:: C H A I R O T E L :: Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai blesses all who would augment the feeling of simcha

Sources for donating at the gravesite of the Rashbi on Lag B’Omer

Rabeinu Ovadya M’bartenura (the famous explanation ‘Bartenura’ in the Mishnayos) wrote a letter to his brother 500 years ago in the year 5249: “On the eighteenth day of Iyar, the day of the yarzheit of R’ Shimon Bar Yochai (the Rashbi), people from surrounding areas gather and light huge bonfires aside from lighting candles. Many barren women have been helped and sick have been healed when they made a promise and donation for this holy site.”
Printed in Hilula D’Rashbi page 89.

The Shalah HaKodosh writes in the year 5388 where he describes his travels in Eretz Yisroel as follows: “And at the tomb of R’ Shimon Bar Yochai. They learn Zohar with awe and fear and longing because many miracles have happened there. And afterwards they make promises and pray.”
Printed in Hilula D’Rashbi page 60

R’ Ben Zion Bobover, the great grandfather of the current Bobver Rebbe…
“I heard from the holy sages of Eretz Yisroel that they have a kabbalah that barren women, G-d forbid, should donated Chai Rotel Mashke on the yartheit of R’ Shimon bar Yochai.”
Printed in Ta’amei HaMinhagim

Lag B'Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer Count, is a festive day on the Jewish calendar, celebrated with outings (on which the children traditionally play with bow-and arrows), bonfires, and other joyous events. Many visit the resting place (in Miron in Northern Israel) of the great sage and mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, whose yahrzeit the day marks.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was the first to publicly teach the mystical dimension of the Torah known as the "Kabbalah", and is the author of the

basic work of Kabbalah, the Zohar. On the day of his passing, Rabbi Shimon instructed his disciples to mark the date as "the day of my joy." So each Lag B'Omer we celebrate Rabbi Shimon's life and the light he shed on the Torah.

Lag B'Omer also commemorates another joyous event. The Talmud relates that in the weeks between Passover and Shavuot a plague raged amongst the disciples of the great sage Rabbi Akiva "because they did not act respectfully towards each other"; these weeks are therefore observed as a period of mourning, with various joyous activities proscribed by law and custom. On Lag B'Omer the dying ceased. Thus Lag BaOmer also carries the theme of Ahavat Yisrael, the imperative to love and respect one's fellow.

On this festive day, one might assume that prayers and supplications are inappropriate. Hardly! Lag B'Omer is a particularly auspicious time for soul searching, for pouring out our hearts to the Almighty, and for inspiring to greater meaning in our lives.