Living in Israel offers some unique opportunities for uplifting experiences that are available only during the Sefirah period. Most predominant is the incendiary energy of Lag BaOmer and all its observances, including the massive pilgrimage to Meron, the site of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s resting place. Just prior to that is the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Meir Ba’al HaNes in T’veryah, which is observed on the 14th of Iyar and draws a very diverse crowd, primarily of Sephardic origin. In the Chassidic world, the day of Y’sod shebiy’sod (the 6th day of the 6th week, the 41st day of the Omer) draws huge crowds, accompanied by the IDF, to Arab-occupied Sh’chem and the traditional burial site of Yosef HaTzaddik (see Aliyah Journal, Adar 5773).
It was my neighbor here in Ramat Beit Shemesh that offered me the transportation to join in the journey to these remarkable places. Rabbi Feivel Smiles, a teacher in his own right in addition to being the husband of renowned Torah lecturer and author, Shira Smiles, is, as his name indicates, a smile in human form. His sever panim (warm and welcoming demeanor) have endeared him to his many students and colleagues. He approached me in Aish Kodesh, the local synagogue that I most frequent, which is led by Rabbi Kalman Menachem Shapiro, (a great nephew of Rabbi Klonymos Kalman Shapiro, legendary and inspirational Rav, Rebbe and educator, who perished in the Warsaw Ghetto). Rabbi Smiles offered me a direct lift to Rabbi Meir Ba’al HaNes, the famed Tanna (Rabbi from the Mishnaic period, approximately the year 100-200 CE) outside of T’veryah, on condition that I would be willing to wait for him while he studied with some of his students who had relocated to the Golan. I gladly accepted, relishing the chance to quietly recite Tehillim and take in the atmosphere of that special day.
He first drove me to the burial site known as Kever Imahos, the traditionally known as the resting place of several great women from Biblical times, including Bilha and Zilpa (wives of Ya’akov Avinu); as well as Elisheva, Aharon HaCohen’s wife; Avigayil, one of King David’s wives; Yocheved, mother of Moshe; and Tzipora, Moshe’s wife. The location is marked by a large stone sepulcher filled with prayer books and places to light memorial candles, with a breathtaking vista overlooking the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) at the edge of Tiberius.
When we arrived at Rabbi Meir Ba’al HaNes, I found a comfortable seat in the Sephardic synagogue, spent the afternoon saying Tehillim, as wave after wave of minyanim, mostly Eidot HaMizrach (Sephardic-Oriental) swept over me. Afterwards, when Rabbi Smiles returned, he took me up the hill to the beautiful and nearly brand new Ashkenazi synagogue, which may be the more authentic burial location, and boasts the additional resting place of the famed fellow Mishnaic sage, Sumchus, whose name is often linked in the Mishneh with the teachings of Rabbi Meir Ba’al HaNes. I guess that’s why they are buried together. Rabbi Meir is called “the Master of Miracles” and there is a well-known oral tradition that if one loses something the best way to recover it is to place a coin in a charity box dedicated to his memory and then sit down and you will be able to concentrate and remember where your lost object was misplaced. I made sure to bring such a pushkeh home with me.
Several years ago when my wife, Chani, told me that her expensive diamond bracelet wass missing. I immediately sat down in my living room and put money in a Meir Ba’al HaNes pushkeh, and repeated the suggested mantra: Eloka d’Meir Aneinu, May the G-d of Meir answer us. Within minutes our housekeeper thought to check the garbage that had recently been taken outside, and sure enough, the lost object was located!
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It was my next door neighbor and former tenant, David Akselrud, formerly of Woodmere, who organized a 25 seat royal coach transport to leave Ramat Beit Shemesh about midnight on Lag BaOmer and journey northwards towards Meron. Our group included men, women and children, and only arrived at our destination at close to 5:00 am, due to the enormous traffic that clogged every road leading northwards to Tzfat and then on to Meron. Police estimates were that close to 500,000 people made the journey, mostly right after Shabbat, and the roads were jammed due to the fact that most of those travelling northward left approximately at the same time, unlike in years when Lag BaOmer fell out in mid-week. Reports in the media spoke about how difficult it was for people to access drinking water and shuttle busses in the heat wave that Lag BaOmer day turned out to be. Nevertheless, we as a group, not discouraged, walked for nearly an hour and braved the throngs to enter the small burial cave and by some miracle made it all the way to the burial site and offerred some intense, if brief, prayers before being swept out with the sea of humanity towards the exits.
