity (the opposite of purity, which is the foundation and beginning of Divine service)25 — and within impurity itself, the impurity of the dead, the "grandfather of all impurity,"26 the most severe impurity — and this very place Rashbi rectified and made into a place of dwelling, not only for Yisraelim and Levi'im but also for Kohanim.
When was Rashbi able to lower himself and rectify this? Specifically after he had been elevated from level to level in Torah study, being in the thirteenth year in the cave;27 specifically then, by virtue of the very highest level, was he able not only to lower himself into the world (the world following its natural course), but even to rectify there something that requires rectification.28
5. Further still: Rashbi said:28 "יכול אני לפטור את כל העולם כולו מן הדין" ("I am able to exempt the entire world from judgment") — that he can plead merit and remove the attribute of judgment from all Jews, so that they not be punished for their sins. This is an even greater descent. After the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, death (and its impurity) is part of the nature of creation; it does not come about through man's choice. But sins (which bring on "judgment") are lower, because they are brought about through choice; and nevertheless Rashbi descends there too (for in order to plead merit for another, one must think oneself into him,29 "lower oneself" to him30), in order to remove judgment from him.
And this descent is not like the descent of "לך רד" ("Go, descend"),31 where one was compelled to descend; Rashbi himself chose, of his own will, "to exempt the entire world from judgment."
And the power and the will in Rashbi to descend so low came to him specifically because he himself was exceedingly lofty — he was one of the "בני עליה והם מועטין" ("people of elevation, and they are few").32
6. The accounts of our Sages about the conduct of Rashbi (like all the accounts of the Torah) are an instruction and an empowerment for all the generations after him, and especially for the last generations, who have merited the revelation of the inner dimension of the Torah — the Torah of Rashbi:
There must be "יפוצו מעינותיך חוצה" ("Let your wellsprings spread outward") — the joining of both extremes. One must take not only from the river, and not only from the waters of the spring, but the spring itself, and spread it — all the way to "outward," to an "outward" that is certainly outward (that is, there is no "outside" beyond it, relative to which it would be "inside").
And this "Let your wellsprings spread outward" is the immediate preparation for "אתי מר" ("the Master comes"), the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, with whom too the conduct will be the uniting of the two extremes: together with teaching Torah even to the Patriarchs and to Moshe Rabbeinu,33 he will also occupy himself with the poor, as it is written:34 "ושפט בצדק דלים" ("He will judge the poor with righteousness"), until he will have an effect even on the "צפוני" ("the northern one") and his conduct.
And all this depends on our present service: we must prepare a generation in which even children will learn the inner dimension of the Torah, as Rashbi foretold that in the generation of Moshiach it will be as in his own generation, that even "רביא" ("young children") — both children in years and children in understanding — will learn the inner dimension of the Torah.*34
And through the Torah of Rashbi, "כדאי הוא ר' שמעון לסמוך עליו בשעת הדחק" ("Rabbi Shimon is worthy to be relied upon in a time of pressing need"),35 as the interpretation is given in seforim: in the time of distress and pressure (of exile) one must rely on Rashbi, who took upon himself (if Achiyah HaShiloni joins with him) to exempt the entire world from judgment until the days of Moshiach.36 "בהאי חיבורא דילך כו' יפקון בי' מן גלותא ברחמי" ("Through this work of yours etc. they will go out of exile with mercy")37 (that through the book of the Zohar, the inner dimension of the Torah, the Jewish people will go out of exile with mercy) — so that there will be drawn down into the world the essence of Rashbi, who was above destruction and exile, as explained above.
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Notes
1) Several reasons* have been stated for the rejoicing of Lag BaOmer and the haircutting on it, but we have only what is stated in the writings of the Arizal and cited in Chassidus,** that this day is the day of the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai — the hilula of Rabbi Shimon.*** (From a letter of the Rebbe, Pesach Sheni 5751 [date as in the OCR].)
*) Mishnas Chassidim, Tractate Iyar and Sivan. Pri Chadash on Orach Chaim, sec. 493; Maros Ayin by the Chida, ibid., in the Likkutim. Responsa Shem Aryeh, Orach Chaim, sec. 14. Sdei Chemed, Asifas Dinim, Ma'areches Eretz Yisrael, sec. 6. Pe'as HaSadeh, ibid.
**) Pri Etz Chaim, Sha'ar Sefiras HaOmer, ch. 7. A discourse of the Alter Rebbe (mentioned in Responsa Divrei Nechemiah, Orach Chaim, sec. 34, par. 7). Siddur, Sha'ar Lag BaOmer. (In the words of Divrei Nechemiah, ibid.: "The matter of the hilula of Rashbi on Lag BaOmer has already been publicized throughout the entire world for several generations.")
***) Zohar III, 296b. See also Zohar I, 218a. — As for the question raised, that on the contrary, on the passing of tzaddikim one fasts: it can be said — according to the revealed Torah — that Lag BaOmer is different, since Rashbi commanded that one rejoice on it (see Pri Etz Chaim, ibid.); see also what is written in Machazik Berachah (cited in Sha'arei Teshuvah, Yoreh De'ah, sec. 349, sub-par. 9), and deduce from there that we rely on him. This is not the place to elaborate.
