Week 29 (From the Book): After the Initial Inspiration, To Get to Work

PEREK SHIRAH: The beast of burden is saying, "When you eat the fruit of your labors, happy are you and good is your lot." (Psalms 128:2)

PIRKEI AVOT: Rabbi Eliezer [the son of] Chisma would say: the laws of kinin (bird offerings) and the laws of menstrual periods---these, these are the meat of Halachah (Torah law). The calculations of solar seasons and gematria are the condiments of wisdom.

SEFIRAH COMBINATION: Chesed shebeHod (kindness within the context of glory and gratefulness)

As we enter the twenty-ninth week, the week of Passover, in Perek Shirah, the large impure (non-kosher) domestic animal sings that those that eat from the work of their own hands are praiseworthy and are blessed with good. (Psalm 128:2) This animal has been translated by Rabbi Slifkin simply as the “beast of burden.”[1] On Passover, we feel the influx of Hashem’s blessings and redemption. At the same time, from the second day of Passover onwards, the Jewish people begin counting the omer and begin working towards self-improvement. Thus, by the time Shavuot arrives, we will have merited to receive the Torah, at least in part through the work of our own hands.

This week’s animal appears to be a reference to Yishmael and his descendants. This son of Abraham was known for his great capacity for praying and for trusting in G-d’s blessings and salvation.[2] In fact, Yishmael did receive great blessings, although part of the blessings showed that there were aspects of his lifestyle that still needed to be improved. The angel tells Hagar, Yishmael’s mother, that "his hand would be on everyone.”[3] Later in life, Yishmael repents, returns to G-d, and has a good relationship with Isaac.[4] In messianic times, Isaac and Yishmael will coexist in peace.

Our sages interpret the verse of the beast of burden to be a dual blessing, “praiseworthy” – in this world, and “good for you” - in the world to come. There is a custom in Chassidic circles, instituted by the Ba’al Shem Tov, to make a meal on the eighth day of Passover called Moshiach Seudah, in honor of Mashiach and the world to come.

The number twenty-nine is connected to the cycle of the moon (29.5 days to be exact), on which the Jewish month is based. Muslims, who consider themselves descendants of Yishmael, follow a purely lunar calendar. Twenty-nine is also the number of days in a woman’s menstrual cycle. (See Pirkei Avot below)

The lesson in Pirkei Avot for this week is found in the teaching of Rabbi Elazar the son of Chismah. He explains that the laws relating to bird sacrifices and menstrual cycles are essential, while astronomy and numerological calculations (gematria) are the spice of wisdom. (III:18) On Passover, we do not eat chametz, leavened bread. Spiritually, this represents the notion that on Passover we set aside everything that makes us feel “inflated” and takes away from our essence, our core identity as reflected in our relationship with G-d and with each other.    

Furthermore, on Passover, G-d connects to us on a deeply personal level, primarily as our Redeemer, instead of as the Creator of the Universe. (See Appendix I) This appears to be taught in this week’s Pirkei Avot: G-d does not want us to lose ourselves in grandiose and esoteric topics, such as astronomy and gematria. He would rather see us involved also in the details of properly serving Him in how we conduct ourselves on a daily basis.

The two sets of laws mentioned in Pirkei Avot are particularly important to daily conduct. They are fundamental to the relationship between G-d and the Jewish People, and between husband and wife (which is also a metaphor for our relationship with G-d, as expressed in Solomon’s Song of Songs). Bird sacrifices are related to our ability to come closer to G-d.  The word for sacrifice in Hebrew is korban, from the word karov, which means close (nowadays, because we cannot bring sacrifices, prayer and study serve as substitutes). Similarly, the laws related to the female menstrual cycle are essential in order to make wives permissible to their husbands.[5]

This week, the combination of sefirot results in chesed shebehod. This week, we work on ourselves in order to properly receive and appreciate G-d’s blessings that we receive during Passover. (This week would also represent the “eighth week” of Shavuot and “Shivah Yemei Miluim” of the cycle of Netzach. This is appropriate, as Pessach is the festival of redemption)

We learn from the beast of burden that in our path towards righteousness, Hashem helps us and journeys with us along the way. Nevertheless, we should not want or expect our spiritual development to be "spoon-fed." Even if ultimately everything comes from G-d, we must work hard to achieve spiritual elevation ourselves.

