"Hillula D'Rebbi Shimon" - The Joy of Rashbi's Ascent To Heaven

This Torah class is brought to you by torahanytime.com. Okay, welcome everyone. Uh freilichen erev Lag Baomer. Welcome everyone to the Monday afternoon national avgidas peer kesher. And this today's show is going to be in preparation of Lag Baomer haba leinu l'tova taf shin pei vov. Make sure that you're well equipped for Lag Baomer with the book Lag Baomer, the fire and the soul published by Artscroll publications. Also part of Lag Baomer the Ben Ish Chai says is celebrating with the great tanna Reb Meir Baal Haness. And that is also available in Lashon Hakodesh and in English and this year in pocket size. Today we're going to speak about the joy of Reb Shimon bar Yochai's ascent to heaven. The joy of his ascent to heaven. Now it is tradition that Lag Baomer is considered the yom hilula, the yahrtzeit of the tanna ha eloki Reb Shimon bar Yochai. However, there is a lot of question and controversy if in fact there is basis that Lag Baomer is his yahrtzeit. This assumption the assumption that Lag Baomer is the yahrtzeit of the Rashbi is not found in the Gemara. Nowhere in Shas does it say that Lag Baomer is the yahrtzeit of Reb Shimon bar Yochai. It's not found in the Medrash. It's not found in the Zohar Hakadosh. It's not found in the writings of the Arizal. Therefore, since there is no clear citation that Lag Baomer is the yahrtzeit of the Rashbi, based on what is this assumption that Reb Shimon bar Yochai passed away on Lag Baomer? In Shaar Hakavanos, you have it here up on your sheet on the screen. Reb Chaim Vital quotes the Minhog Yisrael that to visit the grave of various tzaddikim on Lag B'Omer. Inyan Minhog Shenogui Sol Halachus B'Yom Lag B'Omer Al Kivrei Rashbi, Reb Elazar ben Azaryah, Asher Kvorim B'Eretz Yisrael K'No Eida, and they eat there, and they drink there, and they rejoice there. In fact, the Reb Chaim Vital says, "I saw my Rebbe, the Arizal. He once went there on Lag B'Omer, him and his whole household, and he stayed there 3 days. And this was the first time that the Arizal came from Egypt. But I don't know yet at that point in time whether the Arizal was expert in Divrei Kabbalah. Now, Reb Chaim Vital says that a personality by the name of Reb Avraham Halevi also visited the Rashbi on Lag B'Omer. Now, Reb Avraham Halevi had a Minhog that he would add the T'filas Nachim to the Shmoneh Esrei every day. What we say on Tisha B'Av, Reb Elazar Halevi added every single day. And as his was his regular practice, he added it on Lag B'Omer. And the Arizal uh said to him, to Reb Avraham Halevi, "That Reb Avraham, I see that the Rashbi standing on his grave." And the Rashbi told the Ari, "Ask Avraham Halevi, why is he saying Nachim on my day of festivity? Why is he saying Nachim B'Yom Simchasenu?" Yei'ah ben Nachama B'Karov. He will need consolation soon. And indeed, less than a month later, Reb Avraham Halevi's son passed away. Says Reb Chaim Vital, "The reason why I'm saying this is to show, to instruct, that there is a great basis for the practice of visiting Meron on Lag B'Omer. Because the Rashbi was one of the five students of Rabbi Akiva, so therefore his simcha is on Lag B'Omer, like it has been explained. Now, conspicuously absent from the comments of Rabbi Chaim Vital is that the Rashbi passed away on Lag B'Omer. He says everything about Lag B'Omer except for the most important point, that the Rashbi passed away on Lag B'Omer. Furthermore, in the siddur of Rabbi Shabsi, which is often referred to as a siddur of the Arizal, it says it's a mitzvah to visit the kivarim of Rabbi Shimon and his son on Lag B'Omer. He says just be careful not to say nachum. In Mishnas Chassidim of Rabbi Emmanuel Chai Riki, he says that Rabbi Akiva and his students, including the Rashbi, were the vehicle through which the whole Torah is upheld, and therefore, says the Mishnas Chassidim, one cannot be a be misabel on Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Lag B'Omer. We have to be happy. Again, no mention whatsoever is uh given to the notion that the Rashbi passed away on Lag B'Omer. So, it's amazing. All of the earliest