This year's Lag B'Omer BBQ promises to be bigger, better, and tastier than last year! This sunday we will all get together to commemorate the yartzeit of one of the greatest of all Jewish sages and mystics, Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai.
Known by the acronym Rashbi, He was the author of the Holy Zohar and an essential authority on Jewish law in the Mishna.
The Talmud is full of miraculous stories surrounding both Rebbi Shimon and his son Elazar. Though i believe the most impressive of all is the following, found in the Zohar itself:
The sages were discussing the grim prospects of the future of our people, and contended unanimously that one day the the Torah will be completely forgotten from the nation of Israel!
Rebbe Shimon, who was among the younger sages, stood up and proclaimed that it would not, for the Torah states, "Because it won't be forgotten from the mouth of your children"
That very passage that he used as proof contains an amazing secret! The last letter of every word spell out the name "Yochai".
A hint to something Rebbi Shimon promised in the introduction to the Zohar, "With this book (the Zohar) we will go out of exile."
Though it may seem like an outrageous claim, that this one book can hold the torch until the final redemption, the facts speak for themselves. Since the revelation of the Zohar in the 13th century, every spiritual renewal of the Jewish people has been influenced if not completely based on, the teachings found in the Zohar.
Even concepts as simple and universally accepted as serving G-d with joy, can trace their roots back to the teachings of Rebbi Shimon!
So this Lag B'Omer we will be celebrating more than the yartziet of one of our peoples greatest scholars and mystics, we will gather and celebrate the continued existence of Judaism itself!
