Rabbi Mansour 2012

Shabbat Morning Class

פרשת אמר-לג' בעומר

The day of Lag Baomer is a most joyous one, celebrated in honor of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. It is the day that the students of Rabbi Akivah stopped dying, and it signified an end to the mourning period of the Sefirah, and sets us up for the final countdown to Matan Torah.

In this class we explore some of the secrets behind the power of Lag Baomer, and its capability to sweeten the judgments that may be on the Jewish people.

The name of Hashem that stands for his attribute of strict judgment is the name of אלקים. There is a way to "sweeten" the judgment found in the name, and that is by transforming אלקים into the letters that precede it. This turns אלקים into "לפני אלקים" (לפני means to precede). Rav Chaim Vital in שער הכונות explains that this is done by taking the letters in the name אלקים, and replacing them with the letters that come before them. There is nothing that precedes the א so we leave the א alone. The next letter of אלקים is ל, and the letter that precedes it is the כ. The next letter of אלקים is ה, and the letter that precedes it is ד. The next letter of אלקים is י, and the letter that precedes it is ט. The final letter of אלקים is a ם and it stays the same. This is because the letter that precedes a ם is a מ, so essentially it’s the same letter.

The result of this is that now we now have turned אלקים into a new name of א-כ-ד-ט-ם, and this name is referred to us as "אלקים חיים" (the אלקים whom we have turned into a merciful אלקים that gives חיים-life to us). This is why during the עשרת ימי תשובה we mention in the Amidah; "זכרנו לחיים מלך חפץ בחיים כתבנו בספר חיים למענך אלקים חיים"- we ask Hashem for life in the merit of the name of אכדטם(the letters that precede אלקים) which is אלקים חיים (this must be, for otherwise why would we ask Hashem for life in the merit of his name of judgment!).

The three middle letters of the name אלקים are the letters that we have changed in order to sweeten it. These three letters we turned from להי into כדט. The numerical value of כדט equals 33. By switching the middle letters of אלקים into כדט-33, we sweeten the judgment that may be upon us.

לג בעומר is the 33rd day of the Omer, and it represents this sweetening of judgment that is effected by transforming the middle letters of אלקים into 33-כדט! This explains why לג בעומר is such an extremely joyful day for us.

The numerical value of אלקים equals 86. When we "sweeten" the name by changing the middle three letters into כדט the new total becomes 74 (א-כדט-ם=74). 74 is the numerical value of the word עד. This explains what Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was alluding to when he said (סוכה-מה); "יכול אני לפטר את כל העולם כולו מן הדין מיום שנבראתי עד עתה"-"I am able to exonerate the entire world from judgment from the day I was born until now"! This is why so many thousands of people flock to Rabbi Shimon on his day of Lag Baomer. They want to take R’ Shimon up on his promise, and present themselves in front of R’ Shimon in order that he spare them from judgment!

When we analyze R’ Shimon’s words we find, that he was alluding to the power of the day that he is associated with. He said "מיום שנבראתי עד עתה". עד equals 74, and R’ Shimon was saying that he can exonerate us from judgment by sweetening the name of אלקים, by switching its middle letters into כ-ד-ט-33 (which stands for לג' בעומר- the day connected to R’ Shimon), and thereby give us a new total of 74-the same as עד- and spare us from דין!

This sheds light on an incident in the Torah between Yaakob and Lavan, when Lavan came upon Yaakob and told him that אלקים appeared to him on the previous night. Yaakob ended up making a treaty with Lavan, and erected a monument made of stones and called it גלעד.

Lavan was trying to intimidate Yaakob by telling him that he was connected to אלקים- Hashem’s name of דין (this is why he told Yaakob that אלקים had come to him in a dream the night before). Yaakob responded by erecting a monument which he called גל עד. The word גלעד is comprised of גל-which equals 33, and עד which equals 74. Yaakob was showing Lavan that he was not scared of Lavan’s association with אלקים, because Yaakob had the key to turn אלקים into kindness, and this was by changing its middle letters into כדט (גל-33), and thereby turn its total into 74 (עד) hence the name גלעד! (Apparently Lavan wasn’t too happy to hear that, therefore he named it his own name יגר שהדותא!).

How can we practically apply this concept today?? How do we change the middle letters of אלקים into the letters that precede it, and thus sweeten any judgments against us??

We can accomplish this today by having בטחון בה'-faith in Hashem.

When we are faced with difficulties and problems, we can either allow them to frustrate us and "take us over", or we can recognize that these difficulties are from Hashem who is serving us these problems in order that we remember that he is in charge and that we turn to him. Once we recognize that it is from Hashem, we are already well on our way to recovering from the problem.

When we show Hashem that we recognize that it is only he that is in charge, Hashem no longer has the need to give us these "reminders". We thereby take off the judgments from upon us. בטחון in Hashem, belief in him and that all is from him, is the key to remove דין from upon us.

