Kuntras Kavod Melachim is a sefer written in the 1800’s solely to address this question of burning clothes on Lag Ba’Omer, and it defends the practice. Rav Heller brings a list of rabbanim who say no problem exists in the practice. One of the rationales presented is there was no issue raised in burning the olive oil, which may have cost even more due to scarcity at the time and how much needed to be purchased. Some choose to spend on oil and burn it, and others choose to spend on materials and burn them – each according to what they think brings kavod. He writes that he heard from the elders of Tzefat, one year the Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh arrived and crawled to the kever on his hands and knees, immersed in tears and in a state of fear; but then, on Lag Ba’Omer day, he was in a state of sheer simcha and he, too, burned clothing.
The Ben Ish Chai says (Torah Li’Shma), it is a minhag Yisrael to travel to Meron to light important clothing – and not to scrutinize the action, as it is meant for mitzvah and there is no concern with bal tashchit.
I want to ask – why not a bus? Why is there a desire, and subsequent debate, on the burning of clothing alone and not any other flammable materials? Fancy clothes, with meshi or without, with gold or silver trim, with accompanying hats – only articles of clothing are on the hot seat. If the inyan here is to create a large fire – there are plenty of great ways. I don’t want to provide any ideas just in case someone listening decides to follow through, but there is more than clothing out there to use. Or is the inyan to specifically light clothing ablaze? And if so, why would that be? There are two stories in the Gemara to explore in tackling this question.
The Story of Rashbi’s Son
The first (Bava Metziva 84b), involves the story of Rashbi’s son – Rav Elazar ben Shimon – asking not to be buried after his passing. Instead, he was placed upstairs in the attic, and remained there, intact. He would even communicate rulings to disputing parties who brought their case to his doorway. After either 18 or 22 years, Rashbi appeared to Rabbi Elazar’s wife in a dream, and asked for his son be buried next to him in Meron. Anshei Achbaria – the local townsmen, insisted he not be released though, as his presence protected the city. The chevra kaddisha waited until everyone was preoccupied on Erev Yom Kippur – and on that hectic day took his bed and went to the cave, only to be greeted by a giant snake which had coiled itself around the cave’s entrance. They pleaded with the serpent: עכנא עכנא פתחי פיך ויכנס בן אצל אביו – Serpent, serpent! Open your mouth to allow a son to enter next to his father. The snake obliged and the body of Rabbi Elazar was placed next to that of his father.
The Story of Rabbi Yosi
The second story (Bava Metzia 85a) discusses the subsequent death of Rabbi Yosi – Rabbi Elazar’s son and Rashbi’s grandson. When they arrived for burial at the same cave, the serpent was once again present, encircling the cave and denying all access. This time, however, their pleas to the snake were rejected. The snake remained locked in place, and the people began murmuring, wondering whether the met was not as great as his father. A bat kol emerged and said: It is not because one was greater than the other, but rather, it is because one, Rabbi Elazar, experienced צַעַר מְ עָרָ ה – the suffering of the cave, while the other did not. Rabbi Elazar, son of Rashbi, had suffered with his father for thirteen years in a cave while hiding from the Romans. His son did not. Their merit is unequivocal. But why? What happened in that cave?
The Cave of Rashbi and His Son
We’ll look at one more story before wrapping up. The Gemara says (Shabbat 33b), Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and other scholars were discussing the impact of the Roman rule over the Eretz Yisrael. Rabbi Yehuda praised the Romans for the excellent infrastructure they had developed – the marketplaces, bridges, and bathhouses. Rabbi Yossi remained silent and issued no comment, and Rashbi countered, “Everything they did was for their own sakes. The marketplaces were established for immoral purposes, the bathhouses to beautify themselves, and the bridges to collect tolls.” Word spread of what was said in this discussion, and when it reached the Romans, they issued a decree for Rashbi’s death. Together with his son, he went into hiding. First in a shul, where a woman provided them with food and water, and later, when it became too risky, they moved to a nearby cave. A miracle occurred, and a carob tree sprouted up outside the cave along with a stream of fresh water, providing them sustenance. Inside, they began learning Torah for years uninterrupted. Of note, in order that their clothes not wear out, they would undress and bury themselves in the sand, up to their necks, while studying. They’d only emerge from the sand and get dressed for short stints – to daven.
