Lag Ba’omer is a Jewish holiday celebrated on the thirty third day of the counting of the Omer which is on the 18th of Iyar.

Origins

The origins of the holiday begin with the time of Rabbi Akiva. The Talmud (Yevamot 62:2) states that 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva’s students died from a mysterious divine sent plague. The Talmud then goes on to say that this was because "they did not show proper respect to one another." Jews celebrate Lag Ba’omer as the traditional day that this plague ended. Others say that these students were killed in the Bar Kokhba's revolt (In which Rabbi Akiva was a major figure), the plague being the Roman plague. Viewed in this context, the lighting of bonfires on this evening seems logical, since in ancient times bonfires were used as signals in wartime.

The day is also the Yahrzeit, the anniversary of the death, of the famous Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai, the Kabbalist, traditionally known as the author of the Zohar (for more information see the article on Simeon bar Yochai).

During the Middle Ages, Lag Ba'Omer became a special holiday for rabbinical students and was even called the "Scholar's festival." It was customary to rejoice on this day through various kinds of merrymaking.

Name

Lag Ba'Omer is the shorthand way of saying the thirty-third day of the omer. It falls on the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, as counted from the second day of Passover until the holiday of Shavuot. This corresponds to the 18th day of the month of Iyar.

The word "Lag" is not really a word. In ancient Hebrew, letters were used for numerals (and are still used in gematria), and the number 33 was therefore written with the letters "lamed", ל, (L, value 30) and "gimel", ג, (G, value 3), making up "Lag" (33) לג.

Customs and Pracites

Lag Ba’omer is special in the fact that none of the prohibitions of the Omer period are forbidden. It is a time of dancing and singing. Families go on picnics and outings. Children go out to the fields with their teachers with bows and (rubber-tipped) arrows, and bats and balls. Tachanun , the prayer for special Divine Mercy on one's behalf is not said, because when God is showing one a "smiling face," so to speak, as He does especially on the Holidays, there is no need to ask for special mercy. In Israel, at Meron, the burial place of Rabbi Simon bar Yochai and his son, Rabbi Elazar bar Simon , tens of thousands of Jews gather to celebrate on the "Yahrzeit," the anniversary of the death of the "godly man," the great scholar who lived in the immediate aftermath of the Second Temple. With torches, song and feasting, the Yahrzeit is celebrated, which may seem somewhat odd, but which was a specific request by Bar Yochai of his students. It is at the Meron celebrations that three-year-old boys are given their first haircut, while their parents distribute wine and sweets. Similar rites are observed at the grave of Simon the Just in Jerusalem.

Lag Ba'Omer in modern Israel is a school holiday. Youngsters and their parents light bonfires in open spaces in cities and towns throughout the country. Students' Day is celebrated on the campuses of the various universities. Hundreds of weddings are held on Lag Ba'Omer and this adds to the festive character of this holiday. In Israel, you know that Lag Ba'Omer is drawing near when you see children collecting wood boards, old doors and anything made from wood that can burn. This happens from a week to 10 days before Lag Ba'Omer. As Lag Ba'Omer approaches, the situation gets to the point where building contractors have to employ extra night watchmen to make sure that wooden planks and wooden scaffolding are not taken by the eager youngsters. And, of course, the fire department is kept very busy on Lag Ba'Omer eve when the bonfires are lit and where the danger exists of fires getting out of control. Viewed in the context of the Roman Legions being the plague, the lighting of bonfires on this evening seems logical, since in ancient times bonfires were used as signals in wartime.

See also

Counting the Omer