Lag BaOmer with our teacher, the Rav

The Lightings • Shooting the Arrows • The Chalaka (first haircut) • The Journeys to Meron • Shacharis at Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar • Lag BaOmer Classes • and the Torah of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai

There is no doubt that one of the most thrilling, unique, and inspiring events is Lag BaOmer in the presence of our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days). To see the "pillar of fire" raising the flame in a bonfire of fire in honor of the G-dly Tanna (Sage of the Mishnaic period) Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai—this is a sight that remains seared in the heart, its impression engraved forever.

The preparations for the lighting that the Rav, Rabbi Berland, would conduct, along with the recitation of prayers and fiery classes, gave everyone immense feelings and wonderful vessels to receive the light of the G-dly Tanna. The special singing of the community's children, the melodies of awakening before the lighting, and the joyful melodies afterward—as well as the shooting of arrows by the Rav shlit"a, which was a wondrous service in itself where one could truly see the Tzaddik's (righteous person) action in his war against the Sitra Achra (the "Other Side" or forces of evil) and its legions—as we will elaborate on later.

And the highlight: the journey to the tziyun (gravesite) of the holy Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai), as all of these constituted a massive force of sparks of fire, strengthening, and awakening for the service of Hashem (G-d), with powerful impressions for the entire year. Since the mere remembrance of this alone brings a special and completely different preparation for the great day of Lag BaOmer, we present to you a short overview of Lag BaOmer in our holy community throughout the years, headed by the Rav shlit"a.

The Location of the Lighting

In years past, the lighting was held on Hachoma Hashlishis Street (where the Rav and most of the community members live). Initially, it was in the public garden located on the main road, where the youth of the community would build the bonfire themselves every evening (with great self-sacrifice...) after their study sessions, using planks, wood, and the like, with a "Haman" doll hanging above the bonfire.

Similarly, in the early years of the Shuvu Banim Yeshiva in the Old City, they would light the bonfire in the garden near the shelter, where they would put oil inside a large tin and dance around the fire. After the place became too narrow to contain the crowd and was no longer convenient, the location of the lighting was moved to the interior of Hachoma Hashlishis Street, in the courtyard of the housing projects (32-34). While the secular neighbors initially opposed it strongly, by the end of the evening—after being captivated for hours at their windows watching the Rav's lighting, the powerful singing, the spiritual awakening, and the joy—they themselves invited the community members back every year with joy and a willing heart.

Even in those years, due to the large crowd that gathered, special paranches (bleachers) were built for the youth, who also graced the occasion with their special voices, particularly with songs of awakening before the lighting and the special song "May the pleasantness of Hashem our G-d be upon us... in honor of the G-dly Tanna Rashbi." Furthermore, the entire event was broadcast via closed-circuit television to the women's section, as in all community events, the boundaries of tzniut (modesty) are kept with extreme and special care. Thus, when the lighting was held in an open area, the space allocated for women was tightly closed off, with no possibility of glimpsing what was happening in the men's section at all. In this way, the standards of modesty were fully preserved, and only through the closed-circuit video could they see the lighting.

Later, the lighting ceremony was moved to the courtyard of the Talmud Torah on Iddo HaNavi Street. When that location also became too narrow due to the miraculous annual growth of the community, the lighting ceremony moved first to the Chefzadi Halls on Yirmiyahu Street. Later, after the hall ceased to function as a banquet hall, the lighting moved to the courtyard of the Rozhin Talmud Torah on Yeshayahu Street. A year later, it moved to the courtyard of the Gur Seminar on Yirmiyahu Street, with each location providing a women's section and special bleachers for the children.

Every year after the lighting, buses organized by the community members stood ready to go to Meron, where they would pray the Shacharis (morning) prayer with the Rav shlit"a at the tziyun (gravesite) of Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar (as we will elaborate on later). Eight years ago, the community received a special area for the lighting in Meron (the site of the former slaughterhouse), and since then, the entire lighting ceremony has moved to Meron... as we will elaborate on further.

The Lighting

The Rav shlit"a delivers a class of "hewn flames of fire" as preparation for the lighting, in which the Rav shlit"a explains how the flame ignited in the bonfire is actually lit in the heart of every Jew to whom the Tzaddik shines. Before the lighting, the Rav shlit"a recites a special prayer with the crowd that he composed regarding the merit and greatness of lighting the flame, as the light of the Rashbi shines in the hearts of all the House of Israel.

Shooting the Arrows

Before shooting the arrows, the Rav shlit"a sometimes also delivers a special class regarding the arrows that pierce the heart of the Sitra Achra (forces of evil). Afterward, the Rav recites a special prayer with the crowd regarding the shooting of the arrows. Indeed, the Rav is accustomed to shooting as many arrows as possible to fulfill the words of Rebbe Nachman in the Sefer HaMiddos (Book of Traits), that shooting arrows on Lag BaOmer is a segulah (spiritual remedy) for children. The crowd stands ready to catch the thrown arrows and keep them as a segulah and a keepsake. There were years when the Rav would shoot over a hundred arrows. Members of our community recount that when the Rav shlit"a was in Morocco, he shot about two hundred arrows out of the four hundred they brought him!

Dancing

The Rav's teachings regarding dancing are well-known, and of course, on Lag BaOmer, they dance all night long. The dancing continues for many hours even after the Shacharis (morning) prayer, in order to sweeten all the judgments and draw down salvations through the power of the holy Rashbi.

