Come and see the works of G-d: an amazing revelation concerning the mystery of the greatness of the godly sage, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
a) Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai promised that through him the Torah would not be
forgotten from the Jewish People unlike what the rabbis said when they sat together in the yeshiva of Yavne (Shabbat, 138.) Rebbi Shimon answered them that it won't be forgotten, as the verse says, "For it will not be forgotten from the mouth of his seed."
In the Zohar it says ( Nasso,124 ) "Through this book ,the book of the Zohar, the People of Israel will come out of exile."
b) Understand this secret well. For this Rebbi Shimon brought a proof from the
spell the name ("כי לא תשכח מפי זרעו")above verse. The final letters of the verse
Yochai . That's to say by the seed of Yochai ( Rebbi Shimon, the son of Yochai ) the Torah will not be forgotten.
c) Know, the secret of Rebbi Shimon himself is alluded to in the verse," a holy one coming down from heaven " ( Daniel, 4,20 ),the initial letters of which spell the name Shimon.
d) And now… there is "the flowing stream, a fountain of wisdom " ( Proverbs 8,4 ) the initial letters of which spell Nachman, who even the holy one ( Rebbi Shimon )
has to receive from. Understand.
Prayer (47 For Lag B’Omer)
Lag B’omer – Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
[This prayer is based on an awesome secret that Rav Nachman revealed about the greatness of Rashbi [Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai], may his memory be blessed. Rabbi Shimon promised the Jewish People that the Torah wouldn’t be forgotten because of him, for through the Zohar they will leave their exile. See the introduction to Lekutey Moharan. It is good to recite this prayer by the holy grave of Rashbi if one merits to come there. However, wherever you say it, you won’t lose out, for the radiance of the soul of the tzaddik spreads throughout the world, as is brought in the Zohar.]
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, “holy one coming down from heaven,” holy candle, sublime candle, great candle, precious candle, you promised to the Jewish People that the Torah won’t be forgotten because of you, for, through the Zohar , they will leave their exile. Even in the midst of the concealment when God is completely concealed, in these days of the coming of the Messiah, You promised that, even so, the Torah won’t be forgotten from our seed, as is written: “I will surely hide my face in that day for all… that they have done… this song will testify as a witness that it will not be forgotten from the mouth of his seed.” Behold, the days have arrived in which we have no pleasure. Our exile and servitude have been long. Every day we become weaker. We’ve become orphans, without a father. There is no one to stand up for us. Now, in the midst of the strong end of this better exile, the sparks of Messiah have already begun to shine. They have been shining since the days of the divine Ari (Rabbi Isaac Luria Ashkenazi), may his memory be blessed. Your people, Israel, desire and long for the Blessed One very much. Everyone desires to fear Your Name with a wonderful and strong yearning such as has never been known. I have come to the end of all generations and I am still with You. We still hold onto You and long to serve You with great desire. But, even so, our distance from You in these times is immeasurable. We have sunk in deep mire without foothold. We’ve come into the depths of the waters – its flow has flooded us… In my oppression, who am I to tell of the troubles of Israel? You alone know the standing and condition of Israel in these, the last of days. However I’ve come to tell and cry about myself and my soul, about my immense distance from the Holy One; about the immensity of my many blemishes and transgressions and grievous, willful sins. About these I cry. Tears flow down from my eyes. I know of no way to gain back the power of holiness, nor how to merit to complete repentance. I don’t know on which path to start to abandon my evil ways and deplorable thoughts, or how to rectify such faults and blemishes. Woe, what has happened to me ?! What has happened to me? Maybe You’ll take pity. Maybe You’ll have mercy. No one can stop the Lord from saving me even at this time. Therefore I’ve come as a impoverished man at the door, poor and wretched, afflicted and oppressed, confused and crazed, to shout out and cry before the glory of Your holiness.