sources that discuss Lag B'Omer don't say anything about Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's yahrzeit. Rabbi Shmuel Heller is made about the tradition of the Rabboni Sefarad that Rabbi Chaim ben Attar, the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, once visited Tzfas, and when he went up to Meron, and he got to the bottom of the mountain from which you ascend uh to Meron, he got off his donkey and he crawled on his hands and knees and as the whole road, he moaned and he cried, "How can I, lowly being, enter the place of the fiery divine fire of Kutzo Brihu?" Reb Bunim and his whole retinue is there and all the souls of the tzaddikim are there. And at that great simcha, he was very joyous and he even burnt many clothing that covered the Rashbi. Again, all of these great tzaddikim discuss the minhag of visiting the Rashbi on Lag B'Omer, but no particular reason is given. Reb Yaakov Hillel, the renowned mekubal, wrote a sefer about Lag B'Omer called Eidus HaGalus Hazeh and he says that if you can't make it to Meron, then at least spend the day studying the Torah of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, learn the Zohar, learn about the greatness of the Rashbi. There's a principle, "Unishlama Farim Sifaseinu", about which the Gemara Menachos darshens, "Anyone who's osek in Torah, it's like you brought a korban mincha, a chatas and an asham." A special specially we know that the place that uh the the ikar makom that a tzaddik is nignaz is in his words, like it says in the Yerushalmi, "Ein oisin nefashos l'tzaddikim, divreihem heym heym zichronam." So we see that the main tzion of the tzaddikim are their words, like tzion l'nefesh chaya. Therefore, by the way, the Rashbi himself is the Baal HaMemra of Kol Talmidei Chachamim She'Omerim Divrei Shmuel MiPiv, Sifsoisav >> We know there's a rule, there's a principle that when you say over the Torah of a tzaddik, you cause his lips to move. Who teaches that teaching? None other than the Rashbi himself. So therefore, if you can't make it to Meron, if let's say you're stuck in Kew Garden Hills, or you're stuck in Jamaica Estates, or you're stuck in Williamsburg, or Flatbush, or even if you're this year in Yerushalayim, by learning the Torah of the Rashbi, it is tantamount to visiting the Rashbi. Rav Asher Weiss, he writes on Lag B'Omer, tens of thousands typically visit Meron, and therefore if someone is unable to go to Meron, it's a great segulah to study the Torah of Rav Shimon. Uh in fact, Rav Asher Weiss says that the Klausenberger Rebbe couldn't make it to Meron on Lag B'Omer, and in lieu of the kever, he would spend the day occupied in in-depth study of the Torah of Rav Shimon. Um also, the Mareh Enayim, the Mareh Enayim says, anyone who's oisek in the Torah of a tzaddik, it's like you mishtate'ach at his kever. Now, on the day that Rav Shimon was niftar, Rav Shimon taught something called Idra Zuta, which is a record of what took place when Rav Shimon bar Yochai passed away. It says there, if you look at number seven, when Rav Shimon's bier was carried out, it levitated in the air, a fire followed behind his coffin, and a heavenly voice proclaimed, "Arise, come, gather together for the hilula, for the wedding reception of Rav Shimon. Shamu kallah, ulu v'isu v'iskinashu l'hilula d'Rav Shimon. Reb Yaakov Hillel says, many refer to Lag Baomer as a celebration cuz it's called Hilula the Reb Shimon bar Yochai. So, in that sense, they're using Now, it's very interesting. You could potentially understand that the word Hilula means the day that he was nifter. Because there's an idea that when a tzaddik is nifter, it creates a great tikun in all the olamais. And all the angels come to receive his neshama and Hashem and his retinue comes to greet him. But some understand that this is like a proclamation for all generations that they should treat this day as a day of joy. Even though the literal meaning of the the Idra Zuta is gather for this the celebration of Reb Shimon that it's referring to the day that he passed away. But some understand that it's a command that for all generations um and therefore, according to this