The Secret of Rebe Shimon bar Yochai Yochai was married for many years, yet his wife did not bear him any children. He asked her to accept a divorce, so that he could marry a new wife who might give him children. She begged him to let her try for one more year. Yochai agreed to her request. With a broken heart and an ocean of tears she prayed for a miracle. One night, Yochai dreamt that he was in a forest of dry leafless trees. Each tree was watered with a small cup of water and sprouted to life. Soon he came to his tree, which was next to a barrel of water. The barrel poured water on to the tree, and it blossomed with leaves and fruits. He related the dream to a sage and asked him its meaning. The sage told him that he would have a great son, who would blossom in Torah and fill the whole world with light. Yochai asked why the other trees had a cup, while his tree had a barrel of water. The sage answered, "The barrel symbolizes the copious tears of your wife." Lesson: Heartfelt prayer with many tears has the power to convert darkness to light. To receive Salant Emails please send "request" to salantorg@gmail.com
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