Hope Springs Eternal in the World of Rebbe Meir: The Yahrtzeit of Rebbe Meir and Pesach Sheini

Okay, shalom aleichem, dear friends. Welcome everybody to today's Monday afternoon Agra d'Pirka national shear. We have very important events coming up. So, I want to keep you apprised of that as this coming Friday is Pesach Sheini. It is also the yahrzeit of Hatano Ho'elaki, Rabbi Meir Baal Haness. As you know, we're very connected to Rabbi Meir. We like to speak about him a lot. And on that note, want to make sure that everyone is well equipped for the coming yahrzeit of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness. Make sure you have the English sefer of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness and The Eternal Children of Hashem, published by ArtScroll, coming out this week, the pocket edition of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness and The Eternal Children of Hashem. The sefer is also available in Yiddish, Rabbi Meir Baal Haness und die Eyebeg Kinder fun Hashem Yisbarach. It's available in Spanish, Rabbi Meir Baal Haness and I will allow you to read the Spanish version of this uh title. And of course, the sefer in Lashon Hakodesh, Elaka d'Meir Anini. The books published by ArtScroll are available at artscroll.com. The sefer Elaka d'Meir Anini is available at our site, rabbidg.com with free shipping. In our first shear today, we're going to speak about the connection between Rabbi Meir and Pesach Sheini. By the way, also upcoming next Tuesday, Lag B'Omer, The Fire in the Soul, published by ArtScroll Publications. Let's speak first about Rabbi Meir and Pesach Sheini. Traditionally, uh let me see. Traditionally, Pesach Sheini is considered the yahrzeit of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness. There is a question, what is the basis of that? Is there any basis that Pesach Sheini is actually the yahrzeit of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness? Is there any historical record of this? But one thing is for sure, many people pilgrimage to the city of Tiberias to make a hilula l'kavod ha'Tanna, Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, on the 14th of Iyar, on Pesach Sheini. Actually, I had this zechus this past January to be in Tiberias. I hadn't been there in a number of years. And being in Tiberias, seeing the landscape, seeing the lush hills overlooking the beautiful Yam Kinneret is spiritually breathtaking. It was a I felt a a aliya ruchani to be able to see the beauty of the landscape of the city of Tiberias. And on the I also had the zechus to be at his kever. And we had a shear at the kever of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness. And as mentioned on the 14th of Adar, many Yidden swarm pilgrimage to the kever of Rabbi Meir. This minhag is brought in the hakdama that the rabbonim of Tiberias wrote to the sefer Meir Bas Ayin of its second uh printing. Now, the sefer Meir Bas Ayin was written anonymously. However, we know that the mechaber of the sefer was none other than the Ben Ish Hai. Like uh we actually have a chapter in the Hebrew sefer on the publication of Meir Bas Ayin uh and that it was published by none other than the Ben Ish Hai. However, uh it doesn't say anything in the official sefer on davening at the kever of Rabbi Meir called Meir Bas Ayin, nothing is mentioned whatsoever that Yud Daled Iyar is actually the yahrzeit of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness. In fact, if you look in Sdei Chemed, Chelek Daled, in Asifas Dinim, Ma'areches Eretz Yisrael, Ois Vav, the Sdei Chemed writes that recently it has become to my attention that many of the great rabbonim of our generation have established a practice to go on Yud Daled Iyar to the kever of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, similar to what they do on Lag B'Omer by the kever of the Rashbi. And the Sdei Chemed says, "I sent a letter to the great rabbis of the city of Tiberias, and I asked them, 'Please tell me, mah ro al kacha to innovate this new practice?'" So, we see in the times of the of the Sdei Chemed, >> [snorts] >> it was the first time that this this practice was observed in the Jewish people. And the the response that the rabbonim of Tiberias gave the Sdei Chemed is quite interesting. They said as follows, that the holy Yidden come from the ends of the world uh for Pesach and for Shavuos to go to Kivrei Tzaddikim. And they come to Meron to the Rashbi, and they come to Rabbi Meir. And recently, they reported that they established a new