9 Candles on Lag BaOmer – a segula in the merit of Rashbi
Lag BaOmer is an Et Ratzon—a time when our wishes are especially favorably received, a time of special Divine benevolence toward us. Therefore, on this day we offer especially many prayers to our Creator and light many candles. On the eve of Lag BaOmer (the evening of 18 Iyar), we light one 24-hour candle Lechvod Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and ask, in the merit of the tzadik, for blessings from the L-rd.
During the day on 18 Iyar (on Lag BaOmer itself), beginning at 12:00, we light 9 candles at hourly intervals and ask in the merit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
Rabbi Yaakov of Husiatin says that this is a day to pray for material and spiritual matters, because it was the day when the manna first began to fall, opening the channel of parnassah—not only for that generation, but for all subsequent generations. Each year, the light of this great and holy day is renewed. Before lighting the candles, we recite the prayer Tefilah le-Butzina Kadisha Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai - (A prayer to the Divine luminary, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai). Transliteration: Ribono shel Olam, ten belev hatzadik hakadosh vehanora, Butzina Kadisha Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, sheyaamdu baadi lemelitzei yosher lahafokh et kol zaakati utefilati, sheezkeh beyom hakadosh, Chai be-Iyar, lelev chadash veruach chadasha. Ribono shel Olam, mi yakhol lesaper shevach maalot Adonenu ha-Tanna hakadosh Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai? Ze ha-ish, margish ha-aretz, margiz mamlakhot. Hu hakadosh asher asak baTorah lishmah, vezakhah lidvarim harbeh. Hu hakadosh asher nitgalu lo kol razei haTorah, venaasah kemaayan hagadol hamitgaber. Hu hakadosh asher he'ir einei Yisrael baTorah. Hu hakadosh asher hayah es elyon mekifo me'osek Torato. Hu hakadosh asher zakhah la'alot lihyot bemadregat Moshe Rabbeinu alav hashalom, bizman kabbalato luchot hasheniyot. Uma nomar? Amkha Beit Yisrael mishtokekim umitgaagim meod la-Shem Yitbarakh. Bati hayom liz'ok elekha, Riboni, bati lomar, ana shema tefilati. Va'ani rotzeh lesaper al godel hitgarut haba'al hadavar asher hitgarah banu meod. Mi ani hakatan, lesaper tzarot Yisrael? Akh bati lesaper, bati liz'ok alai ve'al nafshi, al pegamai ve'avonotai. Veomar: “Ani bokhiyah, ve'einai yordei mayim.” May I merit to rectify these gilgulim and blemishes. I did not know my soul was in this state. And now, hear my cry and say, “How good and how pleasant is this day.” Today is Lag BaOmer, when the Name of Mercy and the Name of Trust are revealed, and today is called the hilula of the holy Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. “The tzadik shall rejoice on this day,” for this is the special day of our joy. And we, his students, all of us together, come on this day to cry out before You, Ribono shel Olam. And now, in Your mercy, open for us the heavenly gates, and we shall say: “The time of redemption has arrived—amen and amen!” 9 candles on Lag BaOmer in the merit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai:12:00 – 12:45 – Shidduch, Zivug Tov (finding one's soulmate);
As taught by the Admor of Sochatchov, this is the very day on which one should pray to find a worthy spouse, as well as a worthy match for one's children. Rashbi himself got married on Lag BaOmer!12:45 – 13:30 – Zera kodesh bar kayama (having children);
There is a beautiful segula for Lag BaOmer: shooting an arrow from a bow. One should acquire a bow and arrows, as it says in Tehillim (127:4): “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.” Maharal of Prague teaches: “The acronym of the word ‘arrow’ is ‘keshet’(קשת)—locks—black—curls (קvutzotav- שchorot –תlaltalim).” Therefore, one should make the following promise: “With G-d's help, bli neder, I promise that when my son turns three, I will bring him here and perform the ‘chalakeh’ ceremony with him (the traditional haircutting of a three-year-old boy on Mount Meron).13:30 -14:15 – Refuah shlemah ve-briut (healing and health)—we have in mind the first letters of the name Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, which correspond to Refuah Shlemah Bezrat Aшем in Hebrew;
14:15 – 15:00 – Parnassah tovah (a good livelihood);
It is very important to ask for parnassah. In the higher worlds, Rashbi is the tzadik responsible for parnassah. The manna first descended for the Jewish people on Lag BaOmer—18 Iyar. This is the ideal time to ask for income and abundance.15:00 – 15:45 – Nachat from one's children (satisfaction and peace of mind from one's children);
We ask for the proper and wholesome upbringing of our children, and to be good, wise parents who not only exercise authority over their children, but also know how to yield.15:45 – 16:30 – Simcha ve-Menuchah (joy and tranquility);
16:30 – 17:15 – Shalom Bayit (peace in the home); One may also ask for a home.
It is said that no one wandered as much as Rashbi: “He lived in Yavneh, he lived in Usha, he lived in Tekoa, he lived in Bnei Brak, he hid in the Beit Midrash, he hid in a cave—where did this man not live?” When asking for housing, an apartment, or a home, say: “Master of the Universe, I ask for a good, comfortable, beautiful, and spacious home with a wonderful view from the window.” The L-rd asks Rashbi, and Rashbi answers: “I know what it means to wander from home to home; give him достойное жильё.”17:15 – 18:00 – Petichat mazal (improving one's mazal);
Lag BaOmer always falls on the same day of the week as Purim. This means that it has the power to turn everything for the better.18:00 – 19:00 – Kol ha-Yeshuot (all-encompassing salvation);
At the end, recite Chapter 67 of Tehillim seven times consecutively (this psalm corresponds to the counting of the Omer).Beginning on the evening of 19 Iyar, it is customary to light one candle Lechvod Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
17 days—17 candles from Lag BaOmer until Shavuot.
17 is the gematria of the word “tov” (good). Do not forget to give tzedakah before lighting the candles.
Rabbi Raphael Avitan teaches that the gematria of the name Shimon ben Yochai is 553—the same as the gematria of the phrase “mechaye metim” (the revival of the dead). Therefore, each time, with every candle that is lit, we ask for Mashiach, so that in this gilgul and in this body we may merit to witness Techiyat ha-Metim in the merit of Rashbi.(From Yeshivat “Kisei Rachamim” of Rabbi Meir Mazuz, Yura Plishtiev, translated by Ila Tova Schlisser, with explanations by Rabbi Yitzchak Yisrael Shamron)
