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The significance of Lag Ba’omer

Lag Ba'omer festivities in Jerusalem
Lag Ba'omer festivities in Jerusalem
The 49 days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot are known as S’firat Ha’omer (The Counting of the Omer). In the days when the Temple stood, Jews were required to bring a daily offering of grain – the unit of measure was the omer – for sacrifice every day during this period (see: Leviticus 23:15-16). In the absence of a Temple, Jews today count the omer every day during evening services.
For a variety of reasons, this time of the year has become a period of mourning on the Jewish calendar. The Talmud tells us that a divine plague killed 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva during this period because of their failure to respect one another. Throughout the generations, other reasons have been added – most recently, Holocaust Memorial Day. Haircuts are forbidden and many men grow out their beards. Joyous occasions are not held during these days and public displays of joy are avoided.
The 33rd day of the counting, however, is a break in the mourning. On the 33rd day of the omer, Talmud tells us, the plague was lifted and none of Rabbi Akiva’s students died. Also on the 33rd day, just before his death, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (author of the main textual work of Kabbalah, the Zohar) revealed the secrets of the Torah to his students. The whole day, as he taught these secrets to his students, the room was filled with fire and light. That evening, the fire went out, the light dimmed, and Rabbi Shimon died. The anniversary of the death of a great teacher is usually a cause for sorrow. But Rabbi Shimon’s contribution is remembered every year with festivity and joy – and a traditional bonfire. It’s not unusual for children to spend all day gathering wood and kindling for the big fire.
In Hebrew, every letter corresponds with a number and the number 33 is represented by the letters lamed and gimel (l’’g). Thus, the 33rd day of the omer is called Lag Ba’omer.
Lag Ba’omer began at sundown on Wednesday, May 9.
Author: Rabbi Jonathan Greenberg | May 9, 2012

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