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Begins on the Night of Saturday May 17, 2014

Immense light that was brought into the world by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (who passed away on Lag B'Omer), especially on the day of his passing. Lag B'Omer, when he revealed to his disciples secrets of the Torah whose profundity and intensity the world had yet to experience. The Zohar relates that the house was filled with fire and intense light, to the point that the assembled could not approach or even look at Rabbi Shimon.

The bow commemorates the fact that during Rabbi Shimon’s lifetime no rainbow was ever seen. (Bereishit Rabbah 35:2)  Rashi (Ketuvot 77B) explains that when the generation has leaders who are perfectly righteous, the generation does not need a rainbow so that G-d can remind himself not to destroy the world.

Note: This was a good thing because the rainbow appears when the earth deserves punishment. The first time a rainbow appeared was after Noah’s flood, when G-d said that He will no longer destroy the world, rather He would send a sign: the rainbow.

During Rabbi Shimon’s lifetime, the world was filled with merit because of him and therefore never saw a rainbow. (Bereishit 9:8-17 and Rashi there)

There is a Kabbalistic tradition that on Lag b’Omer a rainbow of many colors will appear in the sky immediately before the coming of Mashiach.  "Do not expect the coming of Mashiach until the rainbow is seen... in shining colors." (Zohar, Vol. 1, p. 72b)

Before the coming of Mashiach, a very special rainbow will appear. This rainbow will be so bright that all rainbows that have appeared on earth will seem very dim and weak in comparison.The bright strong colors of this rainbow are a sign that the Redemption is about to come. It is this rainbow, the Zohar tells us, that G-d was speaking about when He said to Noach (Bereishit 9:16), "I will look at it to recall the eternal promise."

(L'Chaim #840; Zohar 1:72b)