[Avodah] : Re: Um,...Hello?! RaShB"I Didn't Die on Lag b'Omer

[Ezra Chwat]

Akiva Blum 07 May 2012> Prof. Levin>, Zev Sero: "Leading Qabbalist of modern times, the Ben Ish Hai confirms this notion that RaShB"I did not die on this date,... 3. ...as does the HID"A.So claims the article the blog cites, but it gives no reference to be checked, and I'm not about to take the author's word for it."

Sources:

BIH: in Rav Paalim 11.

Casts doubt on printed version of Pri Etz Haim "yom Shemet". Doubts are substantiated by ms Oxford 1760 and NLI 6720: "Yom simhat".



HIDA: Tov Ayin 18, and again Brikey Yosef 493:4, as a secondary element of Lag Baomer mentions off-hand: "there are those who say/wrote that that this is the day of the death of Rashbi". Way out of character, he avoids mentioning the source, which probably indicates it's Hemdat Yamim (ep 1731). In any case, HIDA backs off the idea in his later response Mar'it 'Ayin Liqutim 7:8



As we (Rav Kosman and myself) started to roll this ball (Lecture, Convention in Honor of Halamish, Bar Ilan  4 Iyyar 2005), I did not intend to be the-Grinch-who-stole-Lag-L'Omer. Aderabbah, it clears the protest of CS and the day remains a day of pure Simcha- celebrating the survival of the Oral Torah in the hands of the 4 Tannaim of the Galilee (ARI, sha'ar Hakavanot).The life-changing, ecstatic experience Hilulah D'Rashbi (Idra Zuta, Talmud Bavli Ktuvot 62b) has no date attached to it. Its modern-day hyper-emphasis, fittingly coupled with Lag L'Omer is the work of the BIH and his followers even more-so than of the Hassidim. It is likely that the BIH, author of the Pizmon for the Hilulah "Ish Elokim", would object to the remark: "manifestation of confused priorities". Its sheer magnitude appears to be answering a dire lacuna 21st cent. Jewish experience.

Dr. Ezra Chwat
The Department of Manuscripts/
Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts
E.J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram POB 39105,
Jerusalem 91390, Israel
Tel: 972-2-6586232 fax: 972-2-6584606
blog: Giluy Milta B'Alma: http://imhm.blogspot.com




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