e-geress Vol. 1, No. 13 Rosh Chodesh, Iyar 5760 May 20, 2000
Publisher: Rabbi Yechezkel Fox
Editor: Rabbi Yisrael Rutman
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We are living through a time of mourning. No, this isn't a belated Holocaust Day article. I'm referring to the period of mourning that we find ourselves in every year in the days after Pesach. These are the days when the 24,000 disciples of Rabbi Akiva, a whole generation of Torah scholars, perished. It was a national tragedy, and because of it there are special customs during these days, such as refraining from haircuts and postponing weddings until after Lag B'Omer (the 33rd day between Pesach and Shavuos, which falls out this year on May 23rd). The Sages attribute the plague to an underlying spiritual cause: they failed to properly honor each other. Their lack of respect for one another, particularly as Torah scholars, was a fatal flaw. Rabbi Aharon Kotler (1892-1962) explained that, unlike other disciplines, Torah wisdom requires refinement of character. One who is lacking in this area cannot learn or transmit Torah properly. For this reason they were found unfit to be the living link in the chain of tradition. And since they could not fulfill the purpose for which they were created, they were taken from the world. We, who are so far removed from the holiness of the Temple times and the giving of the Torah itself, who are so far from being able to understand the value of Torah, are not held to such a stern accounting. Nevertheless, we are expected to learn from historical experience; and the customs of the season are designed to help us focus on these matters. The obvious lesson is that we have to work on treating one another with respect and consideration. A less obvious lesson is in the very way that our Sages approach the tragic deaths of Rabbi Akiva's students. To us, it sounds so strange, so unscientific. What was the cause of their deaths? Lack of respect! Not some deadly bacteria. Not some contagious illness. No, that itself is just a symptom. In the world-view of the Torah, nothing is an accident. If there is a plague, there must be a reason for it. G-d runs the world, and He doesn't allow things to happen by themselves, at random. For every effect there is an underlying spiritual cause. Therefore, the Sages asked: What was it that caused this tragedy? They searched their souls, and found the answer. So we live in a time of mourning. Not only do we mourn the untimely deaths of Torah scholars of centuries ago; we mourn the distance we have come from the clear truths of those times. As the Divine decree upon Rabbi Akiva's disciples came to an end 32 days after the beginning of Pesach, so does the period of mourning. And it is followed by a day of rejoicing---Lag B'Omer. The restrictions on weddings and haircuts are lifted, and in the land of Israel it is marked by, among other things, bonfires, singing and dancing. The question is asked, however: What's all the rejoicing about? Surely, it's not about the cessation of the plague, which left the Jewish people forever bereft of those scholars. Rather, the answer is that this is also the day that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, one of Rabbi Akiva's chief surviving disciples, passed from this world. And although the day of a great man's passing is not usually a time for rejoicing, this is an exception. For on this day, Rabbi Shimon gathered his students around him and revealed the secrets of the Torah, known to us as the Cabbalah. It is that revelation of Torah which we celebrate. The bonfires represent the Torah of Rabbi Shimon, which is compared to fire---insubstantial yet possessed of great power and beauty. The songs are praises of Rabbi Shimon, and the circle dancing is an expression of our unity. There is another, lesser known, custom---of playing with bows and arrows. Some say that the bow symbolizes that during the lifetime of Rabbi Shimon there was never a rainbow visible in the sky. This is because the rainbow is the sign of the promise that G-d made to Noach that he would never again bring a global catastrophe like the Flood, even when future generations would deserve such retribution. Rabbi Shimon was not only a great scholar, but such a holy man, that the rainbow in his time was unnecessary. His merit alone was sufficient to justify the world's continuation, even without the special promise of mercy represented by the rainbow. Others explain that the bow, as a weapon, symbolizes our need to make war on our evil impulses, and to correct the kind of personal failings which brought destruction on Rabbi Akiva's disciples. There is no contradiction between the two explanations. Rabbi Shimon understood the cause of the destruction, and warred successfully to correct the problem in himself and others. That is why no rainbow was needed then. Thus, the chain of tradition found its continuity in the saintly personality of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. So may it continue in us, as we strive to learn the lessons of the calendar; to live with its mourning and partake of its joy. by Rabbi Yisrael Rutman 
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