Lag b’Omer

Assistance From the Souls of the Righteous

“The Passing of Rav Shimon”
(From Secrets of the Zohar by Michael Berg)

Life brings many situations that we simply can’t handle alone. We need help, and Kabbalah offers wisdom
for facing life’s challenges. But beyond understanding, Kabbalah also provides practical tools. One of
these is the power to gain the assistance of the souls of the righteous who have departed this world. This
can be accomplished by visiting the graves of righteous people, and also by studying their teachings. The
kabbalists further explain that, when a righteous person dies, it is at the moment of death that his or her
full Light is revealed.

This section of the Zohar describes the final moments of Rav Shimon’s life, at the conclusion of the Idra
Zuta (the smaller assembly). It speaks of the appreciation for Rav Shimon that was felt by everyone
around him. Respect for him was so great that there were violent arguments about where he should be
buried. By reading this section, we connect to the ultimate level of the soul of Rav Shimon.

Zohar Haazinu 196

‫ סָ בַ ְרנָא לְ ִמ ְכ ּ ַתב‬,‫ וַאֲ נָא ּ ָכתַ ְבנָא‬,‫ עַד ְ ּד ִא ׁ ְש ְּתכָ כ ּו ִמלּ ֹוי‬,‫ישא לְ מֵ ימַ ר חַ ִ ּיים‬ ָ ׁ ‫ לָ א ִס ּיֵים ּב ּו ִצינָא ַק ִ ּד‬,‫ א"ר ַא ּ ָבא‬.196
,‫ ַא ְ ּדהָ ִכי ִאזְ ַ ּד ֲע ַז ַענָא‬.‫ וְ לָ א הֲ וָה י ִָכילְ נָא לְ ִא ְס ּ ַת ְּכלָ א‬,‫ ִ ּדנְ ה ֹו ָרא הֲ וָה סָ גִ י‬,‫ישא‬ ָ ׁ ‫ וְ לָ א ז ִָק ְיפ ָנא ֵר‬.‫ וְ לָ א ׁ ְשמַ ְענָא‬,‫ְטפֵ י‬
ָ ָ ׁ ‫ חַ ִ ּיים‬,‫‘ ׁ ְשמַ ְענָא ָקלָ א ַאחֲ ָרא‬.‫ארי וְ ָאמַ ר ֶא ֶר ְך י ִָמים ּו ׁ ְשנ ֹות חַ ִ ּיים וְ ג ֹו‬
‘.‫ש ַאל ִמ ּ ְמך וְ ג ֹו‬ ֵ ‫ׁ ְשמַ ְענָא ָקלָ א ְ ּד ָק‬

Rav Aba said, “Rav Shimon had barely finished uttering the word ‘life’ when his words ceased. I was
writing down his words, and was about to write more, yet I heard nothing. I did not raise my head,
because the Light was great and I could not look. I then trembled and heard a voice calling and saying,
‘Length of days, and long life...’ Then I heard another voice saying, ‘He asked life of You’…

‫שא הֲ וָה‬ָ ּ ׁ ‫ ְ ּדלָ א י ִָכיל ּו ִ ּדנְ ה ֹו ָרא וְ ֶא‬,‫יה‬

ּ ‫ וְ לָ א הֲ וָה מַ אן ְ ּדמָ טֵ י לְ ג ּ ֵַב‬,‫שא ִמן ּ ֵביתָ א‬ ָ ּ ׁ ‫ לָ א אַ ְפ ִסיק ֶא‬,‫ כֹל הַ ה ּוא י ֹומָ א‬.197
‫ד ׁש‬-ֶ ‫ישא ק‬ ָ ׁ ‫ חֲ מֵ ינָא לְ ב ּו ִצי ָנא ַק ִ ּד‬,‫שא‬ ָ ּ ׁ ‫ ּ ָבתַ ר ְ ּדאָ זִ יל ֶא‬.‫ וְ ָגעֵינָא‬,‫ ּ ָכל הַ ה ּוא י ֹומָ א נ ִָפילְ נָא עַל ַא ְרעָא‬.‫ֵיה‬ ּ ‫ְ ּבס ּוחֲ ָרנ‬
.‫יכין‬ִ ְ‫ וְ ַאנְ ּפ ֹוי חַ י‬,‫ֵיה‬
ּ ‫ש ִכיב עַל יְ ִמינ‬
ָ ׁ ‫ ִא ְתע ּ ֲָטף‬,‫ ְ ּד ִא ְס ְּת ּ ַלק ִמן עָלְ מָ א‬,‫הַ ֳּק ָד ׁ ִשים‬

