Editors Note: The following piece is  an annotated compilation, using existing sources, which are sited as links from the world wide web. The authors intention is to weave the known information from some unrelated sources into one work to later explain how they connect to the current time period of  Sepherot Omer, the counting of the Omer. In cases of conflict that author went the sources which he believed to be more credible as the information which had been given over to him by various teachers. In many cases the exact wording was used from the sources provided, it is not the author’s intention to pass of the writing as his own original work, even though there may have been some changes to the original phrases.

Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, aka The Arizal would spontaneously deliver his lectures on some of the deepest and most mystical ideas that are derived from extensive interpretations of  Torah,  as expounded in The Zohar, who’s  authorship is attributed to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

Very little actual written work is known which had been written by the Ari himself, some kabbalistic poems were  written in Aramaic for the Sabbath table. The person who was responsible for recording the Arizal’s was Rabbi Chaim Vital, who collected notes from the of the lectures of the Arizal’s students.

Arizal.net, The Kabbalah
of Rabbi Yitzhak Luria

Rabbi Yitchak Luria, was know to be able to read the holy spirits of the face, as explained in the Zohar volume 8. At one point, The Arizal knew that it would be his student Rabbi Chaim Vital, who would be the one who would later transmit his teachings. Thje Arizal realized that Chaim Vital was somehow not comprehending the more mystical elements of his teachings so he took him to Tiveria, to the spot where the water from Miriam’s well fed into the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and had Rabbi Chaim vital drink of this water, then Chaim Vital was able to understand.

Miriam’s Well – Found in the Kinneret

be'er miriam 100 yrs ago Site of Miriam's Well NFC, National Archives

Archaeologist Yossi Stepansky, found the long-lost site of Miriam’s Well

About the age of twenty-two, he became engrossed in the study of The Zohar, a major work of the Kabbalah that had recently been printed for the first time, and he adopted the life of a recluse. He retreated to the banks of the Nile, and for seven years secluded himself in an isolated cottage, giving himself up entirely to meditation.

arizal.net “Biography of The Arizal”

In 1569, Arizal returned to the Land of Israel. After a short sojourn in Jerusalem, where his new kabalistic system seems to have met with little success, he settled in Tzfat. In Tzfat the Arizal met Rabbi Joseph Caro, who is the author of the Shulchan Aruch. Also there in Tzfat was Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, The Ramak who was a student of the renowned Rabbi Yosef Caro. The Ramak’s mystical classic “Pardes Rimonim” (Garden of Pomegranates), written when he was only 27, synthesizes all the major topics of mysticism in an orderly and relatively philosophical system. In Tzfat, Israel he opened an academy for the study of mysticism, where many of the greatest mystics of the age studied. Even the great Arizal studied with him and greatly honored him. At the young age of forty-eight, Rabbi Moshe Cordovero passed away in Safed. In his eulogy, the Arizal declared that Rabbi Moshe was so pure and saintly that his death could only be attributed to the sin of Adam.

Rashbi.org Kupat Tzidkat Rashbi, Meor Chaim 6/31, Tzfat Israel

The Ari z’l – Rebbi Yitzhak Luria (also known as the Ashkenazi Reb Yitzhak, hence the acronym (Ari)

- was born in the old city of Jerusalem. He received his Jewish education in Egypt, where he married the daughter of a great Jewish sage, and spent his days and weeks immersed in Torah study… His main focus was to try to reach an understanding of a certain very esoteric section of the Zohar known as the Safra De’tzniyusa – the “book of modesty.” Through intense study, fasting, and ultimately revelation from Elijah the prophet, he arrived at a revolutionary new understanding of Kabbalah based on structures of sephirot (sephirot are G-dly emanations with which He controls and illuminates the creation). The early kabbalists had focused on individual sephirot, but by focusing upon how they act together, the Ari z’l was able to unlock the secrets of this most esoteric section of the Zohar.

Above courtesy of: Jerusalemconnection.org Holy Burial Places – Tzfat

Ari Hakadosh, “The Holy Arizal”, Tzfat – Yahrtzeit, 5 Av
Rabbi Isaac Luria – On Hai Av, the yahrtzeit of the holy Ari za”l, thousands swarm the Tsfat Cemetery. Tzidkat Rashbi provides food, drink, and shelter to the thousands who come to pray at the ancient cemetery in Tzfat on Hai Av the yahrtzeit of the Ari HaKodesh.
The Arizal’s kever is located in the middle of the cemetery, housed by a large platform for the many visitors who come to pray.

Kupat Tzidkat Rashbi, Meor Chaim 6/31, Tzfat Israel Tel: 03-9786240 (718) 971-5901

In the last year of Ramak’s life, the Arizal comes to Tzfat and becomes his student.

Ramak penned many influential Kabbalistic works and was one of the greatest disseminators of mysticism. His sublime personality and prolific literary output reached far and wide, changing the landscape of life everywhere.

“…Rabbi Moshe Cordovero was counted amongst the great students of the ‘Beit Yosef’, and even though he was one of the youngest, he was worthy to rise to being one of his most prominent student.

