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On the 33rd day after Passover called Lag Baomer (Lamed Gimel =33). It is the Hillula of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on Mt. Meron - the highest mountain in Israel near the city of Safed. My parents visits the tomb of Rabbi Shimon every year since my brother Shimon (named after the Rabbi) was born 1957. It was my father's oath (neder) to visit the tomb until Shimon will reach the age of Bar-Mitzvah, but the tradition remained. Two days before the Hillula we woke up early in the morning, packing things and driving north of Israel, first station - Haifa - the Cave of Eliahu Ha Navi (the profit). After lighting candles inviting the people there with some food (it is a custom) and giving charity, we continued towards the city of Acre, of no religious reason, there is a man in the market of Acre making wonderful Tunisian Sandwiches - made on special bread, with tuna fish and pickled lemon, so we walked around the market - and finished our tour there eating sandwich and on our way to Mt. Meron. Why two days before? The place aground the grave and beneath was packed with tens of thousand of visitors, so if you wanted a place for a tent..you should be there early. Getting permission from the cop's was also a "sport" but my father managed - always... It was a great celebration to follow my parents, camping in a tent at mount Meron, light candles, pray and enjoy the festivities and the spirit of holiness of that place. The morning after the hillula we continued down to Tiberias to light candles at Rabbi Meir Baal ha Nes and at the Rambam. |
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Rabbi
Shimon Bar Yochai - Meron
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Tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai at
Mt. Meron. Photo from Aviva
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| Thousands of worshippers come to the grave site of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai, especially on Lag Ba'omer, the anniversary or Hillulah of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the 33rd day after the counting of the Omer, from the eve of Passover, tens of thousands of young and old trek up the slopes of 1,200-m.-high Mt. Meron to the Tombs of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son, Eleazar. The Kabbalists hold that Rabbi Bar Yochai vowed to the Almighty that the Torah would never be forgotten. It is in fulfillment of this vow that the ancient Scrolls of the Law are taken in joyous procession from Zefat's old synagogues to the rabbi's tomb. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was known for his devotion to the land of Israel. After the Bar Kochba revolt was crushed, some rabbis advised recognition of Rome as the sovereign power in Israel. Bar Yochai refused to accept their legitimacy, and the Romans issued a death warrant for him. Bar Yochai hid with his son in a cave for 13 years rather than leave the land of Israel. During the period of deprivation and oppression following the revolt, the rabbis began to discuss conditions under which Jews should be permitted to leave the holy land. Some rabbis determined that general poverty and high inflation were sufficient grounds to leave. Bar Yochai ruled that regardless of the price, as long as bread was available Jews were forbidden to leave. | ||||
| Parts of text were copied from the author Elliot Goldstein. Read more at the original page click here. The page was mirrored to avoid broken link. All links within the mirrored page are NOT being uppdated by me. | ||||
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Rabbi
Meir Baal Ha Nes - Tiberias
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Rabbi
Moshe Ben Maimon - Tiberias
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