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[1] Slifkin, p. 11

[2] Genesis 21:10, 48:22, Targum

[3] Ibid.

[4] Genesis 25:9, Rashi

[5] The Torah sets forth laws regarding times during a woman’s menses in which husband and wife do not touch, and instead interact primarily on a spiritual plane. These essential laws help preserve a higher level intimacy and attraction, since the physical side of the relationship is renewed each month.

Week 30 (from the Book): To Know that the World Needs More Love and Respect

PEREK SHIRAH: The camel is saying, “G-d shall roar from upon high and cause His voice to sound forth from His holy place, His shout echoes profoundly over His dwelling place. (Jeremiah 25:30)

PIRKEI AVOT: Ben Zoma would say: Who is wise? One who learns from every man. As is stated (Psalms 119:99): "From all my teachers I have grown wise, for Your testimonials are my meditation."

Who is strong? One who overpowers his inclinations. As is stated (Proverbs 16:32), "Better one who is slow to anger than one with might, one who rules his spirit than the captor of a city."

Who is rich? One who is satisfied with his lot. As is stated (Psalms 128:2): "If you eat of toil of your hands, fortunate are you, and good is to you"; "fortunate are you" in this world, "and good is to you" in the World to Come.

Who is honorable? One who honors his fellows. As is stated (I Samuel 2:30): "For to those who honor me, I accord honor; those who scorn me shall be demeaned."

SEFIRAH: Gevurah shebeHod (discipline and judgment within the context of glory and gratefulness)

In the thirtieth week, the last week of Nissan and the week of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is the turn of the camel in Perek Shirah to proclaim that, “the Lord roars from upon high; His voice is heard from His holy place; His roar echoes loudly over His dwelling place. (Jeremiah 25:30) The verse of the camel describes how Hashem strongly laments the destruction of the Temple. Due to its destruction, the Jewish people have had to survive for a very long period of time without its basic source of spiritual sustenance, just like the camel survives for long periods without water. Nissan is the month of redemption, both the redemption from Egypt as well as the future redemption. However, even on Passover itself we have an egg on the Seder plate as a sign of mourning to remember the destruction of the Temple and that the final redemption has not yet taken place. This week also marks the yahrzeit of Yehoshua Bin Nun, on the 26^th day of this month.

As is explained in the same Midrash cited in week twenty-eight, the camel represents the Babylonian exile, when the First Temple was destroyed. Moreover, like the beast of burden, the camel also appears to be a reference to Yishmael.[1] As we complete the month of Nissan, we relive all the exiles and the redemptions that the Jewish people experienced throughout history, while hoping to soon experience the final redemption that will take us out of the current exile.

Thirty is an intensification of the qualities of balance represented by the number three. The number thirty also has the numerical value of the name Yehudah. As mentioned previously, Nissan is represented by the Tribe of Judah. Pirkei Avot teaches that thirty is also the age of koach, strength and potential. (See Week 28) At thirty, one is at the height of his or her physical and intellectual capacity. It was at the age of thirty that the kohanim would begin serving in the Temple. Such strength and potential are associated with Judah and his descendant, King David, who unlike Esau, acknowledged and repented from their mistakes, and were able to fully tap into their capacity for good.

In Pirkei Avot this week, Ben Zoma teaches: "Who is wise? One who learns from every person; Who is strong? He who conquers his evil inclination ... Who is rich? He who is satisfied with his portion.” This teaching is closely related to the tragic events that took place during the time of the Counting of the Omer. The death of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 disciples was caused by the difficulty they had in respecting, accepting, and learning from each other’s interpretations and applications of their master’s teachings.

The destruction of the Temple and the exile in which we find ourselves to this day (which includes also the events of the Holocaust) is due to sinat chinam, baseless hatred. We will be redeemed from this final exile through ahavat chinam, baseless love for each individual.

Ben Zoma’s lesson is closely related Yehoshua Bin Nun. He was Moses’ closest disciple and successor, and yet also could relate to everyone: “on the verse describing Joshua as ‘a man in whom there is spirit,’ Sifrei explains “that he was able to meet the spirit of every man.”[2]

Ben Zoma’s second question and answer, “Who is strong? He who conquers his evil inclination,” also appears related to the yahrzeit of Joshua. The Rebbe once said regarding his yahrzeit that, “On this day, assistance from heaven is granted to become a conqueror, like Yehoshua Bin Nun, ‘the most prominent of the conquerors.’"^[3] During this week, we prepare for the conquests related to the following month (Iyar), and learn to become strong conquerors like Joshua.