understanding, we we could appreciate why Reb Shimon bar Yochai is celebrated on this day more than other talmidim of Rebbi Akiva. That's because they're understanding that the words of the uh the words of the Idra Zuta mean this is not just the day, let's say, that Rebbi Akiva gave smicha to his talmidim. It's specifically a joy that the Rashbi passed away on this day. So, even though it's not absolutely clear that the Idra is saying that the joy of Lag Baomer is because it's the day of Reb Shimon bar Yochai's passing, the words of this Idra Zuta are traditionally interpreted that this day should be treated like a wedding celebration because of the passing of Reb Shimon bar Yochai. Now, Reb Yonasan Eybeschutz does say explicitly that Reb the Rashbi passed away on Lag B'Omer. Um As Reb Tzaddok HaKohen also records that Lag B'Omer is the Yahrtzeit of Reb Shimon bar Yochai, and the Chida, none other than the Chida in Birkei Yosef, the Chida says, I'm going to show you on the sheet, the Chida, excuse me, in Mora B'Etzba, he says, "Yom Lag B'Omer Yarbeh Simcha L'Chvod Rashbi Ki Hu Yoma D'Hilula D'Lei." And it's known that he wants us to rejoice on this day, like the story of Rabbi Avraham Halevi. Okay. However, in Mar'eh Ha'ayin, in the Sefer Mar'eh Ha'ayin, the Chida seems to have somewhat retracted his position that the Reb Shimon bar Yochai passed away on Lag B'Omer. He says, in Mar'eh Ha'ayin, he says, "U'Mah SheKassav B'Birkei Yosef B'Siman Zad, D'Yesh MiSheKassav D'V'Chibur Rashbi B'Lag B'Omer." It says that in the Pri chaim, but it's known that the various texts of the Arizal were discombobulated and there are many errors and there are many mistakes and there are many discrepancies in terms of the Sha'arim that the Rabbi Shimon Vital uh wrote and he says that in the in many of the texts it does not say explicitly that it is his Yahrzeit even though they they say it's a day of great simcha they don't go so far as to say that it's the day of his petirah and the Chida suggests that maybe the reason why Lag B'Omer is a day of joy is not because it's the day of the petirah of the Rashbi but rather because it's a day that Rabbi Akiva started to teach his new talmidim. Nevertheless So so the Chida seems to indicate that he has retracted his position that Lag B'Omer is the Yahrzeit of the Rashbi because he says that there are no credible sources that the Rashbi's Yahrzeit is on this day. So there's a Sefer Kuntres Lag B'Omer that says that that's not how to interpret the Chida. He says on page 14 what the Chida means to say is that the writings of the Ari are replete with errors and cannot be relied upon as a definitive source that it's the Yahrzeit of the Rashbi but nevertheless the minhag in Klal Yisrael and the prevailing attitude is in fact it is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai bar Yochai. So in the year 1837 an earthquake ravaged city of Safed and the Chasam Sofer wrote he famously said as brought in Toras Moshe you can look in Drashos Chasam Sofer Chelek Beis that the reason why Safed was destroyed Kinas Yerushalayim Asisa Tza'is it was the city of Safed was destroyed because of the jealousy of Jerusalem Yerushalayim is the gateway to heaven it connects to the Yerushalayim Shel Ma'alah Har HaMoriyah is there that's where the Akedah took place where Yaakov Avinu slept and he dreamt of the Sulam and where the Beis HaMikdash stood and the Shechinah continues to rest on the Kosel HaMaaravi and Yerushalayim is still the focal point of the world and yet says the Chasam Sofer for over 100 years people are flocking to Meron and to Safed and on Lag BaOmer to the Kivrei Tzaddikim there and they leave Yerushalayim behind as a mournful widow. Chasam Sofer writes in his Teshuvos that leave me out of it I would not attend Lag BaOmer celebrations in Meron. He says I don't even know that you're allowed to to forsake Yerushalayim the center of the universe and to go uh attract uh focus on other areas says the Chasam Sofer I don't know that you're allowed to do that it's not a Yom Tov that's mentioned in the Gemara there's no source in Chazal for it and all we know is you don't say