The Chassid, Rabbi Nachman Horwitz, recalls that once as a young boy, he was dancing in the courtyard of the Rashbi's tziyun (gravesite) on Lag BaOmer, when suddenly he felt someone take his hand and dance with him. It was the Rav shlit"a, who was dancing and leaping in honor of the Rashbi. In the middle of the dancing, the Rav said to him: "Rabbi Shimon is 'spraying' light..." and the Rav shlit"a began to sing with him, "In you, our Rebbe, we shall rejoice."

In one of the classes on Lag BaOmer, the Rav aroused the crowd regarding dancing, saying: "Anyone who truly dances on Lag BaOmer—he won't stand dreaming like a fool on the side—he will truly dance! He will believe that Rabbi Shimon is alive. He won't travel just because someone else is traveling; he will travel because he believes that the Rashbi is alive and well! And he will dance with enthusiasm, and pray with enthusiasm. He won't be a foolish person standing on the side. As the Rambam says, anyone who stands on the side while others dance is a fool, wicked, and a heretic. He doesn't believe in the powers of the Tzaddikim, doesn't believe in the power of dancing, doesn't believe that the Tzaddikim can 'impregnate' (spiritually attach to) anyone who prays to Hashem... to 'impregnate' everyone who travels to them—[one who truly dances] through this will nullify all the decrees."

The Chalaka

During the dancing, the Rav cuts the hair of children who have reached the age of three, whose parents wish to merit the holy privilege, as is the custom in Israel that the great leaders of Israel participate in the cutting of the hair. The Rav wrote sublime and special prayers regarding this exalted matter.

The Rav shlit"a follows the custom of cutting the hair in seven places on the head, corresponding to the seven locks of the head. When the Rav removes hair from each place, he does so with special intention (kavanah), leaving the location of the pe'os (sidelocks). It is difficult to describe the intense impression of holiness evident on the children's faces when they merited to have their hair cut by the Rav shlit"a.

In the Holy Site of Meron

In the early years, there was no organized prayer at the tziyun (gravesite) of the G-dly Tanna Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar; rather, the members of our community would travel to Meron each in his own way, and they did not gather together in Meron. The Chassid, Rabbi Gavriel Chacham, recalls how Rabbi Yoram Yaish and Rabbi Michael Gol would accompany the Rav on both sides while running from the Rashbi's tziyun toward the buses.

Rabbi Nachman Horwitz relates that one of the Toldos Aharon Chassidim told him what he heard from his father, a Lithuanian Jew. Once, while in Meron on Lag BaOmer, a young man who had just returned from the Rashbi's tziyun suddenly approached him, sat him down in the middle of the path, and began to speak with him about the service of Hashem and the true purpose for which we came into this world. These words strengthened him immensely. He did not know the speaker and did not know who the young man was who had encouraged him so much. Only after a long time did he discover that it was none other than the Rav shlit"a.

At a later period, they began to pray Shacharis (morning prayer) with the Rav at the tziyun of Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar. This was a most special prayer. The light of the Rashbi was felt in the air as they would begin the prayer before dawn with melody and song. Who is the scribe who can describe the mighty prayer, when all the mountains of Meron seemed to participate in the powerful prayer that lasted for many hours. Afterward, the Rav shlit"a would deliver a class from time to time—words of holy fire illuminated by the light of Meron. Then, the Rav shlit"a would head toward the holy tziyun after the Shacharis prayer—a time when those who stayed in Meron overnight had already left, and those arriving for the day had not yet arrived. Thus, the Rav and those accompanying him could reach the holy tziyun itself.

Expand the Place of Your Tent

Over time, the tziyun of Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar could no longer contain the multitudes that joined each year for prayer with the Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, and the need for a more spacious location was felt.

In the year 5769 (2009), the Shuvu Banim community merited their own special compound in Meron, with Rabbi Binyamin Ze'evi assisting in this matter for the elevation of the soul of his father, may Hashem avenge his blood. From this year on, the lighting—and essentially the entire night's event—began in the Meron compound. Late at night, when most of the crowd had arrived, the Rav shlit"a raises the light of the olive oil bonfire's flame in honor of the Rashbi, with an enthusiasm gripping the crowd that cannot be described.

After the lighting, the Rav shlit"a would begin the custom of shooting the arrows and would dance extensively, with the Rav shlit"a delivering awakening and inspiring words from time to time regarding the holiness of the day and the occasion. Toward the light of morning, they begin the Shacharis (morning) prayer with melody. The prayer begins, according to the words of our holy Rebbe in the Sefer HaMiddos, with the morning songs in an awakening melody that brings the entire crowd to sublime feelings of longing they had never experienced before. The prayer itself lasts for many hours with great enthusiasm.

After the prayer, the Rav shlit"a delivers a profound class on the Torah of the Rashbi, a class in which people sometimes saw tangibly how the Rav shlit"a accomplishes immense things through his words. Many participants well remember one year when the heads of state were about to lead a disastrous peace agreement. In his class in Meron, the Rav shlit"a addressed the matter. One could tangibly see the Rav's pain and fear of the danger, and his attempt to nullify the decree. Indeed, afterward, the proposal was dropped as if on its own.

After the prayer, the dancing continues with renewed strength, as if the entire crowd had not been awake the whole night.

Regarding the holy Rashbi, it is said in the Gemara (Talmud) that "Rabbi Shimon is worthy to be relied upon in a time of distress," and indeed, the same expression was used by our holy Rebbe, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov: "Rely on my strength." "I have conquered and I will conquer; I have finished and I will finish."