English translation — ל"ג בעומר

Lag BaOmer<pg>149</pg>

A.

Known is the story of the Gemara<sup>1</sup>,

that "twelve thousand pairs<sup>2</sup>

students there were to Rabbi Akiva..

and all of them died in one period

(between Pesach and Shavuot<sup>3</sup>)

because they did not behave respectfully one to another",

and on Lag BaOmer — "they ceased to die"<sup>4</sup>.

And seemingly this story requires explanation:

It is a simple thing,

that all these students — in the great number of 24,000 — did not come and become his students in one day

(in a chapter)

one,

but rather over the course of some years<sup>5</sup>,

that is,

when R. Akiva began to learn with students and his name and his Torah became famous in the world,

students began to stream to him,

and over time their number grew,

until he had 24,000 students.

And so too it is understood,

that the manner of conduct of all the students did not change all at once to a state of "they did not show respect to one another",

but rather from level to level etc.

And it is most perplexing: why were they all punished in "one chapter" — for it is the greatest difficulty to say that in this short period of "one chapter"

(between Pesach and Shavuos)

the measure of all the twenty-four thousand students was filled all at once and to the extent of being punished with the punishment of death?

And it must be said that in this period of time a special thing occurred because of which "they all died" in this "period."

2.

And one can say regarding this — with the introduction of the explanation of the entire matter that the students of Rabbi Akiva "did not behave with respect towards one another,"

For it is seemingly perplexing:

Behold, their rabbi of these students,

Rabbi Akiva,

is the Tanna who emphasized the greatness of the wondrous level of love of Israel — "And you shall love your fellow as yourself — Rabbi Akiva says this is a great principle of the Torah"⁶.

And if so,

it will be very puzzling that specifically his students "did not show respect to one another" — the opposite of the matter of love of Israel

(a main and fundamental teaching in the Torah of their rabbi)⁷?

And it is explained elsewhere⁸,

that on the contrary — specifically their being students of Rabbi Akiva caused that "they did not show respect to one another".

And the explanation:

Our Sages, of blessed memory, said⁹

that the opinions of people are not equal.

And it is understood that this is so regarding the twenty-four thousand students of Rabbi Akiva,

that each one of them grasped the Torah of Rabbi Akiva according to his way and his opinion¹⁰,

and in his own judgment his conclusion that certainly as he grasped<pg>150</pg>

it is indeed the true explanation of the words of Rabbi Akiva; and therefore when he heard that his colleague learned the words of his master in a different manner — and incorrect according to his opinion — he could not treat him with honor and esteem — for he is learning the words of his master in an erroneous way!

[And the conduct of respect for one another from the lip outward only — it is understood that this does not apply to the students of R. Akiva,

for certainly they were "men of truth"&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;

and "their inside is like their outside"&lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;,

and they could not behave in a manner of "one in the mouth and one in the heart"&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;].

And it follows,

that specifically their being "students of Rabbi Akiva" is the reason "that they did not treat each other with respect": each one of the students of R. Akiva was devoted and given over with all his soul to the Torah of his master,

to the extent that he could not tolerate that someone interprets the Torah of his master incorrectly

(according to his opinion),

and especially when this "one who errs"

(in the Torah of R. Akiva)

is a student of R. Akiva,

And it is obvious that he could not treat him with honor&lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;.

Beyond this: this conduct has force specifically from the side of his fundamental teaching above of R. Akiva who said "Love your fellow as yourself is a great principle of the Torah": were it not for this teaching,

it might be that they would not care so much that there is a student who does not grasp his rabbi's Torah in its truth; but since R. Akiva their rabbi taught them about the virtue of fulfilling the commandment "Love your fellow as yourself",

they were not satisfied with this, that they themselves toiled and exerted themselves in learning their rabbi's Torah,

rather,

each one of them endeavored to influence everyone who is in the category of "your fellow" and especially their rabbi's students that they too should grasp their rabbi's Torah in that same true way

(according to his opinion)

; and those who did not accept this — he could not treat them with honor

(and especially honor as required from the students of R. Akiva).

3.

Based on this, one must understand conversely:

Even though it is understood that this is not proper conduct for the students of R. Akiva,

that even from the perspective of their differing opinions there should not have been a breach in the respectful relations between them,

for each one should have given place also to the opinion of his fellow

[since this too is an opinion in Torah,

"These and those are words of the living God"¹⁵],

therefore their opposite conduct was considered an undesirable thing, and especially according to the measure of their greatness — nevertheless,

how is it possible to say that because of such a single "sin" they would be punished with such a severe punishment,

that "all of them died"?

And in particular, according to the above it is understood,

that the discussion is not about a relationship of disrespect, G-d forbid¹⁶

(and needless to say, a matter of absence of love, G-d forbid — the opposite of their rabbi's instruction),

but rather the absence of feeling of true honor

(which is the "proper"¹⁷

of the students of Rabbi Akiva),

and in this itself — because of "the war of Torah" which we were promised¹⁸

that

(even though "they became enemies one to another" —)

"they do not move from there until they become friends one to another, as it is said¹⁹

Et Vahev in Sufah."

And it may be said,

that this is what our rabbis, of blessed memory, precisely stated that "all of them died in one period" — to inform us,

that this that <pg>151</pg>

All of them died was not only because of their sin mentioned above "that they did not behave respectfully one to another",

but

(also)

as a result of the special matter that "in this chapter",

the time caused ultimately their death.

D.

