QUESTION:
ANSWER:
QUESTION
What is the inner way to view the unspeakable tragedy that happened in Meiron on Lag B’Omer this year?
ANSWER
There is a “fallen” manifestation of the middas hadin, which is rooted in the concept of “He builds worlds and destroys them.” Of this it is said that Hashem originally wanted to create the world with middas hadin (but He saw that the world wouldn’t last like this). All destruction and tragedies are rooted in this concept of Hashem destroying worlds, where He saw the world wouldn’t last like this. There is also a perfected level of middas hadin, which is called the gevuros kedoshos, the holy judgments on High, which is the secret behind all of the limitations that define Creation. This is the original middas hadin that Hashem wanted to create the world with, and Hashem still retained this level of middas hadin on some level, and He uses it only with His most devout servants. As Chazal teach (Bava Kamma 50a), “Hashem is exacting with His devout ones, even for a hairsbreadth, for it is written, “And His surroundings are very exacting.” This is the holy, repaired side of middas hadin [used very rarely, and only on His most devout ones who serve Him].
The root of this repaired level of middas hadin is actually the very novelty of Creation. For at first, before Creation, everything was filled with Hashem’s infinite light, and only the unlimited was revealed, while the concept of limitations (or the Creation) was there only contained in a very hidden and concealed dimension. Hashem then created the novelty that was Creation, meaning that He revealed outward the concept of limitations. This is the meaning of “Hashem will rejoice in His actions”, meaning that Hashem rejoices in this novel concept of creating limitations [the very backbone of Creation]. This particular aspect was the novelty of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai, who represents the middas hadin, as is well-known.
The day of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai’s death is the concept of the fallen middas hadin becoming elevated to the repaired middas hadin. The Zohar (Naso 144a)) brings that even as Rabbi Shimon revealed his teachings of the “Idra Rabba” on his final day, there were three sages who perished, from the great revelation of joy then – which was the revelation of the root of all limitations. Their deaths were similar to the loftiest form of death, which is death by the kiss of Hashem. The Zohar further mentions there that on that day, Eliyahu had to kill 45 high-ranking officials in order to save Rav Hamnuna. These were the 45 souls on the side of evil who had to die, in order to reveal the 45 souls on the side of holiness (and 45 is the gematria of adam). That was the revelation of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai: “Adam (man) was made, and said, for you.”
At this time, the 50th gate is being revealed. On the side of evil, it is a fall from the level of adam (man), and that was the lower root of the deaths of these 45 holy neshamos. But at the higher root of all this, it is a revelation of going above the level of adam (man), an ascent to the level of the future tzaddikim, who are called by the name of their Creator”, which was said especially of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai, that he was called by the name of the Creator. These 45 souls rose to the light of G-dliness that is above the design of man. They are praiseworthy, and praiseworthy is their lot, for they became enjoined in the soul of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai, and they are found with him in his joy, in the higher mesivta (the yeshiva of Rashbi, in Heaven).
And this is the true, inner comfort to the family of these 45 neshamos: That they should know, that their loved ones have worthy of becoming enjoined and unified with the soul of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai as he ascended upwards to his root above. When they (the mourners) will understand this and feel it in the depths of their hearts, they will rejoice, with an intense, wondrous joy!
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