Story #1482 (5786-33) 17 Iyar 5786 (May 4, 2026)

"A Lag B'Omer Bonfire from Heaven"

The night of Lag b’Omer. The Muslim governor commanded armed police to search with extreme vigilance for any Jew who might defy the ban, and sneak into the cemetery that contained the tomb of Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan.

Why this week? This Monday night and Tuesday is Lag b'Omer

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A Lag B'Omer Bonfire from Heaven

The anxious father stood by his son's bedside, watching with anguished eyes as the youth faded. The physicians had despaired; in low voices they informed him there was no cure to be found.

At that instant, the great Torah sage and Kabbalist, then forty-two years old,, raised his hands to Heaven and breathed, "Master of the Universe, take my life as atonement in exchange for my son's - a life for a life." Astonishingly, the boy rallied, and in time regained full health.

This occurred in Morocco in the year 5542 (1782). Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan, who lived in Jerusalem where he was born, had traveled with his son, Chayim, on a mission among the Jewish communities of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia on behalf of the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel. He traveled through villages and towns, collecting coin by coin. Everywhere he was greeted with reverence and affection; people flocked to behold one of the great sages of the Land.

Before long, bitter news spread through the Maghreb[1]: Rabbi Amram had fallen ill and on the fifteenth of Av at the young age of 42, was taken to his eternal rest. Jews throughout Morocco accompanied him in throngs to his burial in the cemetery at Asjen, a village about four miles (9 kilometers) from Ouezzane[2], weeping for the great luminary who had been taken from them. His grave became a shrine, a place of pilgrimage; many segulot miracles were ascribed to it, and Jews from the entire region came to pray there.

Pilgrimages swelled on Lag BaOmer, when crowds traditionally visited the tomb, kindled great bonfires and danced in honor of the holy Tanna (sage of the Mishnah), Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

The tales of salvations and wonders that emanated from Rabbi Amram's gravesite had even reached the ears of the Arabs, arousing much curiosity - a sore provocation to the Muslim governor of Ouezzane. A declared enemy of the Jews, he resolved to quash the phenomenon.

One year, on the approach of Lag BaOmer, he issued a proclamation forbidding Jews to approach the grave on that night, warning that any violator would pay for it with his life.

The sudden edict cast the regional Jewish communities into fear. With heavy hearts and fearing for their safety, they obeyed. On the eve of Lag BaOmer they shut themselves indoors, full of sorrow at the great loss the cruel governor had inflicted upon them.

But the decree had not reached Jews who lived great distances away and had already begun their annual journey to Asjen. Only upon reaching Ouezzane did they learn of the new ban, and they were filled with grief over it, and the wasted toil of their long journey.

Night fell on Lag BaOmer and tension in Asjen reached its peak. The governor stationed troops along every road that led to the cemetery; armed police patrolled searching with sevenfold vigilance for any Jew who might defy the order and slip into the area of the tomb. The burial plot, which each year shone with light and was full of dancing crowds, lay deserted and shrouded in unbroken darkness. Jewish hearts ached.

And yet, precisely at the traditional hour for lighting the bonfire, a wondrous thing occurred. The dark village was suddenly suffused with light, as if a vast pyre had descended from the heavens and turned night into day.

The soldiers, stunned, turned toward the cemetery and their eyes widened in amazement: an immense bonfire blazing in the courtyard of the tomb, its flames soaring toward the sky and illuminating the entire area. From afar came the sounds of rejoicing: a multitude of voices in song and shouts of jubilation.

The troops ground their teeth in fury. Had the Jews dared to defy the governor and kindle a fire at the tomb? They rushed over to seize the offenders and punish them, but upon reaching the gravesite they found that the sights and sounds had ceased, and darkness and silence held sway; the spectacle had vanished. The soldiers stood bewildered. Could this possibly be a misleading mirage?

Perplexed, they retreated - only to see the mysterious fire blaze again and hear the sounds resume. They vaulted onto their horses and thundered back to the cemetery, determined not to let the Jews escape their hands.

Once more, arriving at the enclosure, they found nothing but the whisper of crickets and the hush of night. Terrible suppositions filled their minds: Surely the Jews were employing supernatural powers; perhaps they were practicing occult arts and had summoned demons and spirits to mock the governor.

Panic gripped them. Fearing that soon the malign forces would attack and harm them, they fled to the governor's residence and, in emotional turmoil, recounted the wondrous spectacle occurring at the cemetery.

The governor found their report too incredible to believe. He resolved to see for himself. He accompanied his men and quickly perceived that they had spoken truth. He He rode a distance away from the tomb site and then returned, and to his continuing astonishment observed the same alternation of light and dark, sound and silence. For a few minutes he stood motionless, pondering how to act. At last he concluded that maintaining the prohibition would only amplify the miracle's renown and add still more prestige to the sage's tomb. Better, he decided, to permit the Jews their customary visitation.

His reversal spread swiftly. In short order thousands of Jews thronged the gravesite, dancing and rejoicing around an actual wood-fueled bonfire, exclaiming praise and gratitude to the Creator for the great miracle wrought through the merit of the tzadik, Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan.
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Source: Freely adapted and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the rendition in the Chabad Hebrew weekly, Sichat HaShavua (#1389) based on the book "Choot Shel Chessed" ("A Thread of Kindness").

Biographical note:
Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan [c. 5500 (1739) - 15 Av, 5542 (1782)], born in Jerusalem, was an esteemed Torah scholar and Kabbalist, who contributed to the elevation and dissemination of Torah in all the communities of Morocco during the years that he lived there. He was also known for his miracles. His blessings always came to pass, and Jews would travel from all the towns of Morocco to urgently seek his blessings and advice. His burial place in Asjen (a village near the city of Ouazzane) has long been a place of pilgrimage for all Moroccan Jews. [A book in English about him is "The Miracle Worker - Stories about the tzaddik Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan."]

Footnotes:
[1] A region in Africa that contains the 3 countries mentioned in the preceding paragraph, as well as a few smaller ones.
[2] In modern English spelling: Wazen. a city in northern Morocco, with a population of 59,600 recorded in the 2014 Moroccan census.
[3] And also on his yahrzeit, the 15th of the Jewish month of Av.

Yerachmiel Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.

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