Because it was Motzaei Shabbat, I was wearing a bekesheh (long coat/caftan), which included a belt made out of the blue-black fabric of the caftan itself. When I emerged from the crush of people inside the cave, I noticed that it was missing. I realized immediately that this was an irreplaceable item, and my chances of recovering it from inside the cave were at best slim to none. Nevertheless, I had the chutzpah of asking the police officer who was controlling the crowd outside, if I could re-enter against traffic to try to reclaim my lost gartel (belt). If there’s anything I’ve learned as a nine-month oleh, Israelis tend to follow rules to a fault, i.e. customer service is not their strong suit… I started speaking to the officer and he said to me: Speak to me in English. I told him my plight, and said it was something special from America that I was missing. He smiled and miraculously let me back. Fighting the reverse traffic spilling out of the cave, I wiggled my way to within about 20 rows of people from where I had been. I called out “HaShavas Aveidah! It’s a mitzvah to return a lost object,” and announced that I had lost my belt. People turned and looked at me incredulously. Resigned, I took a step to the side and recited the traditional prayer for children posted on the wall of the me’arah. After a few minutes, someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around. It was a Chossid that was pointing up to an electric wire that was strung up close to the ceiling. “Your gartel” he said, pointing upwards. Apparently he noticed that the fabric of my caftan and the belt hanging above were a match. I looked up and saw it hanging, apparently placed there by a considerate co-davener by some miracle. I gratefully took it down and hurried outside, thrilled with my great and highly improbable good fortune. Needless to say, I took it as a sign that the Tzaddik was gently reproving me to bind myself with more strength and intensity to my daily prayers. I now started to wear that gartel regularly, which I never did before, and it feels to me like a link to the kedusha of that great saint and Kabbalistic scholar. Rabbi Shimon is famed in the Talmud for making the promise, after the destruction of The Temple ,that Torah would never be forgotten from the Jewish People. Ironically, on Lag Bomer afternoon I was invited by my neighbor Reb Yitzchak Montal to the Bris of a 55 year old Russian Jew who was seeking to affirm his Jewish Identity and Torah knowledge and become a citizen of Israel. After the bris(more like a surgery) he chose the Hebrew name Shimon, a living testimony of his namesake’s promise close to 200 years earlier.
Locally, Lag BaOmer night is a fire fighter’s worst nightmare. Every kid makes it a personal quest to gather wood and assemble a bonfire worthy of an auto da fe. As newcomers we were a little wary of letting our kids get anywhere near to the fires that were set just across from our house at the beginning of the hills that slope downward towards Beit Shemesh. Elimelech and Akiva (ages 7 and 5), were captivated by the scene and spent several hours outside with Chani and myself, roasting marshmallows and hot dogs, enjoying the music and ruach. I must say that I was impressed with the ubiquitous posters warning people about fire safety and the fire truck that circulated the streets. Thank G-d the evening passed with merriment and no negative incident.
Tomorrow night we will observe our first Shavuos as olim, one day of Yom Tov, of course. I am privileged to be invited to speak at two different synagogues: Aish Kodesh and the Bialeh shtiebel, both of which are just blocks away from my home. This past Shabbat my wife hosted a Shabbaton for her former students at Shalhevet High School in Woodmere, who are now attending seminary in Israel, including one chayelet (female soldier) whose uniform my daughter Ayala tried on and looked remarkably comfortable in. Oy Vey!
During the days of Sefirah I have agreed to give, in addition to the weeknight Daf Yomi, a weekday Daf Yomi review shiur for those who are working American hours. I have also had the remarkable opportunity to take some of my clients, who come to me for career counseling, to the student open houses at both Machon Lev (Jerusalem Technical College) and Bar Ilan University. I was gratified to see the remarkable opportunities for educational advancement that these schools offer which included serious and substantial Beit Midrash programs for Torah study that would comprise about half of the student’s daily learning experience.
Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim came and went with much discussion about the future of Jerusalem and Israel’s ability to unite around a common vision for the future. I also had the opportunity to address the United with Israel Online Community, whose followers number close to a million Facebook subscribers, with a message about why the Land of Israel and the Jewish People share an eternal bond and destiny. Headed by our neighbor and former Five Town resident, Michael Gerbitz, this organization is quietly moving worlds in its attempt to rally Jewish and non-Jewish support for Israel in political on-line forums and via other media. I hope to help them share education and information that will empower their many followers to speak up with authority and accuracy when the topic of Israel is discussed around the world.
Every day Israel offers new surprises and seems to be like a budding plant with new opportunities and fresh openings. We should be zochech to see it grow. Despite the intensity of these weeks regarding the situation in Syria and internal political struggles over budget cuts, army and educational laws that challenge the foundation of the Chareidi community, Israel continues to amaze, defying the seeming impossibility of our circumstances on many levels. Like finding my gartel, I’m hoping that everything miraculously pulls together so that the intense challenges we face at the moment can recede.
Chani and I are grateful to HaShem to have the chance to spend our time engaged in the remarkable events that are unfolding around us. With blessings for a meaningful Shavuot.