After twelve years, Caesar died and Eliyahu HaNavi arrived to inform them it was safe to exit the cave. Upon stepping out, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai saw people plowing and planting in their fields, and upon gazing at them, they would burn in flames. He was forced to return to the cave for an additional year, as a result, before exiting and returning to the world.
I’d like to return to the start of the episode when they moved their hideout from the shul to the cave. What was packed in Rashbi’s bag? The answer is: nothing. He took nothing with him. Not his tefillin, not a shofar, not spare clothing. It would be quite normal to assume someone moving into a cave and an uncertain future would pack a small bag with a few dozen cans of tuna and some rice cakes, at bare minimum, until assessing the situation and placing an order for the rest of their needed supplies. Rashbi also didn’t tell anyone where the cave was, since the last time he talked, it led to this predicament. So, there wasn’t even anyone around who could resupply them with food or supplies. There are a lot of questions to ask about this behavior and what came next.
Rashbi witnessed the miracle of the carob tree and stream suddenly appearing. If he knew it was a miracle, why was there a need to take off their clothing lest it get worn out? Did he really think the clothing would get ruined? How long does that take? A month, 2 months? A year or more? People wear the same clothing for multiple years, even after holes develop. And if a small hole did somehow appear, so what? Was Hakadosh Baruch Hu capable of making a carob tree and stream appear but of not patching a pair of pants or shirt sleeve? Could He not deliver a new wardrobe – from the Eliyahu Collection – if and when needed? The Dor Hamidbar wore the same clothing for years on end, without as much as a hole or stain, courtesy of the Ananei HaKavod.
Furthermore, Rashbi didn’t know he’d be there 13 years. It might have been only a few weeks or months – so why the need to remove their clothing immediately on the first day and enter the sand? Why not wait a bit to see, before jumping in?
The Yesod of Torah Study and Self-Negation
I would like to share a yesod from the sefer Kedai Hu Rabbi Shimon, which I will expand on slightly. We learn in Massechet Berachot (63b):
הַסְכֵּת וּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל - כַּתְּתוּ עַצְמְכֶם עַל דִּ בְרֵ י תוֹרָ ה. כִּדְ אָמַר רֵ ישׁ לָקִ ישׁ , דְּ אָמַר רֵ ישׁ לָקִ ישׁ : מִנַּיִן שׁ ֶאֵין דִּ בְרֵ י תוֹרָ ה מִתְקַיְּמִין אֶלָּא בְּמִי שֶׁמֵּמִית עַצְמוֹ עָ לֶ יהָ - שׁ ֶנֶּאֱמַר: זֹאת הַתּוֹרָ ה אָדָם כִּי יָמוּת בְּאֹהֶל .
“Keep silence and hear, Israel”; break yourselves over words of the Torah. This is with the opinion of Reish Lakish who said: From where is it derived that matters of Torah are only retained by one who kills himself over it? As it is stated: “This is the Torah: When one dies in a tent” (Numbers 19:14).
True Torah study demands the total devotion of one who is willing to dedicate his life in its tent. The Maharal says (Netzach Yisrael), this is a phenomenal thing and a result of the Torah and body being two opposites. How can Torah, intellectual and spiritual in nature, exist in a body that is gashmi – materialistic in nature? Like fire and water, the desires of this world cannot co-exist with olam haba. The Torah exists and grows within someone who kills himself for it – i.e., distances himself from the physical nature and desires of the body. As one’s connection to gashmiyut is reduced, their ruchniyut increases, and as one’s spirituality increases, their materialism is reduced until it is like dead.
The Gemara says (Tamid 32a), Alexander of Macedon asked the Elders of the Negev about ten matters. One of them was:
מה יעביד איניש ויחיה אמרו ליה ימית עצמו מה יעביד איניש וימות יחיה את עצמו
What must a man do to ensure he will live? They said to him: He must kill himself. Alexander further inquired: What must a man do to ensure he will die? They said to him: He must keep himself alive.
