21 May MYSTICAL FIRES

Mikrah – coincidence. But we know that there
are no coincidences in life. That all is b’yad
HaShem – in HaShem’s hand. In fact, our
rabbis teach that the word mikrah alludes to
that very idea.
The Hebrew letters of mikrah, מ-mem, ק-kuf,
ר-reish, ה-hay, can be rearranged to form the
phrase rak m’HaShem – meaning only from
HaShem. (רק -reish/kuf, מה׳ -mem/ hay)
While it may not always be visible to us, there
is a reason and purpose for all that transpires.
Rak m’HaShem – It’s all part of HaShem’s
master plan.
Lag B’Omer. The day the devastating plague
ended, and the students of Rabbi Akiva ceased
dying. Years later, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
passes away on Lag B’Omer. Coincidence or
not?
Following the horrific loss of so many
thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s students, there
was a fear amongst the nation of how will the
chain of Torah learning continue. With so
many talmidei chachomim gone, who will be
the Torah leaders of the next generation?
Rabbi Akiva started teaching once again.
Amongst his new students was Rabbi Shimon

Bar Yochai and his son Rabbi Elazar.
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, also known as
Rashbi, (an acronym of the first letters of his
name) lived during the hard times of Roman
rule. Once, while conversing with other Torah
sages, Rabbi Shimon criticized the Roman
leaders. Unbeknownst to him, his words were
overheard and repeated to the Roman
authorities.
Rashbi made it onto the Roman’s “Most
Wanted List”. He was viewed as an enemy,
and a death sentence was decreed upon him.
In fear for his life, Rabbi Shimon, together
with his son hid out in a cave. Miraculously, a
carob tree grew outside the cave, and a stream
flowed alongside it. Rashbi and his son
subsisted on the fruit of the carob and the
water from the stream. Gifts from HaShem.
They spent their days and nights fully
immersed in Torah study. It was during this
time that Rashbi authored the Zohar, a book of
Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah.
Zohar means “shining light”, for it revealed
many Torah secrets, shedding light and
understanding to whomever studied its holy
words.
After twelve years in the cave, Eliyahu
HaNavi appeared to them, bearing news that
the Roman emperor had passed away, and the

decree against Rashbi was lifted. It was time
to emerge from hiding, and re-enter society.
As they traveled home, they came across a
farmer who was busy tending to his field.
Coming from so many years of living a
spiritual existence, they couldn’t comprehend
how one could be involved with the mundane
aspects of life. Rabbi Shimon glared at the
farmer; it was as if daggers of fire emanated
from his eyes. Fires that “zapped” whatever
they were focused on, totally consuming
them.
A Heavenly voice called out to Rabbi Shimon,
“Do you want to destroy My world? Go back
to the cave. The world cannot exist with your
holiness”.
Rabbi Shimon and his son returned to the cave
for another year. Besides being immersed in
Torah study, it was a year of working on
acceptance and love for every man. A year of
concentrating on the lessons of Rabbi Akiva,
to “love your fellow as yourself”. It was only
then that the father and son were ready to
emerge from the cave a second time.
It was an Erev Shabbos, and they encountered
a man carrying two bundles of hadassim,
myrtle branches. When Rabbi Shimon
inquired as to its purpose, the man replied that
it was in honor of the Shabbos. One bundle for
the commandment of “shomor” – to keep
the Shabbos holy, and the second for
“zachor” – to remember the holy Shabbos.
Rabbi Shimon lifted his head upward and
proclaimed, “HaShem, look at Your beloved
people. Look how they prepare for and
treasure the holy Shabbos.”
To this very day, Am Yisroel has a special
love for the Holy Shabbos. I think of the
busy bakeries, groceries and flower stands
on Fridays. Men, women and children
carrying their Shabbos “bundles”. Like
Rabbi Shimon, we too, can say to HaShem,
“Look how precious the mitzvos are to Your
children”.
The plague which consumed Rabbi Akiva’s
students ended on Lag B’Omer. Rabbi
Shimon’s yahrtzeit is on Lag B’Omer. No
coincidence at all.
We have come full circle. Rabbi Shimon
Bar Yochai emerged from the cave with a
new appreciation for his fellow. The ability
to see the “tzelem Elokim”, the Divine
spark within each and every soul. To
connect to others with love, appreciation,
acceptance and tolerance.
Rabbi Shimon lived his life according to the
teachings of his beloved Rebbi, Rabbi
Akiva. Through his words and actions,
Rabbi Shimon brought tikun, merit and
repair, to the lives of the many students of
Rabbi Akiva who perished.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai spent his last

hours on this world teaching Torah, surrounded
by his students. The sun began to set. The light
in the room began to dim. With his last
vestiges of strength, Rabbi Shimon continued
teaching. As the room was getting darker, the
students wrote faster and faster, not wanting to
miss any of his holy words.
It was then that a miraculous fire appeared
outside Rabbi Shimon’s home, illuminating
the room with its mystical light. Rabbi
Shimon’s students were able to continue
writing, enabling them to keep his holy
teachings alive midor l’dor, for future
generations.
But then, just as it came, the fire left, and the
soul of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yocahi returned to
its Creator.
At the entrance way to Rashbi’s kever, his
burial place in Meron, there is an arch with the
words “Ki lo sishochach mipi zaroh, For it
(the Torah) will not be forgotten from His
children” (Devarim 31:21). A promise that
regardless of any difficulties or challenges, the
Torah will never be forgotten. Indeed, this
passage is connected to Rabbi Shimon, with
the last letters of each word spelling out the
name Yochai.
Before his death, Rabbi Shimon instructed his
students to see his yahrtzeit as a Yom Hillula,
a day of celebration. He referred to his passing
as “his happiness”. He felt fulfilled as he was
preparing to face his Maker, for during his
lifetime, he came to understand the depths of
Torah wisdom.
Sadly, the ongoing rocket and missile attacks
in the north of Israel by Hezbollah have
claimed another “victim”, as the annual Lag
B’Omer celebrations in Meron have been
canceled.
While the massive gathering in Meron will
not be happening, tens, or even hundreds of
thousands of Jews will commemorate Rabbi
Shimon’s yahrtzeit with hadlokas, bonfires
throughout the world.
The memory and teachings of Rashbi live on.
Lessons of achdus, unity and understanding,
seeing the beauty in each and every individual.
Lessons of the primacy of Torah study.
Lessons that will, b’ezras HaShem lead us to
the ultimate celebration with the coming of
Moshiach, speedily, in our days.