From Rashbi’s Kever to a Bris: Lag BaOmer and Practical Halacha”

Rav Shimon Bar Yochai and the Baal Shem of Michelstadt

Question

I was recently in Germany to daven by the kever of the Baal Shem of Michelstadt. I got there late at night, and since I had not davened Maariv, I davened Maariv right next to the kever. Afterwards, I thought that perhaps it was not right to daven so close to the kever. After further introspection, I came to the conclusion that since so many people daven tefillos by Rav Shimon Bar Yochai’s kever on Lag Ba’omer, this, too, should be justified. What is the proper course of action when davening by the kever of a great tzaddik?

Rav Auerbach 

I remember that you came to me not long ago, and I advised you to daven by the kever of that tzaddik. I am glad to hear that you were able to get to the kever of this great tzaddik, despite the war that was going on, which made travel very difficult.

As far as your question is concerned, you can’t compare the kever of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai to most other kevorim. Rav Shimon’s kever is buried below ground, and where the people stand is far from where Rav Shimon is actually buried. Therefore, it is permitted to daven there.

The Baal Shem of Michelstadt’s grave is in the middle of a regular cemetery. Although there is a tzion on top of the kever, since he was actually buried at the same level as his kever, it is considered lo’eg lerosh, a disgrace to the honor of the niftarim buried there, to daven there, unless one has distanced himself at least four amos from the other kevorim.

May your tefillos be answered quickly and may you be zoche to a great yeshuah soon.

Shaving for a Simcha During Sefirah

Question

I am making a bris milah a few days before Lag Ba’omer. I have a “Sefirah beard” that looks terrible, and I definitely want to shave and get a haircut beforehand. However, the bris is going to be very early in the morning, and there definitely will not be time to take care of this beforehand. The evening before, I was hoping to do a vach nacht, and I don’t want to miss one minute of this special night to shave and get a haircut. Would it be permitted for me to shave and take a haircut the afternoon before the bris, or do I have to wait until that night or the day of the bris?

Thanks.D. R.

Rav Auerbach 

Although the minhag is not to shave or take a haircut during Sefirah, this minhag does not apply to baalei simcha. Therefore, if someone makes a bris milah during Sefirah, the father, the sandek, and the mohel are allowed to shave (Rama 493:2). The reason for this halacha is that the day of the bris is a “Yom Tov” for them (Aruch Hashulchan 493:4).

You do not have to wait until the moment of the simcha to shave. The minhag regarding a bris milah was to take a haircut the afternoon before. The reason for this is that there was a special seudah the evening beforehand in honor of the bris milah, and it was considered as if it had already begun (Maamar Mordechai 493:6).

The same halacha applies to weddings as well, and the chosson and his father are definitely allowed to take a haircut and shave in order to look respectable for this special occasion. Since the aufruf is already considered to be part of the simcha, it is permitted to get a haircut and shave before that Shabbos.