The period of counting the Omer is a time of exponential expectation climaxing to the 50th day (Shavuot/Pentacost). It is also, however a time of semi-mourning, during which the Halakha (Jewish Law) forbids shaving, haircuts, listening to instrumental music, or conducting weddings, and festive celebrations. Traditionally, the reason for mourning is in memory of the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva that were killed from a plague.
Rabbi Akiva (ca. 40–ca. 137 CE), was a proselyte/convert to Judaism, and became one of the most prominent sages of the 1st century. In the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Yevamot 62b states that Rabbi Akiva had 12,000 pairs (24,000) of students and they died in the same period.
With this tragedy, there is much to be learned and gleaned. Lag BaOmer, the thirty-third day of the Counting of the Omer, is considered to be the day in which the plague was lifted. In connection with that, there is a tradition of mourning from after Pesach to Lag BaOmer. So on that day of Lag BaOmer (33rd), all the rules of mourning are lifted.
But why was there a plague that killed 24,000 students of R. Akiva? Why 24,000, let alone a few
hundred?
The Talmud tells us that there were 2 sets of 12,000 students, which is obviously teaching us something. It could have just said 24,000, but it did’t. It is saying that there were 2 different ideologies amongst the students. However, just because there were two different ideologies, doesn’t mean that they were at odds, right? Well it wasn’t about the ideologies or points of view, but something deeper.
“…They said by way of example that Rabbi Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of students in an area of land that stretched from Gevat to Antipatris in Judea, and they all died in one period of time, because they did not treat each other with respect.”
– Talmud Bavli, Yevamot 62b:9
The problem was that, to quote the Talmud, ‘they didn’t treat one another with respect’. Instead of saying ‘I have my hashkafa (view), but I respect what you are doing’, there was hatred on both sides.
It was Sinat Chinam/Baseless hatred.
אבל מקדש שני שהיו עוסקין בתורה ובמצות וגמילות חסדים מפני מה חרב מפני שהיתה בו שנאת חנם ללמדך ששקולה שנאת חנם כנגד שלש עבירות ע”ז גלוי עריות ושפיכות דמים
However, considering that the people during the Second Temple period were engaged in Torah study, observance of mitzvot, and acts of kindness, and that they did not perform the sinful acts that were performed in the First Temple, why was the Second Temple destroyed? It was destroyed due to the fact that there was wanton hatred during that period. This comes to teach you that the sin of wanton hatred is equivalent to the three severe transgressions: Idol worship, forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed.
-Talmud Bavli, Yoma 9b
It was this baseless hatred that was already at work, which Mashiach Yeshua bore witness.
In Yochanan/John 15
“If I had not come and spoken to them, they wouldn’t be guilty of sin; but now, they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done in their presence works which no one else ever did, they would not be guilty of sin; but now, they have seen them and have hated both me and my Father. But this has happened in order to fulfill the words in their Torah which read, deed, sometimes a person may wish upon his neighbor certain benefits‘They hated me for no reason at all.’
This Torah that Mashiach seems to be referring to is Torah b’al Pei/Oral Torah, which is codified as the Talmud. In Tractate Yoma 9b, the Talmud agrees afterward following with this question:
“Why was the Second Sanctuary destroyed, seeing that in its time they occupied themselves with studying Torah, obeying mitzvoth and practicing charity? Because in it prevailed hatred without a cause.”
This phrase Sinat Chinam/baseless hatred is connected Psalms 35:19, and
Psalms 69:4
What exactly is Sinat/Baseless, and Chinam? Chinam is defined as gratuitously, without cause, undeservedly, especially of groundless hostility or attack. We can see an example of this in the defense of David by Y’honatan.
1 Sam. 19:4-5
Y’honatan spoke well of David to Sha’ul his father and said to him, “The king shouldn’t sin against his servant David, because he hasn’t sinned against you. On the contrary, his work for you has been very good indeed. He put his life in his hands to attack the P’lishtim, and Adonai accomplished a great victory for all Isra’el. You yourself saw it, and you were happy about it. So why do you want to sin against innocent blood by killing David without any reason(l’hamit et David Chinam)?”
If we can recall, the exchange of the Kingdom from Shaul to David began when Shaul didn’t do what Adonai had commanded (several times). Shaul’s divine blessing of authority for kingly rule was taken from him and given to another. After Sh’muel HaNavi had anointed David, and after David slew Goliath, slowly Shaul began to grow jealous of David, and to bear a grudge against him. Here is what the Torah states regarding grudges.
Lev. 19:17-18
“‘Do not hate your brother in your heart, but rebuke your neighbor frankly, so that you won’t carry sin because of him. Don’t take vengeance on or bear a grudge against any of your people; rather, love your neighbor as yourself; I am Adonai.
The Lord is very serious in this passage about taking vengeance or bearing a grudge, and the text bears much weight.
Bearing grudges are the foundations of bitterness.
To this, Rashi gives the following explanation of these two phrases in Leviticus.
“If a man says, I will not lend you the tool you require, because you did not lend it to me when I asked for it- That is vengeance.
If a man says, I will lend you the tool, although you refused to lend it when I asked for it- That is bearing a grudge.”
With regard to David and Shaul, we know from the scriptures the removal of the Kingship of Shaul was of Divine providence. In the the end, David was justified and exalted, while Shaul was humbled and admitted his sin.
1 Sh’muel 24:16-22
Adonai be the judge; let him decide between you and me. May he take my side and rescue me from your power!”
After David had finished speaking to Sha’ul, Sha’ul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” Then Sha’ul cried out and wept; and he said to David, “You are more righteous than I, because you have treated me well, while I have been treating you badly. You have made it clear to me today that you have done me good; for when Adonai put my fate in your hands, you didn’t kill me. A man finds his enemy and lets him go unharmed?! May Adonai reward you well for what you did to me today. Now I’m certain that you will indeed become king, and that the kingship of Isra’el will be established in your hands.
