Lag B'Omer

As we all know Lag B’Omer is a minor Yom Tov. It is also two thirds of the way between Pesach and Shavuos which, of course, commemorate the Yetzias Mitzrayim when our forefathers were redeemed from the land of Egypt, followed by the giving of the Torah on Shavuos. I would like to start today by going back to events that took place during Nissan when the Yidden were on the brink of going out of Egypt. They were told at the beginning of the month that every male head of a family should set aside from 10th of the month a שה, a lamb and four days later this should be shechted and it should then be eaten on the night of 15th Nissan by all members of that family and group, in each individual house, as set out clearly in the Torah.

What happened was that over 100,000 male Jews took these lambs, tied them to the bedposts on 10th Nissan and then on 14th day of Nissan the animals were shechted. On the 13th day of Nissan the male Jewish men and boys of all ages had a bris mila. On 15th Nissan in the evening, the blood of the animals were put round the door posts and the people inside the Jewish houses ate the korban Pesach. At midnight there was the מכות בכורות, the final of the ten plagues, when all the first born in Egypt (other than Jewish ones and Pharaoh of course) died. After that, during the rest of the night and until the morning the Egyptians entreated the Jews to leave but they only left during the day having hastily put together some belongings and not even having been able to bake bread for the journey.

I am going to quote to you a small piece of the של''ה הקדוש the famous work of Reb Yeshia Horowitz who lived approximately 400 years ago. In his classic work, he goes into detail regarding Pesach and among it there is the following statement.

מצה זו שאנו אוכלין, שלא הספיק בצקם של אבותינו להחמיץ, כבר בארתי זה בכמה מקומות שהענין החפזון היה הצלה גדולה לישראל אשר נשתקעו בקליפות במ''ט פנים טמא ואלו לא הוציא הקב''ה ברגע זו ממש אז היו נשקעים לגמרי יורדין ולא יעלו ח''ו

Free translation:

The reason for eating Matzo (as quoted by Rabban Gamliel in the Haggadah) was because the Jews did not have enough time to bake their bread when being sent out (of Egypt). On this the של''ה הקדוש comments “I have already explained a number of times that the reason for the haste of the Jews going out was a great salvation for them, as they had become sunk into 49 depths of tumah (spiritual uncleaniness). If Hakodesh Boruch Hu would not have taken them out ברגע זו ממש, at that precise moment, they would have become Chas V’Sholom completely submerged into tumah from which they would not have been able to ascend.

This statement is also attributed to the אר''י ז''ל R’ Yitzchok Luria, but I find it difficult to comprehend. I mentioned, already, the mitzvos that the Bnei Yisroel had carried out between the 10th and 15th Nissan and surely rather than them sinking into the lowest level of tumah, they should have, if anything, had been gradually coming out from the 49th back to say 48th or 47th or even further back out of those depths, because they had set aside the korban Pesach, made bris mila, shechted the korban, eaten it, all as had been instructed by Hashem. How can it be that on the morning of 15th Nissan after all this happened, they would be in danger of, as a people, being completely submerged into the depths of tumah?

I have asked numerous people whether they have ever come across to question and have at long last discovered via my son-in-law Moshe Ingber in Los Angeles, that a friend of his, who I know personally very well, Rabbi Adlerstein told him that the Nesivos Sholom does have an answer which I believe is as follows:-

We find that Pharaoh and his hordes were so eager to get rid of the Bnei Yisroel that they accompanied them as they started leaving Egypt. This, the Nesivos Sholom suggests caused the Bnei Yisroel to come to גאוה, haughtiness and because of this, although they had a few mitzvos under their belt, they spiritually sank back again and were in danger of reaching the 50th level.

I must say that I have not seen this myself and, therefore, I am only quoting what I have heard, and I find it somewhat difficult to accept that they were in danger of sinking out of sight. After all, they did carry out numerous mitzvos and as the Novi says לכתך אחרי במדבר בארץ לא זרועה, the Jewish people followed Hashem out into the wilderness, which was a great זכות, merit for them. It might be true that they felt jubilant at going out, but, nevertheless, they were doing the right thing.

I would like to venture a different approach. Many of you know holocaust survivors or indeed may even be children or grandchildren of holocaust survivors. We have all come across numerous, almost unbelievable stories of how people kept going for years under insufferable conditions and treatment. Very often what kept them going was quite remarkable, they often clutched at straws to keep some semblance of life and hope on the horizon. I would just like to quote two particular incidents that I, myself was witness to.