Tachanun and even that we don't know the reason for. And then the Chasam Sofer says as follows says the Chasam Sofer I disagreed with this with HaGaon Rav Reuven Margolies uh um I think it with Rav Ephraim Zalman Margolies regarding celebrating the Yahrtzeit of a Tzaddik? It's very interesting by the way. Says the Chasam Sofer, you know the Shulchan Aruch rules that on the seventh day of Adar, which is the day that Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, it's a day that people should fast. And Rosh Chodesh Av, even though it's Rosh Chodesh, one should fast, the Shulchan Aruch says, because of the Yahrtzeit of Aharon Kohen. Rosh Chodesh Nisan is the petirah of Aharon's sons. Yud Nisan, Miriam died. Chaf Av Nisan, Yehoshua bin Nun died. And the Chaf Av has many, many fast days that are days that we mourn the loss of tzaddikim. So, says the Chasam Sofer, that means traditionally on a day that a tzaddik passes away, we need to fast, we need to mourn. And here we're celebrating a Yom Tov for the petirah of the Rashbi? Says the Chasam Sofer, when the Zohar says that the day of his death was a hilula, it's because in the shamayim it's a joyous occasion, but for us down here, for us mere mortals, his passing is not a celebration. His passing should be a day of mourning, a day of aveilus, like on days that any other tzaddik can pass away. Why would we fast on Why would we celebrate Lag BaOmer? In other words, the million-dollar question that we're going to deal with today is how do you reconcile the contradiction between the fact that on Zayin Adar, which is the day that Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, that's a fast day for the Jewish people, it's a day of mourning for Klal Yisrael, it's a day of aveilus, and on Lag BaOmer, the day of the petirah of the Rashbi, it's a day of celebration, it's a day of joy, it's a day of unparalleled ecstasy. How do you reconcile that? The Rashbi was not greater than Moshe Rabbeinu. So, this is the question that many acharonim uh deal with, and we're going to begin with the answer of Rav Yosef Shalom Halevi Natanson in the She'eilas U'Teshuvos She'eilas U'Teshuvos. I once heard from Rav Asher Weiss that the Shulchan Aruch Mishna Berurah Shulchan Aruch Mishna Berurah comprise the largest body of material in Torah Shebaal Peh than any individual ever composed. The Shulchan Aruch Mishna Berurah expresses astonishment also about uh the practice of the celebration on Lag BaOmer. How did this mournful day turn into a day of festivity? Also, he says, I don't understand the practice they burn clothing on Lag BaOmer. Burning clothing is an issur d'Oraisa of bal tashchis. When the kings of the Malchus Beis David passed away, nobody was allowed to wear their clothing. So, they would burn their clothing only because it's not a violation of bal tashchis, nobody was allowed to wear them. But, to burn clothing? How does burning clothing honor the memory of the Rashbi, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai? This question is uh highlighted by the Shulchan Aruch Mishna Berurah Madaura Chamisha Siman Lamed Tes. So, [cough and clears throat] today we're going to study a number of different answers. I believe we're going to learn six answers to this question. Fasten your seat belts. We begin with the answer of the She'elas Aryeh She'elas Utshuvos She'elas Aryeh. Siman Yud Daled. The Gemara tells us in Maseches Shabbos that the Roman D'af Lamed Gimmel, the Romans wanted to kill the Rashbi. So, what did he do? With his son, he fled to a cave. He stayed there for 12 years until the Caesar died. When he exited the cave a year later, Reb Shimon wanted lesakein molssa. He wanted to He wanted to do something to benefit society. So, Reb Shimon what did he do? He demarcated where bodies had been buried to assist in determining where Kohanim could walk. Hashem gave Reb Shimon many, many more years, and then he eventually passed away. Um Now, Reb Shimon considered his salvation miraculous. And therefore, he wanted to benefit the tzibur because if somebody is saved miraculously, it's manakeh from your zchusim. So, therefore, he wanted to be mahaneh the