Lag B'Omer - 023 Highlights

Rashbi’s Teaching of Antagonizing The Wicked, Which Led To His Revelation

Rashbi said that we are allowed to antagonize the wicked. This statement is not just another of his statements, but the statement which contains all of his wisdom. It was this statement which caused the Roman government to pursue him whereupon he ran to the cave after Yehudah ben Garim slandered him.  This is how he came to all his greatness.

The word “antagonize” in Hebrew is li-his-gorer, from the root letter ger, which means “convert” and which also means “pull”. The two terms bear a connection. It was a convert (Yehuda ben Garim) who indirectly caused all of Rashbi’s greatness, and while simply Yehuda ben Garim was evil for slandering Rasbhi, in the side of repair, Yehudah ben Garim was really the catalyst that brought about Rashbi’s light, for it was only through his slander that Rashbi would escape to the cave and come to all of his greatness. This is a hint that the light of Rashbi brings converts to the Jewish people.

What is the connection between Rashbi and converts? Rashbi revealed Hashem’s Infinite Light to the world after he came out of the cave, which pulls people endlessly towards Hashem – an endless pull. It is this pull which the convert is drawn towards, when he converts to the Jewish people. In the future, Rashbi’s light will be revealed through Mashiach, which will cause many to convert into the Jewish people, for they will feel pulled towards Hashem’s Infinite Light.

It was also precisely when wicked people are antagonized that there are more converts to the Jewish people. Mordechai antagonized Haman [while climbing onto the horse for Haman to lead him that Haman would soon meet his downfall], and when asked about this, Mordechai quoted the statement of Rashbi that it is permitted to antagonize the wicked during their time of downfall. Later when Haman was defeated, the Jewish people defeated all the Amalekites who attacked them, and because of this open miracle, many non-Jews converted to the Jewish people. By antagonizing the wicked, by being mis-gorer against them, that is what brings geirim, converts, who are nigrar, who are pulled, after the Jewish people.

Mordechai on Purim was the same light of Rashbi on Lag B’Omer – to antagonize the wicked, thereby causing people to be continuously pulled after Hashem’s infinite Light, which results in converts to the Jewish people.

The Revelations of Mashiach ben Dovid & Mashiach ben Yosef - The Infinite Light & The Pull Towards It

Mashiach ben Dovid reveals Hashem’s Infinite Light to the world (the light of Rashbi), and he will be helped by Mashiach ben Yosef, who will be the “addition” to this revelation, for Yehudah (Mashiach ben Dovid) reveals Havayah and Yosef (through Mashiach ben Yosef) reveals the tosefes, the “addition” upon that Havayah – which will cause a constant pull towards the Infinite Light, bringing converts into the Jewish people.

The Torah revelations of Rashbi cause people to become constantly pulled and drawn after it, with no end, a pull towards the ohr EinSof, Hashem’s infinite Light, which is endless and which is a person is pulled after endlessly. In the future, everyone will become like converts, they will keep starting over again from the start like a newborn, just as a convert to the Jewish people is compared to a person who has been born anew. We will keep getting renewed and starting over again as we are pulled endlessly towards Hashem’s infinite Light, and the more we are drawn after it, the more we will keep starting over again and being renewed. It will be an endless pull towards the ayin, towards the ohrEinSof, Hashem’s Infinite Light.

The Special Power On Lag B’Omer

Chazal said that a person pursues his evil inclination due to two factors - straying after his heart’s desires, and what his eyes see. The heart is lev, equal to 32. But at 33 days of the Omer, on Lag B’Omer, we are past the heart and now we just have an eye, but now it is an eye that is only drawn to see the upper dimension, an eye that only wants to see Hashem and nothing else.

The Illogical Pull Towards Rashbi On Lag B’Omer

Souls are drawn to come to Rashbi, and “even though they cannot see why, their mazal (their neshamah) sees.” They are pulled towards him with a continuous pull that has no end to it. The celebration of Rashbi causes people to be pulled towards him in a way that cannot be explained with any logic or reasoning.

Desire (lust) is an illogical pull. When a person is pulled and dragged after his desire, it cannot be explained logically, and he acts illogical as he pursues what he desires and after. In the side of evil, this ability is used for evil lusts and inappropriate desires. But in the future, the holy desire will be revealed, which is when we are pulled towards Hashem endlessly, in a way that transcends logic.

Souls are drawn to come to Rashbi in a way that is beyond logic, and like this, Rashbi is pulling them all together into one place and uniting them all together, where they are pulled and drawn after Hashem’s Infinite Light, the ohr Ein Sof. And this is the deepest desire in our souls.
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