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."
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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.

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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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