The Optimism of Torah

This Motzai Shabbos begins Lag B’Omer. Lag B’Omer is an interesting day: the only observance brought in the Shulchan Aruch for the day is not to say Tachanun, but we don’t say Tachanun at Mincha the day before either, indicating that Lag B’Omer has a higher level of Simcha than other days such as Pesach Sheni. In fact the Minhag has long been to treat the day in a celebratory fashion, so while it doesn’t have the status of a Yom Tov, Lag B’Omer is a day of Simcha on some level.

As with all other such days, we must understand what we are celebrating on Lag B’Omer.

The most simple answer, which is alluded to in the Shulchan Aruch, is that on this day the Talmidim of R’ Akiva stopped dying, and we are celebrating that milestone.

The obvious question then is: why are we celebrating the fact that they stopped dying? Obviously the loss of 24,000 students in such a short period of time, between Pesach and Lag B’Omer, was a tragedy of epic proportion. Is it appropriate to celebrate such a day? In addition, it seems from the words of Chazal that R’ Akiva only had 24,000 Talmidim. If so they reason they stopped dying is because unfortunately they had all been wiped out. This only adds to the notion that Lag B’Omer, the day they “stopped dying” should not be celebrated as a day of Simcha.

A common answer to this question is that we aren’t merely celebrating the fact that they stopped dying, but what R’ Akiva did next. After seeing all his Talmidim wiped out, it would have been very easy for R’ Akiva to say “I guess this isn’t for me.” It would have been natural for him to perhaps choose a different line of work, so to speak. But that isn’t what he did: he found new Talmidim—five outstanding Talmidei Chachamim—and he rebuilt Torah from them. It is this reestablishing of Torah that we celebrate on Lag B’Omer.

But if we look at the words of Chazal, this is not so simple. After telling of the deaths of R’ Akiva’s Talmidim, the Gemarah (Yevamos 62a) says: “V’haya HaOlam Shamem, Ad Sheba R’ Akiva Lirabosenu Shebedarom V’Shana Lahem, V’hem hem Heemidu Torah Oso Shah: the world was desolate (of Torah) until R’ Akiva came to the Rabanan in the South and taught them…and they revived Torah at that time.”

It would seem from here that R’ Akiva did not pick himself up on Lag B’Omer, when his 24,000 Talmidim stopped dying, and being anew. The Gemarah seems to say that there was a period of time, during which the world was desolate of Torah, until he came to his new Talmidim in the South. If so, what are we celebrating on Lag B’Omer?

I think perhaps the truth is that while there was a period of time before he reached the Rabosenu Shebedarom, R’ Akiva made the determination to keep on going on the very day that his Talmidim ceased to perish. On Lag B’Omer R’ Akiva made the commitment to find new Talmid and to keep the Shalsheles of Torah alive.

If we think about it, the strength and resolve that R’ Akiva showed in making this determination is nothing short of awesome. As we pointed out above, it would have been very human of him to give up, to alter the path of his life. After all, would not one assume that every single one of his Talmidim being wiped out was “a sign”?

Not R’ Akiva. He kept on going; he was determined to reestablish Torah. I think that if we take a closer look at R’ Akiva, and everything we know about him, we can understand why.

There are many instances in Shas where we get a glimpse into R’ Akiva’s life as well as his outlook on life, and these are illuminating as to his character.

For example, the Gemara at the end of Makos tells us that on two separate occasions R’ Akiva was walking with his Chaverim and they came upon a sight that made the Chaverim cry, while R’ Akiva himself laughed. In each case, when asked how it was possible to laugh at a situation that seemed so bleak, R’ Akiva was able to show them that if they would look at the circumstance in a different light they could in fact see a very positive message. Their response in both cases was “Akiva Nichamtanu, Akiva Nichamtanu.”

We also know that R’ Akiva was one of the Asarah Harugei Malchus. The Gemara (Brachos 61b) tells us that while he was being torturously executed the time for Krias Shema came and he began to be Mekabel Ol Malchus Shamayim B’ahava. When his Talmidim asked him how he could focus on this Mitzvah at such a time, he responded that he had in fact been waiting his whole life for an opportunity to be Mikayem the Mitzva of “B’chol Nafshecha.”

From these stories, and many others too numerous to list here, we learn an important fact: R’ Akiva was the consummate optimist.

Where others saw darkness, he saw bright light. A fox running through the Makom Hamikdash was not depressing to R’ Akiva, it was a sign that there was still hope for the Geulah. The brutal, deathly treatment at the hands of the Romans was nothing but a chance at a Mitzvah that he had been eager to fulfill.

Where did this Middah, this unrelenting optimism, come from?

We know that R’ Akiva was not always the Talmid Chacham that he became. In fact he was wholly ignorant for the first forty years of his life. The famous story is told in Avos D’Rav Nosson that he was standing beside a well and saw a rock that had been pierced as a result of the constant drip of water. He realized that if water, which is soft, can penetrate that which is hard, Torah, which is Kasha K’barzel, could penetrate his heart. Chazal tell us “Miyad Chazar Lilmod Torah: He immediately went to learn Torah.”

R’ Shalom Schwadron has an interesting insight into this story. On the face of it, if one drop of water hits a rock, it does not affect it. Only after a number of drops, on a constant basis, make contact with the rock will the rough service start to weather. If that is the case, says R’ Shalom, the water should never make an impression on the rock, because each drop is in effect the first one!

The answer is that even the first drop—and each subsequent one—makes a difference, but it is not noticeable. Only once there has been a steady flow, and therefore numerous drops, is the cumulative affect perceptible.

As he stood at the well, R’ Akiva was forty years old, it would be easy for him to say that it was too late for him to change, to become a Talmid Chacham, what would be the point of him beginning to learn at that point?

This is what R’ Akiva understood when he saw the hole in the rock: sometimes it takes time for the effect to be seen, but the change is nonetheless underway. He may not become a Talmid Chacham, but each word of Torah that he learned would affect him on some level, and the cumulative effect would certainly be noticeable.

Perhaps it is for that reason that he went to learn “right away” as Chazal tell us. Once he realized that each drop of water makes an important—if imperceptible—impact, there was no time to waste.

This may also have been the source of R’ Akiva’s optimism, because this realization, that not everything important is immediately visible to the eye, can hold true in many instances.

We look at situations and occurrences and tend focus on that which we can perceive—as did R’ Akiva’s friends in the stories we mentioned above—but in each case R’ Akiva was able to see deeper. He saw that which was not visible to the eye and therefore had a deeper understanding of life; just as each drop of water made a mark—whether we can see it or not—everything in life has meaning and purpose whether we can sense it or not.

When R’ Akiva was being tortured to death, and made the comment to his Talmidim about the Mitzva of B’chol Nafshecha, the Gemarah tells us that the Malachei HaShares asked Hahsem: “Zu Torah, V’Zu Sechora? Is this the reward for R’ Akiva’s dedication to Torah?” Why did the Malachim ask this only by R’ Akiva? The question applied to all the other Talmidei Chachamim who were killed as part of the Asarah Harugei Malchus.

In the Piyut about the Asarah Harugei Malchuis that we say on Yom Kippur we read that Hashem’s response was: “If I hear one more word, I will return the world to Tohu VaVohu.”

Miforshim explain that Hahsem was not making a threat, he was telling the Malachim that in order to explain why R’ Akiva was being tortured he would have had to show them the entire creation from the beginning—from the time that it was in a state of Tohu Vavohu—as everything is connected and there is a Master Plan so interwoven and complicated that even Malachim could not comprehend.

Perhaps that’s why this exchange is particular to R’ Akiva: because R’ Akiva himself understood this. Part of his outlook on life was understanding that no event stands on its own; there are connections, reasons and explanations for all. The drops of water are all connected, and each one makes its own impact. R’ Akiva knew that you don’t always have to be able to see the impact, to understand the positivity and goodness that is manifest to appreciate it. That was the source of his optimism.

It is this optimism that we celebrate on Lag B’Omer.

After R’ Akiva’s Talmidim were wiped out, he did not give up, because his understanding of the power of Torah did not allow him to. He had the foresight and optimism to realize that he could start anew—much as he had started his own journey long after many would have given up on themselves.

It may have taken some time for him to find the correct Talmidim to begin again, but he knew from the start that he would, because R’ Akiva had an innate ability to see the hidden good in every circumstance.

Referring back to the Chazal about R’ Akiva’s new students, there is an interesting point. “V’hem hem Heemidu Torah Oso Shah: they revived Torah at that moment.” One would assume that it took some time for R’ Akiva to impart all of his wisdom and knowledge onto these new Talmidim, but Chazal say that the resurgence of Torah was immediate!

Maybe this is because R’ Akiva’s first lesson to his new Talmidim was the message of the first drop of water: even the first, seemingly insignificant, step has within it great power. Once these five Talmidim accepted R’ Akiva as their Rebbe they took upon themselves to see the world as R’ Akiva did, and to look for the positive and hidden message in every circumstance. When you take that approach, the first step is everything, because it is the only way to get to the next step and the one after that. If that’s the case it can be understood that their revival of Torah was considered complete from that very moment.

On Lag B’Omer we celebrate the optimism of R’ Akiva, the ability to see the positive in everything. That is part of the reasons that Lag B’Omer is celebrated by lighting bonfires: we can create light amidst the darkness of the night.

Lag B’Omer comes as Sefiras Haomer, with its focus on self-improvement, is two-thirds over. But the message is clear: even if we haven’t maximized the potential in the days past, we must not give up: we can still take advantage of what remains.

We must be optimistic about our own potential for growth, and take comfort in the knowledge that each step makes an impact. These lessons of Lag B’Omer can allow us to see the world much differently, to harness the optimism of R’ Akiva and to be Zoche to our own Kiyum of “Hemidu Torah Oso Shah”