In this week, the combination of sefirot results in gevurah shebehod. The Counting of the Omer, especially after the end if Passover and the month of Nissan, marks a period of service to G-d that can be potentially difficult, requiring both strength and discipline in order to conquer our evil inclination.

An additional lesson that we can extract from the words of the camel is that we must always remember our mission in the world: to create a dwelling place for G-d in this world, starting by creating a sacred space for Him within ourselves.

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[1] Talmud, Brachot 56b (where the description of a dream with a camel follows description of a dream with Yishmael); Midrash Asseret Melachim, Midrash Pitron Torah

[2] Tanya, Compiler’s forward

[3] From the Rebbe’s Letters, available at: http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/letters-rebbe-2/07.htm

Week 31 (From the Book): To Be Proud of Our Humble Connection with G-d

 

PEREK SHIRAH: The horse is saying, "Behold, as the eyes of the servants to the hand of their master, as the eyes of the maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so are our eyes to G-d our Lord until He will favor us." (Psalms 123:2)

PIRKEI AVOT: Ben Azzai would say: Run to pursue a minor mitzvah, and flee from a transgression. For a mitzvah brings another mitzvah, and a transgression brings another transgression. For the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah, and the reward of transgression is transgression.

He would also say: Do not scorn any man, and do not discount any thing. For there is no man who has not his hour, and no thing that has not its place.

SEFIRAH: Tiferet shebeHod (beauty and balance within the context of glory and gratefulness)

The thirty-first week of the year is the week of Rosh Chodesh Iyar. It also includes the day of remembrance of the fallen soldiers of Israel and victims of terror, as well as the fifth of Iyar, which marks the miraculous victory of Israel in its War of Independence. In this week, the horse in Perek Shirah sings about how like servants, our eyes are fixed on the Lord our G-d, until He has compassion over us. (Psalm 123:2) From beginning to end, during this month we are involved in the mitzvah of counting the omer. As mentioned previously, this month is also known as a month of healing, and is formed by the Hebrew letters alef, yud, and reish, which serve as an acronym for the verse “Ani Hashem Rofecha,” "I am G-d your Healer," in which each word begins with one of these three letters.

The month of Iyar is represented by the Tribe of Issachar. The Torah describes Issachar as, "a strong-boned donkey" (similar to the horse), which takes upon itself the yoke of Torah study. Issachar and Zevulun had a partnership in which Zevulun was involved in commerce and supported Issachar in its total dedication to Torah. This dedication to Torah is symbolized by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, whose yahrzeit is in this month, and of whom it is said, “Toratoh Emunatoh,” that his Torah study was his profession.

There is a clear connection between this week, the fifth of Iyar and the War of Independence. The horse, especially in ancient times, symbolizes military might. An example of this is found in the Song of the Sea, which describes how when Pharaoh came with his chariots to attack the Jewish people, G-d threw “horse and rider into the sea.” (This is actually the song of the ox, later this month, in week 34)[1]

Despite being a symbol of power, the horse sings of constantly looking to Hashem for mercy. During the War of Independence, the Jewish people truly fought mightily and heroically, like horses, and yet their victory was only possible due to its miraculous nature, a product of Hashem’s great mercy.

A horse loyally follows the directions of its rider. Like the horse, the Jewish people waited a long time and suffered greatly until Hashem showed us favor and made it possible for us to live in our Holy Land again.

The horse’s song also reflects the feelings of one who is ill or injured and prays to G-d for healing. This is connected to the day of remembrance, as well as to the fifth of Iyar itself. One must not forget that the miracle of Israel’s War of Independence occurred shortly after the Holocaust, when the Jewish people as a whole was like a sick person in urgent need.

The number thirty-one contains the same numerals as thirteen, which, as explained above, represent G-d’s thirteen attributes of mercy. Furthermore, the number thirty-one is also connected to the conquest of the Land of Israel. At the end of the conquest of the Land in the times of Joshua, the Tanach lists all the kings that were defeated at that time, thirty-one in all.[2]

The number thirty-one is formed by the Hebrew letters lamed and alef, which in turn spell the word E-l, one of the names of G-d. The name E-l is an expression of infinite power, but also of infinite mercy.[3] The word el appears many times in the horse’s song.

