Welcome to NachDaily. Today I would like to discuss the inyan of Lag Ba’omer and the greatness of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Hopefully through this we can start to appreciate and connect to the one of the great Tzaddikim of all time.
The Gemara in Sukka 45b brings:
ואמר חזקיה א"ר ירמיה משום רשב"י יכול אני לפטור את כל העולם כולו מן הדין מיום שנבראתי עד עתה ואילמלי אליעזר בני עמי מיום שנברא העולם ועד עכשיו ואילמלי יותם בן עוזיהו עמנו מיום שנברא העולם עד סופו
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yachai said. “I can exempt and remove the whole world from judgment from the time I was born until now. If my son Eliezer was with me, we could remove the judgment from the world from the time it was created until now. If Yosam ben Uzziah was with us, we would be able to completely remove judgment from the world from the beginning of the creation until the end!”
This is really an incredible statement. Rebbe Shimon could have eradicated all din, judgment from the world. Astounding! Rashbi was able to raise up not only people who knew him, but the entire world, even those who lived in a completely different generation or had not yet been sent down here, from din. Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai had raised himself up to the highest levels, completely beyond time, and could have removed all suffering, harsh decrees and judgment from the entire world!
The Gemarah in Shabbos 138b says that when the chochomim, sages, gathered together in Kerem B’yavneh, they all claimed that the Torah would eventually be forgotten from Yisrael. Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai, however, promised that this would not happen. As it says, “ki lo tishkach m’pi zaro - the Torah will not be forgotten from His children.” The simple meaning is that the Torah is eternal. The deeper meaning, however, is that the last letters of each of these words - yud, aleph, ches, yud - spell Yochai! Specifically through the seed of Yochai, the Torah will not be forgotten.
How fortunate are we to be able to connect to true Tzaddikim on Lag B’omer!
Last but not least, the passuk in the Torah says “vayaminu b’Hashem uv’Moshe avdo - they believed in Hashem and Moshe His servant.” Why did they have to have belief in Moshe when they were able to see him with their own eyes?
Yes, the Tzaddik is a person, but the more emunah you have in him and the closer you become, the more influence and brocha you are able to receive from him.
Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai had raised himself up to become the Rebbe, roshei teivos Rosh B’nei Yisrael - head of all Yisrael.
May we merit having emunah in Tzaddikim, to connect to them and draw from their lights not only on Lag B’omer, but all year round!
I hope you enjoyed this episode; stay tuned to the next NachDaily as we move on to Mishlei Perek 25.
Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day!