We can make sense of these paradoxical statements through the learning just brought forth. To ensure he will live, man must figuratively kill himself, i.e., by living moderately. And to ensure he will die, man simply needs to keep himself alive, i.e., by leading an extravagant and indulgent life. This yesod can also be found at Ma’amad Har Sinai. The Midrash tells us that upon hearing each dibur, Bnei Yisrael died and Hakadosh Baruch Hu revived them for the next one. Why was this routine necessary? Could He have not given them some extra oxygen or adrenaline ahead of time and enabled them to hear dibrot without falling down? The answer is, it was necessary, because Hakadosh Baruch Hu wanted to teach us that to receive torah – תָּמִית אֶת עַצְמְך.
The Shelah HaKadosh says (Torah Ohr, Rosh Hashanah), there are things we cannot grasp and comprehend when the guf is coupled with the neshama. Certain heights, such as understanding ma’aseh merkava, cannot be reached with such a configuration because our guf is still polluted from the sin of Adam HaRishon. The Gemara tells us (Shabbat 146a), when Adam and Chava ate from the Eitz Ha’Daat, the snake came upon Chava and infected her with its contamination – referred to as ז ֻ ה ֲ מ ַ ת ה ַ נ ּ ָ ח ָ שׁ , a moral contamination passed on to all generations. Bnei Yisrael were in Egypt 400 years, of which 210 were years of slavery, 86 of which were rigorous and backbreaking. This was required to separate the guf. It was consumed and reduced to a dead-like state, and only then could Bnei Yisrael stand at Har Sinai to receive the Torah. The Gemara goes on to tell us the ז ֻ ה ֲ מ ַ ת ה ַ נ ּ ָ ח ָ שׁ ceased at that point. But it returned at Cheit Ha’Egel, and therefore, the entirety of Torah was once again out of reach. The Shela HaKadosh says, we could acquire Torah, but some parts were out of reach, and this was the true punishment issued in Gan Eden: מִ מֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְך. He brings proof from Rabbeinu Bachya, who in Parshat Ki Tisa comments on Moshe asking Hakadosh Baruch Hu to reveal himself and asks why only now he asked: הַרְ אֵנִי נָא אֶת־כְּבֹדֶך. Why did he not ask for this earlier? The answer is simple. Moshe Rabbeinu was up in shamayim for forty days, not eating or drinking, and separated from his wife. Chazal say his bottom half was man-like and his upper half was heavenly: מֹשׁ ֶה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים. It was only now that Moshe Rabbeinu separated himself from his guf and it is only someone in such a state that is ready to see G-d.
This ends our introduction, and we can now close the loop.
Connecting the Stories: The Deeper Meaning of Burning Clothing
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai arrived at the cave and said to his son, “we’re now going to reveal Torat HaSod – the Secret Torah – but it cannot be done with flesh. Torat HaSod doesn’t go together with whatever we consumed and enjoyed outside the cave. It goes with not eating, not drinking, having no wife, and causing the polluted body to separate. We can then reach Torat HaSod.” They ate charuvim, which the Yerushalmi says is charavat haguf – destruction of the body. They drank spring water, unflavored and non-carbonated. And why enter the sand? To set themselves up as if entering the kever, so their flesh would be consumed and separate itself. In it was the ז ֻ ה ֲ מ ַ ת ה ַ נ ּ ָ ח ָ שׁ , which needed to be cleared before they could approach Hakadosh Baruch Hu, who said לֹא־יִרְ אַ נִי הָ אָ דָ ם וָחָ י. They would no longer be considered חָ י without their flesh. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and Rabbi Elazar took off their clothing and buried themselves neck-deep in the sand like ones who died and are being buried, without their clothing.
When they exited the cave, the Gemara tells us (Shabbat 33b), Rashbi entered a bathhouse and was met by his son-in-law, Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, who cried out בְּכָך אוֹי לִי שׁ ֶרְ אִיתִיך – Woe is me, that I have seen you like this. He was pained by the sight of Rashbi, his flesh full of holes and his bones exposed. But Rashbi was quick to correct him:
אָמַר לוֹ: אַשְׁרֶ יך— לֹא שׁ ֶאִילְמָלֵא לֹא רְ אִיתַנִי בְּכָך שׁ ֶרְ אִיתַנִי בְּכָך מָצָאתָ בִּי כָּך
He said to him: Praiseworthy are you that you have seen me like this, as had you not seen me like this, you would not have found in me this prominence in Torah.