In the Pirkei Avot for this week, Ben Azzai teaches that one must be fast to perform a mitzvah and to flee from a transgression; for a mitzvah draws another mitzvah, while a transgression draws another. The reward for a mitzvah is a mitzvah, while the reward for a transgression is a transgression. Similarly, just as one mitzvah leads to another, physical and spiritual healing also comes slowly, one step at a time, like the Counting of the Omer.

Furthermore, Ben Azzai teaches not to scorn anyone and not to reject any thing, because there is no one who does not have his moment and there is no thing that does not have its place. This teaching’s connection with Yom Ha’Atzma’ut is similar to that of the song of the horse: the Jewish people and the Land of Israel finally had their moment!

This week’s sefirot combination results in tiferet shebehod. With patience and balance, step by step, we serve G-d and climb the ladder to spiritual fulfillment, getting closer and closer to Hashem. In order to perform this task, we inspire ourselves in the horse’s example, understanding that despite our strength we are nothing more (and nothing less) than servants of G-d. We should be proud of our humble connection with G-d and know that the journey towards Him may at times be slow, but that the arrival at its destination is certain.

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[1] See also the last chapters of the Book of Job.

[2] Book of Joshua, Ch. 12

[3] Vedibarta Bam, available at: http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/vedibarta-bam/144.htm

Week 32 (From the Book): To Recognize Deep in Our Heart How Small We Are, How Great G-d Is

The mule is saying, "All the kings of earth shall acknowledge You, G-d, for they have heard the sayings of Your mouth." (Psalms 138:4)

Rabbi Levitas of Yavneh would say: Be very, very humble, for the hope of mortal man is worms.

Netzach shebeHod (victory and endurance within the context of glory and gratefulness)

In week thirty-two, the second week of the month of Iyar, in Perek Shirah, the mule declares that all the kings of the earth will acknowledge the words of Hashem. (Psalm 138:4) This week is still connected to the miracles of Israel’s independence. (See Appendix 2) It was during this time that the right of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel was clearly recognized by the leaders of the world and the United Nations. A verse of the Psalms states, "Do not be like the horse or like the mule, without understanding."[1] It took the nations of the world a long time to understand the right of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel, but at least during this brief moment in history, the world recognized this right.

There is an interesting contrast between this week’s animal, the mule, closely related to the gentile prophet Bilaam (whose mule spoke to him), and the animal of the following week, the donkey, which is connected to Abraham, as well as to Moshe and Mashiach. There is a very strong parallel between some of the main events in Abraham’s life and those in the life of Bilaam. Pirkei Avot teaches that Abraham and Bilaam are polar opposites. While Abraham was humble and the greatest source of blessing, Bilaam was arrogant and the greatest source of curse. Rashi also makes a comparison between when Abraham gets up early in the morning to saddle his donkey, in order to perform the sacrifice of Isaac, and later, when Bilaam gets up early in the morning to saddle his mule, in order to meet Balak, perform sacrifices, and attempt to curse the Jewish people. Abraham and his descendants were promised the Land of Israel, while Balak and Bilaam did everything in their power to take away the Land from the Jewish people. In the end, Bilaam was forced not only to recognize the glory of Israel, but to praise it and bless it tremendously. Both Bilaam and Balak were later defeated by the conquering Israelites.

As explained earlier, the month of Iyar is connected to the tribe of Issachar, who in the Torah is called a “strong-boned donkey.” The mule is the product of the breeding a donkey with a horse. The mule also represents an aspect of physical deficiency and the need for healing connected to this month: the mule is physically incapable of procreating.

The number thirty-two is a reference to the thirty-two paths of wisdom (chochmah) mentioned in Kabbalah. There are three opinions regarding Bilaam’s connection to Laban. Bilaam was either Laban himself, Laban’s son, or his grandson. Laban’s name, Lamed Beit Nun, represents the 32 paths of wisdom (lamed beit) and the fifty gates of understanding (nun). (See Week 23) Had Laban nullified himself before Yaakov, the tzadik of the generation, the evil in him would have been nullified, and all these levels would be revealed in him.[2]

Thirty-two is formed by the letters lamed and beit, which together form the word lev, which means heart. Sometimes we can understand something with our intellect, but it is still hard to make our heart also understand. Despite the stubbornness of our heart, ultimately we will all fully acknowledge Hashem, as the song of the mule so clearly states. Perhaps a way to speed this process along is to focus on the famous expression of our sages in the Talmud, which was often quoted by the Lubavitcher Rebbe: “Words that come from the heart [certainly] enter the heart.”

