Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was one of Rabbi Akiva’s students. He continued to defy the Roman rulers even after Bar Kochba’s defeat, and was forced to flee for his life and spend years in solitary hiding. Legend places him and his son Eleazar in a cave for 12 years, where a miraculous well and carob tree sustained them while they spent their days studying and praying. When they finally emerged, Rabbi Shimon denigrated all practical occupations, insisting that people engage only in the study of Torah . For this Hashem confined the two to their cave for another year, accusing Shimon of destroying the world with his rigid asceticism. Rabbi Shimon’s otherworldliness resonated with mystics in his own time and later, so much so that tradition ascribes to him the Zohar, the key work of the Kabbalah (although critical scholars attribute it to the 13th-century Spanish kabbalist Moses de Leon).(adapted from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/lag-baomer/)
According to Kabala each day and each week of the counting of the Omer has specific characteristics. The 33rd day is referred to as Hod she'b'Hod: Beauty within beauty. It is the most beautiful day of the year! Perhaps the beauty of the dancing flames of a bonfire are a reflection of splendor (hod).
We all know though that fire, like passion, has the potential for both good and evil. We can warm ourselves with the heat emanating from a fire but if we get too close we can burn ourselves. We cook with fire, we illuminate our homes with fire, but we dare not allow the fire to get out of control. We are commanded in the Torah לא תבערו אש בכל מושבותיכם ביום השבת- Do not burn a fire in your homes on Shabbat. Yet, we know that we are certainly allowed to have our lights on. In fact we are exhorted to light candles and/or make sure the house is well-lit as a means of keeping Shalom Bayit. Symbolically, fire represents anger or unbridled emotion. This commandment comes to teach us that at least over Shabbat we cannot let our negative emotions get out of control.
Fire is also a metaphor for Torah. When we teach Torah, when we engage our students through the richness of Jewish thought and tradition we are playing with fire: we can light a spark, or we can scorch them. We have to be careful at the same time. (https://theicenter.org/voice/lag-bomer-playing-fire)
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was banished back to his cave because of his extremism- his fire was burning out of control. We, parents, teachers, adults, need to understand that in order to pass on to our children, our students, a love of Yiddishkeit, we need to do so with warmth, light and joy. May your homes be lit up with the sanctity of Shabbos and always emanate the radiance of Torah.
Have a Shabbat Shalom!
Rochelle Brand, Ed.D
Head of School
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