tzibur. Says the Shem Aryeh, that means the salvation of Reb Shimon was considered a miracle, and it needed to be celebrated. The fact that the life of Reb Shimon bar Yochai was not prematurely curtailed by the Romans was a miraculous event. The fact that he did it The fact that he died a natural death, that he wasn't murdered, was a a miracle to be celebrated. Now, our minhag is that we celebrate, we commemorate in a location where a miracle took place. Someone who's executed by the king was not given kevurah. Had Reb Shimon been killed by the Romans, he wouldn't have had a funeral, he wouldn't have had a kever. The fact there's a matzeiva and a kever, that means he died naturally. The yahrtzeit of Reb Shimon's passing is a happy occasion cuz if he has a yahrtzeit that he died naturally, that means he died naturally and he wasn't murdered. In other words, we celebrate his yahrtzeit because the day of his yard site commemorates the miraculous salvation he had from the Romans who tried to murder him. That's why Lag B'Omer is a day of celebration. The Romans couldn't get Reb Shimon. That's the answer of Sha'arei Teshuvah. Shimon bar Yochai In the Sefer Hilula Rabba the Sefer Hilula Rabba makes another distinction between the passing of Reb Shimon and other tzaddikim. Why do we mourn the passing of a great person? Because we miss them. Their passing marks a the conclusion of their ability to make a difference in this world. We're saddened by the finality of their death. Now this person is not able to accomplish anymore. When Moshe Rabbeinu passed away it sealed his fate. He would never be able to enter Eretz Yisrael. However, a spark of Moshe Rabbeinu did remain and it entered the neshama of the Rashbi. On the pasuk that says V'yomer Hashem elav, "Zos ha'aretz asher nishbati v'shamah lo sa'avar." The gematria of lo sa'avar 703 Shimon bar Yochai. It was like Hashem was telling Moshe, "Lo sa'avar, you won't enter, but your spark, the Rashbi, will enter." On Moshe Rabbeinu's yard site we're saddened because of the finality that Moshe Rabbeinu was not able to enter Eretz Yisrael. But after Moshe Rabbeinu passed away it says "Vayitmum y'mei b'chi eivel Moshe." Vayitmum y'mei b'chi Vayitmum y'mei b'chi is gematria Shimon ben Yochai. The word eivel is gematria 33, a symbol of Lag B'Omer. Then the 33rd day of the Omer, the period of mourning will end for Mosha, and it will contain a spark of Mosha's neshama, that a spark Mosha Rabbeinu's neshama will in fact be buried in in Eretz Yisrael. So, Mosha's petirah is mourned because it it marks a finality. Mosha Rabbeinu died and he couldn't enter the Holy Land. But, the Rashbi was able to fulfill the dreams of what Mosha Rabbeinu did not fulfill. I have a friend Reb Dovid Gorwitz, who's an expert on gematrias, and he shared another connection between the Rashbi and Mosha, namely, if the Atbash of Rashbi is 345, the gematria of Mosha. Okay, here's another important distinction. The Munkatcher also addresses this question of what is the difference between the petirah of Mosha, which is a day of fasting, and the petirah of the Rashbi, which is a day of great joy, in his Sefer Sha'arei Yeshayahu. Says the Munkatcher, when Mosha Rabbeinu passed away, he said lo uchal od latzeis velavo, I'm no longer to go in and out. Rashi says, from here we learn she'ne'istemu me'menu misorei, u'ma'ayanos ha'chochma, the traditions and wellsprings of Torah were sealed to Mosha Rabbeinu. Mosha Rabbeinu's demise resulted in a diminution of Torah. On the other hand, the day the Rashbi passed away, that resulted in a great expansion and a proliferation of Torah. Like we mentioned, the whole Idra Zuta was taught on the day of the the petirah. New vistas of Torah were made more accessible. Therefore, on the day that Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, it was a day of great sadness because it marked an end of limud haTorah. Moshe Rabbeinu said lots of love, but on the day of the Rashbi's passing, it was a day of great joy because it marked Pikudei Hashem yesharim mesamchei lev, it marked great expansion of Torah. Says the Klausenberger Rebbe, Sha'arei Teshuvah Divrei Yatziv