CLD #874

The day of Lag Ba’Omer (the 33^rd day of counting the Omer which falls out on this Saturday Night G-d willing, tonight is the 31^st day) is a day of Simkha (happiness. Why? In Rav Ovadia’s Halacha Emails he explains that not only do we avoid saying Takhanun (the confession of sin that is said on most days of the year), but also it is a day that the Sodot (secrets) of the Torah were revealed to the Holy Rabi Shimon Bar Yokhai. Another reason that this day of huge simkha falls upon us is because Rabi Shimon Bar Yokhai was saved from a punishment of death sentenced by Israel’s enemies during his generation. Also on this day Rabi Akiva began teaching the five famous students that continued the Torah learning and made up the Oral Torah that we have today.

If we look deeper into this we understand the seriousness of this day. If it wasn’t for the lack of respect the 24,000 Torah Scholars had for each other and they would not die, we would have (24,000/5) 4,800 times the amount of Torah learning concepts, books, tractates, etc. in our lives! What a grave loss?! 

But a smart person is an individual who looks at the half glass full and sees this as a day of gratitude that Hashem gave us these 5 Torah Scholars taught by Rabi Akiva, to continue the Torah in the world. The word smart  in Hebrew has three letters: Het-Chaf-Mem and makes up the abbreviation for the phrase half glass full in Hebrew: Hatzi Kos Ha'Mele'ah (Rav Nissim Levy shlit'a)!

How much do we need to thank Hashem for the beautiful Torah, its laws, the Talmud and its laws and the entire tree/umbrella of connections that relate to the Torah which is in our hands today?! The Torah is simply a guide that is used to bring us closer to G-d and revel in His greatness and goodness. For this reason when we prepare ourselves for the welcoming of Shabbat, we do it with the utmost effort because Shabbat (from the Torah) is another gateway for us to reach eternal bliss and feel the love that Hashem has for us.

Judaism=Think.

Shabbat Shalom!

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