Thirty-Third Day : Jews light Bonfires around the world

[muman613]

Shalom & Happy Lag B'Omer...

Tonight begins the 33rd day of the Omer, also known as Lag B'Omer... This day is a joyous one, for two reasons.... First of all from the beginning of the Omer (day after Pesach I) till today the students of Rabbi Akiva died from a plague each day and on Lag B'Omer they ceased dying... The second reason is that it is on Lag B'Omer that the wise Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochi died. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochi is famous as the source of the Kabbalah through the Zohar.

It is tradition to hold BBQ, light bonfires, and for children to play with bows and arrows...

[muman613]

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

Lovely!

[muman613]

Shalom LSDBR.... Good to see you this evening... While my rabbi is holding the Lag B'Omer event tomorrow afternoon I am unable to attend it because I have to work... But I am doing my best to get in the spirit of the day.

Shortly Rebbe Nachman’s passing in 1810, he declared “My fire will burn until the Mashiach comes.” His words could not have been more prophetic. Generations of readers have been enthralled and inspired by his writings, which have been explored and interpreted by scholars around the world. In recent years especially, we have witnessed masses of searching Jews of all backgrounds – Secular, Religious, Zionistic, and Hasidic uniting in spiritual pursuit, seeking to understand and acquire the teachings of the Great Tzaddik.
 

[muman613]

Some bonfire vids...

[muman613]

One of my favorite videos of this season.... A group of proud Jews assembled on a beach in San Francisco and burned the names of the anti-Israel organizations which boycott our Jewish nation.

[muman613]

[muman613]

Happy Lag B'Omer.... Hamburger for lunch today... Wish I could be at the BBQ this afternoon.

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

"The second reason is that it is on Lag B'Omer that the wise Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochi died"

 My challenge to you is to show me where this is written. 

[muman613]

"The second reason is that it is on Lag B'Omer that the wise Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochi died"

 My challenge to you is to show me where this is written. 

Not much of a challenge considering it is written about in many places. I assume you neglected to say 'Talmudic source' but I have attached a list of links where it is 'written' than Shimon Bar Yochai died on Lag B'Omer:

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112515/jewish/Rabbi-Shimon-Bar-Yochai.htm

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai died in Meron, a village near Safed, in the Land of Israel. As we mentioned before, many Jews make an annual pilgrimage to his grave on the eighteenth of Iyar (Lag BaOmer), the day he died, where they light candles and pray at his grave.

http://www.aish.com/h/o/33o/48971681.html

To celebrate Lag B'Omer, Jews from around Israel light bonfires, to commemorate the great fire that surrounded Rabbi Shimon. For weeks before, Israeli children scavenge wood to arrange as impressive sculptures – often 20 and 30 feet high. Great public celebrations are held and the wood towers are burned on Lag B'Omer.

But if Lag B'Omer marks the date of Rabbi Shimon's death, why is it such a celebration?

The reason is that Rabbi Shimon had been convicted of a capital crime by the Romans. By all rights, he should have died well before his time. But through tremendous self-sacrifice (hiding in the cave) and a series of miracles (the carob tree and the stream), Rabbi Shimon was able to live out a full life. The climax of this great life was the revelation of Torah's greatest inner secrets. All this is cause for celebration.

Lag B'Omer is a day of great pilgrimage to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon in the Galilee town of Meiron. In one day, an estimated 250,000 Jews visit Meiron – dancing, praying, and celebrating the wonderful spiritual gifts that Rabbi Shimon bequeathed to us. Some people camp out for weeks beforehand in anticipation.

http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/letters/default_cdo/aid/2279233/jewish/Letter-No-485-An-explanation-of-the-death-of-Rabbi-Shimon-bar-Yochai-on-Lag-BaOmer.htm

http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/omer/5755/vol1no22.html

Lag B'Omer, the 18th day of Iyar, also corresponds to the date of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, one of the great sages from the era of the Mishna. Although the death of a great sage is usually not marked with rejoycing, but rather with sadness, we treat Rabi Shimon bar Yochai differently. The Zohar in Parshas Ha'azinu tells us that on the day Rabbi Shimon passed away, a great light of endless joy filed the day, because of the secret wisdom he revealed to his students. That secret wisdom was written down and recorded in the holy Zohar. The happinesson that day was to him and his students like that of a groom while standing under the canopy at his wedding. On that day, the sun did not set until Rabbi Shimon had revealed all that he was permitted to. As soon as he was done, the sun set, and his soul returned to its Maker. Because of the happiness back then, we celebrate with happiness now, as well.

