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Weekly Chasidic Story #754 (s5772-32 / 15
Iyar 5772)
Parting Gift
The LAG B'OMER "Departure" of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
Connection:Seasonal - Lag b'Omer
PARTING GIFT:
The Lag B'Omer "Departure" of Rabbi Shimon
When Rabbi Elazar his son, Rabbi Abba and the other disciples
found out that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was making final arrangements
of his teachings in preparation for his departure from the world, they gathered
together at his house. Rebbe Shimon looked up and saw that the house was full,
he wept and said, "On another occasion, when I was deathly ill, my father-in-law
Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair was with me. While I was choosing my place in the Garden
of Eden they granted me extra years until now. When I returned to the living,
a fire surrounded me and it never ceased [i.e. the Divine Presence (Shechina)
was constantly revealed upon him], so that no person could come in to me without
permission. Now I see that it has ceased, and so the house has filled up [with
visitors who entered without my permission]."
[Commentaries explain that perhaps he cried because there were
some present who were not worthy of hearing the mysteries that Rebbe Shimon
planned to reveal, and for this reason the Shechina had left him.]
While they were sitting Rebbe Shimon opened his eyes [in the sense
of spiritual gazing into the higher worlds] and saw what he saw.
Then fire surrounded the house, so that everyone fled outside leaving only Rabbi
Elazar and Rabbi Abba [who were worthy of receiving the Shechina]. The
remainder of the disciples sat outside. Rebbe Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar his
son, "Go outside and see if Rabbi Yitzchak is here. I made a promise to
him that he would live until the day of my passing and that I would take him
into the Garden of Eden. Tell him to put his affairs in order and then come
and sit with me. Happy is his lot!"
Rebbe Shimon arose [in deference to the Shechina and the
souls of saintly tzadikim that had descended to be with him as he revealed
the secrets of the Torah]. He then sat again, smiling and happy, and he asked,
"Where are the Disciples?" Rabbi Elazar arose and brought them in.
They sat down before Rebbe Shimon.
Rebbe Shimon raised his hands in prayer and made his supplications
with great joy. Then he said, "Those who were in the cave when I taught
the Idra are invited to stay, but not the rest of the visitors, lest
they put themselves in danger. They all went out and only Rabbi Elazar his son,
Rabbi Abba, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Chiya remained. Meanwhile, Rabbi
Yitzchak arrived, and Rabbi Shimon said to him, "How fortunate is your
lot. How much joy should be added to you on this day!" Rabbi Abba was sitting
behind Rebbe Shimon's shoulders and Rabbi Elazar before Rebbe Shimon.
Rebbe Shimon said, "Now is an auspicious time [to reveal
the secrets of the Torah]. I wish to enter the World to Come without shame.
For the holy matters that I did not reveal until now, I wish to reveal in the
presence of the Shechina, so that no one will say that I left the world
without fulfilling my task in that I concealed these secrets in my heart until
now so that they would come with me to the World to Come. I see that today is
special, for G-d Al-mighty and all the tzaddikim are rejoicing in my
celebration (Hilula). I will present them to you; Rabbi Abba shall write,
and Rabbi Elazar my son will review them, and the remaining Disciples must whisper
them in their hearts."
Rabbi Abba rose from behind Rabbi Shimon's shoulders [and sat
before Rebbe Shimon]. Rabbi Elazar continued sitting before Rebbe Shimon. Rebbe
Shimon said, "Arise, my son, for another [a tzadik from the upper
worlds] will sit in that place." Rabbi Elazar arose and sat down elsewhere.
Rebbe Shimon wrapped himself in his talit and began to
teach and to reveal extraordinary secrets
.Rebbi Abba recalls, "I
was writing, in middle of quoting a verse. Rebbe Shimon stopped at the word
'chayim' ("life"). I waited, wanting to continue, but did not
raise my head to see why Rebbe Shimon had stopped, for I was unable to look
at the great light that was shining around him. Suddenly, I heard a voice call
out a verse with the word 'chayim', and then another voice called out
another verse. I fell to the ground and wept. When the fire and the light departed,
I saw that the great light, Rebbi Shimon, had passed away. He was lying on his
right side and his face was smiling."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from an article by Rabbi Moshe-Leib
Miller, a prolific author and translator, on Ascent's daughter site,
http://KabbalaOnline.org , translated from the Idra Zuta, Zohar III, 287b-296b.
Many other interesting Lag b'Omer articles and stories are posted there too
Biographical note:
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, one of the most important sages in Jewish history,
lived over 1800 years ago. Teachings in his name abound throughout the Mishnah,
Gemorrah, and Midrashim, while the Zohar, the primary source text of
Kabbalah, is built around Rabbi Shimon's revelations to his inner circle of
disciples. During the hours before his passing, on Lag b'Omer,
he disclosed the "most sublime" secrets of Torah, in order to ensure
that the day would always be an occasion for great joy, untouched by sadness
because of the Omer period and mourning for him. The seminal importance of the
Zohar in Jewish thought and the annual pilgrimage to Meron on Lag b"Omer
are testimonies to his success.
~~~~~~~~~~~
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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A 48 page soft-covered booklet containing eleven of his most popular stories
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