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Is going to Meron for Lag B’Omer a big deal for all frum Jews? Or is it only crucial for certain Jewish sects?
How long have Israelis been going to Meron for Lag B’Omer? Do Jews from other parts of the world travel to Meron for Lag B’Omer too?
Thank you 🙂
I used to live at Kever Rashbi, so maybe I can speak about things that I’ve seen/heard/know.
It’s not a big deal for ALL frum Jews to go on Lag B’omer, but it’s a big deal for MANY here in Israel.
Most of the Jews that I’ve talked to, go simply because they WANT to go; it just so happens that their sect also is going. In other words, most people I talk to go to Kever Rashbi because they see it as a wonderful treat & not as a religious requirement that they must fulfill…many frum Israelis (ashkenazi & sephardi) love Rebbe Shimon intensely & they gladly will put up with the transportation issues in order to share in Rebbe Shimon’s simcha on his hillula.
As for how long have Israelis been going, I’m not sure. But in the time of the Arizal people were already making the trip. So, it’s been going on for a while.
By the way, I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Kever Rashbi, but their are massive crowds of people there every Shabbos & Chag. I point this out because some people think it’s only a yearly thing for Meron to have big crowds. But it’s not (okay, maybe not 400,000 or whatever people)….I also want to point out there are many other entire sects that come up there to daven, not just Breslov like some people think.
Jews have been going to Meron for Lag B’Omer long before the State of Israel existed.
I was listening to a shiur by Rav Fischel Schachter who said among other things; In chutz La’aretz we have two days Yom tov. In EY they have Lag B’Omer instead. Until relatively recently, Lag B’omer was not celebrated outside of EY as it is today. The Rebbes in Eastern Europe did not have ‘Hadlokos’ as they do today, whereas in EY it was celebrated all the years.
People have been going to Meron for hundreds of years, but obviously the dangers of travel to what was a remote village, made it not the mass event that it is today until after the founding of the state.Many Litvish Roshei Yeshiva advise against going for various reasons.
In the new Rav Gustman book he is quoted as saying “surely Rav Shimon runs away from his kever on that day so why go?”.
The book does not elaborate but my rosh yeshiva in EY (who was against it) always commented on the irony. After all Rav Shimons most famous story in the gemarah is about his intolerance of bitul torah. My rosh yeshiva used to say “if you want to honor rav shimon, learn a little more”.Mentsch, I think what was being referred to was when they had an issue with men & women mixing in the crowds. The Baba Sali himself wouldn’t go for this reason. However, they have fixed this issue & many holy tzaddikim are known to go there.
Either way, I don’t agree with the “bitul torah”. Was it bitul torah when the Arizal also went to Kever Rashbi & danced on Lag B’omer?
As an American-born litvish person who does not like crowds, I can’t understand the desire to go to Meron on Lag B’Omer. But for many, especially Israeli chasidim and sefardim going to Meron is a spiritually uplifting event and an amazing opportunity for tefilla that they would not miss. Rabi Shimon promised yeshuos (salvation) to those who come and celebrate “with him”, and some even come from outside of Israel to daven for special needs. I can’t say that all 500,000 go for the same reasons- some are probably just going for the adventure and because it is a happening place, but for the majority, it is a spiritual opportunity. And for the vendors, an opportunity to make some money (on a live stream of Meron, they featured a guy selling spinners!)
Notice I said Litvish
It’s been a long time since I’ve been in EY for lag baomer, but I don’t believe that it has caught on with the litvaks.
And my RY was a big litvak. And his statement is classic litvak.
I personally agree with my Rosh, but I understand that there is more than 1 right derech to serve Hashem.A chassidish American lady once told me that a lot of chassidim come to EY for Lag B’Omer to go to Meron. Apparently, it’s considered a “big deal” by the Chassidim.
As for me, I’m with WTP – I can’t handle crowds. It is probably an amazing uplifting experience – but it wouldn’t be for me. I’ll find another opportunity to go to Meron be”H.
I feel bad for you when you’ll have to go oleh regel. (Or for when you did in a previous incarnation.)
oh my gosh – someone just said that to me last Shabbos when I said the same thing that I said above! 🙂
I’ll give you the same response I gave them – that is one of the nissim in the Bais HaMikdash – that even though it
will be crowded, no one will feel crowded.Looking forward to the day when I can be in a crowd but not feel crowded!!! B’ezras Hashem, soon!!!
oh my gosh – someone just said that to me last Shabbos when I said the same thing that I said above! 🙂
That was me, on Shabbos! 😂
I was waiting for you to say that!