The word lev does not only describe the physical heart, but is also used metaphorically. When we use the expression "heart of something," we are referring to the essence of it. The Torah, which is the essence of Hashem, ends with the letter lamed and begins with the letter beit, forming the word lev. Similarly, the Land of Israel is the heart of our people, and Jerusalem is “the heart of our heart.”[3]

In the episode of the spies, the only one other than Joshua that strongly stood for our ability to conquer the Land of Israel was called Kalev. The very name of Kalev shows his strong connection to our heart, the Land of Israel.

In the Pirkei Avot for this week, Rabbi Levitas of Yavneh appears to focus on the potentially negative part of our hearts, the yetzer harah. He teaches us to be extremely humble in spirit, for man’s hope is [to be fed to the] worms. (IV: 4) Rabbi Levitas reminds us that if we focus on our physical side (the word he uses for man is enosh, the lowest of all names for a human being), our only hope is to be food for worms. However, if instead we focus on our soul, the divine aspects within us, then we will know how to better to use our hearts, and will be able to truly love our neighbor as ourselves. This is also the lesson found in Chapter 32, the lev (heart) of the Tanya. (See also next week)

Rabbi Levitas’ words closely resemble the phrase for which perhaps Abraham is most famous: "I am like dust and ashes." Dust, because man comes from dust and returns to it; and ashes because Abraham and Sarah were sterile and could not have children, just like the mule. However, G-d is capable of anything ... giving children to Abraham and Sarah, making a mule speak, making the kings of the nations recognize his words, and even making Bilaam bless Israel!

This week’s sefirah combination results in netzach shebehod. It takes great persistence to get through to our hearts and achieve higher levels in the service of Hashem. The mule itself exemplifies this aspect of persistence and stubbornness. This week is also the yahrzeit of Eli the High Priest (10^th of Iyar). Besides being the Kohen Gadol, he was also leader of the generation. He therefore perfectly represented the combination of these two sefirot, netzach and hod (interestingly, Samuel the Prophet, Eli’s disciple, also represents both netzach and hod, as the Book of Psalms equates him to both Moses and Aaron). Eli’s death, in which he fell backwards and broke his neck after hearing about the fate of the Mishkan, has a close association with the donkey, next week’s animal. The Torah commands that if an owner does not intend to redeem a firstborn donkey with a sacrifice, he must break the donkey’s neck. In Kabbalah, the neck is the part of the body most associated with the Holy Temple and the Mishkan. Another animal that has a commandment related to the breaking of a neck is a female calf. This is in the case of an unexplained murder. The mule is closely associated with donkey and is female like the calf.

A lesson to be drawn from the song of the mule is that even kings, those that are rich and powerful, have to understand that they are ultimately completely subjugated to Hashem. Hashem controls everything and everyone, without distinction. If anything, a king’s behavior is even more subjugated than others, as is stated in Proverbs: “A king's heart is like rivulets of water in the Lord's hand; wherever He wishes, He turns it.”[4] 

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[1] Psalm 32:9

[2] http://www.shuvubonim.org/vayeshev.html

[3] Elie Wiesel, open letter to the President. Available at: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/137057

[4] Ch. 21:1

Week 33 (From the Book): To Recognize the Spiritual Treasures Hidden within Each One of Us

The donkey is saying, "Yours, G-d, is the greatness, and the might, and the splendor, and the victory, and the glory, for everything in the Heavens and earth [is Yours]; Yours, G-d, is the kingship, and the exaltation over all." (Chronicles I, 29:11)

Rabbi Yochanan the son of Berokah would say: Whoever desecrates the Divine Name covertly, is punished in public. Regarding the desecration of the Name, the malicious and the merely negligent are one and the same.

Hod shebeHod (glory and gratefulness within the context of glory and gratefulness)

We now arrive at week thirty-three of the Jewish calendar, the week of Pesach Sheini and Lag Ba’Omer. As explained earlier, Lag Ba’Omer is a day of great celebration, because it was then that the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped perishing. On Lag Ba’Omer, we also celebrate the yahrzeit of the great tzadik, Yesod ha'Olam (foundation of the world), Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. It is customary to light a bonfire in his honor, representing the great light that he brought to the world through his teachings of Kabbalah.