“Did you think I would leave the cave holding a bag of burekas or rogelach that I ate from over the years? Torat HaSod was reached only by burying my body in the sand and consuming carobs and water. Before I entered the cave, I would ask you a difficult question and you’d provide 12 answers. Now, when you raise a difficult question, I can respond with 24 answers!
א ַ שׁ ְ רֶ י ך – these holes are how I reached Torat HaSod!”
Returning to our initial questions, the composer of our piyyut intentionally uses the words ב ּ ַ ר י ו ֹ ח ָ א י נ ִ מְ שׁ ַ חְ תּ ָ א ַ שׁ ְ רֶ י ך to reflect how Rashbi was anointed. Shemen Rosh says, he was not anointed classically with the שׁ ֶ מ ֶ ן ה ַ מּ ִ שׁ ְ ח ָ ה found in our parsha, but rather with the ‘א ַ שׁ ְ רֶ י ך’ of א ַ שׁ ְ רֶ י ך. And why was he larger than his peers? Because he gave up his body to be consumed. How is olive oil produced? By pressing the olives over and over until the oil drips out of them entirely. Rashbi did the same to his body, and thus the paytan says שׁ ֶ מֶ ן שָׂ שׂוֹן מֵ חֲ בֵ רֶ יך – he was elevated above his peers after Torat HaSod came forth.
We can now understand one more item. The Yeshuot Malko asks why we burn davka clothing on Lag Ba’Omer? He answers, because in the cave, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai reached the level of Adam HaRishon before the sin that resulted in him losing the Torah. Rashbi sought to rid himself of the zuhama by ridding himself of his flesh, and as a result he became equal to Adam HaRishon before the sin. If so, he doesn’t need any clothing, as beged (clothing) stems from the word boged (traitor), and levush (garments) reflects the state of lo boosha (no shame). We were traitorous to Hakadosh Baruch Hu by eating from the tree, and thus we wear clothing. But Rashbi didn’t need that clothing, as he was in a pre-sin state. Therefore, we take our clothes and burn them on Lag Ba’Omer. We don’t take pieces of furniture and we certainly don’t take cars or buses. Just clothing – to reflect Rashbi returning to the state of Adam HaRishon before the cheit.
The piyyut says נַעֲשֶׂ ה אָ דָ ם נֶאֱמַ ר בַּעֲבוּרֶ ך – you reached the status of Adam HaRishon before the cheit. Nobody else in the world reached that pre-snake state, one where the great light created during six days of Creation shone. Hakadosh Baruch Hu saw the world could not stand before such a light, so He minimized it. But Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai reached that light which existed before the sin, and therefore, we light fires on Lag Ba’Omer in commemoration. This is why anything Rashbi looked at upon first exiting the cave would instantly burn. Because he possessed that original light.
The Maharsha adds, we can now also see why the snake sealed off the cave when they came to bury Rabbi Elazar ben Shimon and Rabbi Yosi. Why not a tiger or big bear? Why a snake? Because the two inhabitants of the cave reached the level of Adam HaRishon pre-sin, and the snake was the only one who could recognize they were like the Adam present before fruit were sinfully eaten. The snake therefore sealed them off, to acknowledge and protect them.
כְּדַאי הוּא רַ בִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לִסְמוֹך עָלָיו בִּשְׁעַת הַדְּ חָק – There never was and will never be anyone like him, and therefore we are to trust in Rashbi on the day of his Hillula. Why are we happy on this day? Because there was a person who in his lifetime was able to bring himself to the status of Adam HaRishon before the cheit and unlock the Torat HaSod through it. The one and only Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. This is a day for all yeshuot, and, in the zechut of the Tanna Elohi, may all our needs and prayers be answered by Hakadosh Baruch Hu on this day.
