ואמרתם כה לחי, רבי שמעון בר יוחאי

It's been a long day. We didn't leave Beit El until well into the night and so by the time we returned to the yeshiva, the night was well underway. I jumped in a cab, headed to Ramat Beit Shemesh, were the buses were leaving from outside the bakery. 'Women in the back,' was the call of the night and so I was comfortably seated next to a hasidic fellow and a bunch of the children from the Yehiva. "Is it true there is unlimited free beer?" the children kept asking. I told them, "I don't know. Go to sleep."

The entire country was up in flames as we drove up North and the smell of bonfire was taken in with every deep breath. I fell asleep on the way up and was awoken as we pulled up to the "biggest Jewish party" of the year. The cacophony of sounds, blends of Yechi HaMelech and Na Nach was enough to give you goosepimples (reference anybody?) I received a complimentary Chai Rottel shoko and mezonos-roll and proceeded up the hill and through the shakedown. It was late, somewhere in the late 3's maybe early 4's, and so I knew I had to move fast.

K...I'm kind of tired so I'm not gonna write anymore. I'll just tell you highlights (plus I made you a video at the end):

1) Kever of Hillel HaZakein and his students...very good
2) Big bon-fire out back...very good
3) Petel from the tap...gets me every time
4) Entrance to the tzion area (I didn't feel like pushing all the way in this time)
5) Lost my skullcap that I've had since highschool - I hope it goes to a good cause
6) Shacharis is always great up there (R' Willig pointed out to me interestingly that Lag BaOmer can fall on erev Shabbos or motzei Shabbos but never on Shabbos...can you imagine if everybody had to get a Torah to lain. That's how you know the Ribono Shel Olam was maskim to this holiday)*
7) It took me a very long time to finally find out how to get to the bus back to RBS

With heavenly assistance it all worked out and a good time was had by all. I had my camera in my bag and pulled it out as the night was winding down and took some video's and pictures. Put together a little somethin' somethin'. A little taste of the North...



Let me know how Swan Lake went.

Until next time...

*The original text of this post said that 'it can never fall on Monday, Thursday, or Shabbos.' R' Chaim Soloveitchik told me at Mincha today that he read the latest post and that its not true. Lag BaOmer can fall on Thursday, though it hasn't happened in about twelve years. Interestingly, what this means for a misnagid is that perhaps the Ribono Shel Olam was not maskim.