Unfortunately, in the aftermath of the horrific tragedy at Meron, some people are circulating a mistranslated Zohar. It was mistranslated, either because the person has very poor Aramaic reading skills, or there may be some other sinister reason where someone is implementing a lack of emes to further an agenda.
A voicenote that was making its rounds around social media has a thoroughly incorrect translation. This is what the voice note says with the incorrect reading:
This is from the Zohar: “It says that there will come a day that 45 people will die on the yartzeit, on Lag BaOmer by the Kever of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and that these people are nitzotzos from the Neshama of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.”
This is entirely incorrect and a stop should be put to it. We do not use sheker and mistranslations to promote things.
THE CORRECT MEANING
The correct meaning of this passage, however, does not discuss a future time. It discusses an event that happened in the past. It is a conversation between Eliyahu HaNavi and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. There was to be a gathering where Hashem would reveal secrets to the Tzaddikim. Eliyahu haNavi was there initially, but Hashem tied a task to him. The task was to rescue Rabbi Hamnunah and his friends who were taken captive (in a Roman prison). Eliyahu pushed down the walls and 45 of the Roman guards were killed. He then saved Rabbi Hamnunah.
There is no future time. Any comparison of the tzaddikim who perished rachmana litzlan to the Roman guards who captured Rav Hamnunah and his friends is horrific.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
{Matzav.com}
With all due respect, you need to calm down. I’m sure the person didn’t mean all those things you’re saying. And frankly, it’s beyond me that Matzav saw it fit to publish this. It has no bearing at all on what happened.
just to know – the Bobover Rebbe cancelled a Siyum mesechta and Tish for Lag B’omer and instead said the whole Tehilim for 2 hours berov am – the Bhm”d was packed from wall to wall and front to back – for Refuas and Yeshuas for all the injured in Meron.
True, that is sugar try it says and so are were to say such things. However, we must keep in mind that any zohar (or any part of Torah) has deeper meaning than the plain script.
Shiv’im Ponim LaTorah. It’s impossible that the zohar was being meramez to this situation this year? Impossible? That’s pretty brazen to claim. Let the families have a little nechoma from this new pshat. Please.
What nechoma could this family possibly have when someone was misrepresenting a zohar and comparing the heiliga neshoma of their loved one to an evil Roman guard.
Thank you Rabbi Hoffman for helping stop this from spreading
These neshomos were the guardians of Hashem. The police of kedusha. Not a stretch. Why be so makpid on one pshat?
Thank you
IMHO = The pashut pshat is not that Eliyahu HaNavi actually knocked down a Roman prison and released Rav Hamnuna, leaving 45 dead Romans. Just because those are the literal words (if that is how it was translated thus until now), it does not mean something so simple. This is the Zohar! Would you read an agadata Gemara as the literal pshat? Much more likely referring to this year’s event in Miron.
One more point – this is the final episode of the Idra Raba – maybe hinting to the near ending of the galus?
The gemara says the talmidim of rabbi akiva died of אסכרה. A מיתה רעה.
דריסה=אסכרה when you add one for each letter of the word. (If you are wondering why its ok to add one for each letter, probably some advice would be to learn more sefarim in pnimiyus hatorah.)
דורס or דרוס equals רע. Like a מיתה רעה.
אסכרה causes breathing issues. This is another offshoot of the breathing issues with covid, the ‘breathing issues’ with george floyd that led to more issues, as we await mashiach, called רוח אפינו.
Both, to me, are indications that this incident is very connected to the the time we are in. We know nothing is happenstance.
The talmidim passed away because they didnt give kavod to each other. The following is not a joke- due to there being no more covid in the land, and restrictions were lifted, meron was allowed to occur.
Because there was no concern of giving covid to each other.
To me, peleh pelaim.
To finish, it says in the gemara that rabbi akiva set up new talmidim. And that they were העמידו תורה אותה שעה Why Davka the words שעה?
I can’t tell you for sure, but the gemara also says that כל הדוחק את השעה השעה דוחקתו. There is a clear use of the concept of pushing and pressing in reference to שעה, a lashon also used by the gemara when new talmidim were established after the tragedy.
Walls collapsed, 45 people died, no connection? A groisseh refuah sheleimah rabbi hoffman! Are there no other rabanim that are allowed to speak or write articles? Apparently not.
Really, refuah sheleimah for all your ailments that cause you to write these articles. Refuah sheleimah bmheira bmheira!
Hi a lot of these comments are dumb.
Sure you can attached meaning to anything you want, if you find the connection meaningful great! IF you think it alludes to 45 delicious bobkas that your wife made and you ate, fantastic!
But words have meaning.
And the words do not say that 45 people will die on lag baomer and that thye have sparks of Rashbi.
Again, if you think they are connected amazing! but don;t lie about the translation
Idiot= אי דעת. No daas.
45 is THE shem Hashem. יוד קא ואו קא. Gematria אדם.
Dont talk if you know NOTHING. 45 babkas? Maybe eat them all and then let’s continue the discussion.
Love this!
Here is the quote as “translated”
““It says that there will come a day that 45 people will die on the yartzeit, on Lag BaOmer by the Kever of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and that these people are nitzotzos from the Neshama of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.””
Lets count the mistakes
!) “It says that there will come a day” No it says this happened
2) “on the yartzeit, on Lag BaOmer ” there is no mention of the Yahrtzei
3) There is no mention of the kever
4) it doesnt say the people (the Roman soldiers) are nitzotozs of Rabbi Shimon
In short. NOT A SINLGE clause of the translation is true.
and yes emes is right it is less offensive to compare roman soldiers to babkas, than to compare Roman soldiers to yidden
At a time where we should be strengthening our unity and achdus, how does Hoffman have the gall and chutzpa to accuse another jew of “sinister reason” “to further an agenda” and “sheker”
If this passage serves to provide even a single jew some consolation and apparently reading the comments here its more than one, what gives Hoffman the right do rob a jew of their divrei nechama????
Whats “horrific” here is not a jew’s well meaning intent of providing consolation to the klal, but in Hoffman trying to promote himself that only his reading is the correct one and anything else is Sheker
Thank you. Finally a voice of reason.