Beis Haknesses and Beis Medrash by the kever of Rabbi Meir, and they learned there uh b'kavod b'shem Kol Yisrael. >> [snorts] >> And the hashgacha had it that the chanukas ha ha ha'Beis Haknesses fell out on Pesach Katan, on Pesach Sheini. And many Yidden ga- gathered there, and they learned the the Torah of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness. And the joy there was astounding. And they said, "You know what? Let's do it again next year." Uh and b'ezras Hashem, next year we'll be zocheh to be at the Binyan Beis Hamikdash. And that's how the minhag developed. So, we see from the Sdei Chemed that the significance of Pesach Sheini has no connection at all to the yahrzeit of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness. It just b'hashgacha came out that the chanuka of the Beis Hamedrash that they established on his kever came out on Pesach Sheini. And anyway, there are many Yidden there for between Pesach and Shavuos, and many of them went up to Meron, and they were in the vicinity of Tiberias within those couple of days of Pesach Sheini. So, the it sort of developed that that Pesach Sheini is a day that they visit the kever of Rabbi Meir. And actually, we have an entire chapter uh discussing the historicity and the authenticity, and if there is any connection between Rabbi Meir Rabbi Meir's demise and Pesach Sheini. But the bottom line is, the day of the hilula of Rabbi Meir was established on Pesach Sheini. And even if we can't prove that it's his yahrzeit, and even if it's not actually his yahrzeit, there's a concept, hanichu lahem Yisrael, im einam nevi'im, bnei nevi'im heim. That when the Jewish people have a practice, there's always great uh uh great meaning and great significance and uh great sodos connected with the Jewish practice, dvarim gedolim einam b'mikra. And if the Jewish people selected to honor Rabbi Meir on Pesach Sheini, there must be some kind of fundamental connection between Rabbi Meir Baal Haness and Pesach Sheini. And this is something we would like to discuss. Another uh amazing Jewish practice is that we give tzedaka l'iluy nishmas Rabbi Meir Baal Haness for every tzara that it shouldn't come. And we pray Elaka d'Meir Anenu Aneni. And the t'fila Elaka d'Meir Aneni is something that we've discussed many, many times over the years. It's one of our favorite subjects. There's an entire chapter in these sefarim about the t'fila Elaka d'Meir Aneni. However, Rabbi Yocha Kohen of Izmir, the author of the Shevet Mussar, he writes, "Kibalti, I have a tradition, mi'shema avid eizeh davar, if somebody lost something, im yindar shemen l'ma'or l'iluy nishmas Rabbi Meir, >> [snorts] >> if they will donate oil to illuminate in honor of the soul of Rabbi Meir, they will find their their aveda immediately, as long as they donated immediately." So, we see from Rabbi Yocha Kohen of Izmir that aside from the general practice of davening in the merit of Rabbi Meir for every tzara and giving tzedaka l'iluy nishmasai, there's a specific segula associated with somebody who lost >> [snorts] >> an object that they should say this t'fila, and it will help them find their aveda. So, this practice also re- uh dictates that we say, minhag Yisrael Torah hi, u'tzrichin l'lamed. What is the connection between the Tanna, Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, and finding lost objects? So, let's explain as follows. As I'm sure everybody is familiar, there's a well-known machlokes, what our relationship is with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. The pasuk says in parshas Vayeira, "Banim Atem La Hashem Elokeichem." Which Rebbe Yehuda interprets it to mean that when you accord yourself like banim, you're considered banim. But if you don't accord yourself like the children of Hashem, you are not considered banim La Makom. And Reb Meir says, "No." Reb Meir famously says, "Bankach u'bankach atem k'ruyim banim." >> [snorts] >> Irrespective of your behavior, of your conduct, you are called banim. And Reb Meir marshals four psukim, "Banim sichalim heima, banim lo eimon bam, zera mareim, banim mashchisaim, and the possuk in Hoshea, "V'haya b'makom asher yei'amer lahem lo ami atem, yei'amer lahem b'nei Kel Chai." The Gemara asks, "Why does Reb Meir need so many psukim?" The Gemara says, "Well, maybe you're just we're just called foolish children." But that's only when we act foolishly. But what if we don't have emunah in Hashem? Are we still called banim? So therefore, Reb Meir marshals the possuk, "Banim lo eimon