Tonight will be Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer. It’s a time to celebrate light, growth, and the legacy of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai—who is traditionally associated with revealing the spiritual teachings behind the Zohar. But the real fire of Lag B’Omer isn’t in the bonfires. It’s in the moments of awakening that change us forever.
I had one of those moments many years ago.
A Surprising Encounter with a Kabbalist
I had just begun my study of Kabbalah—the deeper meaning of Torah and life. One day, I walked into the learning center of a great Kabbalist. The room was packed. I figured there must be some public event going on and slipped in quietly.
The Kabbalist was mid-sentence, but he suddenly stopped. He let out a sigh—“Oy”—and looked straight at me. I froze. It felt like he was staring into my soul.
Then he pointed at me and motioned for me to come forward.
The Apple and the Lesson
My heart was pounding. I had heard stories about Kabbalistic masters—how they could see straight through you. I approached cautiously, unsure of what was coming.
He held out an apple.
He didn’t say a word—just raised it toward me.
I reached out to take it.
“No!” the crowd shouted.
Startled, I pulled back.
He offered it again. Again, I reached out. Again, they shouted, “No!”
Now I was confused, even embarrassed. Then I noticed people motioning to me to hold my hand out beneath the apple.
I did.
The Kabbalist smiled, dropped the apple into my open hand, and leaned in.
He whispered, “What have you been learning?”
Then he walked away.
Receiving vs. Taking
That short moment stayed with me for years. At first, I didn’t understand. But eventually, it became clear.
I had been learning Kabbalah—yet I missed its core message. The word “Kabbalah” literally means receiving. But I had been trying to take.
Taking is about control. It says, “This is mine. I deserve it.”
Receiving is about a relationship. It says, “This is a gift. I’m connected to the giver.”
That apple wasn’t just fruit. It was a life lesson. The Kabbalist saw that I was trying to possess the wisdom instead of receiving it with humility.
Lag B’Omer: A Time to Open Your Hands
Lag B’Omer is not just a day on the calendar—it’s a reminder.
Are you walking through life grasping, trying to take more, control more, own more?
Or are you living with open hands and an open heart—ready to receive?
Don’t take your next breath. Receive it.
Because when you receive life as a gift, you’re no longer alone. You’re in connection—with the people around you, with your purpose, and with the One who gives life itself.