Chelek Zayin, Likutei Shimon Samech Daled. Reb Michael, you you played for Klausenberg, right? You ever play for them on Lag BaOmer? But the Klausenberger Rebbe says in Chelek Zayin, he says something very interesting. He quotes the Sanz Zera Av, his great ancestor, that there's a major distinction. Because of the sins of Moshe Rabbeinu, he was limited. He was unable to enter Eretz Yisrael. And even though he was the greatest human being who ever lived, and he was able to speak to Hashem peh al peh, he was not able to achieve all of his spiritual ambition. Reb Shimon, on the other hand, says the Klausenberger Rebbe, was able to fulfill all of his spiritual dreams. And therefore, on the day of Moshe Rabbeinu's passing, it's a day of sorrow, and on the day of the Rashbi's passing, it's a day of great joy. Now, the approach of Mayim Chaim, Mayim Chaim. Sha'arei Teshuvah Mayim Chaim. Siman Chaf Beis. He says, the Gamara tells us Amara and Sukame and base raisi bene aliya umu atem aim. I see the number of Jews there are who want to grow and they are very few. The said if there are a thousand bene aliya me and my son would be among them. If they were a hundred me and my son would be among them. If they were only two it would be me and my son. Says the Mayim Chaim when Moshe passed away no one was left. The world was empty and void. It was so you there were no bene aliya left. Therefore it was a day of great sorrow. When the Rashbi left the world he considered his son his equal. So when the Rashbi left the world he left an equal counterpart. The day of the Rashbi's petira was a day of great sorrow. I'm sorry the day of Moshe there was a day of great sorrow. But the day of the Rashbi was not a day of great sorrow. It doesn't really explain why it was a day of celebration. But it does uh show a certain uh distinction between the petira of the Rashbi and the petira Moshe but in this year we were coming to the summit of what I wanted to bring to your attention and that is the amazing approach of the Pnei Tsaddik of Reb Tsaddik Hakohen which is found in Pnei Tsaddik Parshas Emor Lag B'Omer in the Siyam Hashas and in his Sefer Poikeid Ikrim Ois Vav Siman Katan Hey and Vav. And it is this theme that Reb Yaakov Hillel's Sefer Ed HaGalus primarily based on. >> [clears throat] >> And I do have to say in the humble safer like the fire in the soul, this this occupies the first chapter, okay? And I have a little bit of a twist on it that I like very much. And that they have Madchin Yevchin. If you like it, then great. >> [clears throat] >> It's based on the following premise. There's a >> [cough] [clears throat] >> a fundamental distinction between the Chachamim of the Torah She B'chsav and the Chachamim of the Torah She B'al Peh. Certainly when a tzaddik leaves this world, it's a day of great sorrow. We miss the tzaddik. We love the tzaddik. We have a an emotional connection to the tzaddik. He's our father. We love him. We miss him. But we also miss learning from him. And we miss We miss his holy ways and we miss what he offers to us. And therefore the day of the passing of a tzaddik is a day of great sorrow. And that's why the Shulchan Aruch says, on the day Moshe Rabbeinu passed, it's a day of mourning. On the day Aaron passed, on the day Nadav Avihu, on the day of Yehoshua bin Nun, on the day of Eliyahu HaNavi, it's a day of great sorrow. However, when that's when he's a sage of the Torah She B'chsav. But when he's a sage of the Torah She B'al Peh, something different happens when the sage passes away. You see, the sages of the Torah She B'al Peh, the words of a tzaddik of a talmid chacham don't fully penetrate the hearts of his students in this world. Do you know why? Cuz the student looks at the tzaddik and he says, "I should learn from this person?" But when he's itchy, he scratches his face. And when he's hungry, he eats. And when he's has to take care of his needs, he goes to the restroom. He's just a mortal. So, how serious can I take him? And you know what? If I miss the sheer, I'll listen to the recording later or I'll ask him later. And the words of a tzaddik are not do not fully penetrate the