Some 50 years ago, I was in the Gerrer Beis Hamedrash in Yerushalayim, I think it was on Succos and the very famous composer Reb Yaakov Talmid was still alive and conducting the Gerrer choir. After davenning finished a few people gathered round him to compliment him and thank him for the new original tunes for which he was famous. As we were standing there, an unremarkable middle aged person with no beard, bekeshe etc. came over to the group and suddenly started jumping up and down singing a tune and looking at Reb Yaakov Talmid. He stopped, waiting for a reaction and got none, he then did this again, by which time we were all watching. Reb Yaakov Talmid, who had a dry sense of humour, gently enquired of the person whether “Can I call you a doctor?”. The indignant reply was forthcoming very quickly “Reb Yankel do you not remember this tune, you sang it on Rosh Hashonah 1939 and it kept me going for five years through all my trials and tribulations.

Reb Yaakov, realising that this person had been offended, gently replied that the gentleman must understand that as he was charged with producing 7 to 10 new melodies each year, he, Reb Yaakov, tried his best to forget old tunes, and this mollified the person concerned.

You understand what I mean about clutching at straws. The very fact that he sang the tune, reminded him of the glorious past and gave him the will to battle for survival.

My own machetainista, my daughter’s mother-in-law, told me that when she unfortunately was also in one of the camps, she did her utmost to always wash negel vasser at great cost to herself and her health because she could, of course, have drunk the water. As she explained to me, “I felt that I could not face my father after meeting him again following the war if I had not religiously washed negel vasser every day.”

I am not belittling the importance of using negel vasser but in such circumstances, if you would ask any Rov, I think that you would find that the answer would be that she should rather drink any water that she had. Incidentally, she never was reunited with her father who unfortunately was killed in the war.

Let us turn now to the situation of the Yidden in Egypt. 210 years before these events took place, Yaakov and his family, 70 people in total, came down to Egypt. 100 years later, they had been fruitful and multiplied so much that the king was afraid that they would take over the country and they were gradually enslaved. For the final 86 years, there was a very harsh regime of enslavement. Yaakov Avinu had died 17 years after they arrived and we are talking now of 193 years having gone by since then.

חז''ל tell us that the Bnei Yisroel were redeemed שלא שינו שמם לשונם ומלבושם, because they did not change their names, their language or their mode of dress.

I think that you would agree that these were not very outstanding features if, as we are also told, הללו עובדי עבודה זרה והללו, both the Egyptians and the Jews practised idol worship.

It was true that they had a splendid past, great ancestors, Avrohom, Yitzchok. Yaakov but by now the link with them was very tenuous, they clutched at straws to have some affinity with their holy ancestors. Then, all of a sudden, out of the blue, comes Moshe Rabbenu. He says that he has been sent to take them out of Egypt and performs a number of miracles and after nine plagues tells them that there is going to be a tenth one and after that they are going to free. They believed, because they wanted to believe. They wanted to have some hope and light at the end of the tunnel. And so it proved to be. Nevertheless, we are told that at the time of the plague of חושך, four fifths of all the Jewish people died at that time because they had become completely assimilated.

I would like to tell you a story.

24 years ago, when Russia was still a communist state and there was an Iron Curtain, I had the privilege to go to Russia to help the Refuseniks. I was very much involved with the then leader of the group, Chaim Briskman. The atmosphere in Moscow at that time was one of fear, it was almost tangible. One day, whilst I was walking along with him, to go to a flat to meet other people to give a shuir and chizuk, I saw two policemen coming towards us and I said to Chaim, “It looks as if I will now be sent back to England”. His reply was “I don’t think so, if they wanted you they would come up from behind and tap you on the shoulder.” And in fact, they walked right past us. He then told me that he had been in that very flat we were going to, together with two other young men, one Friday evening, and they had davenned Mincha and Kabbolos Shabbos together and had sung Lecha Dodi. They were learning Chumash with, I think, Ramban, when all of a sudden there was some loud knocking on the door. A neighbour had reported them for being hooligans who had caused an uproar and were making public prayers, all against the rules of Russia at that time.

The door was eventually broken down and they were taken away to the infamous Leverchenko prison and were sent to separate cells. Chaim, himself, ended up in a cell with three other inmates, one was six foot six and a murderer, another was a psychopath and the third one I cannot remember. Chaim told me that once he got into that cell and the others introduced themselves, they told him that they had a regime in order that they should retain some sanity as well as physical capabilities. They ran round this tiny cell one after the other, say 50 times and then had a rest and then carried on and he was told that he would have to join in with them, which he did.