Adonai be the judge; let him decide between you and me. May he take my side and rescue me from your power!”
After David had finished speaking to Sha’ul, Sha’ul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” Then Sha’ul cried out and wept; and he said to David, “You are more righteous than I, because you have treated me well, while I have been treating you badly. You have made it clear to me today that you have done me good; for when Adonai put my fate in your hands, you didn’t kill me. A man finds his enemy and lets him go unharmed?! May Adonai reward you well for what you did to me today. Now I’m certain that you will indeed become king, and that the kingship of Isra’el will be established in your hands.
W
hen one begins to take the path of bearing a grudge against his brother. Ultimately, when taken to extremes, bearing grudges brings death to many, and with it wars are waged. But what does Adonai say to us?
Dev. 32:35
Vengeance and payback are mine for the time when their foot slips;for the day of their calamity is coming soon, their doom is rushing upon them.
The remedy that Adonai gives are the Two mitzvoth that the Torah and Neviim hang on…The Shema: V’ahavta et Adonai Elohecha, and v’ahavta l’r’acha camocha; Love Adonai Your God and Love Your neighbor.
Lev. 19:18.
“Don’t take vengeance on or bear a grudge against any of your people; rather, love your neighbor as yourself; I am Adonai.”
Ramban Comments on this verse:
“Indeed, sometimes a person may wish upon his neighbor certain benefits, but only wealth, not wisdom and the like. But even if he wishes his cherished friend well in everything, i.e. wealth, honor, learning, and wisdom, he will not do so unstintingly; he will still insist on a larger share of the benefits. It is this shortcoming that the Torah condemned. Rather, a man should wish his fellow well in everything, just as he does in his own case, and he should place no limitations on his love.“
Yn 13:34
“I am giving you a new command: that you keep on loving each other. In the same way that I have loved you, you are also to keep on loving each other.
Mashiach says, “a Mitzvah chadash”. That is some translate as new meanwhile others translate as renewed.
Loving your neighbor “as yourself” or “like yourself” is a task in itself.
That is why Mashiach commanded saying “ Do to/for others what you want others to do to/for you. (See the Article “Tikkun Olam”)
And even in that, we should be open and honest about our expectations and our disappointments that we normally have. But that also means accepting rebuke and correction.
But What Mashiach is saying is reveals greater weight and
“In the same way I have loved you.”
Humanely, it is impossible. It can be extremely difficult to effectively love at least one person with the same measure of sacrificial love that King Mashiach has shown to us.
This is a love that is built on first Fear of God, then kindness, care, and mutual respect.
In building relationships, we find qualities, attributes or some other trait that we see in the other person that we’re drawn to and build upon that. However, a lot of times when we find out more about the person, we are not just delighted by many of the things that we admire about them, but we are also repulsed by many of the things that may overshadow their good qualities.
God at times puts many individuals in our lives to reveal something about us, but more importantly about His attributes that we are to emulate.
We don’t see what is going on behind the scenes; whats going on in the hearts of people, sometimes even those especially close to us.
What is the goal of following Mashiach? What is it that God is trying to accomplish in us by having us imitate him?
Mashiach Yeshua identified two distinctive characteristics by which people would recognize his talmidim/disciples and by which his kingdom would grow. The first is that we have love for one another. Yeshua told his disciples,
John 13:35
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples – that you love one another.”
There is something so radically different about the love we are to have for one another as Talmidim of Mashiach that people observing us should instantly recognize. There are many things that should mark the life of a talmid: study, prayer and service, to name a few. However, Our Master tells us that is the primary way His disciples should be recognized over all the others. It is more than what the world shows or defines as love. Love and discipleship cannot be separated from one another. Our love is the fruit of our discipleship. It is one of the unmistakable marks of a disciple of Yeshua HaMashiach. He says, “…they will know that you are my talmidim/disciples…” not the talmidim of Yochanan HaMatbil, not some other rabbi, not some other teacher, but His, by the love we have for one another.
Ultimately, it is the work of Ruach Ha Kodesh (Eze. 36:26, 37:14, Jer. 31:32-33)
Am Echad/One people.
Truly unified in the Basar/Body? Like that of dislocation.
Factionalism, pride and bitterness (rebellion).
Kumbaya
Is this all about everyone getting together and singing kumbaya? No…and Yes!
I was looking up Kumbaya (I remembered one of the stanzas), just in case I misunderstood the meaning.
The song was an old American folk song/spiritual that was recorded in the Gullah language by the Gullah people in the 1920s (African-Americans living in the coastal isands of south Carolina). The song was revived in the 1950s and became popular by to sing at campfires because of the boyscouts(tradition).
There are different versions. Kumbaya literally means “come by here”. The basic lyrics of the song state:
“Hear me/Someone is Praying, Crying, Singing, Laughing”, and the chorus says “come by here my Lord.” (Shlomo Carlebach sings this version, https://youtu.be/Tv6TJCJEvWw )
We need first realize where we fall short…and that could be in a lot of areas. Our words to Him should be Come near Adoni/My Lord, come near to me
So why am I talking about this now? Three reasons. First the most obvious is because its in this week’s parasha. The message of Holiness is paramount before the Holy God. In that same vein Hashem lays out the “rules of conduct” for His people. This is not just what the Holy King commands, but its also what the loving Father desires for His house. Walking in His Kingdom commands upright conduct from an upright heart and spirit.
“Loving God and Loving people”; you cant have one without the other.
And finally, we are continuing the counting of the Omer. During this time we count every day in preparation and in hope.