This week is Lag Ba’omer, the chag. The halachah is that on this day we don’t say tachanun, and we interrupt the aveilus of Sefirah. What is the significance of this chag? Why is it a chag? According to the Shulchan Aruch, it’s because the talmidim of R’ Akiva stopped dying on this day. The sefarim hakedoshim, however, give another explanation, saying that on Lag Ba’omer R’ Shimon revealed a part of Torah that had not been known until then, and that is what makes this day a Yom Tov.
Many of us don’t learn kabbalah, so for us it is perhaps harder to relate to this chag. Yet beyond our being happy that this chag exists and that there are people who are learning kabbalah, but this chag actually has deep significance for all of us.
One of the minhagim of Lag Ba’omer is to dance around a bonfire. The sefarim hakedoshim say that this is because the Torah is compared to fire, and on this day the Torah of R’ Shimon was revealed. What is the connection between R’ Shimon’s Torah and fire?
The Gemara (Shabbos 33b) tells the story that is the background for the revelation of R’ Shimon’s Torah. He and other Tanna’im were once discussing what the Romans had built, and R’ Shimon said that whatever they had built had been purely for their own benefit. Upon hearing what he had said, the Romans sought to kill him, so he ran away and hid in a cave for twelve years with his son. When they tried to come out, a bas kol commanded them to return to the cave for another year.
The Gemara observes that by the time R’ Shimon emerged from the cave, he had reached tremendous heights in Torah. Previously, his father-in-law, R’ Pinchas ben Yair, would answer his questions with 12 answers, but after his years in the cave, he was able to answer his father-in-law’s questions in 24 different ways. It is clear from the Gemara that the source of R’ Shimon’s success was the Torah learning he had done in the cave while hiding from the Romans.
The Light of Geulah
This is a very powerful lesson for us. R’ Shimon represents the secret of geulah from the galus that we’re in; it’s brought down in the Zohar that the koach of his sefer will bring us to the geulah. It’s not only those who learn kabbalah who bring the geulah — those who learn from R’ Shimon’s life and are inspired by him also bring the geulah. During the time when R’ Shimon was hiding from the Romans, the fire of his Torah grew to unprecedented heights, which teaches us that specifically at a time of galus and darkness, light can emerge.
This is the beautiful message of the bonfire of Lag Ba’omer. You may not be in Meron on Lag Ba’omer, but the significance of the bonfires is relevant to all of Klal Yisrael. We can all be inspired by these bonfires, and, in the galus we’re in, ignite the fire of Torah, of geulah, of hashra’as haShechinah within every one of us.
How did R’ Shimon do it? It was not easy to sit and learn with a chavrusa for so many years, but he didn’t give up. He didn’t say, “How can I learn in this matzav? I’m so scared! What am I going to do?” Instead, he kept up his avodas Hashem, and through that he lit a fire of Torah and was able to access and reveal the depth of the Torah. This inspire us throughout the galus and will help us to take the final steps in galus to reach our geulah.
Every person has his own nisyonos and things that go wrong in his life, which make it seem as though he is being chased away. Things are going against him, and even the bas kol might seem to be telling him, “Go back,” just as it told R’ Shimon to return to the cave. At these times, when we seem to have no siyatta d’Shmaya, we need to hold strong, keeping up our kviyus sedarim, our kiyum mitzvos, our avodas hamiddos, and other aspects of our avodas Hashem.
We can connect this back to the first reason why Lag Ba’omer is a special day: After the 24,000 talmidim of R’ Akiva were niftar, the world continued because of the five talmidim that he then came and taught — one of whom was R’ Shimon, whose Torah secrets were revealed on this day. It doesn’t take all of Klal Yisrael to illuminate the world — all that’s needed are a few individuals who hold strong despite their hardships, even if it looks as though the world is desolate, as was the case after R’ Akiva’s talmidim passed away. These individuals lit a fire that illuminated the whole world, and continue to ignite us, despite the difficult times and yeridas hadoros that we are experiencing.
This is a lesson for us that when we keep strong, we are connecting ourselves to that fire of R’ Shimon on Lag Ba’omer, the fire of the future geulah — באש אתה עתיד לבנותה.
As we light that bonfire, we should be mis’chazek together to grow and reach new heights in Torah and avodas Hashem, while holding strong despite our nisyonos.
May we be zocheh to geulos and yeshuos on Lag Ba’omer, which is the high point during Sefiras Ha’omer. This year, let us reach higher and higher, keeping on holding strong, and may the light come b’karov.