And this will be understood based on what we find another story in our Sages of blessed memory in which this language is brought — "All of them died in one chapter":

It is brought in the Yerushalmi²⁰

"A story of twenty-four kryes

(kronos²¹)

of the house of Rebbi who entered to intercalate the year in Lud,

and an evil eye entered into them²²

and all of them died in one period."

And behold, in our holy writings this reason was explained

(the sole one)

for their death

(that because many students gathered,

"twenty-four kryes" — therefore)

an evil eye entered into them.

And it must be said,

that from this we learn in our matter

(that it is said in it the same language

(and the cause)

— "all of them died in one period")

— that the cause of

the death of the students of Rabbi Akiva "in one period" was because in this period their number reached&lt;sup&gt;23&lt;/sup&gt;

twenty-four thousand — a very large number

[And in this itself — in the number of twenty-four&lt;sup&gt;24&lt;/sup&gt;,

connected with the attribute of judgment&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;

(as understood from what is said in the Zohar&lt;sup&gt;26&lt;/sup&gt;

regarding "twenty-four courts of law"),

and as in the above story in the Yerushalmi,

that there were twenty-four wagons],

that this caused an evil eye to enter them until "all of them died"&lt;sup&gt;27&lt;/sup&gt;.

And this is not a contradiction to what is explained in the Bavli that they died because "they did not behave respectfully towards one another" — for both this and that caused and combined: this "they did not behave respectfully towards one another" in itself is not such a great sin that they would be punished for it alone with the punishment of death,

as above,

&lt;pg&gt;152&lt;/pg&gt;

but because in this "chapter" an evil eye entered into them, they were then punished also for this minor sin "that they did not behave respectfully towards one another."

And perhaps one could say that this is along the lines of what we find&lt;sup&gt;28&lt;/sup&gt;

that in a time of anger they also punish for the lack of pursuit of the fulfillment of the mitzvah of tzitzis

(even though a person is not obligated to buy a tallis in order to put tzitzis on it).

And more along these lines.

5.

And behold, this story about the students of Rabbi Akiva who died because "they did not treat each other with respect" is a part of Torah,

meaning teaching

(to the extent that because of this the law was ruled&lt;sup&gt;29&lt;/sup&gt;

that we practice a bit of mourning during the days of the Omer),

and it is understood from this,

that even though the discussion is about the students of Rabbi Akiva and the greatness of their level, and one could say that therefore they were specifically exacting with them about that "they did not treat each other with respect" — nevertheless this is brought and learned from this in Torah that every single Jew must have the completeness of love of Israel even in cases where, from the perspective of the matters, there is a place not to behave with respect towards the other

(in a manner similar to the situation of the students of Rabbi Akiva).

And one could say that this is also connected with the reason

(the second)

for the joy of Lag BaOmer³⁰

— the day of "hillula³¹

of Rashbi"³²,

who was from the "later" students of Rabbi Akiva³³

(who studied with them after the event of "all of them died etc.")

:

One of the explicit matters in our Sages, may their memory be blessed, regarding the conduct of Rashbi is his great and extra effort in the matter of love of Israel³⁴,

and as we noted that immediately after his exit from the cave "he said: Is there something that needs to be fixed?

They said to him: There is a place where there is a doubt of impurity and the priests have difficulty to go around etc."³⁵

And Rashbi exerted himself immediately and fixed the matter.

And behold, it is a wondrous story: after his being thirteen years in the cave,

that during this long period he did not have the possibility to disseminate Torah in public,

seemingly he should have — first and foremost — gathered students and taught them Torah,

and especially that Torah is his craft;

And instead of this — he engaged to clarify whether "there is a matter that needs to be fixed",

and endeavored to fix a place where there was a doubt of impurity that caused distress to the priests — that is:

(a)

the discussion was only regarding a number of priests who needed to pass on this road,

(b)

also they could go by another road,

except that it would be distressful for them due to the trouble of going around the way,

and nevertheless Rashbi exerted himself and engaged personally in fixing the matter to nullify this distress! — to such an extent was the measure of love of Israel of Rashbi great!

And it can be said that this is also the content of the discourse of Rashbi³⁶

"I can exempt the entire world from judgment",

that his conduct in the matter of love of Israel

(and unity of Israel)

was at the ultimate level of elevation,

to the extent that he cared and made known and this was brought and established in Torah — his love and affection

(not only for Bnei Yisrael who are on the level of "students of Rabbi Akiva" but)

also for those who need to be exempted from judgment.

And it can be said,

that as his distinguished student of Raak³⁷,

<pg>153</pg>

gave himself over with all his soul and his might to draw down the great principle of his great teacher in the matter of Ahavas Yisrael

("This is a great principle in the Torah"),

behold he corrected thereby the matter of "they did not conduct themselves with respect one for another" by the first students of R. Akiva,

and further — in his service and in his Torah he bequeathed

(that the Rebbe the "Z" Av&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;)

to each one of Bnei Yisrael the power to reach the ultimate perfection of Ahavas Yisrael,

as above.

And worthy is R. Shimon to rely upon him in a time of pressing need&lt;sup&gt;39&lt;/sup&gt;

— in this pressing need of this last exile

(that the cause of the exiles — baseless hatred&lt;sup&gt;40&lt;/sup&gt;),

it is worthy to rely on Rashbi that he will exempt the entire world from judgment,

and will hasten the redemption of all Bnei Yisrael and of the Shechinah that is in exile&lt;sup&gt;41&lt;/sup&gt;

— the true and complete redemption through Mashiach Tzidkeinu,

and speedily in our days, literally.

(From the sicha of Shabbos Parshas Bechukosai 5744)