Lag Ba’Omer is the most Kabbalistic holiday—the holiday of light. Lag Ba’Omer means the 33rd day (lamed-gimel) after Passover, meaning, when we come out of the egoistic desire into giving for the sake of giving, into desires for bestowal.
Therefore, afterward comes a period of purification of desires: 33 days from Passover to Lag Ba’Omer and from Lag Ba’Omer to Shavuot. During these 50 days, we complete all corrections and become ready to receive the Torah, that is, the light that corrects the receiving desires into receiving for the sake of giving.
Before the day of Lag Ba’Omer, we are not yet considered to have completely left Egypt because we need to correct our desires, which have the characteristics of Egypt (egoism). But on the 33rd day, corrections are achieved in the 33rd Sefira, and we only have to correct the lowest part of the degree, the receiving desires.
Therefore, we can be sure we will certainly come to receive the Torah. From the day of Lag Ba’Omer, the light of the gift of the Torah has already begun to shine upon us, even from afar.
That is why the day of Lag Ba’Omer is so important in terms of correction. Before Lag Ba’Omer, we are still correcting and completing the exit from Egypt, and after that day we begin to prepare ourselves for receiving the Torah on Shavuot. It turns out that Lag Ba’Omer is a very special “day,” that is, a condition that a person goes through on the path of correction.
The exit from Egypt is carried out under the influence of the upper light, the enormous light of Hochma, which is revealed due to man’s awakening. As a result, one rises above his egoism and breaks away from it, but all this is due to the light coming from above. Desires still remain egoistic, but the light gives them the opportunity to rise above egoism to want to give.
All this is only due to the upper light, which holds us like a magnet. And now we need to implement this correction so that it is imprinted on all our desires. In total, 49 Sefirot need to be corrected in the 50 days from Passover to Shavuot, but after correcting 33 Sefirot, there is no doubt we will complete our correction. After that, nothing can stop it.
It is known that 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died from an epidemic in one month. Such enormous egoism manifested in them that instead of loving one’s friend, which the teacher commanded, they fell into unfounded hatred for each other. Therefore they could not withstand the light of correction to be revealed in these days, and died. It was only on the day of Lag Ba’Omer that the epidemic stopped, and the students stopped dying.
Of all the disciples of Rabbi Akiva, only a small group remained under the leadership of Rabbi Shimon. There were ten people in this group who were able to connect with each other like the ten Sefirot, and thanks to this they wrote The Book of Zohar, the greatest Kabbalistic book, a commentary on the Pentateuch of the Torah.
Each time they received the reforming light (the light that returns to the source), corrected themselves with its help, and recorded their corrections and discoveries. This is called a commentary on the Torah. The light itself cannot be described. But when it illuminates desires that strive for unity, it reveals new forms of their unification and thus reveals itself, that is, the Torah.
There is a connection between the spiritual root and the material branch; therefore there are days in our world when a stronger common light comes. Therefore we must use this special time of the Lag Ba’Omer holiday and try with all our might to achieve unity. After all, this is the most favorable moment for it—all conditions contribute to correction.
Rabbi Shimon’s group made corrections to the ten main Sefirot at the time. But now, all of humanity must achieve such ten main Sefirot and then it will reveal the same desires and lights, the same state. The fact that The Book of Zohar has been revealed after centuries of concealment indicates that our desires are ready for final correction, and we live in the generation of the Messiah.
Rabbi Shimon died on the day of Lag Ba’Omer. The departure of the righteous from this world is not a day of mourning but a holiday because it benefits the world. After all, the soul of the righteous rises to an even higher level, which we cannot even discern.
Lag Ba’Omer is a celebration of Kabbalists, a celebration of the upper light, which must come and clothe in people’s souls. This is the same light that was in the 24,000 disciples of Rabbi Akiva, due to their unity, which later disappeared when they could not overcome their egoism, and they died spiritually. Therefore, historically, they also died physically from the epidemic.
Rabbi Shimon’s group revealed all this light among themselves, climbed the 125 steps of the spiritual ladder, wrote about it in The Book of Zohar, and hid it to the present day.
In our time, The Book of Zohar has been revealed and supplemented with a full commentary by Baal HaSulam, entitled “Sulam” (Ladder). This supplement allows us to gradually approach The Book of Zohar and reveal it, until we discover all 125 steps and achieve complete correction.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/14/17, The Holiday of Lag Ba’Omer
Related Material:
New Life 559 – Holidays And Festivals: Lag Ba’Omer
The 33rd Day of the Omer – A Guarantee of Correction
Lag Ba’Omer Bonfires
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Question: If there is agreement in the group to fulfill the mutual guarantee, is this enough to provide the confidence that will influence me and allow me to come out of egoism?
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