[COMMUNICATED]
Recite the Prayer by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on Lag Baomer
This prayer by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (known by the acrostic the Rashb”i) is recorded in the Zohar (Part II, 206) and is recited every time we take the Torah from the Ark. Aside from addressing the grandeur of G-d and pleading for compassion and mercy, it focuses on parnassa (livelihood), arichas yomim (long life) and blessed, honest and good children.
Please recite it on Lag Baomer, focusing word by word, for that day is the hilula (anniversary of the passing of the Rashb”i). Moreover, in Bechoros 31b, Rabbi Yochanan quotes the Rashb”i: Any talmid chacham (Torah scholar) in whose name a Torah matter is quoted in this world, his lips mouth the words in the grave – as though he were speaking! How meaningful is this for one who recites the Brich Shmei prayer in Meron at the tomb of the Rashb”i.
English: https://www.shasyiden.com/tefilah
Yiddish: https://www.shasyiden.com/tefilah-yiddish/
This suggestion is good for those people who have no established customs.However, for us who follow the customs of our great Ashkenazic Rabbis of yore, who established that we should not say the Brich Shmei prayer ever, will continue to refrain.
Additionally, there is no indication that Brich Shmei was authored by R. Shimon bar Yochai. Not everything in the Zohar comes from R. Shimon bar Yochai. As The Chasam Sofer zt”l told his talmidim and as the Yaavetz records, what is in the Zohar that really was said by R. Shimon bar Yochai amounts to a few pages. The rest of the Zohar was authored by other Sages, including Amoraim, Gaonim and Rishonim. Because we cannot know exactly who authored what, we cannot change our tradition based on statements in the Zohar, even if it a holy book.
Additionally, there is no authoritative work that says that R. Shimon bar Yochai passed away on Lag BaOmer.
Also, R. Shimon bar Yochai is mentioned 324 times in the Mishna and in almost all the tractates, except Brachos, Challah, Taanis, Megilah, Moed Katan, Nedarim, Tamid, Midos, and Kinim. And in hundreds of Talmudic pages. Surely there is plenty of material by R. Shimon bar Yochai to be learned without resorting to statements not necessarily authored by him.