On the subject of Lag BaOmer, which is going to be celebrated and commemorated this year, 5763 (2003) on Monday night and Tuesday. The 1st Halacha regarding Lag BaOmer is brought down in the Rama, in seman 131. Actually, it’s the only place in Shulchan Aruch that discusses the subject of Lag BaOmer at all. Maran does not discuss it. There is no mention in the Shulchan Aruch per say. Only the Rama brings it down. And he says the custom is not to say Tachanunim. And that is sufficient. There is no ANA on the day Lag BaOmer. The custom is brought down by the Kaf Hachayim. The Sephardim adopted this custom of the Rama. Even though it seems according to Maran, when he listed all the days to say Yehi Shem, that he didn’t include Lag BaOmer. So it seems the Sephardim are following the Ramah on this, as brought down by the Kaf Hachayim. And our custom is to say Yehi Shem also in Mincha on Erev Lag BaOmer.

It’s interesting, Rav Chaim Kreiswerth, Zichrono Levracha, the former chief Rabbi of Belgium, used to say over that in Krakow, on Lag BaOmer they would go visit the grave of the Rama, Rav Moshe Isserles. Because he passed away on Lag BaOmer, and since he was the one that mentioned the subject of Lag BaOmer in Halacha, so they go to his grave to make the Tikun in Krakow.

In Israel, it’s the custom to go to Meiron, to the grave of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai. And it needs to be understood exactly what Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai has to do with Lag BaOmer. Some explain that it was the day that he died. Now, the day of death is a sad day. So why would we turn the day of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai‘s death into a happy day, with music, and parties, and bonfires, and some people they even throw clothes into the fire. So the explanation they say is, that Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, according to the Gemarah was supposed to die by the hand of the government. The government was after him. Somebody ratted on him to the government, that he committed treason, and therefore he had to escape. Miraculously he did escape, and he died of natural causes later in his life. So we are celebrating his death that it was natural, instead of being by the hands of the government.

Others want to explain the concept of the fire. That on the day that Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai died, the Zohar says, his house was filled with fire, meaning a positive fire of Kedusha, and a heavenly voice came out of Shamayim, inviting the people into the home, to take Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, so to speak. So that’s the fire of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, the fire of the Kabalah. Fire is something that you have to be very careful before you approach it. So we are commemorating the fact that he revealed to us the Kabalah, which is also a very esoteric part of the Torah. You have to be very careful not to get close to it or misuse it. Like today unfortunately, we see the study of Kabalah is being studied without the seriousness, and without the fear of the fire that it has within.

The concept of the burning of the clothes is brought down by some of the Minhagim. Because Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, when he learnt in the cave for 13 years, he did not have any clothes. It says he was dug into the ground, and he had his head above ground, and was learning. That he didn’t have any clothes, they say, he reached the level of Adam Harishon before the sin. Just like Adam Harishon didn’t have to wear clothes, so he didn’t. So they burned the clothes to symbolize Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, as he didn’t need these items.

It’s also the custom in Israel to go to Meiron on Lag BaOmer, to his grave. Hundreds of stories are told of people that needed things, and prayed by the grave of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai on Lag BaOmer, and they were answered. G-d forbid ladies that weren’t able to conceive that went there, and said the Tefilot, that they were answered. A different Segula, if you donate a certain amount of liters of drink, towards the memory of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai in Meron, they say it’s a Segula also for a lady to conceive. Different people who were sick, and they went on that day, and G-d had answered them in the Zechut of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai.

The Arizal brought his son at the age of 3 to the grave of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, and gave him his 1st hair cut. From there came the Minhag, that in Arabic they call it the Chaleke, where they take the boys at 3 years old to train them in the Mitzvah of Peot. They cut the hair and leave the Peot. And they do it at the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, or for that matter at the grave of any Tzadik. But since the Arizal went to the grave of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, so they follow it.

It’s a night if happiness, it’s a night of rejoicing. There’s music, and parties and some even have bon-fires. Probably Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai would rather the people to sit an learn on the anniversary of his death, but of course, it is the Minhag of ours to make all these events, and also the custom to light some candles in memory of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai.