Weekly Dvar Torah: Rashbi and Blessings for Children

We all celebrated an amazing and inspiring Lag Baomer, when we had all the parades and rallies with and for the children. The Rebbe once said that the Rashbi comes to those parades and dances with the children, because this is ‘his’ day of joy and celebration.

We also learned in the Hayom Yom of the 18th of Iyar, the day of Lag Baomer, that Lag Baomer was an exceptional holiday by the Mitteler Rebbe, during which he performed great miracles, mainly related to [having] children.

In addition, many Jews celebrated at the Tziyun of the Rashbi in Meron, where thousands came to pray for children, and many were blessed as a result. The Rebbe also told us that going to the Ohel is just like going to the Rashbi in Meron. And through the years it is known about many miracles that happened as a result of the people who came to the Rebbe for blessings, and were blessed. This continues to this very day by the Rebbe’s Ohel. The blessings are prevalent to this very day.

Many ask, what is the connection of the Rashbi and children?

The Rebbe once told a story from the Midrash that gives us some insight and explanation.

It once happened that a couple had been married for 10 years and had not been blessed with children.

It was the Torah custom in those times, that when a couple had been married for ten years and could not have children, they would divorce and be free to marry somebody else with whom they could have children. –

They came to the Rashbi for guidance.

The Rashbi responded with a strange ruling; just like when you got married you celebrated with a feast, so too, now when you are going to divorce, make a feast to celebrate your divorce.

The couple complied, and they made a celebration in preparation for their upcoming divorce. They invited their friends and they had a party.

At the feast as they were partying and drinking, the husband became inebriated. In his good mood full of love to his wife, he turned to her and said; I know that we are destined to separate, so as an expression of my love, and as a gesture of gratitude to you, I will ask you to please pick any item that you can find in our home, whatever is most precious to you and which you like most, and take it with you back to your father’s home.

The wife saw to it that her husband should be really drunk, to the point that he fell asleep and didn’t quite know what was happening to him. The wife then instructed her servants to carry the husband away, back to her father’s home.

After the husband started sobering up, and he woke up, he asked his wife, where am I? She responded, you are in my father’s home. He asked, what am I doing in your father’s home? She responded, since you told me that I can take the best and most precious item that I can find back with me to my father’s house, I couldn’t find anything more precious to me than you, my husband. So, I took you with me back to my father’s home.

With this they approached the Rashbi once again and asked him how to proceed.

When the Rashbi heard their story, he prayed for the couple, and they were blessed with children, and they lived happily ever after.

The Midrash concludes the story by saying; מה הקב”ה פוקד עקרות, כך צדיקים פוקדים עקרות – just like Hashem remembers the barren (and opens their womb to have children), so too Tzadikim can remember the barren (and open their womb to have children).

This, the Rebbe explained, is why there were miracles on Lag Baomer specifically about children. Because the Rashbi is the one who revealed to us that just like Hashem, Tzadikim are able to open the womb of barren women. And since the Rashbi, the leader and Tzadik of his generation, on Lag Baomer – the day of his passing – reached the zenith of his life, and his powers reached the peak, all his abilities come to fruition.

In the same vein, every Tzadik and leader in his generation, has the ability to bless the barren to have their wombs opened, to be able to have children.

That’s why Lag Baomer in particular, is a day blessed to perform miracles, especially in relation to children.

Let’s take in all the blessings that were bestowed upon us on Lag Baomer, and enjoy them for all that’s good for our children, to have much Nachas and happiness all year round.

Have a blessed children of a Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Yosef Katzman