Because Chaim was considered a very valuable prisoner and the authorities were trying to find out who else was in his group, he was treated with a little less severity than the others and after a couple of days, the governor interviewed him for the third time and indicated that he was minded to release him. Chaim was sent back to his cell but then decided not to follow the others round their little run. He knew that at any moment he was due to be released and, therefore, he did not need to clutch at straws.

I suggest that the same thing happened to the Yidden after the מכות בכורות. They could see the light at the end of the tunnel and therefore, psychologically they did not need to clutch any more at straws. They were “free men”.

You might ask me that they had, after all, performed a number of mitzvos. What about those? Well, one has to again bear in mind the context of where they were living. They were in Mitzraim, Egypt, which was known to be the country with the greatest number of sorcerers, idol worshipers and other such practices.

These sorcerers were also not without their powers because they copied the changes of rods to snakes, water to blood and even as far as frogs were concerned, they were able to use magical powers.

The whole atmosphere in the country was one of illusions, make believe, a lack of solidity. It is true that there had been one plague after another brought on the Egyptians but although the Yidden were told to set aside the korban Pesach and had done so, they were willing to do almost anything to get out of that horrible country and terrible slavery, therefore, they performed a number of mitzvos, but with a feeling of “let’s try this”, rather than out of solid faith.

The time they came to solid faith was when they surrounded har Sinai and Hashem gave them the Aseres Hadibros, the Ten Commandments.

Even then there were considerable ups and downs, the golden calf, the meraglim, the story of Korach etc. but over a period of 40 years the Bnei Yisroel were molded into a Holy people keeping Torah and mitzvos in a genuine and solid manner day after day.

Over the next 440 years they settled down in Eretz Yisroel and the Mishkon was the spiritual focal point. Then King Solomon built the first Bais Hamikdosh in Yerushayalim and this stood for 410 years. It was the focal point for all Jews and they were supposed to go to Yerushalayim three times a year.

During all this period there were considerable ups and downs and the ten tribes were taken into exile etc.

Nevertheless, there was one focal point from which unadulterated kedusha flowed.

When the first Bais Hamikdosh was destroyed and the Yidden were taken into exile, we find that over the next 70 years they assimilated rapidly and needed the miracle of Purim, almost at the end of that period, to pull them together somewhat, followed by the building of the second Bais Hamikdosh. Although this was not of the same calibre as the first Bais Hamikdosh, it remained the focal point for the next 420 years until it was also destroyed.

Subsequent to that, the position for the Yidden who remained in Eretz Yisroel was extremely difficult. There were still numerous Yidden who lived in Bovel, the equivalent to today’s Iraq etc. and now in addition, many Jews were taken as slaves by the Romans and taken to Italy and sent to numerous parts of the Roman Empire, or they alternatively fled to North Africa, Spain etc.

The people who were left in Eretz Yisroel had to fight for their existence but were still considered the spiritual leaders of Klal Yisroel. Some 60 years after the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh, there was the Bar Kochba revolt backed by Rabbi Akiva and for three years they were successful but eventually they were crushed by the Romans. Not only was Rabbi Akiva, himself, tortured and killed 12,000 or 24,000 or his talmidim died and, in fact, this is a reason for the mourning period covering 33 days of the Omer.

I would venture to suggest that Rabbi Akiva talmidim were killed during that uprising and the enigmatic comment of חז''ל that they died because שלא נהגו כבוד זה בזה, they did not honour one another sufficiently was meant to imply that they did not have enough merit to be saved from the terrible wrath of the Romans.

If we consider Klal Yisroel at that time, who were scattered over the then known world, whose base in Eretz Yisroel with the great Rabbi Akiva as a leader having been decimated, the spiritual vacuum was awesome.

The question was, how does one deal with the situation. I think that a Gemora would give us the three possible points of view. The Gemora relates that three great Tanoim, all of them pupils of Rabbi Akiva, namely Reb Yehudah, Reb Yose and Reb Shimon were discussing the Roman conquest of Eretz Yisroel. Reb Yehudah pointed out that they had built bridges and roads and had constructed things, positively. Reb Yose kept quiet. Reb Shimon stated “All they have done to construct the roads etc. was for their own use” not for our good.

