Illuminating the next generation

This year, Lag B’Omer, a day of fire, joy, and deep spiritual light, flows directly into Shabbat. We transition from the bonfires of Meron, celebrating the light of the great sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, into the glow of the Shabbat candles. Is there a connection? What parallel can we learn from Lag B’Omer and this Shabbat?

This week, we read parshas Emor, which opens with a curious repetition:

“Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and say to them …’” Why the double expression of “emor”, “ve’amarta” (speak and say)? Rashi, quoting the Talmud, explains this repetition with the phrase, “Lehazhir gedolim al haketanim”, to warn adults to guide children.

At first glance, the word “lehazhir” implies a warning, perhaps even a stern one. But lehazhir also shares its roots with zohar, which means radiance. The same word used to instruct the elders to guard their children’s spiritual purity can also be read as a command to illuminate them.

What a powerful message, especially in the days around Lag B’Omer, the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the very author of the Zohar, the foundational text of Jewish mysticism. Rabbi Shimon didn’t just preserve the Torah; he illuminated the words of the Torah with meaning and insight. The Rashbi transformed our understanding of Torah and inspired generations. The mystical aspect of Torah reminds us that it isn’t only about detail and discipline but also filled with depth, joy, and light.

And perhaps that’s exactly what the opening possuk of parshas Emor is telling us: yes, we must pass down the laws, the values, the sacred boundaries of Jewish life, but we must do so in a way that radiates. In a way that draws children in, not pushes them away, in a way that celebrates Torah as a source of joy, warmth, and connection.

That’s the role of the Kohanim, the spiritual leaders of our people, and that’s the role of every parent and educator today. Not only to be transmitters of information, but bearers of light. To hand down tradition with authenticity and precision, and with simcha, singing, and dancing. Like we do on Lag B’Omer.

So as this Lag B’Omer melts into Shabbat, we carry forward the flames of Rabbi Shimon’s fire into the candles of Shabbos. And we ask ourselves, are we passing down a Torah that glows? Are we illuminating the path for the next generation not just with what to do but why it’s beautiful? Can we articulate why a life of Torah and mitzvot is a life of light and joy? The only way to do that is to live with that light and joy.

Let’s be those who not only warn, but inspire, who don’t only preserve, but ignite.