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

The father of a large family was becoming increasingly frustrated. Three of his sons (in a row) were past shidduch age but the older of the three just wasn't finding the right girl. The family didn't want to pass the older boy over and so, all three boys were in the 'waiting' stage. The father gave Chai Rotel last year and the older, and then the next two boys were married off within the year as well as one of the daughters becoming a kallah!

Mr. C. was traveling with a large truckload of very expensive merchandise valued at a few thousand dollars. In a traffic accident the truck was severely damaged and all the merchandise was destroyed. His insurance company agreed to pay for the repair of the truck but not for the destroyed merchandise. Mr. C. took the insurance company to court as well as donating to Chai Rotel. Three weeks after Lag B'Omer the court ruled in favor of Mr. C. and the insurance company paid the entire amount.

One Special Day - An Everlasting Effect

There is a spark in Jewish hearts that bursts into flame on Lag B’Omer. And in Miron, that flame grows brightest, as thousands are blessed with the things they most desire

Meron is not a largely urbanized region, but it never lacks for visitors. As part of an ancient custom, Jews from all walks of life come throughout the year to the gravesite of R’ Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi) in Meron to pray and study the Zohar with a mixture of trepidation and awe, all the while remembering the countless miracles that have taken place at the very same site. With the giving of charity and the uttering of heartfelt prayers on this precious spot, they draw on the reserve of holiness and power etched in the stone and vested in the earth surrounding the resting place of R’ Shimon.
On Lag B’Omer however, masses of people throng to the small village of Meron, to the burial site of R’ Shimon, no one wanting to miss the opportunity to benefit from the z’chusim (merits) available at this holy site.
Long ago, the holy Tanna R’ Shimon Bar Yochai pledged happiness and joy to all who would contribute to the happiness of the day of his yahrzeit, asking that there be simchah around his gravesite. And so it has been for hundreds of years, continuing today in the form of non-stop, enthusiastic singing and ecstatic dancing implemented by people so diverse, yet on this special day, so alike.

Today, some 2000 years later, Rabbi Shimon still keeps his promise. And Tzidkas Rashbi gives Jews worldwide the opportunity to reap blessings.

Being an actual part of the joyful celebrating in Meron is an unforgettable experience, one that brings the participators to a level of incorporating the true essence of this meaningful day into their lives and into their hearts. Lively music plays for 24 hours straight animating more and more people into the ever-growing circle of ecstatic dancers - always one step higher, one pace faster. At the tomb itself, individuals push and shove for a place among the crowds, yearning to be closer to the great tzaddik, for even a moment. Tears are a common sight, and on this day, no one is ashamed to be seen crying as visitors pour out their hearts, their sorrows, and their hopes to the One Above. An old folk saying depicts the Lag B’Omer scene ever so accurately, “Simchas Torah outside – Yom Kippur inside.” How stark the contrast between the joyful dancing and tearful supplications, yet there is no contradiction. The opportunity for prayer is too great. The joy surrounding it, even greater.
True stories are conscientiously passed around the crowds, later to be related back home to families who will cherish them as signs of hope and goodness yet to come . The stories tell of miracles wrought by the power of R’ Shimon Bar Yochai, and it is this power that visitors wish to benefit from on this day.

As the years pass, and more and more narratives are publicized, the crowds in Meron swell to massive proportions. According to police surveys, close to half a million people gather in Meron each year.

After enduring hours of road traffic (as all routes to Meron are terribly congested), with anxious anticipation a steady companion, not to mention all those that come from abroad, many just having stepped off the plane after a long and exhausting flight, the travelers arrive at the site tired, hot, and hungry. Furthermore, the small town of Meron itself is comprised of steep inclines and rocky surfaces, which, when not crowded, has no proper place for visitors to rest, yet on this day, after pouring out their hearts at the tomb, and hours of energetic dancing in the courtyard, where visitors suffocate in the vast open space, exposed to the boiling sun and stifling atmosphere for hours at a time, many are forced to leave early, for no matter how strongly they wish to remain, the conditions are simply unbearable. Individuals desperately need a place where they can rest and rejuvenate.
Tzidkas Rashbi, a Chesed organization based in the holy city of Tzefas, a mere seven minutes drive away from Meron, acknowledged this rapidly growing problem like many others. However, instead of lamenting, the organization responded to the situation with alacrity, establishing one of the most successful Chai Rotel programs ever in existence. The services they provide were sorely needed in Meron, as they were soon to discover. In the beginning, Tzidkas Rashbi was overwhelmed by the numbers of people requiring food, drink, rest, and other aids, but today they’re well equipped for it. The organization is happy to merit the annual growth and expansion, and hopes it will continue. Along with the food distribution comes the knowledge that the organization is contributing to the simchah of Lag B’Omer, and it’s no great secret that the z’chus is great.
To date, Tzidkas Rashbi has succeeded in improving the Meron/Lag B’Omer experience for thousands by establishing a modern, fully equipped pavilion covering 7,000 sq. ft. of Meron. The tent is continually kept clean and provides ample space for guests to replenish their draining stock of energy by partaking of sumptuous refreshments prepared and served by a large staff directed by Pinny Freed, (the brother of Mr. Berel Freed, the executive director of Tzidkas Rashbi) renowned caterer of Renaissance Hall in Boro Park. Tzidkas Rashbi has also set up new restrooms, which are kept clean, much to the appreciation of those coming. Volunteers work in shifts serving sumptuous refreshments around the clock – 24 hours of serving fresh salads, filling sandwiches, steaming chulent and soups, hot kugels, cake and cookies, and a vast selection of hot and cold beverages – all in unbelievable quantities,!
These days, there’s no stopping the dancing on Lag B’Omer, Baruch Hashem, it just goes on and on and on…

Bring joy to Rabbi Shimon’s kever in Miron. Help Tzidkas Rashbi ensure that Lag B’Omer is a true celebration of joy.