When Corona Closed the Routes to Meron
The following story of the power of Rashbi to help every Yid, no matter where, was told to me by the subject of the story himself.
This Yid waited for many years to merit children. Over the winter of 2020, he began to make plans to journey to Meron for Lag BaOmer, and there pour out his heart in hope to merit salvation.
In the meantime, the Ribono shel Olam ordained that the Coronavirus arrived, and all routes were sealed, with Meron itself closed to visitors. This Yid was very broken that all his plans were disrupted; as he had truly hoped to merit a yeshuah in Meron that year.
With Rabbi Shimon, Right at Home
One Shabbos, he heard divrei Torah from his Rebbe, one of the great tzaddikim of our generation. Among his remarks, the Rebbe said that a Yid must know that one can always journey to Rabbi Shimon, no matter where they may find themselves. If a Yid learns a bit of Zohar HaKadosh, he makes a seudas hillula, he lights a candle, and he contemplates the great Torah of Rabbi Shimon, he is surely connected with him. A talmid can connect with his Rebbe everywhere.
Certainly, if one planned to undertake this journey and was held back from doing so, it is surely counted as if he is with the tzaddik.
Hearing these words, this yungerman decided that instead of being sad and disappointed at missing Lag BaOmer in Meron, he will celebrate the hillula at home just as if he were in Meron. He lit a candle in the zechus of Rabbi Shimon, learned Zohar HaKadosh, and made a beautiful seudah—joyfully marking the exalted day, just as if he were in Meron. He made a silent promise that if he were to be blessed with a boy, he would name him “Shimon.”
Less than one year later, on the third day of Adar of the year 2021, this Yid cradled a beautiful baby boy... whom he named Shimon.
Connecting with the Torah Is Akin to Being at the Kever
When a Yid realizes that the auspiciousness of the day works in a spiritual way, then he understands that space and distance are no impediment to connecting with the tzaddik. Tzaddikim would say, “One may be far and yet very close.”
The sefarim haKedoshim explain that when we learn the Torah of a tzaddik, it is akin to השתטחות, prostrating ourselves on the tziyun of the tzaddik—and the Me’or Einayim says that it is an even higher level—for the tzaddikim placed their essence into their words of Torah! This, then, is the greatest vehicle for connecting with the neshamah of the tzaddik.
Every Yid, wherever he may find himself, who utilizes the day of Lag BaOmer to learn the Torah of Rabbi Shimon, to dance and rejoice with his Torah, to meditate on thoughts of teshuvah with this Torah, and to believe in this Torah, will then merit the great and revealed light of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, along with many great השפעות and blessings.
