Disciples of Rabbi Akiva

Freely Translated

13 Iyar, 5730 (1970)

The story of Lag B'Omer, as related in the Talmud, is well-known.

Our Sages tell us that the disciples of Rabbi Akiva were stricken by a plague because they were not respectful toward one another.

But on the thirty-third day of the Sefira - Lag B'Omer - the plague stopped.

The story of Rabbi Akiva's students contains a lesson for every one of us.

The Talmud testifies that the students who died in the plague were "disciples of Rabbi Akiva."

It is clear that they were worthy of this title, which implies that they were dedicated to Torah and mitzvos (commandments) with devotion, diligence and self-sacrifice, as their teacher, Rabbi Akiva, had taught them.

It follows that their lack of respect for one another could not have been due to trivial matters, but was motivated by the high level of their spiritual standing as "disciples of Rabbi Akiva."

The explanation of their conduct is to be found in the saying of our Sages, that people generally have different opinions and different personalities.

Each individual has, therefore, his own approach in serving G-d, studying the Torah and observing the mitzvos.

For example, one person may do it primarily out of love of G-d; another person may do it primarily out of fear of G-d; a third may do it primarily out of a sense of complete obedience and submission to the Will of G-d; and so forth, though in actual practice, all of them, of course, fully and meticulously observe the Torah and mitzvos in their daily lives.

Being disciples of Rabbi Akiva, they were surely "men of truth," who served G-d with the utmost sincerity and devotion, which permeated their whole beings.

Thus, it seemed to each one of them that his particular approach was the right one, and any one who had not attained his level was lacking in perfection.

Moreover, being disciples of Rabbi Akiva, who taught, "You shall love your fellow Jew as yourself; this is the great principle of the Torah," they were not content personally to advance from strength to strength in their own way of serving G-d, but they wished also to share this with their friends and tried to influence them to follow their path.

Seeing that the others were reluctant to accept their particular approach, they could not respect them to the degree that was to be expected of the disciples of Rabbi Akiva.

In the light of the above, we can see that the story of Lag B'Omer in the Talmud teaches us what should be the correct conduct of each and every one of us, and the instruction is threefold:


Serving G-d, studying the Torah and observing the mitzvos, both the mitzvos between one individual and another, and the mitzvos between an individual and G-d, must be performed with true inspiration and vitality, which permeate the whole of the person and his daily conduct.

The above includes, of course, the great mitzva of "Love your fellow Jew as yourself," which must also be fulfilled with the utmost vitality and in the fullest measure.

Together with the above, a person must look kindly and most respectfully upon every Jew, who differs only in the manner of worship, whether it is out of love, or out of reverence, etc.

A further instruction from the above is that even if one meets a Jew who has not yet attained the proper level of Divine service, the approach must still be that of respect and affection, in accordance with the teaching of our Sages, "Judge every person favourably."
Let the great Sage, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who considered Lag B'Omer his day of personal joy, be an example and inspiration to all of us.

For Rabbi Shimon said that he was prepared to give up all his merits in order to save the world from judgement (Sukka 45b).

In other words, he was prepared to give himself completely to a person who has no merits of his own, whom he never met, and who may be at the other end of the world. How much more so should one be ready to give of himself for the benefit of near and dear ones and all his friends.

May G-d bless each one of you that you live and act in accordance with the spirit of Lag B'Omer and that you do so with the utmost measure of true Ahavas Yisrael (love of a fellow Jew), with joy and gladness of heart, to hasten the realization of the words of the Lag B'Omer week's Torah portion, "I will break the bars of your yoke (in exile) and make you go upright" - in fulfilment of the true and complete Redemption through Moshiach.