“All that day the fire did not cease from the house, and no one could reach him, because of the Light and
fire that encircled him. I was prostrate on the ground all that day, crying loudly. After the fire was gone, I
saw that Rav Shimon — the Holy Light, the Holy of Holies — had departed from the world, and was lying
on his right side with a smiling face.

,‫ ּ ָבע ּו חַ ְב ַריָיא לְ ִמ ְב ּ ֵכי‬.‫יכנָא ע ְַפ ָרא ִ ּד ְתח ֹות ַרגְ ל ֹוי‬ ְ ‫ וַאֲ נָא לָ ִח‬,‫ וְ נ ִָטיל יְ ד ֹוי וְ נ ׁ ִָשיק ל ֹון‬,‫יה‬ ּ ‫ ָקם ִר ִּבי ֶאלְ ָעזָר ְּב ֵר‬.198
.‫יה‬
ּ ּ ּ ֵ‫מ‬ ‫ו‬ ‫פ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫ת‬
ַ ּ ‫פ‬ְ ‫מ‬
ִ ְ‫ל‬ ‫יל‬ ‫ָכ‬
ִ ‫י‬ ‫א‬ ָ‫ל‬ ְ‫ו‬ ,‫ין‬ ִ‫נ‬ ‫מ‬
ְ ‫ז‬
ִ ‫ת‬ ַ‫ל‬ ‫ת‬
ְ ּ ‫יל‬ ‫ָפ‬
ִ ‫נ‬ ‫יה‬
ּ ּ‫ר‬ֵ ‫ב‬
ְ ‫ָר‬ ‫ז‬‫ע‬ָ ְ‫ל‬ ‫א‬
ֶ ‫י‬ ‫ב‬
ּ ִ ‫ר‬ִ ְ‫ו‬ ,‫ָה‬
‫י‬ ‫כ‬
ְ ‫ב‬ִ ‫ב‬
ּ ְ ‫ָיא‬‫י‬‫ר‬ ַ ‫ב‬ְ ַ‫ח‬ ‫שאר ּו‬ ָ ׁ .‫וְ לָ א י ִָכיל ּו לְ מַ ְ ּללָ א‬
‫ ִמ ׁ ְש ּ ַת ְ ּקעָן ְּבנ ּו ְק ּ ָבאן‬,‫אסין‬
ִ ָ‫ ִצ ּפ ֳָראן ט‬,‫ הַ ׁ ְש ּ ָתא ְּתנ ּוד חֵ י ָותָ א‬.‫ חַ ד ִא ְתחֲ זָר ּו‬,‫ ְּתלַ ת הֲ ו ֹו‬.‫ ַא ּ ָבא ַא ּ ָבא‬,‫לְ בָ תַ ר ּ ָפתַ ח וְ ָאמַ ר‬
.‫ש ְתיָין ָּדמָ א‬ ַ ׁ ‫ וְ חַ ְב ַר ּיָיא ּכ ְ ֻּלה ּו‬,‫ְ ּדי ּ ַָמא ַר ּ ָבא‬

“Rav Elazar, his son, rose and took his hands and kissed them, while I kissed the dust beneath his feet.
The friends started crying. Rav Elazar fell to the ground three times, and could not open his mouth. At last
he said: ‘Father, father, there were three that became one again.’ Now, after this great tree is gone, the
beasts that used to walk under the tree will wander, and the birds that used to dwell in its boughs will sink

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into the chasm in the great sea, and the friends, instead of the good they received from the tree, will drink
blood.”