hearts of the students while they're alive. But when the Rebbe passes away, this all changes. You can't ask anymore. The Rebbe can't expound anymore. The Rebbe doesn't need to eat anymore. He doesn't need to go to the bathroom. He doesn't need to scratch himself. So, the Rebbe now transcends mortal limitation in the eyes of the student. And now the student knows I better process what the Rebbe taught now because I'll never be able to ask him. That's why the Midrash says It says in Ecclesiastes, the words of the sages are like pegs. Ask the Midrash, when are the words of sages like pegs? When they leave this world. Look at number 27. When do the words of rabbis get ingrained in the hearts of the students? When the Rebbe passes away. So long as the Rebbe is alive, the student says, "I'll ask him later. I'll catch it later. I'll get it later." But when the Rebbe is passing away, the student knows he'll never be able to ask. When are the teachings of a student ingrained in the hearts? When are the teachings of the rabbi ingrained in the student's heart? When the rebbe passes away. Says Reb Tzadok Hakohen, the reason why the Rashbi's yahrzeit is a day of great joy is because on the day that a tzaddik of the Torah Shebaal Peh passes away, it's the day the Torah of the tzaddik is taught permanently and ingrained permanently in the hearts of his students. So says says Reb Tzadok Hakohen, Lag B'Omer is a joyous day because it's the day that all the secret wisdom of the Kabbalah is ingrained in the hearts of the talmidim. It's a great day of Kabbalas HaTorah. You see, on the day that a the student on the day that a rabbi from the Torah Shebaal Peh passes away, nothing is given over because we have what they wrote. We don't need to ask them. We don't need to clarify. The chachamim of the Torah Shebaal Peh, nothing is transmitted on the day that they passed away because everything that they taught is is already written and recorded, so there's no transmission. The Torah Shebaal Peh is not transmitted on the day that that the rebbe passes away. But a chacham from the Torah Shebaal Peh, it's divrei chachamim k'dor v'einav, u'chamas marish b'tuam, baalei asupos. On the day that the sages of the Torah Shebaal Peh pass away, their Torah is given over into the hearts of the students. Fract. Reb Tzadok Hakohen, if that's the case, so why don't we celebrate the day of the passing of Rabbi Akiva? Rabbi Akiva was the greatest sage of the Torah Shebaal Peh. All Torah Shebaal Peh comes from Rabbi Akiva. The Tosefta, the Sifra, the Sifri all come from Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva was able to darshan scores of halachas even from the crowns of letters. So, on the day that Rabbi Akiva passed away, which should be a day of great celebration, says Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen, it would have been, but the problem was Rabbi Akiva was murdered. And if he was murdered, it's not a day of great celebration. And for that reason, the day of the passing of Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, which is also a sage from the Torah Shebaal Peh, is also a day of mourning. Meaning fundamentally, the days of the passing of the Chacham of Torah Shebaal Peh are sorrowful. The days of the passing of the Torah Shebaal Peh are joyous. That's why we rejoice on Lag BaOmer. So, why don't we rejoice on the day that Rabbi Akiva passed? Cuz he was killed. I would humbly propose in this little point the exact opposite of Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen, Lulei Demistafina. I would propose indeed the day of the passing of Rabbi Akiva is a day of great celebration. In fact, it's the greatest day of celebration of the year. Doesn't the Gemara say, "Lo Hayu Yamim Tovim l'Yisrael k'Yom HaKippurim u'chmishah asar b'Av?" I would humbly suggest that on Yom Kippur, the Gemara says, "Why was Yom Kippur a day of joy?" It's the day the Luchos Shniyos were given to the Jewish people. And I would add, you know what else was given to the Jewish people on Yom Kippur? Not only the Torah Shebaal Peh through the Luchos Shniyos, the entirety of the Torah Shebaal Peh became ingrained