This coming Sunday is Lag B’Omer, when we commemorate the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. We gather together, especially with children, and speak about the greatness of R’ Shimon. We also speak about R. Akiva’s students who stopped dying of a plague on this date, as the time of sefira is a time of mourning for the 24,000 students who passed away during this season.
The Talmud relates that R. Shimon hid with his son in a cave for thirteen years because he spoke against the Romans.The Gemorah says that after Rabbi Shimon emerged from the cave, he asked the people of his town whether there was something he could do to help them. They answered that there was a main street next to a cemetery, where the exact location of some of the graves was unknown, forcing the kohanim to take the long way around instead of their being able to walk through the street. With his great powers, Rabbi Shimon walked through the street. Wherever the earth shook, a mark was made to identify that place as having a the grave underneath, thereafter enabling the kohanim to be able to walk through the main street and avoid the graves.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was one of the greatest Tanaim who ever lived. He was considered toraso um’naso – torah was his business – to such a degree that he had nothing to do with worldly things and was exempt from davening. Many people tried to emulate him but could not reach his level.
The question is asked: Why on leaving the cave did Rabbi Shimon first seek to help others? One would expect that Rabbi Shimon’s first action would have been to gather together the greatest Torah students and teach them Torah. He could have entered the Beis Midrash and answer questions that had been unanswered for thirteen years. In fact, the Gemorah relates that before Rabbi Shimon went into the cave, when he asked his father-in-law Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair a question, Rabbi Shimon would receive twelve answers. When Rabbi Shimon came out of the cave, Rabbi Shimon gave 24 answers for each question. Nevertheless, the Gemorah tells us that Rabbi Shimon immediately became involved with helping people. Not only that, but in helping a small minority of people - just the kohanim! And not only was the help limited to the kohanim, but it was not even a major problem, but rather just to save the kohanim a few extra minutes to no longer need to take the long way around. So why did Rabbi Shimon spend time on this particular problem, and why did he not find a greater issue to resolve?
The answer is that Rabbi Shimon was one of the greatest students of Rabbi Akiva. Because the other students were lacking in Ahavas Yisroel, Rabbi Shimon wanted to correct their mistake to show that the power of Ahavas Yisroel is for every Jew. Ahavas Yisroel must extend to even helping a minority of Jews on a minute issue.
This lesson connects with the saying of R. Shimon bar Yochai that he could exempt the entire world from judgment, meaning, he was so powerful that he could protect the entire world. He could even save the people that are on such a level that they require punishment, G-d forbid. Even though such people were the extreme opposite of Rabbi Shimon, nevertheless his Ahavas Yisroel reached them and he helped them.
The Gemorah says when we are in a time of stress, we can rely on Shimon bar Yochai’s opinion. There is no more pressing time than now, because Moshiach has not yet arrived. The cause of this golus is causeless hatred, and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's Ahavas Yisroel is so great, may his merit exempt the world from judgment, especially on Lag B’Omer, and may this hasten the geulah and hisgalus Melech HaMoshiach.
Based on Likutei Sichos, Vol. 32
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