This week, in Perek Shirah, the donkey proclaims: “Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, and the might, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and on the earth [is Yours]; Yours is the kingdom and [You are He] Who is exalted over everything as the Leader.” (1 Chronicles 29:11) King David recited this verse when he was at the height of his glory, reiterating that everything is from Hashem: glory and kingship, the Heavens and the earth.

This is the week of hod (acknowledgement) in the Counting of the Omer, and therefore it is quite appropriate that the song of the donkey so gracefully acknowledge that everything comes from G-d. The song of the donkey contains all seven emotional sefirot: gedulah is a reference to chesed; then comes gevurah, tiferet, netzach, and hod; hakol is a reference to yesod; and mamlachah, a reference to malchut.

Pesach Sheni is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Meir, one of the greatest Torah scholars of all time. This week also includes the yahrzeit of the great Rabbi Yehuda Bar Ilai. All three men, Rabbi Shimon, Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehudah, were disciples of Rabbi Akiva. The Zohar (the main text of Kabbalah, written by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai) tells us that during this week the Gates of Heaven are wide open.

Rabbi Chanan Morrison, based on the teachings of the Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, helps us better understand the importance of the donkey. Donkeys are considered extremely impure. They have both signs of not being kosher – they do not chew their cud and do not have uncloven hooves. The Zohar teaches that the donkey is so impure that is considered an avi avot hatumah, a great source of impurity (as mentioned previously in Week 12, Kabbalah and Chassidism have the power to elevate even the most impure animals).

Despite being extremely impure, the donkey has a mitzvah that no other non-kosher animal has: "Every firstborn donkey must be redeemed with a lamb."[1] The Talmud, in the tractate of Bechorot (5B), explains that the reason why the donkey has this special mitzvah is because it was instrumental in helping the Jews transport the treasures they had received in Egypt. However, there is also a deeper meaning here: the donkey represents the treasure to be found within each one of us.

The word for donkey in Hebrew, chamor, comes from the word chomer, matter, physicality. In the messianic age, physicality will be merged with spirituality.[2] According to the prophecy of Zachariah, Moshiach will arrive on a donkey!

According to Rav Kook, the Messiah's donkey represents the period of Ikveta d’Mashicha, the time when the “steps” (ikvot) of messianic redemption begins to be heard. Ikvot also comes from the word ekev, which means heel or sole of the foot¸ the roughest and most insensitive part of the body. The era of Ikveta d’Mashicha is one of great spiritual decline, full of chutzpah, deceit, immorality and corruption. However, the Zohar writes that despite their external faults, the generation of this time will be good on the inside. This inner good will be reflected in the special souls of the pre-messianic era. Despite the gloom weighing on their behaviors and beliefs, they will be blessed with an innate holiness, as expressed in their great love for the Jewish people and for the Land of Israel.

The Ikveta d’Mashicha is to be a difficult period, and not all Torah scholars were eager to go through the experience. However, Rav Yosef showed great spiritual strength in saying: "May the Messiah come, and may I have the merit to sit in the shadow of his donkey’s dung."[3] Rav Yosef was accustomed to look at the inner essence of things. He recognized the holiness hidden in this special generation, symbolized by the Messiah’s donkey. Perhaps the above is also the deeper meaning for the statement: "If the earlier generations were like angels, we are like humans. But if they were like humans, we are like donkeys."[4]

Rabbi Moshe Wolfsohn explains that recognizing inner holiness was also the power of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai himself. It is no coincidence that hundreds of thousands of Jews of all backgrounds and levels of religiosity flock to his grave on Lag Ba’Omer. Rabbi Shimon was not only able to understand the deep meaning of the mystical side of the Torah, but he also knew of the enormous value hidden inside every Jew. Just as each of the 600,000 letters of the Torah are special, and essential to a scroll’s validity, so too is each of the 600,000 souls of the Jewish people holy and an essential part of the Jewish people as a whole. If only one letter in a Torah is missing, even if it seems to be the most insignificant one, that Torah is considered invalid and cannot be read in the synagogue. The same goes for the Jewish people and every soul that is part of it. Without even a single soul, even the lowest of the low, we are not complete.

