Rabbi Shimon Lavi of Libya was the author of the famous Shabbat piyut "Bar Yochai" (1486-1585).
Yahrzeit - 15 Av
Burial place - Tripoli, Libya
He was a Sephardic Chacham - a kabbalist, physician, astronomer, and poet.
Rabbi Shimon Lavi's ancestors, expelled from Spain, settled in Fez, Morocco.
In 1549, Lavi moved to Eretz Yisrael, but was kidnapped for ransom by an Arab gang.
After being ransomed, Rabbi Shimon Lavi moved to Tripoli.
He wrote a remarkable commentary on the Zohar HaKadosh called "Ketem Paz" and the piyut "Bar Yochai", a kabbalistic hymn that became widely popular throughout the Jewish world.
He also revived Torah study in Tripoli and served as spiritual leader and Dayan for more than 30 years.
He established takkanot (regulations of the Jewish community).
Even 300 years after his passing, 11 rabbinic academies were still operating in Tripoli. Libyan Jews consider Lavi their treasure.
As an outstanding kabbalist, Rabbi Shimon Lavi incorporated the study of Jewish mystical texts, and the Zohar took its place as a sacred book alongside the Tanach and the Talmud.
Lavi corrected the prayer rite in Tripoli to follow the Sephardic custom.
"Ketem Paz" - a commentary on the Zohar HaKadosh - was written in 1570.
Until 1795, this work remained in manuscript form, until wealthy Jews of Tripoli published it. The title "Ketem Paz" was chosen by Rabbeinu Chida, who was living in Livorno at the time the book was published there.
In addition, Rabbi Shimon Lavi wrote a commentary called "Beur Millot Zarot sheBeSefer HaZohar" (an explanation of foreign words found in the Zohar).
Rabbi Shimon Lavi also wrote the Seder Tikkunei Kallah - the order for conducting the Tikkun Leil Shavuot. (Venice, 1680).
The Piyut "Bar Yochai"
This hymn was written in honor of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai - the namesake of Rabbi Shimon Lavi and the author of the Zohar.
This kabbalistic piyut consists of 10 stanzas, each beginning with the words "Bar Yochai" and corresponding to the 10 Sefirot. Referring to the 10 Sefirot, the stanzas describe how Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai ascended through each sefirah until he reached the highest one and merited the "supreme secret."
The initial letters of the first 9 stanzas (following the words "Bar Yochai") form an acronym of the name Shimon Lavi.
After each stanza, the following refrain is repeated:
"Bar Yochai, nimshachta ashrecha shemen sasson mechaverecha" ...
When the song reached Tzfat, it was lovingly embraced by the disciples of the Arizal, and later spread throughout Europe as well.
At the beginning of the 17th century, it began to be printed in Prague and Krakow.
The song became widely popular throughout the Jewish world.
Sephardic communities sing it every Erev Shabbat, while Ashkenazic communities sing it on Lag BaOmer, the Yom Hillula of the Rashbi.
Shabbat Piyut - Bar Yochai
בַּר-יוחַאי, נִמְשַׁחְתָּ - אַשְׁרֶיךָ!
שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂון מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ.
בַּר-יוחַאי, שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת קדֶשׁ
נִמְשַׁחְתָּ מִמִּדַּת הַקּדֶשׁ,
נָשָׂאתָ צִיץ נֵזֶר הַקּדֶשׁ,
חָבוּשׁ עַל ראשְׁךָ פְּאֵרֶךָ.
בַּר-יוחַאי, מושַׁב טוב יָשַׁבְתָּ,
יום נַסְתָּ, יום אֲשֶׁר בָּרַחְתָּ,
בִּמְעָרַת צוּרִים שֶׁעָמַדְתָּ,
קָנִיתָ הודְךָ וַהֲדָרֶךָ.
בַּר-יוחַאי, עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים עומְדִים,
לִמּוּדֵי ד' הֵם לומְדִים,
אור מֻפְלָא, אור הַיְקוד הֵם יוקְדִים,
הֲלא הֵמָּה יורוּךָ מורֶךָ.
בַּר-יוחַאי, וְלִשְׂדֵה תַּפּוּחִים
עָלִיתָ לִלְקט בּו מֶרְקָחִים,
סוד תּורָה בְּצִיצִים וּפְרָחִים,
"נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם" נֶאֱמַר בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ.
בַּר-יוחַאי, נֶאֱזַרְתָּ בִּגְבוּרָה,
וּבְמִלְחֶמֶת אֵשׁ דָּת הַשַּׁעְרָה,
וְחֶרֶב הוצֵאתָ מִתַּעְרָהּ
שָׁלַפְתָּ נֶגֶד צורְרֶיךָ.
