Yoeli: Well, we learned about the Rebbe (Rabbi Akiva), now let’s talk about his talmidim!
YOSSI: Rebbi, I want to learn! Absolutely right, Yoeli! Rabbi Akiva had many talmidim, and his five new talmidim that he gained after 24,000 had died are all buried around here! Here in Teveria we have the famous kever of R’ Meir Baal Haneis!
YOELI: Why was he called “Baal Haneis?”
YOSSI: There is a famous story of the nissim of Rabbi Meir! Rabbi Meir lived during the time of Bayis Sheini (although he lived for a while in Bavel). R Meir’s wife Bruriah was a tremendous tzadekes and would even pasken sheilos! Her sister was captured by the Romans, and Rabbi Meir went to rescue her. Along the way, he davened “Eloka d’Meir aneini” the G-d of Meir (or “who lights up the way,”) please answer me!”
YOELI: Sure, I said that when I lost my watch last week!
YOSSI: Yup! He went into a pack of wild dogs, and nothing happened, and eventually, he saved his sister-in-law. He was sentenced to death, but through his tefilla, the noose snapped, and he was saved!
YOELI: But what does he have to do with lost stuff?
YOSSI: My father told me that he heard from Rabbi Glatstein, shlita, something so cool!
YOELI: Share away, my friend!
YOSSI: The Gemara teaches that Rabbi Meir says: “We can never STOP being Hashem’s children. Bein kach u’bein kach – no matter what a Yid does – Banai heim – they are My children.” A Yid is never lost. So too in the world of Rabbi Meir, nothing is ever really lost. When we can’t find our watch, our helmet or our favorite book, we daven in the name of Rabbi Meir, Eloka d’Meir aneini!
YOELI: That makes sense. My father took me here on Pesach Sheini; it’s a special day to daven here. It’s either Rabbi Meirs’ yahrtzeit or the date they finished building this beautiful building where he is buried. But Pesach Sheini is all about that! The Yidden who missed the first Korban Pesach got a second chance… because no Yid is ever lost!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 30.