At this level of thinking, one can understand that no one is above anyone else. This understanding is exactly what was lacking to the 24,000 (12,000 pairs) of students of Rabbi Akiva who died during the Counting of the Omer. In a pair, one of the partners might think he is superior to the other in understanding, and come to think that he need not show respect to the other. On the contrary, his partner should show him respect. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai came into the world to fix this way of thinking.

When one looks at others while focusing on their inner essence, their soul, whose source is the same for all – G-d – there is no room for difference. On this level, we all truly equal, all siblings, children of one Father. This is the primary lesson taught by the Alter Rebbe in chapter 32 (lev, heart) of the Tanya; the Alter Rebbe explains that that this is the secret of how to love your neighbor as yourself. It was Rabbi Akiva who stated that to love your neighbor as yourself is the great general principle of the Torah.

It is also worth noting that while Rabbi Akiva’s deep love for his fellow might have always existed in potential, in the beginning of his life however, he expressed the exact opposite emotion. The Talmud quotes Rabbi Akiva, who states that before became learned, he hated the sages so much that he wanted to bite them like a donkey. His students ask why he did not want to bite them like a dog. Unlike a dog, Rabbi Akiva says, a donkey’s bite can break the bone. The Hebrew word for bone is etzem, which also means essence. Perhaps herein lies the secret to Rabbi Akiva’s teachings, which is connected to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s path mentioned above: Rabbi Akiva was able to transform tremendous hatred into the greatest love by focusing on people’s essence.[5]

The number thirty-three is the number associated with Lag Ba’Omer and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. The combination of the Hebrew letters lamed and gimmel spell Lag, but also form the word gal, which means to reveal. One of the Rebbe’s best known ma’amarim on Lag Ba'Omer is entitled “Gal Einai v'Abita Niflaot miToratecha,” a verse in Psalm 119.

The lesson of this week’s Pirkei Avot is the teaching of Rabbi Yochanan the son of Berokah, who states: one who profanes the Name of Heaven in secret, will be punished in public. Either inadvertently or intentionally, it is all the same when it comes to the desecration of the Name (IV:4). This teaching appears related to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who sanctified the name of Hashem in secret and then publicly revealed his greatness. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai spent twelve years in a cave studying Torah with his son. After this long period, he left the cave and spread his teachings to the rest of the Jewish world. (Rabbi Shimon’s additional teaching in Week 43 found along with that of Rabbi Yehudah Bar Ilai, in which Rabbi Shimon praises the importance of the “crown of a good name:” Having a “good name” means being a good example and thereby publicly sanctifying the name of G-d.)

This week’s sefirot combination is hod shebehod, just as Lag Ba’Omer itself. It is a week of tremendous revelation of divine glory. In the yearly count, Lag Ba’Omer is hod shebehod shebehod.

A lesson in self-improvement that we can learn from the song of the donkey is that everything comes from G-d, both what we perceive as bad and also what we perceive as good. Thus, as explained in the previous week, we must not only direct ourselves to Him when we are in trouble, but also thank Him in moments of glory.

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[1]Exodus 13:13

[2] One of the Baal Shem Tov's teachings: "When you see chamor, a donkey" (Sh'mot 23:5) - when you carefully examine your chomer ("materiality"), your body, you will see... ..."your enemy" - meaning, that your chomer hates your Divine soul that longs for G-dliness and the spiritual, and furthermore, you will see that it is......"lying under its burden" placed upon it - (the body) by G-d, namely, that it should become refined through Torah and mitzvot; but the body is lazy to fulfill them. It may then occur to you that......"you will refrain from helping it" - to enable it to fulfill its mission, and instead you will follow the path of mortification of the flesh to break down the body's crass materiality. However, not in this approach will the light of Torah reside. Rather... ..."you must aid it" - purify the body, refine it, but do not break it by mortification.

There was indeed a method of subordinating the body through afflicting it with ascetic practices, but the Baal Shem Tov rejected this path. He saw the body not as an obstacle to the spirit, something intrinsically evil and unG-dly, but as a potential vehicle for the spiritual, a means for the soul to attain heights otherwise inaccessible. The "enemy" is to be transformed into an ally, an instrument. In great measure the Mitzvot employ gross physical matter to fulfill G-d's will, e.g. leather for tefillin thongs, wool for tzitzit, etc.

http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/HayomYom.asp?tDate=2/21/2012

[3] Sanhedrin 98b

[4] Talmud, Shabbat 112b

[5] Talmud, Pesachim 49b