Maybe. It's "yom *simchas* RSBY", and "shemeis" is apparently a
transcription error during the history of copying the Peri Eitz Chaim.
(That's according to R Yaaqov Hillel, Seifer Shaar haTefillah, who worked
off RCVital's handwritten manuscript.)
The notion that he happily joined his Maker is only one possible peshat.
The argument in favor: Rashbi told his talmidim that he looked forward
to the day of his death like it would be the day of his wedding, and
they should celebrate it rather than mourn it.
The Chida writes in Birkhei Yoseif that tlag LaOmer is the Rashbi's
yahrzeit. But in Ma'aret Ayin (29 years later) he lists this as one
of the mistakes he made when writing BY.
From: "Prof. L. Levine" <llevine@stevens.edu>
To: avodah <avodah@aishdas.org>
>From today's OU Kosher Halacha Yomis
<snip> In a letter written in 1489, Rav Ovadya Mi?Bartenura reports seeing a
multitude of torches lit on Lag B?omer at the grave of Rebbi Shimon bar
Yochai in honor of his yahrtzeit.
Funny you should post this; in 2009 you informed us of the (little
known) fact that the Bartenura actually reported seeing this in
JERUSALEM at SIMON HATZADIK and it was the 28th of Iyar.
Somewhere along the line somebody edited his story to Lag B'Omer in Meiron.
> From contemporary documents we learn the Muslims (and a few Jews)
> cut the hair of children as well as lit a bonfires on the yohrtzeit
> (28 of Iyyar) of non other than the aforementioned Shmu'el haNavi.
Interestingly enough, this week's Hebrew Mishpacha magazine reports
that around 1915 (until the 6-day war IIRC) it was the Arabs who
organized the yearly Meiron celebration even controlling the dancing
and (mostly Hebrew) songs. The highlight of the night was the arrival
of VIP Arabs who danced the Kadjake dance in honour of Ribbi Shimon.
And how can we end off without the Tosefta in Shabbas (Ch. 7:1 - https://www.sefaria.org.il/Tosefta_Shabbat.7.1 ) that mentions that
one who dances to a flame is committing AZ. The Minchath Yitzchak
comments on the page "as the Goyim do on known days; they make a
bonfire and dance around it".
Funny you should post this; in 2009 you informed us of the (little
known) fact that the Bartenura actually reported seeing this in
JERUSALEM at SIMON HATZADIK and it was the 28th of Iyar.
I, posted in the same dicussion an older minhag, predating Mequbalei
Tzefas and practiced in the days of the rishonim, that it was
Shemuel haNavi at Nabi Samwel on that day as it the 28th is also his
yahrzeit. Mentioned in shu"t haRadvaz 2:608.
The key word there is "*to* a flame". "*Le*shalhevet". Not "around" or "near", etc. Of course people dancing around a campfire or bonfire, whether on Simchas Torah (as was the old Minhag Ashkenaz) or Lag Ba'omer or any other time, are not dancing *to* it or regarding it as a person of any kind.