In Israel, people flock to the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the city of Meron. There is dancing, singing, bonfires are lit. Many people wait until their son is three before cutting his hair, and on the Lag B'omer of his third year, they cut the boy's hair. There is also a custom that children play with bows ("keshet" in Hebrew) on Lag B'omer. A reason given for this is that in all the days of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's life, a rainbow was never seen. A rainbow is a sign that the world was due for a flood of the proportion of that in Noach's time. However, beacuse Hashem promised Noach that such a flood would never be brought again, Hashem lets us know when we are deservant of such punishment by placing a rainbow ("Keshet" in Hebrew) in the sky. In the merit of Rabbi Shimon, the world was never deservant of such punishment in his generation, and the appearance of a rainbow was never necessary. Therefore, children play with bows, which in Hebrew share the same word as rainbow.

http://njop.org/resources/holidays/complete-guide-to-holidays/lag-baomer/rabbi-shimon-bar-yochai/

The teachings of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai were set down in a book called the Zohar, which means “splendor.” According to tradition, on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s last insight of Kabbalah was given over and he died. Just before he passed away, he requested that his death not be marked by sadness, for he felt that death should be a time of rejoicing as the soul takes its proper place with G-d. The great sage, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who revealed the secrets of the Kabbalah, was buried in his cave on Meron. For this reason, tens of thousands of people gather on Mount Meron every year on Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, to celebrate the anniversary of his death.

So it is pretty clear that according to most opinions this is the day that he died...

[muman613]

The Talmud (Yerushalami) does contain the story of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochais miraculous survival in the cave with his son during the Roman occupation.

https://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=lag-rebbe-dr2

 II. Cave Lessons

Whale World

Rabbi Shimon and his son Elazer sought refuge from the Roman authorities in a cave near the town of Pekein. For thirteen years they remained cloistered inside, not daring to exit. How did Rabbi Shimon observe the mitzvahs? Matzah obviously wasn't available. In what manner was he able to fulfill the commandment of its consumption while holed up in the cave?

Torah regards a person as inculpable if he is forced to violate or not perform mitzvahs. And the Talmud says, "G-d exonerates him." Nevertheless, "He is not considered as though he actually observed the mitzvah." Lacking the performance of the mitzvah, the individual still bears this deficiency. Can this be said of Rabbi Shimon?

Chassidus responds that he did fulfill all of the commandments while in the cave, but in a spiritual manner. The physical fulfillment of mitzvahs causes Divine Light to shine in the world. Rabbi Shimon's spiritual performance of the commandments accomplished a similar feat.

That's why his soul was in the category called Leviatan. This Hebrew word for "giant sea denizen" intimates the Future Era. It is derived from the same three-letter root as the word for "connect." When Leah conceived Levy she said, "This time my husband will be joined to me" (Genesis 29:34). And through the Divine service of "whale" souls, all of the spiritual and physical worlds are joined to the Infinite Light. This aspect of connection alludes to the supernal unity between the seferahs of Wisdom (Chochmah) and Understanding (Binah) in the highest spiritual World of Emanation (Atzilus). There, an unprecedented light descends from G-d's Infinite Light.

Bound in an everlasting union, this unification represents the ultimate revelation. For present within their bond is G-d's Infinite Light. Called "Delight," its revelation is reserved for the Future Era. Rabbi Shimon, though, had already attained its level through his personal Divine service. Bereft of self-identity, he gave himself into G-d's Infinite Light. And just as a whale traverses great distances with a single swish of his tail fin, so too "whale" souls attain wondrous spiritual heights. That's why during his cave sojourn, Rabbi Shimon's spiritual fulfillment of the commandments sufficed. He was already in a position similar to the World to Come.

Miracle Foods

A question, though, persists. Why didn't Rabbi Shimon perform the mitzvahs with miraculously supplied physical objects? Surely G-d could have provided him with a succah and matzahs in a supernatural way . And there is precedent for such Divine assistance. Elijah the prophet was kept alive for forty days by G-d's grace. As the verse informs, "He went in the strength of that meal for forty days and forty nights" (The First Book of Kings 19:8).

What's more, Elijah had experienced miracles before. G-d had instructed him to hide in a riverbed. G-d promised that ravens would bring him food. And they did. "Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and evening" (The First Book of Kings 17:4-6). The Talmud remarks that a miracle within a miracle transpired. For the ravens brought Elijah kosher bread from his friend, Ahab.

Moreover, Rabbi Shimon and his son themselves ate and drank inside the cave thanks to a miracle! The Talmud relates how a fruit-bearing carob tree and spring suddenly appeared inside the cave. Even today, the spring and carob tree can be seen in the town of Pekein. Hence the question is reinforced: why didn't G-d perform additional miracles and furnish a succah and matzahs? Then Rabbi Shimon could have performed the commandments in a physical rather than spiritual manner.