Not Fowl, but Foul

Many things that appear physical are in fact spiritual. So it may be even with the disease now afflicting our poultry and that of our cousins as well. Remember when we cried for meat in the desert and HaShem sent the quail, then we died of a plague and with the flesh of the quail still sticking in our teeth ? - It is not a question of the fowl, but of our foul tongues, thoughts, deeds - everything that scares away the Shechina and leaves us naked to ourselves and our other enemies. The Avera of Rabbi Akiva's students is commemorated every year not for itself, but because the Avera still exists on some level and to some extent and has to be corrected.

It could not be corrected then, for the students did not recognize their Avera, and thus they could not do Tshuva. We, the privileged successors cannot sit back smugly and say, "Oh, we know why, etc....", for in essence we keep forgetting, when it comes to individual cases. We are fast to point the finger at our neighbour, but we do not recognize that in so doing, we are perpetrators of an even greater scale.

What is the cure ? Put the brakes on Lashon hara, admit that every one studying Torah has a Chelek of it in him and thus also the Kedusha of HaShem, learn and practice HaKaras HaTov and, above all, nurture the Lev tov within us and others.

The best way for a person to grow, according to Rav Elazar ben Arach, is a Lev tov, and his Rebbe, Rav Jochanan ben Zachai, agreed, for a Lev tov contains all the necessary Midos, it is all-encompassing. A person with a good heart is a good friend, a good neighbour , and he has foresight, the qualities mentioned by Rav Elazar's colleagues. It is important to note in this story from Pirkei Avos, that Rav Yochanan did not knock the other students' suggestions, but simply said they were included in the Lev tov, and thus he was demonstrating his Lev tov too.

Rav Meir Goldwicht mentions in regard to this story from Perek how amazing it is that the Sfira is divided up into two periods - 32 days before Lag b'Omer, and 17 days after, the latter corresponding to the Gematria of Lev tov.

Yosef was 17, when he was sold intoMitzraim, and it was there that he developed his Lev tov. Yaakov Avinu spent the last 17 years of his life in Mitzraim, where he benefited from the Lev tov of Yoseph and graced Mitzraim with his. The very father of the fight against Lashon hara, Rav Kagan, the Chofetz Chaim, married at the age of 17, and thus put his Lev tov to good work. - There are no coincidences, no accidents in Judaism. The Torah continues daily to speak for itself. Torah is taught daily to everyone open to receive it.

The closer we get to the redemption of Shavuos, the more sensitive we become. Our circumcised hearts are laid wide open. The last days of the Omer are critical days in this open heart surgery that takes place during the Omer, and we have a right to anticipate redemption no matter how slim our chances may seem at the outset, for we are obeying the instructions of the Chief Surgeon, the Rofey leNishberay Lev, HaShem, Himself. Behind the Lev tov is a broken heart, the best thing we can bring on Yom Kippur, for HaShem will help anyone man or woman enough to do Tshuva. Each and every one of us is basically doing what Rabbi Akiva's students should have done, had they realized their error.

The Omer and Honey
Peaks and Valleys - The Good Omer and the Bad Omer
Omer Personalities - R' Akiva and R' Shimon Bar Yochai
From Beast to Man
From Matzos to Cheesecake
Lag B'Omer - Breaking up the Count
Mitzvah lesaper et haMispar hamesaper
Not Fowl, but Foul
One Long Party: Pesach to Shavuot
Oops, I forgot to Count the Omer
Sheva Shabbatot temimot tiyenah
The Best Unbroken Chain
The Mourning after the Night Before
The Students of Rabbi Akiva
What Does Lev Tov Have to do with Sfira?
The Counting of The Omer
Lag B'Omer - The 33rd Day