“Rebbi, Rebbi, Rebbi!” My father, my father, chariot and horseman of Israel,” flame of the candle of Torah – awake, why are You sleeping? How can you bear the suffering of Israel? Rise and awake together with all the true tzaddikim and look at the bitterness of the suffering of our souls… Tzaddikim, foundations of the world, rise and come to our assistance in this time of trouble. Take pity and have mercy upon all of the congregation of Israel, including myself, the sinner, who is blemished and full of sins, from head to toe. You know all the hardships that have befallen us from the day of our exile from the Land of Israel until now. You know what has happened to the People of Israel, in general and specifically, what has happened specifically to each individual, in particular what has befallen me since the emanation, formation, creation and making of my higher soul, spirit, soul and body. You know all that has befallen me in each reincarnation and, in particular, what has happened to me in this body, everything that has happened to me since I came into existence up until today. That which I still remember and that which I’ve forgotten – all the reams of blemishes I’ve committed in just one day, according to the place where they reach in relation to the source of my soul. Certainly, even more so, that which I’ve blemished in all these days from when I was born until today [specify the blemishes in detail]. Who can tell, who can measure? What can I say?
Master of the World, put into the heart of this holy and awesome tzaddik [who rests here] and into the heart of all the true tzaddikim that they not conceal themselves from me. Let them stand up for me and speak on my behalf. Let them search and find in me good points, to turn things to my merit. May they advocate well on my behalf so that You bring me closer to You, with compassion. Give me a new heart and place a new spirit within me, so that I merit to really awaken from now on to return to You, truthfully and wholeheartedly! All you who rest in the dust, pray for me, for one who is sunken in deep mire without a foothold.
Rabbi, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, remember this and take notice, that we’ve merited in these generations to hear awesome wonders of your greatness and learnt how it’s alluded in the Torah that through you the Torah won’t be forgotten. The verse you brought is itself proof - “for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of his seed" – In Hebrew the final letters spell out Yochai. Your holy name itself is alluded to in the verse. “Holy one coming down from Heaven”, whose initial letters spell Yochai. You alone know the secret of these things. You alone know the greatness of the promise you gave us, that through you the Torah won’t be forgotten from Israel. You know how Moses prophesied this beforehand in his holy Torah. Therefore I’ve come, holy Rabbis, to remind you. Have pity on me. Don’t look at the evil that I’ve committed up until today, in thought, speech and deed. Have mercy upon me. Don’t take notice of all that I’ve transgressed. Don’t be angry at me, G-d forbid. From now on think of ways that I won’t be pushed away from the Holy One and from yourselves, Heaven forbid, for nothing can prevent the Lord saving me even at this time. I have no strength now other than in my mouth. This is also from God whose kindness and truth haven’t left me. They have given strength to someone as tired as myself to sat these few words. In this I have put my trust, that you, the tzaddikim, will have mercy on me and act so that I merit to truly return to the Holy One (and to come safely to the Land of Israel very soon, to say all this, and more than this, on your holy tomb). In His mercy, may the good Lord hearken to your prayers, help, protect and save me and all Israel for your sakes. May G-d return me in perfect repentance before Him quickly. May He hold me and not let go of me; don’t leave me or abandon me under any circumstances until I merit to really return to Him and to be as He wills, from now on, forever. Through the strength and the merit of the true tzaddikim, let me rectify in my lifetime all that I’ve blemished. Upon them alone I can rely to arrange these words before them and before the Holy One, the Merciful One, Who knows hidden things… “Bring my soul out of prison so that I may praise Your Name; the tzaddikim will surround me; for You will deal bountifully with me.”
1. HAPPY ARE THOSE
a) By learning Torah all our prayers and requests are accepted, the charm and importance of Israel is raised and exalted in the eyes of all those we need, whether materially or spiritually.
b) Studying Torah with all one's strength gives strength to the Kingdom of Holiness and strengthens the good inclination to overcome the evil inclination.
c) When you engage in the study of Torah you will be able to understand the hints and meanings contained in all the things in the world and use them to attach yourself to the Holy One. Then, even if you find yourself in a grim and dark place where you think it hard to draw close to G-d, there also true wisdom will radiate to you to enable you to come close to G-d even from there.