The numerical value of the word בטחון is 75. This is the same as

א-כדט-ם ( Gematriah’s can be one off because we include the name itself as one). This shows us that בטחון is what turns אלקים into א-כדט-ם, thereby sweetening it!

This is why the Pasuk says "בטחו בה' עדי עד"-"rely on Hashem until עד-until you sweeten the judgment and turn אלקים (86) into א-כדט-ם-74!

It also says "רבים מכאובים לרשע, והבטח בה' חסד יסבבנהו"-"the troubles of the wicked are many, but those that trust in Hashem, kindness surrounds him". If we have בטחון in Hashem we will have only kindness around us, for we have transformed דין (אלקים) into חסד-mercy and kindness!

The Rabbi of R’ Shimon was Rabbi Akibah. R’ Akibah personified בטחון in Hashem. He personified this knowledge that everything is only from Hashem, and it is all because he loves us.

He showed this to us specifically on the day of לג' בעומר. It was on that day that the last of his 24,000 students died, and he was left with nothing! 24 years in Yeshivah, amassing 24,000 students and he now had nothing to show for it! Any "normal" person would have given up! It would have broken them, and they would have simply "walked away"! They would not have the strength to go on! Not Rabbi Akibah, he knew that this too was only from Hashem, and if this is what Hashem wanted then it must only be for the good!

The Gemarah יבמות-סב' says, that it was on that very day that R’ Akibah took five students, one of them being R’ Shimon Bar Yochai- and began anew. He taught these five students the entire Torah, and it was only from them that we have Torah today! If R’ Akibah had not had such בטחון, we would have no Torah today ח''ו!

These five students represented the five "new" letters of אלקים that R’ Akibah had transformed by means of his בטחון. They stood for the five letters of א-כדט-ם, each student stood for a letter, and R’ Akibah thereby saved the entire Torah!

This sheds light on the story that happened at the end of R’ Akibah’s life. The Gemarah ברכות-סא says that as R’ Akibah was being tortured and raked with iron combs he began reciting the Shema. His students saw this and asked עד כאן?! Even now?! You still are so devoted and holding on while saying Shema! He answered them "I have been waiting my whole life for this moment"!

A deeper meaning behind the words of R’ Akibah and his students are understood when we apply the concepts we have just learned.

In the שמע ישראל we declare that Hashem is one, and thereby show our belief that everything is from him and that we have בטחון in him. It is for this reason that the letter ע in שמע and ד of אחד are written extra large. These letters comprise עד-74, and they show that it is through the בטחון that we take upon ourselves during the recitation of Shema that we sweeten the judgment of אלקים-86, down to א-כדט-ם-74!

R’ Akibah’s students were asking him why he didn’t take this opportunity of saying Shema now to connect to the בטחון that he represented so strongly throughout his life, and thereby sweeten even this judgment and suffering that he was enduring right now?! Just sweeten it with the Shema and בטחון, and you will be out of it! This is why they told him עד כאן- the עד is here! The letters עד contained in שמע ישראל and the בטחון that they represent is at hand, and you can connect with them to get out of this!

R’ Akibah explained to them that to him this was not דין, it was not suffering! This was יסורין של אהבה, and to give his life for Hashem is the greatest of honors! Therefore there was no need to sweeten this, because this was purely for the good! This explains why a voice came forth from heaven and exclaimed "אשריך ר' עקיבא שיצאה נשמתו באחד"-"praiseworthy are you R’ Akibah that your soul left you with the word אחד".

Why should R’ Akibah be praised that his soul left him with the word אחד? Did he not deserve praise if his soul would have left him with a different word upon his lips?! It seems that the praise is associated in some way with him saying the word אחד!

The explanation is that heaven was praising him for letting his נשמה go with the word אחד. Meaning, even though he said אחד thereby completing שמע, and he had the ע-ד, he had the בטחון that the Shema contains and he technically could have averted his death. He still let himself go in order to sanctify the name of Hashem! "יצאה נשמתו באחד"-he let his Neshama go, even though he said אחד!!

This concept of switching the middle letters of אלקים (להי) into כדט, thereby giving it a new total of 74 is alluded to in many places in the Torah.

It says in the first Pasuk of Parashat Mishpatim; "ואלה המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם"-the Targum Unkelos translates משפטים as דיניא, judgments. The word ואלה comprise the first letters as the words "וחיים אדם למתק הדין"- "a person is obligated to sweeten the judgment". How does he do so? "אשר תשים לפניהם"-take the letters that precede it- meaning, take the letters that precede the letters of אלקים, and that is how we can sweeten the דין.

David Hamelech wrote in Tehilim: "צמאה נפשי לאלקים לא-ל חי מתי אבוא "ואראה פני אלקים – my soul thirsts for Hashem.. when will I come to see the face of אלקים".

Why would David desire to see the face of "אלקים" - doesn’t אלקים stand for judgement?!