Their remarks got back to the Roman authorities, who as a consequence appointed Reb Yehudah as Chief Rabbi. They instructed that Reb Yose be sent into exile, and ordered the execution of Reb Shimon. We then, of course, have the famous story of him running away and hiding in a cave for 12 years where he was given the special secrets of Torah included in the Zohar Hakodesh.

Let us just consider the three comments of these Rabbis. Reb Yehudah decided that the best thing to do would be to work with the authorities in order that they should not make life even more difficult and that, hopefully, there would be some gradual relaxation of the their iron grip and a change in their attitude to the Jewish people.

Reb Yose just put his head below the parapet and decided to lay low in the hope that the storm would abate.

Reb Shimon confronted the harsh and unpalatable truths. He nevertheless, adhered to his position, and because of this, he had to flee however he did receive a great spiritual reward by doing so.

This was taking the solidity in faith which had been first encountered at Har Sinai to a very high level. Real מסירת נפש, mesirus nefesh.

We celebrate each year Lag B’Omer in connection with Reb Shimon Bar Yochai and I believe that the points I have made as to why he is such an inspiring figure were relevant at the time of his life and are just as relevant nowadays.

We have to remain steadfast in confronting both spiritual and physical dangers. Our reward will be great as was that of Reb Shimon Bar Yorchai. By doing so, we can look forward to the coming of Moshiach במהרה בימינו אמן.

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Pesach Sheini and Lag Bo'Omer

The Gemora in Shabbos :לג states that Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Shimon were sitting together one day discussing the Roman occupation of the Land of Israel.

To put this into perspective, this must have been some 70 or 80 years after the destruction of the second Bais Hamikdosh. Originally, when the Romans surrounded Jerusalem and Reb Yochanon Ben Zakkai managed to escape and appeared before Vespasian who became the emperor he asked for Yavneh and its scholars to be saved. This was granted.

At the time, the Romans did not believe that the Rabbis were any threat to them and allowed Jewish scholarship to continue, albeit curtailed.

About 60 years later, at the time of the Bar Kochba revolt, Rabbi Akiva supported the revolt and unfortunately after three years or so, the Romans crushed it and wreaked revenge. This time, they did not spare the rabbis and Torah scholars and many died including 24,000 pupils of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva taught five new star pupils, three of whom were Rabbi Yehuda Ben Iloui, Rabbi Yose, and Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai.

We have all heard of the greatest of Reb Shimon Ben Yochai but few people know that the Gemora says that Reb Yehuda (Ben Iloui) was a Chosid. The Gemora relates that whenever a story is quoted מעשה בחסד אחד, one of the two possibilities of whom we are talking about is this very Reb Yehuda, Ben Iloui, who was obviously a very pious tanna.

Returning to the fact that these Rabbis were sitting together and discussing the effect of the Roman occupation, the Gemora states as follows:-

Reb Yehuda said “How nice are the deeds of the Romans. They constructed marketplaces, bridges and public baths.” Reb Yose said nothing.

Reb Shimon Bar Yochai objected and said “All they constructed is for their own benefit.” (For example, bridges in order that they should be able to impose taxes.)

This got back to the Roman authorities who issued a proclamation, “Reb Yehuda, who spoke well of us, should be the Chief Rabbi. Reb Yose should be sent into exile”. And Reb Shimon was sentenced to death.

It was subsequent to this that Reb Shimon fled and went into a cave for 12 years with his son Reb Elozor. This is all quoted in the continuation of the same Gemora.

As we know the Zohar Hakodosh and many secrets in Torah were revealed to Reb Shimon at that time.

I believe that if we look at the political situation then, the three Rabbis were really discussing how to tackle the situation. Reb Yehuda’s attitude was to look for the silver lining, to cooperate with the authorities in the hope that they would gradually tone down their brutality and allow more normal religious Jewish life to be lived.

Reb Yose put his head down under the parapet as if to say, less said, the better.

However Reb Shimon went to the heart of the matter and did not brook any compromise.

These are three basic attitudes which continue to this very day.

Reb Shimon had to run away but received the great reward of having secrets in Torah revealed to him which had not been revealed previously.

We find in the Zohar quoted a story that happened during those twelve years that Reb Shimon went missing. The Rabbis were sitting together and discussing the difficult situation, during the course of the discussion, the following point was made. Twice in the Torah we have a תוכחה, where we are told vividly of all the troubles that will be vented on the Jewish people if they do not keep Torah properly. One of the Rabbis pointed out that it seems obvious that the first one, in Bechukosi, refers to the first Bais Hamikdosh and the time immediately afterwards when the Jews were sent into exile. The second תוכחה in Ki Sovo refers to the second Bais Hamikdosh and the troubles subsequent. He then pointed out that in the first one, which is shorter, there are certain words of comfort, for example, וזכרתי את בריתי יעקב, I will remember My covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Where, he asked, are there any words of comfort in the second תוכחה, things look very black indeed.

