יד יוסף: BeChukosai \ Lag B’Omer \ Ethics of our Fathers 4:17

Lag B’Omer is considered significant because it marks the day that a plague among the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped. The Talmud (Yebamoth 62b) relates the story opening with a quote from Ecclesiastics (11:6), “In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they shall both be alike good”. Based on this Rabbi Akiva said, “If a man studied Torah in his youth, he should also study it in his old age; if he had disciples in his youth, he should also have disciples in his old age”. The Gemara continues that Rabbi Akiva had 24,000 students but they all died because they did not behave towards each other with respect. The world became desolate and did not revive until much later on when Rabbi Akiva was an old man and successfully conveyed his knowledge to five students. One of them Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is often considered the greatest of the sages of the Talmud. Because of this he is associated with Lag B’Omer.

Rabbi Shimon is the author of many mishnas, frequently mentioned in the Gemara, and is the redactor of the Zohar. There is one mishna in Ethics of our Fathers (4:17) in his name. “Rabbi Shimon says there are three crowns; the crown of Torah, the priestly crown, and the royal crown; however the crown of a good name is above all of them”. The idea of the crown of Torah is great acquisition of knowledge. The idea of the priestly crown is status. The royal crown represents authority. A good name often typically refers to good repute.

Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura remarks that the crown of a good name refers to one who has performed good deeds and has a good reputation because of them. However, the Chumash does not require that he be given respect. Never the less it is better than the other crowns, because the other crowns need the Torah for instruction. For example a talmid chacham who hates the material should be disgraced. Likewise a cohen gadol who behaves like a descendant of Aharon should be treated by the people with peace. However, he should not have peace if he does not behave like a descendent of Aharon. Also it is forbidden to curse a leader who is acting on behalf of the nation, but this does not apply if he is not acting on behalf of the nation.

The implication is that no instruction is needed so that people will honor one with a good reputation because he is a good person. To be a good person though according to Rabbi Shimon, the good deeds needed to be motivated by good intentions. For this reason he rejected the praise of the Romans based on the fact they had built roads, market places, and public baths, because all of these public works were motivated by base desires.

The Zohar gives insights into what Rabbi Shimon considers to be a good person. In referring to the Holy One Blessed be He, the expression “Ancient of Days, concealed more so than anything is concealed (עתיקא קדישא סתימא דכל סתימין).” This hints at the idea of wisdom and searching. So to speak a good person is one who is searching the world for G-d from the most ancient times until today.

The Zohar (section 3.291.1) also shows how greatly Rabbi Shimon reveres knowledge specifically because of the G-dliness that is in it. It states: It is written, “for a Power of knowledge is Hashem” (Shmuel 1 2); knowledge certainly. He is the knowledge. All palaces fill themselves with knowledge as it is written “with knowledge the chambers are filled (Proverbs 24:4). However some knowledge is not revealed because it is absorbed and hidden into the material, but just the same it is included in it. Knowledge illuminates the mind and spreads out to the entire mind and the entire body as it says “a G-d of knowledge is Hashem”. In another section of the Zohar (page 291:2) the point is made that the permission is given to the Cohen Gadol to enter the Holy of Holies, because he is entering from the side of kindness.

It comes out that the good name that Rabbi Shimon is looking for is to be found by pillar of wisdom in which the presence of G-d is concealed. Once this knowledge is obtained it is applied to doing acts of kindness. And because of these acts of kindness, the person becomes widely known and respected by all.