The Minchas Elazar of Munkacs, zt”l
The Minchas Elazar of Munkacs, zt”l, related the following story in the name of the Shinover Rav, the Divrei Yechezkel: Lag BaOmer marks the Yartzeit of the great Tanna Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai. As per Rebbi Shimon’s request, it is a day of great rejoicing, especially at his Kever in Meron. A huge bonfire is lit there on the night of Lag BaOmer, and singing and dancing go on throughout the night and the following day.
One Lag BaOmer, hundreds of years ago, the Arizal traveled from his home in Tzefas to Meron with his Talmidim, and the group began dancing joyously. Suddenly, another group of dancers appeared. Among them was an older man who was regal-looking in appearance, dressed all in white, whose face had a special radiance.
The Arizal’s Talmidim saw this man take the hand of a simple Jew named Elazar, who they knew as the Shamash of the Shul in Tzefas, and he began dancing with him alone in the center of the circle. The pair’s feet seemed to barely touch the ground as they danced in joyous delight. The Arizal’s Talmidim looked on in wonder. Who was this older man and where had he come from? Why had he singled out the simple Shamash to dance with?
Suddenly, the Arizal himself broke away from his Talmidim and approached the old man and the Shamash, joining in their dance. The Arizal’s Talmidim were even more astonished than before.
Later, one of the Talmidim worked up the courage to approach the Arizal. He requested, “Please, Rebbe, can you explain to us what has happened here? Why did you leave the Talmidim to dance with the Shamash?”
The holy Arizal smiled at them and said, “If Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai saw fit to dance personally with our Shamash, isn’t it an honor for me to do the same?”
It was then that the group of Talmidim learned that the “simple” Shamash, Rav Elazar Azkari, zt”l, was, in fact, a tremendous Talmid Chacham who had kept his greatness and knowledge of Torah hidden from the world. Rav Elazar Azkari later became known as the author of the Sefer Chareidim!
Reprinted from the Parshas Vaeira 5786 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefillah.
