Lag B'Omer Thoughts

The following is a free rendition of an interesting insight of the Chidushei HaRim, the founder of the Gerer Chassidic Dynsasty.

Lag B'Omer, which falls out Monday night, May 11 and Tuesday, May 12 this year, is seen as a celebration of the life's work of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. One of the leading sages of his generation for his teaching of the conventional portions of Torah, he is best known for his Kabbalistic teachings and for laying down the foundations of Jewish mysticism and spirituality. He famously spent thirteen years hiding in a cave after being sentenced to death by the Roman occupiers of Palestine. The Talmud tells the story of how that occurred.

One day he was sitting with two of his contemporaries, Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yose. Rabbi Yehudah began to praise the Roman government for all the public works projects they were building in Palestine. He felt that they were benefiting the Jews as well. Rabbi Yose remained silent in response. Rabbi Shimon criticized the Romans and said that they were only doing it for self aggrandizement.

When the Romans heard about this conversation, they appointed Rabbi Yehudah as the foremost spokesperson for the Jews. Rabbi Yose, for his silence, was exiled. Rabbi Shimon was sentenced to death for his criticism. To save his life he ran and hid in a cave for thirteen years.

The Chidushei HaRim suggests that the names of these sages indicate that they shared the souls of some of the sons of Yaakov (Jacob). Jewish tradition already teaches us that the sages of their generation, immediately after the destruction of the Second Temple, were held responsible by God for the sale of Yosef (Joseph) 1500 years earlier. This was because they shared the souls of the brothers who had sold Yosef long ago.

Yehudah (Judah), the son of Yaakov, is found already in the Torah as the spokesperson for his family. Tradition teaches us that he repented for his part in the sale of Yosef, and was already forgiven by God for his part. That is why Rebbe Yehudah, his spiritual descendant, was now given the chance to take a leadership position as the spokesperson for the Jewish nation.

Yosef is criticized for his silence. When his brothers met with him on their arrival in Egypt and had no idea who he was, they repeatedly referred to their father as "your servant." Five times Yosef heard this term of disrespect for his father and was silent. As a result, Rabbi Yose was now silent as well. He was sent to Tzippori (Sepphoris) to exile. The Talmud teaches us that Tzippori was a town in which one could learn how to refrain from improper speech. Certainly an appropriate exile for his history of wrongdoing.

Finally, Shimon (Simon) was the brother who was most responsible for the sale of Yosef. He actually wanted his siblings to execute Yosef, but in the end was overruled and Yosef was thrown into the pit instead. That is why Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai was now sentenced to death by the Romans, but in the end spent many years in a cave instead.

The Zohar teaches that just as Yosef was the brother who took the primary lead in offering physical sustenance to his family, he was also the one who was supposed to offer spiritual sustenance. When his brothers sold him, they destroyed the conduit by which he was able to transmit to them spiritual sustenance. Shimon, as the primary mover behind that sale, had the main responsibility for the lack of spiritual sustenance for the Jewish people. It therefore fell to his spiritual descendant, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, to reopen those channels through the writing of the Zohar and the teaching of Jewish spirituality.

This was his Tikkun (rectification) for the wrongdoing his spiritual ancestor had committed so many years before.