Love Every Jew; Emulate Rashbi
On Lag B’Omer, Rashbi’s yom hilula, each person should accept upon themselves positive resolutions regarding matters relating to Rashbi’s divine service.
This is in addition to conducting ourselves with ahavas yisrael, love for our fellow Jew, in a manner of nahagu kavod zeh lazeh, acting with respect towards each other.
B’Omer Parade 5750; Hisvaaduyos p. 201
From Rashbi to every Jew
Rashbi was of extremely elevated stature; and he said of himself (as recorded in the Zohar), “…if there is one [tzadik], I am he; as it is stated, vetzadik yesod olam, ‘the righteous man is the foundation of the world.’”
At the same time, Rashbi had colleagues. In other words, even during the times of Rashbi, it had already become publicized through the “revealed” teachings of Torah, that Rashbi had colleagues who were of similar caliber.
This fact has been increasingly publicized and transmitted from one generation to the next, and from one year to the following – to multitudes of people. From this we can appreciate how even the spiritual level of Rashbi (tzadik yesod olam) is drawn down and revealed, influencing all Jewry – at least in a manner of ibur (soul-transmigration) and the like, as explained in Tanya.
Especially since we are experiencing a constant increase (from one generation to the next) in the dissemination of the wellsprings of Torah; that is, the wellsprings of Torah’s inner teachings, the mystical teachings of Rashbi. This continual increase causes an elicitation and revelation of additional powers that are bound to the level of a tzadik – even from the highest level of tzadikim [concerning whom it is written] ...tzadikim sheheim mu’atin, there are precious few tzadikim of such caliber. Even these [elevated] levels are elicited and revealed [in this world], and they have positive effects.
Note that the continuation of the above teaching reads, “Hashem saw that there are only a few tzadikim, so He arose and planted them within each generation” [i.e., He dispersed them throughout history]. The Sages specifically employ the phrase “He planted them,” since the tzadikim cause spiritual growth that produces fruits, which go on to produce fruits of their own, etc.
Similarly, the toraso u’manaso of Rashbi (at least an analogical sampling thereof) is relevant to each Jew. (Lag B’Omer 5749; Hisvaaduyos pp. 171-172) See also (at length) Lag B’Omer 5748 (Hisvaaduyos p. 303).
Rabbi Akivah’s top disciple
The perfection of this conduct (respect for a fellow) was achieved by Rashbi. He was one of the five greatest students of Rabbi Akivah [who were unaffected by the plague]. In fact, Rashbi was the greatest of them all; he instructed his students to “study my character traits, for they are terumos miterumos midosov shel Rabbi Akivah, a percentage of a percentage of the traits of Rabbi Akivah.”
