Today is the festive day of Lag B’Omer – the 33rd day of the Omer count. Lag B’Omer is a break in the reflective and more subdued time between the Holidays of Pesach and Shavuos. Our Sages teach us that during this period, 24,000 students of the famous Rebbe Akiva all passed away from the same type of plague. Depending on the custom which one follows, there are times during this period when marriages are not held. On Lag B’Omer marriages are held since the students stopped dying on Lag B’Omer.
Rebbe Akiva was in his nineties when he suffered this devastating blow, and amazingly, he did not wallow in depression; rather, he was determined to continue to spread Torah. He gathered his energies and taught five great students who went on to teach others, thus keeping the Torah alive.
One of Rebbe Akiva’s five students was Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai, who was the author of the holy Zohar which contains Kaballah – the hidden secrets of Torah. The day Rebbe Shimon died he revealed the secrets of the Torah to his students and the sun did not set until he finished his teaching! The Yahrtzait of Rebbe Shimon is on Lag B’Omer. Many go up to the town of Meiron in northern Israel on Lag B’Omer to pray at his tomb and the tomb of his son Rebbe Eliezer who is buried next to him. Bonfires are lit, symbolizing the spiritual illumination Rebbe Shimon created in the world. Fire and flames give off illumination and phenomenally always face upward.
Last year a horrific and most devastating tragedy struck during the festivities at Meiron – 45 holy people died due to overcrowding in a narrow exit ramp. The horror and shock is too painful to describe or imagine.
This year we mark both the Yahrtzait of Rebbe Shimon of two thousand years ago and the first Yahrtzait of the 45 holy ones who died at the site. There are two young teens who were critically injured then and are still in rehab and in need of our prayers for a full recovery.
I just watched an interview that was conducted with Mr. Shlomie Steinmetz of Montreal who sadly lost his 20 year old son Dovy at Meiron. He said that on the Shabbos after Shiva, his Rabbi gave a short speech and encouraged the congregants to recite the Rambam/Maimonides 13 Principles of our faith. Each principle begins with the words Ani Maamin – I believe. These principles appear at the conclusion of the morning prayers in most prayer books.
After Shabbos, Mr. Steinmetz thinking about his rabbi’s words had an idea of spreading this message to recite the principles of belief to the masses in memory of his son Dovy who exemplified these principles. He sent messages to all his contacts and had cards with the principles printed on them. It is a year later and hundreds of thousands have been distributed. He hopes that the number reaches a million. A book explaining the 13 principles has recently been published by Artscroll in Dovy’s memory.
Mr. Steinmetz said that during Shiva the house was packed with Dovy’s friends and visitors and he felt that it would be an opportunity to begin a stirring song which Dovy loved to sing. The song begins with the words, “Ani Maamin ― I believe in the coming of the Moshiach.” Everyone joined in the singing with tears and great emotion.
The Steinmetz family hails from Holocaust survivors who never gave up their faith. Mr. Steinmetz feels that this initiative of spreading these principles of faith is an outgrowth of how he and his wife were raised.
Many families of the Meiron victims have commissioned Sefer Torah scrolls to be written in memory of their loved ones. The Torahs will be completed along with celebration on Lag B’Omer.
A positive response such as, promoting faith, writing a Sefer Torah and other initiatives that promote spirituality help families devastated by the tragic loss of loved ones to get through.
The Talmud tells us that the 24,000 students of Rebbe Akiva died because – on their lofty spiritual level ― they didn’t properly honor one another.
Rabbi Yechezkel Levinstein o.b.m. explains. The Mishna teaches us that seeking honor is one of the things that drives a person away from what he supposed to do in this world. The students felt that not only seeking their own honor was not good, but even honoring others posed a risk of enabling the others to seek personal honor.
The Talmud tells us that that was incorrect. We are to boost others, compliment, respect and encourage them, all within reason.
Thus, during the Omer Sefira / Count period when we suffered the loss of Rebbe Akiva’s students, we try to focus on bettering ourselves – by affording respect to others. Thus we can rectify the flaw of Rebbe Akiva’s students. By doing so, we elevate the student’s Neshamos/souls since through them the Talmud revealed how we are to conduct ourselves.
A summary of the Thirteen Principles of faith are: Belief in G-d’s existence. G-d is One – a complete and total unity. G-d is not physical. G-d is eternal and the first source. Prayers are directed to G-d. G-d communicated to man through prophecy. Moshe’s prophecy is unique. The entirety of Torah is G-d given. The Torah is unchangeable. G-d knows man’s thoughts and deeds. Reward and punishment. The Messiah will come. The Dead will live again.
On my uncle Reb Yisroel Lefkowitz’s monument on Mount of Olives overlooking the Temple Mount is engraved per his wishes, “When you visit please say the following: Ani Maamin – I believe with complete faith, that there will be a resuscitation of the dead whenever the wish emanates from the Creator, Blessed is His Name and exalted is His mention, forever and for all eternity.” I must say you don’t leave his grave depressed, but with a yearning that we will be reunited with our loved ones.
Our belief is that the Moshiach will come and the world will be tranquil, safe and without hate! We will be reunited with our departed loved ones with the resurrection of the dead!
