THE LIGHT OF TORAH

Tongues of flame reaching into the darkness, climbing ever higher. The bonfires of Lag B'omer commemorate the anniversary of the passing of the giant of Torah, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

Why fire? Fire symbolizes a passionate striving to reach for God. The Mishnah tells us, "Warm yourself by the fire of the Sages" (Avos 2:15). Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai spent years of intensive labor developing his masterpiece of Kabbalistic insights into the Torah - the Zohar. Zohar means light - brilliant light. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was the one who brought the brilliant light of the Torah to the world to banish the darkness of falsehood. The fires on Lag B'omer remind us of this great light and warmth of Torah.