Food 4 Shabbos Emor - Lag Ba'Omer - Hakhel!
Personal Kabbalistic Codes & Coaching
B.H.?
Shalom from Safed,
This coming week we celebrate the grand festival of Lag Ba'Omer the day of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. We are told that when Rabbi Shimon finally left the cave where he was hiding from the Roman emperor?for thirteen years he requested the following: " Where is there a place that needs rectifying and repair"? Upon being told that there is a village that is in doubt?of it's land's purity due to the impurity of the dead, he immediately set out to attempt and finally?purify this village. The main reason for this act of purification was to alleviate?the pain of a group of Cohanim - priests?that neede to make their way from the Galil above Tiberias, to serve in the Beis Ha'Mikdash in Yerushalayim. In order to reach their destination they needed to detour around and bypass this village due to the doubt of the land's purity, instead of cutting through and shortening their journey. This is amazingly surprising! After thirteen years of learning the mystical secrets of the Torah from the mouth of Eliyahu Ha'Navi we would think that the first thing, a sage such as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai who's Torah study was his "profession" , would do is gather students and teach them Torah. The instruction?we learn from Rabbi Shimon's behavior?is that as great as one's knowledge of the Torah may be our first obligation in observing the commandments of the Torah is to care and remedy any pain by our fellow Jew - " Ve'Ahavata Le'Reiacha Kamocha" - Loving our fellow Jew as we love ourselves. This conduct, brings measure for measure, the blessings and care from Hashem for each and every?one of us
For consultation on how to focus not only on our own needs and desires but also on the needs and well being of our fellow person, as we learn from Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his Rabbi and mentor Rabbi Akiva, you are invited to contact me.
Good Shabbos?
Moshiach NOW!
Eliyahu
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Weekly Story?
This Week’s Portion
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Friday night Sefirah:?Today is 30 days, which are four weeks and two days of the Omer?
Pirkei Avot:?Chapter 4
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B.H.
Emor-Shining Days?
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??This?Shabbat?we read the portion of?Emor?which discusses the Mitzvah of Sefirat Ha’omer (counting of the Omer). On the second day of Passover, a special barley offering was brought in the Temple, the Korban Ha’omer. This was the celebration of the first new grain crop of the year, and the new harvest was not allowed to be eaten until the Korban Ha’omer was brought. This teaches us that any new blessing, benefit or gift we receive should first be used in the service of Hashem. The word Omer is a measurement of grain, approximately 2 quarts. From the day when the Omer was brought, the Torah commands that we count 49 days until the next holiday, which is Shavuot when we received the Torah. Shavuot means weeks. On Shavuot another special offering was brought, two Challot from the new wheat crop. Both grain offerings were accompanied by animal offerings and much celebration. This teaches us that dedicating the first profits?for?Hashem is a cause?for?celebration.
??The Midrash teaches that we received the Mitzvah of counting the Omer as a reward?for?our anxiousness to receive the Torah. When the Jewish people left Egypt, they were so imbued with anticipation that they counted the days until the Torah was given. In merit of their counting, we were given the Mitzvah of Sefirat Ha’omer. This teaches us that our approach towards a Mitzvah should not be feeling burdened, but rather joy and anticipation. The joy in fulfilling Mitzvot is as important as the Mitzvah itself.
??The Mitzvah of Sefirat Ha’omer has a deep message. The Mitzvah consists of counting days. The Torah teaches us that we must make every day count. Every single day we should reach a level higher and bring the world a step closer to perfection. This is also hinted in the manner in which we count. Rather than counting “this is the thirty-fourth day,” we count “this is thirty four days.” This teaches us that each day we have the accomplishments of the previous days combined with the new heights of today. The word Sefirah has another meaning, which is illumination. By counting the days as we should, we bring illumination into ourselves and every aspect of the world.
??Sefirah also means narration. Each day has a special message. This is particularly pertinent to the month of Iyar, during which we count the Omer every day. Iyar is an abbreviation of Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov and Rachel. Each day is a unique opportunity to connect to our forefathers and mothers, learn from their wonderful traits, emulate them and reaffirm our heritage.
?The Omer is from barley, which is fit?for?humans but also animal fodder. The two Challot are from wheat, which is the?food?of man. By filling each day, illuminating each day, and distinguishing each day, we reach our full human potential.
??When the Torah describes the counting of the Omer, there is an apparent contradiction. The Torah says count seven weeks and also says to count fifty days. In fact, we count forty-nine days and celebrate the fiftieth day as Shavuot. Chassidic teachings explain that there are fifty gates of Understanding, forty-nine of which can be attained through human effort. Through attaining the heights that we can personally reach through counting forty-nine days, Hashem grants us the fiftieth gate. Since this is connected with our efforts, it is as though we counted and illuminated all fifty gates.
??Each day, after we count the Omer, we pray?for?the rebuilding of the Temple. May Hashem answer our prayers and illuminate these days with the light of Moshiach!
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For?more information on counting the Omer, you may visit this site:
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Lag Ba’omer- Unity and Joy!!?
????This Monday?night and?Tuesday?is Lag Ba’omer, the thirty-third day of the Omer. It is also the Eighteenth (Chai) of the month of Iyar. Although the days between Pesach and Shavuot are generally days of mourning, Lag Ba’omer is a day of celebration. The celebration is connected with the passing of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the author of the Zohar. This has a connection with the Hebrew Lag, which has the same letters as the word Gal, which means uncover. One of the verses that refer to the teachings of the Zohar is “Uncover (gal) my eyes and allow me to see the wonders of Your Torah.” Although the passing of a great Tzaddik is generally a day of sadness, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai commanded that the day of his passing be a celebration, and referred to it as a Hillula, which means a wedding. The celebration is so great that the Ari Zal, a great Kabbalist in the 15th?century, wrote that a student of his used to say special prayers of mourning for the Temple every day, including holidays. When Lag Ba’omer came, Rabbi Shimon came to him in a dream and warned him not to interfere with the joy of Lag Ba’omer with prayers of mourning. The Rebbe has taught that participating in Lag Ba’omer festivities is a great Segulah for blessings. This Hakhel year that blessing is magnified greatly.?
???The reason for the joy is because on the day of his passing he reached the pinnacle of his divine knowledge and was granted the ability to transmit his knowledge to his students, thereby eventually allowing the entire Jewish people to have greater depth in the mystical side of the Torah. Because the teaching of Kaballah fully permeated his being, he perceived everything through the eyes of Kaballah and only saw the inner meaning. As such, in his passing he saw only the culmination of his life’s work.
???In Tanya it is explained that when we seek the good that is hidden in apparent negativity, the negative appearance ceases to exist and only the good remains. This can be accomplished by studying the teaching of the Zohar as they are explained in Tanya and other books of Chassidut. This is also a precursor to the times of Moshiach, when the knowledge of Hashem will fill the world as water fills the ocean bed.?
??The Talmud says that we can rely on Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in troubled times. May the merit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai protect the Jewish people in these difficult times and may we immediately NOW merit the revelation of Moshiach when we will see the good behind all of our tribulations in exile.?
As mentioned above,The Rebbe has taught that participating in Lag Ba’omer festivities is a great Segulah for blessings in all fields of Life.?
In order to implement this?auspicious?opportunity contributions may be sent to Paypal account:
?[email protected]?to secure your?participation in the Lag Ba'Omer festivities.?
?Chag Sameyach,
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This has been made available by:?
Rabbi Y. Biggs?Chabad of Great Neck NY