Lag B'Omer : The Significance of the Numerology of the Chapters of Tehillim

This Torah class is brought to you by torahanytime.com. The Sfas Emes of Belz once commented at his Lag BaOmer tisch about the incredible Hashgacha that the episode of Reb Shimon and Reb Elazar Reb Shimon who ran away from the Romans appears in Maseches Shabbos on what blood? None other than Daf Lamed Gimmel, but not just Lamed Gimmel, Lamed Gimmel Amud Beis, remez to Lag BaOmer. What an incredible Hashgacha. But his student, the rather Kodesh Reb Sholom Mechaminka, he added an even greater pele. He says this story where Reb Shimon commented, "Kol Ma She Tiknu Lo Tiknu Ela Letzorech Atzman." That not only appears in Maseches Shabbos Daf Lamed Gimmel Amud Beis, but that is actually incredibly the 33rd statement of Reb Shimon found in Shas. Amazing. So, clearly the there's a great connection between Reb Shimon and the number 33, Lag BaOmer. He came out, according to the Orach Shulchan, he came out of the cave on Lag BaOmer. According to the Bnei Yissachar, he was born on Lag BaOmer. And of course it is our tradition that Reb Shimon passed away on Lag BaOmer as well. So, it struck me and and I thought to check perhaps then there might be some connection between Reb Shimon and the 33rd chapter of Tehillim. Rannenu Tzaddikim Hashem. After all, if Reb Shimon is so connected to the number 33, there must be connection between him and the 33rd chapter of Tehillim. So, you'll say, "Who says there's any significance to the the chapters of Tehillim, the numbers of what chapter something is?" And actually this is a subject that I've been trying to research for a very long time and I'll share with you what I have. But I came across the Chida in his commentary to Tehillim in perek kuf lamed aleph. Now, perek kuf lamed aleph speaks about David HaMelech's humility, Shir HaMaalos LeDavid, Hashem libi my heart was not haughty. My eyes were not raised up. I didn't walk with greatness of an of me many. Says the it is not a coincidence that this is chapter 131. 131 is Gematria anava. David talks about how he wasn't a in chapter 131. So we see from this that there is a very strong connection between the the number of and the content of that particular then I came across a comment of the the in the in his he says if you look in member of to him he says member is has a that references because David says someone my soul thirst for God like kale is 31 Chi is 18 these refer to the 49 days of must I avoid the panel like him when will I come and see the face of and we've said many times there's a concept that is alluded to in the letters before like him panel like but says the parent member is which is 42 is the parent of because the shame of which is the shame member is was for so again we have another that there's a connection between the number of the parent and the contents of the parent then I saw you know when we answer a main a main is 91 there's a concept whenever you answer Amen, you create a malach. A malach, an angel. Angel malach is gematria 91. Well, look in perek 91 of Tehillim. What do we have in perek 91 of Tehillim? Yoshev b'seser Elyon. We have the pasuk, ki malacho yitzav alav lishmorcha b'chol d'rachacha. This is the perek of malach, chapter 91. So again, we see a very clear connection between the number of the chapter of Tehillim and the contents of that chapter. I found in the Sefer Nishmas Kol Chai that what is perek 100 of Tehillim? Perek kuf. Perek kuf is Mizmor l'soda. 100. What is the significance of Mizmor l'soda? How many brachas are you supposed to make a day? The um Sefer Nishmas Kol Chai quotes the Megaleh Amukos that Dovid Hamelech was maramez in perek kuf of Tehillim that all the korbanos will be batal except for the korban todah because the todah refers to tefillah, which is the secret of 100 brachas, and therefore Dovid Hamelech was mesaken Mizmor l'soda as bracha 100. Also, interestingly, I found in the Arizal the word modim. Modim is gematria 100, and therefore Dovid Hamelech was mesaken Mizmor l'soda, chapter 100 um corresponding to modim, which has a numerical value of 100. Now, the truth is that this concept is already found in Shas because the Gemara Megillah on Yud Zayin Amud Beis discusses why Dovid Hamelech compo- why the Anshei Knesses Hagdoloh composed the bracha of Birkas Hashanim Barech Aleinu as the ninth bracha and Rav Alexandri says it's connect against those who jack up the prices and David was mispallel for their destruction in the pasuk shivar z'roah rasha in the ninth chapter of Tehillim. So we already find it's already legislated in the Shas, it's already recorded in the Shas this concept that the numbers of the chapters of Tehillim have significance. Actually, there's a discussion there because David HaMelech really composed it in the in the tenth chapter and there's a concept that Ashrei Ha'Ish and L'Ma'an Ragshu might be one chapter. Okay, so based on this principle and this yesod, let us examine the 33rd chapter of Tehillim. Perhaps we could find a connection to Lag BaOmer. So sure enough I found in the sefer Orah V'Simcha the sefer Orah V'Simcha was written by Rav Avraham Simcha Horowitz and Rav Avraham Simcha Horowitz says an amazing thing. He says look in the Sifrei HaKodesh that the numbers of the kapitlach of Tehillim each one there's a remez to something connected to that particular number and therefore he suggests that Ranenu Tzaddikim is the perek associated with Lag BaOmer. And in fact he says that if you take the words Mimechoin Shiftei Hishgiach it's rashei teivos gematria Lag BaOmer. Then you go on to the next pesukim L'hatzil Mimaves Nafsham. You go to the end of this pasuk perek L'hagidenu pasuk yud tes L'hatzil Mimaves Nafsham to save their soul from death. This is a remez that the talmidim of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying on Lag BaOmer. And then of course Lag BaOmer is a day of simcha ki vai yismach libenu. And furthermore we know that the power of Lag Baomer is from the fact that Lag Baomer you have the the Arizal teaches us that the letters aleph kaf lamed hey yud mem were these letters were nisgale on Lag Baomer through the oisios hakodmos, the proceeding letters, aleph kaf dalet tes mem, which is gematria 74, the name of bitachon ayin dalet. Well, sure enough, ki vashem kach shmoi, va tachnu bebitachon, the shem of bitachon is ayin dalet, which is the shem of Lag Baomer. And I would add, very simply, Lag Baomer we are noheg that we listen to music, where we we loosen and we have a leniency in the restrictions of aveilus of the yemei hasfira. And what perek of Tehillim has a reference to more musical instruments than any other perek? Lamed gimmel. Ranenu, first of all, ranenu tzaddikim. Now, the Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh says that in the Zohar, Rebbi Shimon is constantly referred to as the tzaddik. But you have hoidu lashem bechinor, benevel osor zamru lai. We have shira, shiru lashem shir chadash, heitivu nagen besrua. So have many references to music and musical instruments, as on this day we are mesameach lekavod the talmidim of Rebbi Akiva, who continued the Torah, lekavod the great tanna Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai. So, next time you see perek lamed gimmel of Tehillim, take a look, discover the secrets of Lag Baomer that lay hidden in perek lamed gimmel of Tehillim. We should be zocheh on this holy day, those chassidei Atana, zechusai yagein aleinu ve'al kol Yisrael, amen. You've just experienced another Torah class brought to you by torahanytime.com.