bam." And if you're going to say, "Well, when we don't have emunah, we're called banim, but not when we serve idols." No, even when we're zera mareim, even when we're mashchisaim, we're still called banim. And if you're going to ask, "Maybe we're called mashchisaim, but we're not called good kinderlach." No, even when we serve idols, Hashem says, "B'nei Kel Chai, you're called tzaira zisa kinderlach." That means Reb Meir holds that even if B'nei Yisrael are foolish, and we're not faithful, and even if we serve avodah zarah, we're called banim mu'alim. It comes out that according to Reb Meir, even when Klal Yisrael strays, we're never lost. A Jew is never lost in the world of Reb Meir. A Jew is never lost. Now, the Zohar Hakadosh teaches us in parshas Balak, "The lower worlds are a reflection of the upper worlds." Meaning whatever happens in the physical world is a reflection what happens in the spiritual world. Therefore, since according to the shita Reb Meir, "Bankach u'bankach k'ruyim banim." That means in the spiritual world, a Jew is never lost. In the world view of Reb Meir, a Jew is never lost. He can always be found. He can always recover. He can always come back. If so, then in the physical world, a lost object is never lost. Your car keys are never fully lost. Your toothbrush is never lost. Your old pair of socks is never lost. Because if in the world of Reb Meir in the spiritual world, nothing is ever lost, so then in the physical universe, nothing is ever lost. So if somebody loses an aveidah, they daven in the merit of Reb Meir, "I should be zocheh to find my object." Otherwise, why are we bringing Reb Meir into your lost keys? You lost your keys. Not Reb Meir's problem. Why are you invoking Reb Meir? What's Reb Meir got to do with your lost keys? Why are you bothering Reb Meir? Why don't you call on Rebbi Tarfon? Or Reb Chanina ben Dosa. Reb Chanina ben Dosa was a ish moifeis. The answer is, Reb Meir is specifically connected to lost objects. In the world of Reb Meir, no Jew is ever lost. So if you're never lost spiritually, then in the physical universe, nothing is ever lost. >> [snorts] >> This concept that nothing is ever lost, and a Jew always has hope, is actually alluded to in the Sefer Torah Reb Meir. Chazal say that after the sin of Adam Harishon, that Adam ate from the Eitz Hada'as, the possuk says, "Vaya'as Hashem Elokeim l'Adam u'l'Ishto kusnos or v'yalbishaim." Hashem made for Adam and his wife garments of leather. Chazal say in the Sefer Torah of Reb Meir, it's written "kusnos or" with an aleph. The begadim of Adam Harishon. That means in the place of ayin, it said aleph. Now, that requires uh great analysis. Because that means Reb Meir's Sefer Torah was not kosher. Now, you could say that uh and and that's discussed later on in our Sefer in the addendums at the end of the Sefer in Nispach Daled. But this is this goes like Reb Meir's shita. This is Reb Meir l'shitasei. Reb Meir holds that even after we sin, we're always called the beloved children of Hashem. So in the world view of Reb Meir, even though Hashem originally made it for Adam and for Chavah, kusnos or with an aleph, and after the sin, their garments concretized and became physical, but they didn't completely lose their formal level. They didn't completely become disconnected to the great madreigos they had before the sin. So, those begadim that Hashem clothed them after the sin, on some bechinah, Reb Meir understood they're still kusnos or with an aleph. Friends, we can now understand why hashgachah has it of Reb Meir, the hilula of Reb Meir, the day we celebrate the life of Reb Meir, is always associated with Pesach Sheini. Reb Meir is the master of the teaching, "Bankach u'bankach atem k'ruyim banim." Reb Meir is the great teacher that nothing is ever lost. And we're always close to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And no matter how far we stray, no matter how low we fall, we can always have another chance. Is there any surprise then that Reb Meir's life is associated with Pesach Sheini? Pesach Sheini is the day of second chances. When there were Jews who were tamei, and they couldn't make Pesach Rishon, and they came before Moshe Rabbeinu, and they said, "Anachnu t'mei'im l'nefesh adam, lamah nigara?" "Why should we lose out?" These people cried out from a deep yearning to be able to bring the korban Pesach. So the question is, what could Moshe Rabbeinu do for for them? What's Moshe Rabbeinu supposed to do? They're tamei. A tamei can't bring a korban