Last week we celebrated Lag Ba’Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, which we started on the second night of Pesach. These three weeks were filled with mourning and memories of the past generations when we lost the twenty-four thousand holy students of Rabbi Akiva. We also mourned the losses of the beautiful and holy souls who got murdered just two week ago by horrible and evil terrorists.
After Lag Ba’Omer the atmosphere changes to a happier one, since Rabbi Akiva’s students stopped dying. We continue the rest of the count on a happier tone towards the holiday of Shavuot when we received the Torah, as a nation, on Mount Sinai.
This year surrounding the events of Lag Ba’Omer there was a lot of commotion. Each year on Mt. Meron at the gravesite of the great Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, there is always great joy with dancing and singing and music playing throughout the entire night. There is food and happiness everywhere.
This year things were a bit different.
The memory of last year’s tragedy echoed in the air as many remembered how last year this wonderful celebration turned into an awful tragedy losing 45 beautiful souls. This year the police force and the security department of Israel decided to secure this event, selling tickets enabling people to enter Mt. Meron for only a short period of time.
Commotion and chaos went on surrounding these tickets and the short amount of time allotted on the mountain, causing arguments and animosity.
Only Rabbi Shimon in his special way has the ability to make peace and tranquility amongst all types of people, and create such a beautiful environment. Despite all the commotion, there was dancing and singing and happiness throughout the mountain.
This great rabbi is a symbol to all of us to remind us, how from the darkest moments and the hardest times we can still get up, see the light, and even more so, move forward with more strength than before.
Rabbi Shimon and his son Rabbi Elazar learned Torah for so many years in hard conditions. These great rabbis can teach us so many things, not only for the past, but also for the future.
We can then bring up and elevate all of our low and dark moments and bring them to an even greater height that can bring light and joy, not only to ourselves but to others as well.
This year the heights of happiness and togetherness filled the air like never before. Rabbi Shimon, who was able to overlook all of his hardships, can take care of all his children even so many years later.
When we are going through hardships and hard times, we can be sure that Hashem is taking care of us and that he sends us, Rabbi Shimon, to guide us and direct us in the best way possible.
May the next few weeks until the holiday of Shavuot, continue to be happy and filled with good news for everybody. And may we enter the next period with a lot of faith and a lot of hope that together we can overcome all obstacles, that the best is yet to come. When we are united no one can harm us.
May Hashem protect and guide us with happiness and health forever.