Reb Yehuda who was listening to this conversation sighed and said, I wish Reb Shimon was here, he would no doubt be able to help us regarding this.

They decided that they would write down the gist of the question and somehow try to get it to Reb Shimon. A bird flew by, picked up the written note and took it to the cave where Reb Shimon was hiding. When Reb Shimon read the note, he cried. Eliyahu Hanovi came and asked him why he was crying and he showed him the note. Eliyohu then told him that he should look carefully at the words of the second תוכחה to discover a silver lining in various places. For example, he was told, the worst thing that is mentioned is as follows:-

גם כל חלי ומכה אשר לא כתוב', יעלם ה' עליך

after having reckoned out all the terrible things that are mentioned, the Torah then says, All other illnesses and plagues which are not written, Hashem will bring on you. What could be worse than that!!

Eliyahu Hanovi then explained to Reb Shimon that the word יעלם, which is normally translated as “bring on to you”, can also mean “hide from you”. This was the hidden meaning and was meant as a silver lining.

Reb Shimon then wrote this down. A bird came and took the note back to the Rabbis who felt relieved.

I think that it is noteworthy that it was to Reb Shimon that this interpretation was revealed. He was, after all, the person who had taken the hard line. I think he was being told here that one has to look for a silver lining and work within the framework of practicality as far as the general populace was concerned, even though he and other individuals might adhere to the absolute truth without any compromises.

Lag B’Omer is the one day in the year that we celebrate the greatness of Reb Shimon Bar Yochai.

A few days before this, we have Pesach Sheini.

Once in Torah we have a mitzvah where a second opportunity to fulfil it, is granted. Normally speaking, every mitzvah has its time and place, for example, Yom Kippur is on 10th day of Tishrei. If somebody is ill or for some reason cannot fast that day, there is no provision that, say, on 10th day of Cheshvan, they should fast instead. However, as far as Pesach is concerned, we have a parsha in Torah telling us precisely that. When there were Yidden who were tomei in the midbar, they came to Moshe Rabbenu and said that they could not bring the korban Pesach, he informed them that there would be a possibility of them performing the mitzvah a month later.

We find in the case of Pesach Sheini, an argument between Reb Yehuda and the chachomim (I assume including Reb Shimon) as to what happens if not only a person is tomei on 14th Nissan but if he is then tomei on 14th day of Iyyar. The other rabbis say that he cannot bring the Pesach Sheini. However, Reb Yehuda maintains that he can. I would venture to suggest that this is same idea as that mentioned above. Namely, that in extreme circumstances one has to find a compromise, utilise the facts on the ground, even if this is not the ideal way of doing things.

I believe that this fits in with the Gemora in Brochos :לה, where Reb Shimon Ben Yochai asks, if, as was in the agrarian society, people are busy all the time, ploughing, sowing, reaping, threshing, winnowing etc. what time will they have to learn Torah and he answers, learn Torah and the works will be done by others on your behalf. There is a dissenting opinion, Reb Yishmael who says that one should carry out the necessary works of ploughing, sowing etc and in between one should study Torah. The Gemora concludes, Many people tried to emulate Reb Shimon but they did not succeed. That was an ideal for special individuals but not for the general populace.

To sum up, there are always people in Klal Yisroel who devote their whole lives to learning Torah and keeping it to the last detail in accordance with all the authorities however stringent.

For the general populace, the norm is to learn Torah as well as work and to keep the dinnim of Torah according to the decisions of the majority as laid out in the Shulchan Oruch. Of course, that must be done without compromise.

Just to illustrate this point and to make it absolutely clear, let us take the argument as to exactly how large is a רביעית, a quarter of a log. This is important as far as making Kiddush is concerned and especially for the four cups of wine that we drink on Seder night. The majority opinion is around 3.5 fluid ounces, but there are other leading authorities who say that it is considerably larger, in excess of 5 fluid ounces. The halacha follows the majority, namely that the smaller measure is sufficient. However people who wish to be more stringent have the right to utilise a larger volume for themselves.

When Moshiach comes, we will know the correct measurement and we will not need compromises or stringencies.

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