Pesach. So what do they want from Moshe? We could say the ta'anah and the request and the bakashah of "Lamah nigara?" is rooted in the shita Reb Meir. What they were saying is, "We're always the beloved children of Hashem. So even if we were tamei, and we were distant, but is the door locked? Is there no opening of hope? Is there not another opportunity? Can't we Can't you find somehow, someway, even we could be makeiv a korban Pesach? We're not strangers. We're not foreigners. We're the beloved children of Hashem. There's got to be a way out. There's got to be another chance. If we're the beloved children of Hashem, there's got to be another chance." So the day that reflects and represents that it's possible it's always possible to make a second and even someone who's tamei, and even someone who's rachok, they're not over the gamrei. So the day of Pesach Sheini, which is a day that reflects second chances, and it is inextricably bound >> [snorts] >> with the celebration of the life of none other than Reb Meir Baal Haness. Friends, you know, the Klausenberger Rebbe brings in his Sefer about the amazing power of the tefillah El Hakadosh Meir Aneni. And he brings that there were Yidden who took advantage of this, and the Klausenberger Rebbe says that Yidden in the Holocaust who cried out El Hakadosh Meir Aneni, the Klausenberger Rebbe writes that sheheim nivashu, they were saved. The Maharsha asks a question on this tefillah El Hakadosh Meir Aneni, a famous question. We've discussed this over the years so many times. I want to share with you an original answer. >> [snorts] >> The Maharsha asks, "What kind of tefillah is El Hakadosh Meir Aneni?" El Hakadosh Meir Aneni? We know the Gemara in Avodah Zarah says that Reb Meir had to rescue his sister-in-law from a brothel, and he told the Roman official, "Here's the bribe. And if you ever if you get into any trouble, here's some money, and just say the tefillah El Hakadosh Meir Aneni." It was a tefillah Reb Meir was regel to say. And the Maharsha asks, "What kind of tefillah is this? Reb Meir was alive. Hashem does not associate His name with tzaddikim >> [snorts] >> so long as they're alive. How could Reb Meir say the tefillah El Hakadosh Meir Aneni? Even when Avraham when Yitzchak was alive, Hashem didn't say Elokei Yitzchak. Hashem said Pachad Yitzchak. So if Hashem would not associate even with Yitzchak Avinu, how could Hashem associate with Reb Meir? What kind of tefillah is El Hakadosh Meir Aneni? Reb Meir was alive." And the Maharsha gives different answers that Reb Meir what did it mean? His God, he meant the God that illuminated our lives in the times of Chanukah. I want to share with you an original answer to this question. There is no question, God does not associate His name with any tzaddik who's alive. You know why? Because al ta'amin b'atzmecha ad yom mosecha. You never know what could happen. Even a great tzaddik could veer off. Reb Yochanan he was a kind of God of for 80 years and even he veered off. So, nobody could be confident that and say, "Oh, Hashem's my God." Hashem's not going to sign off that I'm your God. Maybe you won't stay with the program. However, that's in general. But if there's any Tzaddik whoever lived that in his world view and in his reality our relationship with Hashem is unbreakable and we can never really veer off. And no matter how badly we sin, we'll always be connected to him and we'll never sever our tie with him because no matter what we do Hashem says, "You're always my beloved child." You know in whose world view we're always connected to Hashem no matter what? Ramiro. Ramiro says, "Bain kacha bain kacha krum bonim." That no matter what, we're always called the beloved children of Hashem. So, in the world view of Ramiro, there can be a tfila of Eloka d'Meir Aneni. You see, in the world view of anybody else Hashem's not going to say, "I'm your God." Maybe you'll veer off, maybe you'll go off the straight and the narrow and then what? Then we're not connected anymore. So, how could I say, "I'm your God?" However, there is one individual that in his Torah and in his opinion and in his world view our relationship with Hakadosh Baruchu is unbreakable breakable and that is the great Tanna Ramiro Balanas. In the world view of Ramiro, we're always connected to Hashem. No matter what we do we could we could stray, but we're never lost. In the world view of Ramiro, we could indeed say Eloka d'Meir Aneni. Okay, that's sheer number one today, but don't go anywhere. Recording stopped.