The explanation is that David was yearning to see "פני אלקים", the wordפני is like the word לפני and it is referring to the letters that precede אלקים. We now understand that David was asking for the Chesed that is found behind the letters of אלקים !

In the times of Noah when the world was corrupt, the Pasuk says "ותשחת הארץ לפני האלקים"-"the world was corrupt before Hashem" and as a result; "ותמלא הארץ חמס"-"the world was filled with theft".

The deeper meaning behind the Pasuk is that the land was corrupt לפני האלקים, the people corrupted even the letters that precede אלקים (לפני means to precede). They had no faith in Hashem, and as a result; "ותמלא הארץ חמס"-the world was filled with theft, because if a person has no belief that Hashem will provide for him, he is driven to steal from others!

When the Jewish people were about to leave Egypt, Hashem commanded them to bring the Korban Pesah. This would require a great deal of faith in Hashem. The sheep was the God of the Egyptians, and to take a sheep right in front of the Egyptians faces required great בטחון in Hashem. Hashem instructed the Jews; "ושחטו הפסח" - "slaughter the Pesah lamb". פסח equals 148. When we "slaughter" the word Pesah and cut it in half we have 74 (148 : 2=74). Hashem was showing us that we are to have this בטחון-faith in him represented by 74- the numerical value of בטחון (with כולל)- and sweetening of judgment comes as a result.

When Moshe Rabeinu was ready to ascend to Shamayim to accept the Torah he knew (and was ultimately proved correct), that the Jews would struggle to maintain their faith in Hashem. This would bring judgment upon them, and ultimately cause them to go astray. He therefore warned the elders (שמות כד' פסוק יד') "ואל הזקנים אמר שבו לנו בזה"-"to the elders he said wait here for us". The deeper message of Moshe Rabeinu was that he feared the Jews would get caught up in אלקים-דין. The numerical value of אלקים is 86. Moshe was saying; "שבו לנו בזה"- ( לנוequals 86) temper the לנו-the 86 that stands for אלקים-דין, with זה - with 12 (זה equals 12). 12 is the difference between the middle letters of אלקים before and after you sweeten them (להי =45 and כדט=33), Moshe was instructing the elders to sweeten the judgment by applying the difference of 12, by turning 86 into 74. 74 stands for בטחון, and to help increase the בטחון of the Jews so that they may pass the tests that await them!

David Hamelech wrote in Tehilim (chapter 75) :"אלקים שפט זה ישפיל וזה ירים"- "Hashem is the judge- this one he will raise and this one he will lower". David Hamelech was also hinting to this concept.

אלקים שפט-when dealing with אלקים ruling, זה ישפיל, זה=12 should be "lowered" (ישפיל), meaning decrease אלקים-86, by 12 thereby turning it into 74 and sweetening it. Or else זה ירים, the זה=12 will remain high (ירים) and will remain as strict judgment, אלקים.

It is a general rule that Purim and Lag Baomer will always fall on the same day of the week. For example this year Purim was on a Thursday and Lag Baomer was also on a Thursday. This rule is known as "פלג"

(פורים-לג בעומר).

This connection between them is also deeper in the respect of both of their capabilities to sweeten judgment. On Purim the highlight of the day is the reading of the Megillah. The word מגלה, hints to this sweetening of judgments. The outer letters are מה.מה equals 45. 45 is the numerical value of the three inner letters of אלקים (להי) before they have been sweetened. The inner letters of מגלהare גל which equals 33 and represent the inner letters after they have been sweetened to spell כדט. This shows that by reading the Megillah we "push away to the outside" the judgment represented by 45, and we bring closer the 33 that stands for kindness.

Queen Esther wanted to take this a step further. She wanted to affect a sweetening of the entire name of אלקים including the letter א and ם! (We previously mentioned that since there is nothing that precedes א and since the ם has a מ preceding it we don’t need to change them. Esther however still wanted to change these letters as well!) This is why she said "אם על המלך טוב יבוא המלך והמן היום אל המשתה"-"if it is good for the king than let the king and Haman come today to the party". We have learnt that whenever it says המלך in the Megillah it is really referring to Hashem who is מלך מלכי המלכים. Esther was saying אם על המלך טוב, the letters א-ם of the King (the letters א-ם in the name of Hashem of אלקים) should be turned to טוב, to be sweetened and bring good for the Jews! How did she do this? With the next words "יבוא המלך והמן היום", the first letters of which comprise the name of Hashem י-ה-ו-ה. This name, as we have learnt in previous Shiurim, has the capability to sweeten the entire name of אלקים in a very powerful way, and this was the intent of Esther Hamalkah.

May the Zechut of R’ Shimon Bar Yochai and his Rebbe, Rabbi Akibah bring upon us great בטחון in Hashem, and sweeten any judgment that we may have upon us. May we only see Hashem’s kindness and thereby have clarity in our lives Amen.