Published Writings:
Pardes Rimonim (Orchard of Pomegranates).
Ohr Yakar (The Precious Light).
Ohr Ne’erav (Pleasant Light).
Sefer Alimah Rabti (The Great Work of ‘to Elim’)
Shiur Komah (Measurement of Height).
Sefer Gerushim (Book of Banishments).
Tomer Devorah (The Palm Tree of Devorah)

Special Thanks to Meaningfullife.com The Ramak

The core of the Ramak’s system consisted of a detailed description of how God created reality through the ten sefirot – channels of Divine energy. Understanding these ten forces is key in the study of Kabbalah today.

Source above: SimpleToRemember.com In the 16th century, the mountaintop town of Tzfat became the center of Jewish mysticism – the Kabbalah.

The Ten Sefirot are:

Keter – crown,
Chochmah – wisdom,
Binah – understanding,
Chessed – kindness,
Gevura – strength,
Tiferet – beauty,
Netzach – victory,
Hod – awe,
Yesod – foundation,
Malchut – monarchy.
Sometimes the Sefirot are listed without Keter, and then Da’at -wisdom, is included between Bina and Chesed.

Above courtesy of Aish.com: A Kabbalistic concept explaining the multiplicity of God’s manifestations in the world helps us see how God is truly One. by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The Ari’s system was different from that of the Ramak in that, rather than seeing the sefirot as one-dimensional points, he saw them as dynamically interacting partzufim, “personae,” each with a symbolically human-like character.

In his understanding, human actions can impact on the sefirot —which channel Divine energy into the world – and can either facilitate or impede the advancement of creation toward its intended state of perfection.

The Ari also advanced the study of reincarnation, which he explained in Sha’ar He Gilgulim “The Gate of Reincarnation.”

During this period of time, many people came to study Kabbalah in Tzfat and legends are told of the Kabbalists, all dressed in white, walking out in the fields on the evening of Shabbat, singing the song welcoming the Shabbat Queen: Lecha Dodi Likrat Kallah, “Come My Beloved to Greet the Bride.” (This famous song/poem was written in the 16th century by Rabbi Solomon HaLevi Alkabetz.) The Kabbalat Shabbat service to welcome the Shabbat on Friday evening was created in Tzfat in the 16th century.

A short compilation of some major people who learned and taught in Tzfat in the early 16th century at the time of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, The Ari Hokodesh.

A compilation such as this must include some information on Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who was a student of Rabbi Akiva. Shimon bar Yochai was pursued by the Romans. He and his son, Rabbi Elazar ben Shimon, took refuge in a cave, where they remained for thirteen years.

During those years, Rabbi Shimon studied Torah with his son, the Revealed Torah and the Hidden, or Secret, Torah

Lag BaOmer means the thirty-third day in the Count of the Omer. In Israel, at Meron, the burial place of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son, Rabbi Elazar b’Rabbi Shimon, tens of thousands of Jews gather to celebrate on the “Yahrtzeit,” the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

Ou.org “Celebration of Lag BaOmer”

A story is told of Rabbi Akiva that when Moses ascended Mount Sinai, he saw that G-d was putting little taggim (the small ‘crowns’ on the top of the letters in the Torah scroll) on top of the Torah that was to be presented to the Jews at Mount Sinai. Moses asked G-d to explain the meaning of these taggim. G-d explained that in the future a man by the name of Akiva ben Joseph will reveal what these signs mean.

Moses asked G-d to reveal to him this man and so G-d replied to Moses to turn around. When Moses turned around he saw a sage surrounded by many rows of students listening eagerly to this man’s teaching. The greater students sat in front and the lesser in the rear. Moses, being a very humble man, took a seat in the eighth row and began listening. Rabbi Akiba taught a certain law and the students asked him what is the source, he replied that it came down to us from our great master Moses.

Moses came back and questioned G-d, if there is such a great man like that why give the Torah through me? G-d answered, “Be silent, this is my will.” (Menachoth 29b)

Lag B’Omer

Rabbi Akiva had a famous academy with twenty-four thousand students. Yet his students did not treat each other with the respect due from the students of Rabbi Akiva. During the period between Passover and Shavuot, during a thirty-three day period, all twenty-four thousand students died. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai was one of the greatest disciples of Rabbi Akiba.

JewishMag.co.il “Connecting Rabbi Akiva and Lag B’Omer”

The story of Lag B’omer becomes complex when one tries to understand that there was one day in the counting of the Omer where none of the students of Rabbi Akiva died. That day is Lag B’Omer which literally means the 33rd day of the Omer. One needs to understand that at the time during 33 days of the Omer (and it is not know exactly which of the 33 days the Omer the talmidim of Rabbi Akiva died in a plague) that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, was not yet a student of Rabbi Akiva, and had not yet gone into hiding in cave for thirteen years.

He did not die with the rest of these students (actually he became a student of Rabbi Akiva when Rabbi Akiva renewed his efforts after having lost all of his students in the plague. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai died on Lab B’Omer, the thirty-third day of the counting of the omer. It is known in chassidic teachings

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