Rabbi Shimon’s Joy

On Lag B’omer, Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai proclaimed: “This is the day of my rejoicing!” What was it that made Rabbi Shimon so joyful?

The Zohar tells us that it was on this day that he declared: “With G-d I am one, With Him I am a single flame, With Him I am joined.” He sensed that, after an entire life devoted to Torah, he had finally achieved true union with G-d.

The lesson for every Jewish child: Even though yesterday, before Lag B’omer, you were already connected with G-d, today your soul has been given to you anew, granting you also new abilities to grow physically and spiritually, and to reach new heights.