בַּר-יוחַאי, לִמְקום אַבְנֵי שַׁיִשׁ
הִגַּעְתָּ וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה לַיִשׁ,
גַּם גֻּלַּת כּותֶרֶת עַל עַיִשׁ,
תָּשׁוּר וּמִי יְשׁוּרֶךָ.
בַּר-יוחַאי, בְּקדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים.
קַו יָרק מְחַדֵּשׁ חֳדָשִׁים,
שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתות סוד חֲמִשִּׁים
קָשַׁרְתָּ קִשְׁרֵי שִׁי"ן קְשָׁרֶיךָ.
בַּר-יוחַאי, יוּ"ד חָכְמָה קְדוּמָה
הִשְׁקַפְתָּ לִכְבוּדָה פְּנִימָה,
לֶ"ב נְתִיבות רֵאשִׁית תְּרוּמָה
אֵת כְּרוּב מִמְשַׁח זִיו דּורֶךָ.
בַּר-יוחַאי, אור מֻפְלָא רם מַעְלָה
יָרֵאתָ מִלְּהַבִּיט כִּי רַב לָהּ,
תַּעֲלוּמָה וְאַיִן קרָא לָהּ,
נַמְתָּ: עַיִן לא תְשׁוּרֶךָ.
בַּר-יוחַאי, אַשְׁרֵי יולַדְתֶּךָ,
אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם לומְדֶיךָ,
וְאַשְׁרֵי הָעומְדִים עַל סודֶךָ,
לובְשֵׁי חשֶׁן תֻּמֶּיךָ וְאוּרֶיךָ.
BAR-YOCHAI, NIMSHACHTA ASHRECHA, SHEMEN SASON MECHAVERECHA.
BAR-YOCHAI, SHEMEN MISHCHAT KODESH, NIMSHACHTA MIMIDAT HAKODESH, NASATA TZITZ NEZER HAKODESH, CHAVUSH AL ROSHECHA PE'ERECHA.
BAR-YOCHAI, MOSHAV TOV YASHAVTA, YOM NASTA YOM ASHER BARACHTA, BIM'ARAT TZURIM SHE'AMADTA, SHAM KANITA HODECHA VAHADARECHA.
BAR-YOCHAI, ATZEI SHITIM OMEDIM, LIMUDEI AD-NAI HEM LOMEDIM, OR MUFLE OR HAYEKOD HEM YOKEDIM, HALO HEMA YORUCHA MORECHA.
BAR-YOCHAI, VELISDEI TAPUCHIM, ALITA LILKOT BO MERKACHIM, SOD TORAH KETZITZIM UFRACHIM, NA'ASEH ADAM NE'EMAR BA'AVURECHA.
BAR-YOCHAI, NE'EZARTA BIGVURAH, UVMILCHEMET ESH-DAT HASHA'ARAH, VECHEREV HOTZETA MITA'ARAH, SHALAFTA NEGED TZORERECHA.
BAR-YOCHAI, LIMKOM AVNEI SHAYISH, HIGA'TA UFNEI ARYEI LAYISH, GAM GULAT KOTERET AL AYISH, TASHURI UMI YESHURECHA.
BAR-YOCHAI, BEKODESH HAKODASHIM, KAV YAROK MECHADESH CHODASHIM, SHEVA SHABATOT SOD CHAMISHIM, KASHARTA KISHREI SHIN KESHARECHA.
BAR-YOCHAI, YOD CHOCHMA KEDUMAH, HISHKAFTA LICHVUDAH PENIMAH, LEV NETIVOT RESHIT TERUMAH, AT KERUV MIMSHACH ZIV ORECHA.
BAR-YOCHAI, OR MUFLE RUM MA'ALAH, YARETA MILEHABIT KI RAV LAH, TA'ALUMAH VE'AYIN KORA LAH, NAMTA - AYIN LO TESHURECHA.
BAR-YOCHAI, ASHREI YOLADTECHA, ASHREI HA'AM HEM LIMUDECHA, VE'ASHREI HA'OMEDIM AL SODECHA, LEVUSHEI CHOSHEN TUMECHA VE'URECHA.
BAR-YOCHAI, NIMSHACHTA ASHRECHA, SHEMEN SASON MECHAVERECHA.
Rabbi Shimon Lavi's grave is located in Tripoli, Libya. He is also revered by Muslims, who called him "Ibn Limam."
May the merit of this tzadik protect our people!
