Happy Rashbi hilulah celebrations to all House of Israel!

[rylah]

A hilulah is a celebration or a mitzvah meal that Kabbalists and Chassidim traditionally observe on the anniversary of the death of a tzaddik . During the celebration, it is customary to deal with the actions and teachings of the tzaddik.

The earliest source of the custom is mentioned in Rashi 's commentary in the name of the responsa of the Geonim:

ובתשובת הגאונים מצאתי כל הנך ריגלי דאמוראי היינו יום שמת בו אדם גדול קובעים אותו לכבודו ומדי שנה בשנה כשמגיע אותו יום מתקבצים תלמידי חכמים מכל סביביו ובאים על קברו עם שאר העם להושיב ישיבה שם

— רש"י מסכת יבמות דף קכב עמוד א

The most celebrated hilulah takes place on Lag BaOmer , in memory of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai, and many people visit the tomb of Meron . One of the customs is reading the Zohar in general and in the book of Idra in particular, in which the day of Rashbi's passing is described, and there is a call to celebrate the celebration and joy.

 

[Ria_Longhorn]

Rabbi Mendel Vitebsker was asked why he believed himself sufficiently versed in the Kabbalah to write a book on the subject. He replied with the following parable:

"A king lost his signet ring and worried lest the finder might forge the royal signature to illegal documents. The princes and ministers dispersed throughout the royal parks to search for it. It was a farmer, however, who chanced to pick up the ring. He did not know its value, but, since it was lying near the palace grounds, he returned it to the Chamberlain.

"I am like the farmer," said the Rabbi, "ignorant of the true possibilities of the science of Kabbalah, but, nevertheless, able to discover and compile wisdom in it."