The Blogs: Lag B’Omer and the Fruitless Pursuit of Nationalism

The Gemara in Yevamoth 62b informs us:

“Ribbi Aqiva had twelve thousand pairs of students… and they all died in the same period, because they did not act with respect towards one another. And the world was desolate until Ribbi Aqiva came to our Rabbis in the South and taught his Torah to them: Ribbi Meir, Ribbi Yehuda, Ribbi Yossi, Ribbi Shimon, and Ribbi Elazar ben Shamua. And these are the ones who upheld the study of Torah at that time.”

On this, Rabbi Sherira Gaon famously posits that Ribbi Aqiva’s students died fighting for the Bar Kochba revolt. Ribbi Aqiva certainly was an ardent supporter of the false messiah Shimon Bar Kochba. “Ribbi Shimon Bar Yohai related: Aqiva, my rabbi, interpreted “a star shall shoot forth out of Ya’aqov” – [Kokhba] appeared out of Ya’aqov.” (Yerushalmi, Taanith 4:5)

The other sages, however, are not as impressed. They relate:

“Bar Koziva, [lit. the son of a lie] ruled for two and a half years. He said to the Sages: I am Moshiah. They said to him: With regard to Moshiah it is written that he is able to smell and judge, let us see ourselves whether he can smell and judge. Once they saw that could not smell and judge, he was killed.” (Sanhedrin 93b)

Indeed, Bar Yohai himself branded Kokhba as Koziva (something I censored above), and continues: “[Bar Koziva] heralded the voice of Emporer Hadrian slaughtering 80,000 dead in Beitar… 300 children’s brains were found on one stone… a horse sunk in blood up to its nostrils.” (Yerushalmi, Taanith 4:5)

It is assumed the Bar Kokhba revolt left 580,000 dead, which in turn incurred a famine killing another 500,000 – the first genocide against the Jewish people.

The whole tale is frankly harrowing. Yet, Bar Koziva occupies a celebratory position both within certain elements of the Religious Zionist world and the State of Israel in a manner one could not imagine other false messiahs such as Shabbtai Tzvi, shem reshayim yirkov, or Jacob Frank, shr”y, occupying.

The answer for why, however, is painfully obvious. Bar Koziva’s foolhardy failed pursuit of a nationalist revitalization of a Jewish kingdom in the Land of Israel mirrors the State of Israel’s successful attempt of establishing a Jewish state in the Land of Israel. Rav Shlomo Aviner even explicitly says as much: “The process of Redemption and renewal today is simply a modern version of the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Our own revolution, the 1947 War of Independence, was, with God’s mercy, successful. The nation is reawakening, and this time we shall be redeemed, with the help of God.”

One must question whether such a figure is worth celebrating. The Sages certainly thought not. For the past 33 days, alongside other observant Jews, I have been observing the rituals typically adopted by a mourner in Jewish custom in memory of the thousands killed in Bar Koziva’s messianic pursuit.

This year, Lag B’Omer night has fallen on Nakba Day. Today, Palestinians across the world mark the undisputed (amongst serious historians) tragedy of the over 700,000 Palestinian refugees who were exiled by Israeli militias and the IDF over the course of the War of Independence. Additionally, 6,373 Israelis died in the war, and an additional 19,047 soldiers have fallen in Israel’s subsequent wars. The total number, 25,420, is not too dissimilar from the total 24,000 of Ribbi Aqiva’s students who perished.

It seems appropriate to me that the Omer also mark their deaths at the same altar of messianic war, and that the State of Israel’s own memorial day falls within the Omer is entirely fitting. If you have not taken the time to remember them over this period – I encourage you to do so today; in Sephardic custom, the mourning rituals can last until the 34th day of the Omer.

The Religious Zionist mantra is often to label the State of Israel “the first bloom of our redemption” and some dare to even label it the full redemption. But let me echo the Ramban zy”a in his refutation of the Christians: “woe onto us if this is what redemption looks like.”

However, the end of the deaths of Ribbi Aqiva’s students is only one side of the celebrations of Lag B’Omer. Whilst we do end our mourning of the tragic acts of one Shimon (i.e. Shimon Bar Koziva), we also engage in a celebration of a different, righteous, Shimon – the aforementioned Ribbi Shimon Bar Yohai. Traditionally, Lag B’Omer commemorates the date of his passing; others also celebrate Bar Yohai’s emergence from Roman imposed exile on this date, during which time he is often said to have composed his most famous work: the Zohar.

The Zohar is rife with Messianic excitement. However, Bar Yohai’s messianism is distinct from that of his teacher, Ribbi Aqiva. Whilst Ribbi Aqiva believed in a militaristic saviour, the messianism of Bar Yohai is much more personal; it is a metaphysical awakening, which will be reflected in the physical world, achieved via self-improvement and inner work. This tradition has gone on to inspire the thousands of Kabbalists and Hassidim today, who try and bring the Moshiah via good deeds of charity, love, and earnest self-improvement, and not through militaristic nationalism.

The Gemara explicitly informs us that the nationalistic way is incorrect in its eyes, and Bar Yohai’s ways are upright. The nationalism of the first set of students lacked “respect”; its belief that killing enough Romans could bring redemption shows that they did not even value the most basic of things: human life, even the lives of those hostile towards us. Meanwhile, Ribbi Shimon, that is, Bar Yohai, along with Ribbi Meir, Ribbi Yehuda, Ribbi Yossi and Ribbi Elazar ben Shamua, “upheld the study of Torah at that time.” Their messianic method is not only dignified, but eternal – the entire Jewish way of life exists only because of their efforts.

We too, must internalize this message. Israel’s forever wars against the Palestinians are not “messianic birth pangs” but misguided tragedies. Messianic birth pangs are experienced when we engage in powerful and difficult inner work, confronting what it is that holds us back from respecting others, loving others, engaging in God’s commandments, and ushering in an era of peace. This is something both Israelis and Palestinians can meditate on in our joint marking of Nakba day and Lag B’Omer.

Just as the deaths of Ribbi Aqiva’s students found an end on this day, I believe that the deaths of all Israelis and Palestinians will too, one day, end. Just as Bar Yohai emerged from his exile with dignity and great light, I believe that the Palestinian people will emerge from their own exile, as marked today with dignity and great light. Just as Bar Yohai could put aside petty nationalistic efforts to focus on something far higher and greater, which can bring true salvation, I believe the whole House of Israel can and will do the same, one day soon.