on the hearts of the Jewish people on Yom Kippur with the passing of Rabbi Akiva. I would take Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen's principle and extrapolate and apply it to Yom Kippur. That's I would say part of the joy of Yom Kippur. It's the day of the patira of Rabbi Akiva. Is there any wonder then that we start Rabbi Akiva we start the day of Yom Kippur with a hidden hesped for Rabbi Akiva by saying "Arza Latzadik O lei Yisrael Simcha." Which there many sources that those words are so if they table it's Rabbi Akiva. Is there any wonder why Rabbi Akiva was the one who expressed the essence of Yom Kippur "Ashreichem Yisrael Lifnei Mi Atem Mit'harim Umi Mit'aher Etz'chem." Those were the teaching of Rabbi Akiva. Therefore, back to Rav Tzadok HaKohen. An amazing idea. Back to Rav Tzadok HaKohen. Rav Shimon bar Yochai's patira was a day of great joy, great simcha. Rav Shimon bar Yochai was not murdered. He died a natural death. On his patira, the Rashbi says this is how Rav Tzadok HaKohen says it. Sh Lag B'Omer is a celebration not only of the Rashbi's Torah, but of Rabbi Akiva's Torah as well. Because Rav Shimon teaches in the Gemara in Gittin Samech Zayin "Shanu Midotai." Learn my teachings. "Shemi Dotai Trumotai Mitrumotai Midotai Rabbotai." Because I my teaching is like the primary cream of the crop of the teachings of Rabbi Akiva. So, the the choicest teachings of Rabbi Akiva were also ingrained in the hearts of the Jewish people on Lag B'Omer. So, Lag B'Omer is a day of very great celebration. I believe Rabbi Yaakov Hillel adds if you look in Shulchan Aruch siman taf kuf ches in Hilchos Rosh Chodesh, in Shulchan Aruch we read that Purim always falls out on the same day of the week as Lag BaOmer. The remez is peleg Elohim malei mayim. Peleg Purim Lag BaOmer full of chesed. And now we've discovered another amazing connection between Purim and Lag BaOmer. And the connection is that on Purim was the day that Klal Yisrael was mekabel the Torah Shebaal Peh Ba'ahava. Purim was the day that even though when Hashem gave us the Torah Shebaal Peh on Shavuos, we said, "No, no, no, we'll take the Torah Shebiksav. Thanks, but no thanks to the Torah Shebaal Peh. We're not We don't know what those rabbis are up to. You know, we're not really interested." And Hashem had to coerce us to accept the Torah Shebaal Peh on Shavuos, but Hadra Kibluh Bimei Achashveirosh, that Purim is the day we accepted the Torah Shebaal Peh willingly and lovingly. Likewise, Lag BaOmer is the day that we're mekabel the secrets of the Torah because it's the day of the petirah of none other than Rabi Shimon bar Yochai. And Divrei Chachamim Kedar Banos Uchemasmoros Netuim Baalei Asufos Nitnu Me'roeh Echad. So, this is a major distinction between Zion Adar and Lag BaOmer. Lag BaOmer then seared into the day, it's the day that all the great mystical teachings of the Rashbi are ingrained within our hearts. It's the day that it's Niskaiem Banu Gal Einai Va'abita Niflaos Mitoresecha, where Hashem uncovers our eyes so we could begin to comprehend the secrets of the Torah. Like the Bnei Yissachar says, >> consist of lave toyv. Lave are the first 32 days of the Omer. Those 32 days are designated for the revealed Torah, and then the toyv of the Torah, the secrets of the Torah, the hidden splendor of the Torah, the toyv, the final 17 days begin to become revealed on the 33rd day of the Omer, when the toyv she be Torah begins to be revealed. This is a an amazing distinction between the Zion and Adam and Lag B'Omer, since the Rashbi was from the greatest of the Hakmei Tarsha B'al Peh, on this day his Torah began to become ingrained in the hearts of the Jewish people. Everybody's invited to join us tonight for a Lag B'Omer extravaganza. We have a bonfire, barbecue, and shiur. Shiur starts at 8:30, barbecue starts 7:45 p.m. here in Cedarhurst, New York, the closest city to JFK. So, when Messiah comes, we could get on the plane right away. Okay. Have a great day, everyone. A freilichen Lag B'Omer. Kol tuv. Recording stopped. Let's meet here. You've just experienced another [music] Torah class brought to you by torahanytime.com.