‫ ֶא ּלָא‬,‫ הַ ׁ ְש ּ ָתא לָ או ה ּוא ִע ָּדן‬.‫ישא ִמ ְס ְּת ּ ַכל עֲלָ ן‬ ָ ׁ ‫ עַד הַ ׁ ְש ּ ָתא ּב ּו ִצינָא ַק ִ ּד‬,‫ ָקם ִר ִ ּבי ִח ּיָיא עַל ַרגְ ל ֹוי וְ ָאמַ ר‬.199
,‫ מַ אן חָ מָ א ִע ְר ּב ּו ְביָא ְ ּדחַ ְב ַריָיא‬,‫יה ְּב ִט ְיק ָרא ְ ּד ִס ְיקלָ א‬ ּ ֵ‫ נ ְַטל ּו ל‬,‫ ָקם ִר ִּבי ֶאלְ ָעזָר וְ ר' ַא ּ ָבא‬.‫יה‬ ּ ‫יק ֵר‬ָ ‫לְ ִא ׁ ְש ּ ַת ְ ּדלָ א ִ ּב‬
.‫ ֶא ּ ָלא ר' אֶ לְ ָעזָר וְ ר' ַא ּ ָבא‬,‫יה‬
ּ ‫ וְ לָ א ִא ׁ ְש ְּת ּ ַמ ׁש ּ ֵב‬,‫ֵיה‬
ּ ‫יה ְּבפ ּו ְרי‬
ּ ‫יחין ְסלִ יק ּו ּ ֵב‬
ִ ‫וְ כָ ל ּ ֵביתָ א הֲ וָה סָ לִ יק ֵר‬

“Rav Chiya rose and said: ‘Until now the Holy Light protected us. Now is the time to strive to honor him.’
Rav Elazar and Rav Aba rose and took Rav Shimon to a bed made like a ladder. Who has ever seen
such confusion of the friends! The whole house emitted good fragrances. They raised him on his bed, and
none served him but Rav Elazar and Rav Aba.

‫ ְ ּדחָ ׁ ִשיב ּו ְ ּדלָ א יִ ְת ְק ּ ַבר‬,‫וחין ִ ּב ְק ִט ִירין‬

ִ ְ‫ צַ ו‬,‫יסין ִ ּד ְכפַ ר ִצ ּפ ֳִרי וְ טַ ְר ָדא ְ ּבה ּו ְ ּבנֵי ְמר ֹונְ יָא‬ִ ‫ארי ְּת ִר‬
ֵ ָ‫ ּומ‬,‫ ָאת ּו ְט ִר ִיקין‬.200
‫ וְ ִא ְת ְּכנ ָׁש ּו‬,‫ ע ּול ּו וְ ָאת ּו‬,‫ש ְמע ּו ָקלָ א‬ ָ ׁ ,‫יה‬ ּ ‫שא הֲ וָה לָ ִהיט ַק ּ ֵמ‬ ָ ּ ׁ ‫ וְ ֶא‬.‫ הֲ וָה סָ לִ יק ּ ַבאֲ וִ ָירא‬,‫ ּ ָבתַ ר ְ ּדנָפַ ק ּפ ּו ְריָיא‬.‫ּ ַת ּ ָמן‬
.‫של ֹום יָנ ּוח ּו עַל ִמ ׁ ְש ְּכב ֹותָ ם‬ָ ׁ ‫א‬-‫ ָיב‬,‫לְ ִהילּ ּולָ א ְ ּד ִר ִּבי ׁ ִש ְמע ֹון‬

“Thugs and armed men came from the village of Tzipori, wanting him to be buried there. The inhabitants
of Meron drove them away and shouted at them in their multitudes, because they wanted him to be
buried where they themselves lived. After his bed was taken from the house, it rose in the air and fire
burned before it. Then a voice said, ‘Come and gather to the celebration of Rav Shimon. Let him come in
peace and rest in his resting place.’

