Yesterday we celebrated the holiday known as 'Lag Baomer', on the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyyar.
What is Lag Baomer? It is the day of the passing of the great 1st century Jewish sage, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
Now, there are many holidays on the Jewish calendar, as I'm sure you're well aware. Only one, however, is on the day of someone's passing. Why would this day be reason for celebration?
Life can be lived in one of two ways: cause or effect. How so? We can either live life always seeking to be affected by the world around us; to find what the world has to offer to us. Another approach is to be the cause of change, to find where we are able to make changes for the better, and to see it through.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai himself requested that the anniversary of his passing be transformed into a holiday, and thereby gave us a timeless message as well.
If every minute, hour, day, week, month and year that we live is seen as another step forward in our service of God, giving to others, and performing the Torah and Mitzvot in an ever-increasing manner, then a lifetime lived is cause for tremendous celebration.
Rabbi Avrohom