d) Nobody sins unless he is overcome by the spirit of folly. Therefore, each individual, according to the sins and blemishes he committed, literally becomes mad. This is why most people suffer from several kinds of madness. The remedy for this is to study Torah with all one's strength, for it comprises of all the Names of G-d. By this, you subdue the evil urge and drive out the madness and spirit of folly that became attached to you through your sins.
e) One also merits through learning Torah to be saved from the deceitful cunning of the evil urge, for usually it doesn't entice a person to sin immediately, but rather, at first it disguises itself as a mitzvah etc. When you learn Torah you acquire true wisdom and merit to avoid all this.
f) The main reason why our prayers are not accepted is that the words lack charm. Therefore each person has to try to have charm and truth in his words. This you acquire by learning Torah; then all your prayers are accepted.
g) A Jewish person always has to look at the intelligence in each thing and to connect himself to the wisdom and intelligence that exist in each thing in order that they will enlighten him and bring him closer to the Holy One, for the main vitality in each thing is only from the intelligence and wisdom in it, as it says, " the wisdom gives life". Intelligence is a great light which enlightens a person in all his paths, like the sun. Then, when a person comes to a place that is dim and dark, Heaven forbid, even so, when he merits to look at the wisdom and life force in each thing, then this wisdom will enlighten him and bring him closer to G-d. This is an aspect of what Joseph merited to when he overcame his temptation by looking at the wisdom in each thing.
h) It is impossible to merit to this light of wisdom other than through Malkhut meaning by taking upon yourself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, truly, with complete faith; you have to limit your knowledge and disregard all your wisdom completely, as if you haven't any independent wisdom at all, while loathing all extraneous intellect and wisdoms. You should long for and desire just to receive light and vitality from the true intelligence and wisdom which are from the sublime, holy Intelligence which is the main vitality in each thing, as explained previously.
i) The main struggle between the good urge and the evil urge is only in this, for
the good urge encourages a person to loathe all extraneous wisdoms and intellect and all the physical desires which are complete folly and real foolishness and that you should attach yourself only to the light of holy wisdom. The evil urge, however, entices a person to the opposite, as it says, "the fool doesn't desire wisdom". This is like Esau who scorned the portion of the first born which represents the wisdom and intellect of holiness. Thus, each person has to give strength to the good urge to overcome the evil urge, as the Sages said, "A person should always enrage the good urge against the evil urge." To achieve this you have to engage in learning Torah with all your strength.
j) When you merit to all the above, a great unification is made in all the worlds and the light of the moon becomes like the light of the sun. Then you merit to acquire charm and by this all your prayers and requests are accepted.
k) The evil urge wants to make a person literally crazy, Heaven forbid, for a sinner is a madman, as the Sages said, "A person doesn't sin unless the spirit of folly enters him." But how can it come and suddenly make him mad, Heaven forbid. So the way of the evil urge is to disguise itself as a mitzvah and thus mislead a person to think he is performing a mitzvah. Afterwards it misleads and entices him even more until he actually performs real sins on purpose, Heaven forbid. This is exactly like the madness of a madman whose mind is confused and crazed until he says about bad that it's good. However, even so, there still remain some sparks of intelligence and knowledge such that, even in his folly, also he understands and senses that he shouldn't do such things. Nevertheless, he still does them. Because of this, two tactics are needed to cure the madman. Firstly, one has to hit them in order to stop them from sinning on purpose; thus, at least, it won't be easy for them, in their madness, to do things that they themselves also understand to be crazy and foolish. Secondly, one has to put an amulet on them in order to drive out the evil spirit from them which confuses and unbalances their mind, Heaven forbid, making them turn the straight path upside down and say that evil is good etc.
So also with the curing of a person from the madness of the evil urge, he also needs these two aspects. First, to subdue all of his deliberate evil so as not to do at least what he himself understands to be evil and a real sin, Heaven forbid. Then he needs to have the spirit of evil and folly driven out of him which disguises itself as mitzvoth and misleads him as though he were urging him to do a mitzvah. We merit to all this fully only through studying Torah which includes both of these tactics.
l) The main way of attaching yourself to this holy intelligence in all things is by pure simplicity which is an aspect of what it says, "Ya'acov was a pure, simple man" for he merited to ascertain this light of the intellect to perfection.