‫ ּ ַכמָ ה ִּפ ְט ִרין ִ ּב ְר ִקיעָא‬,‫ זֶה הָ ִא ׁיש מַ ְר ִע ׁיש הָ ָא ֶרץ מַ ְר ִּגיז מַ ְמלָ כ ֹות‬,‫ש ְמע ּו ָקלָ א ִ ּב ְמע ְַר ּ ָתא‬ ָ ׁ ‫ ּ ַכד עָאל לִ ְמע ְַר ּ ָתא‬.201
.‫ֵילא וְ תַ ּ ָתא‬
ָ ּ ‫יה לְ ע‬ ּ ‫ ז ּ ַָכ ָאה ח ּולָ ֵק‬.‫יה ְּבכָ ל י ֹומָ א‬ ּ ‫יה ִמ ׁ ְש ְּת ּ ַבח ּ ֵב‬ ֵ ָ‫ ְ ּדמ‬,‫ ְ ּדנָא רשב"י‬,‫ִמ ׁ ְש ּ ַת ְּכ ִכין ְ ּבי ֹומָ א ֵ ּדין ְ ּבגִ ינ ְָך‬
ּ ‫אר‬
.‫יה ִא ְּתמַ ר וְ ַא ּ ָתה לֵ ְך לַ ֵּקץ וְ תָ נ ּוחַ וְ תַ עֲמ ֹוד לְ ג ֹו ָרלְ ָך לְ ֵקץ הַ ּי ִָמין‬
ּ ֵ‫ עָל‬,‫יה‬
ּ ֵ‫ּ ַכמָ ה ְּגנִ י ִזין ִע ָּל ִאין ִמ ְס ּ ַת ְמ ָרן ל‬

“When Rav Shimon entered the cave, they heard a voice from inside: ‘This is the man who caused the
earth to tremble, who caused kingdoms to tremble. How many prosecuting angels in the heavens are
quieted today for your sake! This is Rav Shimon bar Yochai, with whom his Master glorifies Himself daily.
Blessed is his portion above and below. How many supernal treasures await him! Of him it says, ‘And you
should go to the end and rest, and stand up for your allotted portion at the end of the days’.’”

Meditation
With this meditation, we connect to the great soul of Rav Shimon bar Yochai and draw his assistance to our
lives when we need it.

‫ ּ ַכמָ ה ִּפ ְט ִרין ִ ּב ְר ִקיעָא ִמ ׁ ְש ּ ַת ְּכ ִכין ְ ּבי ֹומָ א‬,‫זֶה הָ ִא ׁיש מַ ְר ִע ׁיש הָ ָא ֶרץ מַ ְר ִּגיז מַ ְמלָ כ ֹות‬
beyoma mishtakechin birki’a pitrin kamah mamlachot margiz ha’aretz marish ha’ish ze
.‫יה ְ ּבכָ ל י ֹומָ א‬
ּ ‫יה ִמ ׁ ְש ְּת ּ ַבח ּ ֵב‬
ּ ‫אר‬
ֵ ָ‫ְ ּדמ‬ ,‫רשב"י‬ ‫ְ ּדנָא‬ ,‫ֵ ּדין ְ ּבגִ ינ ְָך‬
yoma bechol beih mishtebach demareih Yochai bar Shimon Ribbi dena beginach dein
‫יה ִא ְּתמַ ר וְ ַא ּ ָתה‬
ּ ֵ‫ עָל‬,‫יה‬
ּ ֵ‫ ּ ַכמָ ה ְּגנִ יזִ ין ִע ּ ָל ִאין ִמ ְס ּ ַת ְמ ָרן ל‬.‫ֵילא וְ תַ ּ ָתא‬
ָ ּ ‫יה לְ ע‬
ּ ‫ז ּ ַָכ ָאה ח ּולָ ֵק‬
vetatah itmar aleih leih mistamram ila’in genizin kamah vetata le'eila chulakei zaka’ah
.‫לֵ ְך לַ ֵּקץ וְ תָ נ ּוחַ וְ תַ עֲמ ֹוד לְ ג ֹו ָרלְ ָך לְ ֵקץ הַ ּי ִָמין‬
Hayamim leketz legoralcha veta’amod vetanuach laketz lech

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© 2000-2010 Kabbalah Centre International. All rights in all media reserved