2) In Mishnas Chassidim, Tractate Iyar 1:4: "On the day of Lag BaOmer... it is a mitzvah to rejoice with the joy of Rashbi." And the Mishnas Chassidim copied only the words of the Arizal (the words of the Alter Rebbe — cited in the Piskei Dinim of the Tzemach Tzedek on Yoreh De'ah, sec. 166). See Pri Etz Chaim, Sha'ar Sefiras HaOmer, ch. 7. It should be noted that according to this, the matter of rejoicing is also stated explicitly (and not merely the avoidance of mourning), together with its reason, "the joy of Rashbi" (see Zohar III, 297b; 291a, end). And as for what to answer those who question this, [see] Responsa Chasam Sofer, Yoreh De'ah, sec. 233; Responsa Shem Aryeh, Orach Chaim, sec. 14; and elsewhere. See also the glosses on Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, sec. 493.
3) Following what is cited in many places — including in Chassidus — "Lag BaOmer," although the version of the Alter Rebbe in his Siddur — and this is our custom — is to say "LaOmer." And so it is in the (handwritten) Siddur from which the Baal Shem Tov prayed (and it is the Siddur of the Arizal. And so it is in the Ran, end of Pesachim; Responsa of the Rashba, sec. 126; Tanya [Rabbasi], sec. 63; Kol Bo, ch. 88 [as in the OCR]; Shelah, Sha'ar HaOsiyos; Chok Yaakov; and elsewhere). See Likkutei Sichos vol. 7, p. 337; vol. 10, p. 511.
4) See also Iggeres HaKodesh, sec. 26.
5) This phrase is cited in many places in Chassidus, and after searching I found it in the Zohar (III, 288a): "Rabbi Shimon opened and said: When with one bond I am bound to Him, to the Holy One, blessed be He, etc." And there (292a): "My soul is attached to Him, aflame in Him." — See also the discourse beginning "ויכולו השמים" ("And the heavens were completed"), 5666.
6) Tehillim 133:3.
7) Zohar III, 296b.
8) Sanhedrin 1:2.
9) Eruvin 13b; 53a.
10) See above, Parshas Acharei, and the sources noted there.
11) Likkutei HaShas of the Arizal, end of Berachos.
12) Pri Etz Chaim, Sha'ar Sefiras HaOmer, ch. 7. Shulchan Aruch of the Arizal, Kavanas HaOmer, 3.
13) So it is in the Shulchan Aruch of the Arizal (but in Pri Etz Chaim, Sha'ar HaKavanos and the Siddur of the Arizal: "in the blessing of 'Tishkon'"). — See Likkutei Sichos vol. 22, p. 330.
14) Cited in Pelach HaRimon, Shemos, p. 7, in the name of the Rebbe (Admur).
15) And this is also why the passing (ascent) of Rashbi was in the sefirah of Hod sheb'Hod, the very lowest level, as explained in the Siddur, Sha'ar Lag BaOmer.
16) Yehoshua 1:8.
17) Berachos 35b.
18) Shabbos 11a.
19) Ibid. 33b.
20) Menachos 99b.
21) See Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, sec. 58, par. 1; end of sec. 60.
22) See Tanya, ch. 8: "permitted idle matters, such as an unlearned person." And it requires investigation why he would not be obligated [to fulfill the mitzvah] in the Written Torah by reciting it (see the Alter Rebbe's Laws of Torah Study, end of ch. 2). This is not the place to elaborate.
23) See the Alter Rebbe's Laws of Torah Study (in Kuntres Acharon, ch. 3), where he resolves the apparent contradiction between these two statements of Rashbi.
24) See above, p. 985, in the note.
25) Rashi, Pesachim (14b). The commentators on the Mishnah, on Keilim and Ohalos (at their beginning). And elsewhere.
26) Unlike before the thirteen years, when not only did he not seek to rectify the world, but on the contrary, "every place upon which they cast their eyes etc." (Shabbos, ibid.).
27) As the Gemara says there: "Since a miracle has occurred (a revelation of G‑dliness that is above nature), I will go and rectify something."
28) Sukkah 45b.
29) See Tanya, ch. 30.
30) See the letter printed at the beginning of Kuntres Lamed (Sefer HaMaamarim Kuntreisim vol. 2, p. 712; Igros Kodesh of the Previous Rebbe vol. 3, p. 379).
31) Shemos 32:7. See also Berachos 32a.
32) Based on this, one can understand the connection and linkage between the two statements of Chizkiyah in the name of Rabbi Yirmiyah in the name of Rashbi, in Sukkah, ibid.
33) See Likkutei Torah, Tzav (17a). Sha'ar HaEmunah, ch. 56. Menachos 29b. And in Koheles Rabbah (11:8): "The Torah that a person learns in this world is vanity compared to the Torah of Moshiach."
34) Yeshayahu 11:4-8. See also the sicha of Simchas Torah 5690, sec. 39 ff. (Likkutei Dibburim vol. 2, p. 633).
*34) Zohar I, 92b [as in the OCR], end, and in many places. See also Kedushas Levi, Parshas Chayei [Sarah].
35) [The text of this note appears on the next page.]
36) [The text of this note appears on the next page.]
37) [The text of this note appears on the next page.]
Key Lesson
Rashbi's unique power is to join two extremes: to draw down the very highest levels of Torah and G‑dliness, and to bring them to the very lowest — to the simple Jew who can only recite the Shema, to places that need rectification, and even to those who need to be spared from judgment. In our generation this means spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus outward, to every Jew and even to children, which is the direct preparation for the coming of Moshiach.