Yesterday was the minor holiday of Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day of the Omer. Often, especially in Israel, Lag BaOmer is celebrated with building bonfires. This practice is done to commemorate a great kabbalistic teacher named Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. According to tradition, Shimon bar Yochai died on Lag BaOmer, and when he died, a great spiritual fire surrounded him. We light bonfires in order to mimic the spiritual light he brought into this world.
The light surrounding him was so powerful that his students couldn’t even look. This transports us back to Mount Sinai, where we also experienced such great blinding light. We invigorate ourselves with this light, with this Torah, on Lag BaOmer, preparing us in a way for the giving of the Torah that we celebrate on Shavuot in just 2 weeks.
One of the most beautiful elements of Shavuot is not just the celebration of the Torah that was once revealed on Mount Sinai, but the new Torah that continues to be brought into the world. The new ideas, the new revelations, the new connections - this is all Torah, too, and often comes from the creative, generative process of people engaged in our tradition. So much of what I celebrate on Shavuot is the beauty of new Torah that continues to be revealed.
In thinking about the light we create on Lag BaOmer, the light of Torah, and the tremendous creative power of human beings to bring new Torah into the world, I’m reminded of a beautiful quote from Psalms (36:10). B’orkha nir’eh or - in your light, we see light. Through the light of individuals, we see true light. Through the light of people, we see the light of God and the light of Torah. It is not just from Sinai, but also through the generative process of individuals, that we find Torah. Through the light of Shimon bar Yochai we connected to new Torah, and we will connect to new Torah through the light of people now, in our day.
In two weeks, we’ll celebrate Shavuot together as a community. Until then, what are the ways that we can see true light, bright light, coming from others? How can we open ourselves up to their Torah? May this be our challenge and our charge.
