Check out Rabbi David Bar-Hayim's audio shi'urim on Sephirath HaOmer and on Lag b'Omer by clicking here, or download them directly by clicking on the links below.
Sephirath Ha Omer: The Bar Kokhba connectionThe Misswah of Sefirath HaOmer: If You Skip a Day, Do You Make a Bracha?
Sephirath HaOmer: How Did the Talmidhim of Rabbi Aqiva Die?
Lag B’Omer: A Holiday With No Reason
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Rabbi David Bar-Hayim, Rosh Machon Shilo, can contacted at harav@machonshilo.org.
The Talmidim of Rabbi Akiva died for 32 days because they did not grant enough Kavod to each other. We must seek the Kavod of HaShem, and the Kavod of others. We must flee from drawing Kavod to ourselves. The nurture of pride is a great temptation to great people. Pride is what made Kayin sin. Pride made Yosef's brothers sin. Pride is what made the ten Spies sin, seeing that their position of leadership would be lost to them after entering the Land. Pride is what made Korach rebel against Moshe. Pride caused the sin of Yerovam ben Nevat, who could not bear the thought to be second to the son of Yishai. Pride leads to hatred and division. This is how Sinat Chinam arose during Bayit Sheni. The persistence of the sin of pride is why Israel had to submit to the nations. Its rectification requires a reality in which the holiest of the Jews can be murdered by the lowest of the gentiles, as happened to rabbi Akiva himself.
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean that the Talmidim of Rabbi Akiva were not killed by the Romans in the Bar Kochba rebellion? No! Rather, it explains the utterly puzzling question why the Romans had the power to kill these holy warriors. It explains how it can be that evil rules Kedusha. It explains the Galut of Edom. It is all because of the sin of Kayin.
BTW, this understanding is from the Zohar. There is more to Lag B'Omer than meets the eye.