Being that today is Lag B’Omer, we will quote a saying from Rav Shimon Bar Yochai.
The Gemarah in Masechet Berachot 35b quotes a Pasuk that says
ואספת דגנך
“Gather your grain”
Why does the Torah have to say this? Because another pasuk says
לא ימוש ספר התורה הזה מפיך
“The Torah should never leave your mouth.”
One might think that this meaning is literal, that the Torah should literally never leave your mouth, and therefore infer that you would not be allowed to work.
It’s for this reason that the pasuk tells us to gather the grain. We should act B’Derech Eretz, in the way of the world, and go work in the fields. Those are the words of Rabbi Yishmael.
But Rav Shimon Bar Yochai says:
When the Jewish people do the רצון של מקום, the Will of G-d, work gets done by others; and when the Jewish people don’t do the will of G-d, then, ואספת דגנך, you will have to gather your grain.
This is the argument between Rabbi Yishmael and Rav Shimon Bar Yochai. There are two approaches: one approach says work and learn, while the other approach, which is the approach of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai, says only learn.
The Gemarah continues and says,
אמר אביי הרבה עשו כרבי ישמעאל ועלתה בידן כרבי שמעון בן יוחי ולא עלתה בידן
Abaye (a later Rabbi, an Amorah) says, “many did like Rav Yishmael and they were successful. And many did like Rav Shimon Bar Yochai and they were not successful.”
This may sound like trial and error, like people tried Rav Shimon Bar Yochai’s way and it didn’t work, so they tried Rav Yishmael’s approach and it did work.
It sounds like the bottom-line is to go with the approach of Rabbi Yishmael: You must work and learn.
In response to this, Rav Chaim Volozhin explains that הרבה עשו- many did....means that the masses should do like Rav Yishmael. In other words, most people are supposed to follow the Rabbi Yishmael program. But there is a higher level, the Rav Shimon Bar Yochai level, which requires more bitachon. To be able to say, “I’m not going to work, I’m going to rely on Hashem to give me my sustenance,” is a higher level. Rav Shimon Bar Yochai always symbolizes an existence on a higher level. He himself lived it. He lived in a cave for over a decade and miraculously received his sustenance from a carob tree and a wellspring that sprang up by the cave. He’s on a higher level.
Additionally, there is a very nice thought in Pirkei Avot that says
, עשה תורתך קבע
Make your Torah permanent
What does that mean?
The Midrash Shemuel gives a very innovative explanation:
a pasuk in Tehilim says,
כי אם בתורת ה' חפצו- ובתורתו יהגה יומם ולילה-
His desire should be in the Torah of Hashem, and in His Torah, he should spend day and night.
Initially it says “G-d’s Torah,” but then it says, “His Torah.” Simply speaking the “His” is just a pronoun for G-d. But the novel approach of the Midrash Shemuel is that there are two levels of Torah. The higher level is called “Torat Hashem.” It’s the Torah of the sod/secrets. That , he says, is the Torah of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai. Not everyone can get to that level. בתורת ה' חפצו We have to want it.
But בתורתו - In your Torah, the Torah that’s understood by everybody, on that you should spend day and night.
He says that the Mishnah
עשה תורתך קבע
Make your Torah permanent, means your main learning, the Torah that’s on your level, that’s applicable to you, should be your main learning. You should desire to learn the deeper secrets, and have a goal of one day learning to get there, but for now that should not be your permanent learning. Right now, keep your feet on the ground.
There is a higher level, the Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai level, but that doesn’t mean we can’t aspire to that. And just like we should aspire to learn the Zohar, we have to aspire to have the higher level of Bitachon of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, which will happen in the times of Mashiah, when, as the pasuk says, we will be zoche that, other people will take care of us, עמדו זרים ורעו צאניכם
Strangers will come tend to your flocks
That will happen. We must yearn for the higher level of secrets and of bitachon.
There are always things that are beyond us, but we have to keep striving to get there there one day.
Today is Lag B’Omer, and though we definitely aren’t Kabbalists, and we aren’t yet on that high level of Bitachon, we have to strive for it.
Be’Ezrat Hashem the time will come where we will all reach those higher levels of Bitachon.
But we have to understand this is important point: The Bet HaLevi, in his commentary on Bereshit, says about this highest level of recognition of bitachon, which we call En Od Milevado, all Jewish people will reach this level in the days of Mashiach. Right now, he says, for us, this concept is merely intellectual. Only compete Sadikim merit true understanding this highest level of bitachon, through their great Emunah, until they can feel it with their senses.
But in the future, everybody will realize, with their senses, that G-d is the One that creates all existence every second, and all of the world’s creations need G-d to constantly keep them alive. That’s the highest level of recognition, that we will reach one day be’ezrat Hashem. As we said, the great Sadikim, like Rav Shimon Bar Yochai reached this level.
And as we said yesterday, he reached the highest level of Gam Zu LeTova, as well, so much so that even his death was not something to mourn, because he had the clarity of understanding that we all hope one day to get to.