Riddle: Which well known English word has its origins in this week's Parsha?
Mystery #1 - What did Rabbi Akiva's students die of?
With regard to the twelve thousand pairs of Rabbi Akiva’s students, the Gemara adds: It is taught that all of them died in the period from Passover until Shavuot. Rav Ḥama bar Abba said, and some say it was Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Avin: They all died a bad death. The Gemara inquires: What is it that is called a bad death? Rav Naḥman said: Croup (askara).
"It should be noted that the Talmud was compiled during the era of Roman occupation and many stories are written in code to avoid censorship or political repercussions.
It has been suggested that Rabbi Akiva’s students died in battle as part of the Bar Kochba revolt, or were executed as a consequence of it.
Rav Sherira Gaon (d. 1006) suggests that they were martyred; Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin (d. 1973) said explicitly that “died of a plague” is code for “died fighting the Romans.” (There are others who say this, and it’s widely accepted in academic circles, so it’s surprising to me that this interpretation is not better known.)"
(https://jewinthecity.com/2019/04/what-did-rabbi-akivas-students-do-wrong/)
Mystery #2 Where did the Meiri derive the date of the deaths?
Meiri on Yevamot 62b (1300s)
There is a received tradition from the Geonim that on the 33rd day of the Omer, the deaths (of the students of R. Akivah) stopped...and we
we also have the custom not to get married from Pesach until this time
....but there is no mention of this in the writings of the Geonim!
What does Rabbi Akiva do....he starts again, teaching five new students:
Rabbi Meir
Rabbi Yehuda
Rabbi Elazar
Rabbi Nechemiah
and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
He is traditionally said to be the author of the Zohar, the most important Kabbalistic text and he dictated the Zohar from his death bed.
As he was speaking, a miracle occurred: daylight was extended so that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai could complete his dictation and share all of the mystical secrets he held.
To commemorate this extended daylight, as well as the “light” received from Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s teachings, we light bonfires on Lag BaOmer.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's yartzheit falls on 18th Iyar aka Lag Ba'omer!
So the origins of Lag Ba'omer, its links with the deaths of Rabbi Akiva's students and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai -and the connection with the Kabbalah, invites numerous questions....
Mystery #3 What does this have to do with the parsha of Behar?
(15) And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering...you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete: (16) you must count until the day after the seventh week—fifty days;
(8) You shall count off seven weeks of years—seven times seven years—so that the period of seven weeks of years gives you a total of forty-nine years.
(10) and you shall hallow the fiftieth year. You shall proclaim release throughout the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: each of you shall return to his holding and each of you shall return to his family.
The number "7" signifies the completion of the natural order.
Gd created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th, thus completing the week.
We count 7 weeks until we complete the counting of the Omer
We leave the land fallow for 6 years and complete this with the Shmittah year
The number "8" represents going beyond this material world
Something that signifies a higher world - beyond nature
I previously mentioned the Jewish concept of PARDES
Peshat - a simple understanding of the Torah - reading it on the surface
Remez - hints - eg the 6 days of Creation hint at the idea that each day represents 1000 years - so we are now in the 6th
Millennia - 5779 and when we reach the year 6000 (i'e the 7th millennia), Mashiach will arrive
Drash - Midrash - homilitic explanations - Torah = 611 + 2 mitzvot that Gd gave = 613
Sod - secrets - Kabbalah
I suggest that Lag Ba'omer whose origin is shrouded in mystery
- how the Students died
- when the 'plague' ended
- why this was the same day that the Kabballah was revealed
...seems to hint at this otherwordlyness which is present but not yet attainable. It is akin to the 50th day of the Omer when the Torah was given on Sinai, the 50th Jubilee year and the part of our religion that has only been revealed to very few people.
Perhaps, when the Moshiach comes, we will be able to unveil its secrets.
The lights of the bonfires may have been extinguished for this year, but their sparks left impressions in the ether. The mystery of Lag Ba'Omer retreats into the smoke.
And today, Shabbat, is the culmination of the last six days.
Maybe tomorrow, we will finally attain the eighth day and see the coming of Moshiach, bimhera beyameinu Amen.
Shabbat Shalom!