Actually, I think it was a lady.
Wait… someone told you something last Shabbos and you’re not totally sure whether it was a man or lady?
LU as has been explained to you you have absolutely no way of knowing whether Joseph is a man or a lady.
It was at the Shabbos seudah, and there was more than one person at the table. It could have been either the baal habayis or the baalas habayis. Do you remember who said every word that was said to you during the past week?
Anyhow, I’m 99.99% sure it was the baalas habayis.
I was waiting for someone to say that. Ever since I joined the CR, I feel like I’ve been blessed with Ruach Hakodesh! The number of times I’ve known what someone was going to say before they said it!!!!
We don’t know whether he is a man or a woman, but we can rule out lady or gentleman.
(Apologies, Joseph, but this is what I say when people say “man or lady”.)Its hard for those not similarly motivated why yidden feel a compulsion to daven at the kevorim of certain tzadikim without regard to the logistics of getting there and the potential consequences. I’ve never been a fan of the annual rush to Uman for Rosh Hashanah at a cost of thousands of NIS and indirect support for the world’s biggest anti-semitim. Does anyone really believe either Rav SBY, Z’TL or Rav Nachman, Z”TL would intercede with the Ebeshter on their behalf to a lesser degree if a yid davened with kavanah from a different location or on any other day of the year??
I think the idea of davening at kivrei tzaddikim is that they are a makom kadosh, and tefillos recited at a makom kadosh are more powerful.
Also, the zchusim of the tzadikim buried there can provide an extra zchus for your tefilos. We all (chassidish or not) believe that different places have different spiritual realities whether we can feel them or not. The presence of a tzaddik or a tzaddik’s kever gives the place a certain kedusha and therefore the tefilos said in that place are different. The person also becomes a different person as a result of being in a makom kadosh. And therefore, his tefillos are different, and he can connect to Hashem more easily.
Jews just don’t go to keverim in order to “get something”, they also go in order to “give” simcha to the tzaddik. It might sound weird to some, but there are many Jews in Israel that feel a strong connection to R’ Shimon as if he was their actual physically-living rebbe/rabbi.
Either way, I know of a huge Breslov rabbi of the previous generation that agreed with your last statement & so he stayed in Israel for Rosh Hashanah. However after witnessing so many miracles that kept taking place for those that went to Uman on R”H, he decided to start going himself.
Whenever my gender… I distinctly remember our conversation at the Shabbos seuda and my telling you that.
Why should we rule out lady or gentleman? Why do you say that when people say “man or lady”?
I think “man or lady” is the more Yeshivish terminology as opposed to “man or woman” which is more MO. (sociologically speaking, not a reflection of hashkafa or frumkeit. and yes, it’s a generalization).
are you saying that you are a mechalel Shabbos then (c”v)? I’m pretty sure that you have posted when it was Shabbos in EY….. That was our proof that you are not me.
I’m an international traveler. One week I could be in Lakewood and another week in Yerushalayim.
okay, so let’s test you:
1. How many kids do you have?
2. What game did I play with your daughter last Shabbos?
3. What did I bring for a gift?
4. Why was your son in such a good mood last week, and why did he say that he felt like a “stone was removed from his heart”?yeah, but this person is not….
You’re still not 100% sure if it was a male or female but you are 100% sure how many kids he/she has?
Anyways, to keep the fun going longer I’m going to decline to prove myself to you since I know with certainty it is what it is. But since I’m a nice guy or gal (depending whether I’m a gentleman or lady, as ubiq would remind you), the next time I see you at a Shabbos seuda I will definitively identify myself to you by specifically mentioning the coffee room. (That isn’t a “nisht Shabbos geredt” topic, right?)
That’ll leave you no more room for doubt.
Because chivalry is dead!
I’m sure the night club atmosphere in both Meron and Uman is not bringing much simcha to anyone. Except perhaps, those in the travel, hospitality and entertainment business.
I don’t know of that atmosphere being there. Perhaps you’re referring to that type of atmosphere at Jewish concerts and Pesach hotels.
I don’t talk about the coffee room on Shabbos (j/k)
uh, by the way, most baal habayis’s and baalas habayis’s have the same number of kids as each other.
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