The Story of Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
The Gemara tells the famous story of Nachum Ish Gam Zu, who was supposed to bring a box full of precious jewels to the king, but a wicked innkeeper stole them and put dirt inside instead. Nachum Ish Gam Zu was undaunted. He said Gam Zu L'tovah, and he gave this box to the king. The king was furious, but one of his servants (who was really Eliyahu HaNavi) told him that this dirt is from their Zeide, Avraham, who killed his toughest enemies in battle by throwing it at them. The king tried it out & it worked wonders; and Nachum was rewarded handsomely.
Nachum was the Rebbe of Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Akiva was the author of: כָּל מַאי דְעָּבֵיד רַחְמָּנָּא לְטַב עָּבֵיד—Everything that happens to a person is surely best. There are at least three powerful stories in the Gemara where Raban Gamliel and the other Gedolei Yisroel were all crying at sad situations, and Rabbi Akiva was laughing. He explained his positive outlook, and they all agreed with him.
Even when Rabbi Akiva was being tortured to death, and his Talmidim were full of pain watching him, all he said was that his entire life he had been hoping to give away his life for Kavod Shamayim in such a horrific manner. And before Nachum Ish Gam Zu was Niftar, he asked for the worst Yissurim for each one of his limbs, and וְלֹא נִתְקָּרְ רָּה דַעְתוֹ—he wasn’t 'cooled off' and satisfied, until his entire body was full of Sh'chin.
The Maharal on Bitachon
Notice the extreme Bitachon of this Rebbe and his Talmid. They can turn the worst situation into the best. The Maharal says that saying Gam Zu L'tovah causes the most extreme evil to become the most extreme goodness. And they can both appreciate being in the worst situation! They are both the Rebbe, and Rebbe’s Rebbe of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
Lag BaOmer and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
Now we understand how Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said that the day of his death, which is the saddest day, should be a day of intense Simcha. (Arizal). When he was bathing to alleviate his terrible wounds (that came as a result of being buried in the sand for 12 years), he still maintained his positive outlook.
