I still bring to mind the powerful atmosphere I experienced at Meron to charge me every now and then, and know that millions of other people have experienced the same thing.Įven though I didn’t know anyone who attended Meron last year personally, and live thousands of miles away in South Florida, I felt and still feel devastated by this tragedy and the loss of 45 Jewish lives. I felt like I was brought to a different place spiritually. In the sea of people, it almost felt like my feet were levitating. I remember the sheer magnitude of people who had gathered in one small space and the dramatic effect this had on me. Despite our different backgrounds, all of us had come together to celebrate Jewish spirituality and the mysticism Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai helped reveal to the world. They were from all walks of life: Hasidic and non-Hasidic Jews, free-spirited and Phish Heads and more Haredi and traditional, Jews from Israel, the U.S., South Africa and around the world. What is it like to celebrate Lag BaOmer in Meron? Although some observe mourning (i.e., do not participate in joyful events) from Passover until Shavuot except for Lag BaOmer, many others observe mourning only until Lag BaOmer (Shulchan Arukh, Orach Hayim 493:1 in Rema). There are different opinions about when the period of mourning during the Omer begins and ends. As a result, Lag BaOmer became a happy occasion when the mourning practices of the Omer period are lifted. This may have been a day when there was a momentary victory in the battle, or a respite from the fighting. Despite its initial successes, Bar Kochba’s army was ultimately defeated and many of Rabbi Akiva’s students were killed in the fighting.Īccording to Jewish tradition, the “plague” ceased on the 33rd day of the Omer (which falls on the 18th of the Hebrew month of Iyar). Rabbi Akiva was a fervent supporter of the Bar Kochba rebellion and thousands of his students were part of the rebel forces. The rabbis (in Yevamot 62b) explain that Rabbi Akiva’s students died during this time “because they did not treat each other with respect.” Meanwhile, historians connect this calamity with Simon Bar Kochba’s revolt against the Romans (in 132 – 136 CE). We are reminded that Passover started the process of redemption, but that it was not complete until we received the Torah.Īccording to the Talmud ( Yevamot 62b), this period is generally a time of sadness because - approximately two thousand years ago - twenty-four thousand of Rabbi Akiva’s students (twelve thousand pairs of hevruta, Torah study partners) died of a plague between Passover and Shavuot. For example, on the 18th day, one would say: “Today is the 18th day, which is two weeks and four days of the Omer.”Ĭounting the omer reminds us of the link between Passover (celebrating the Jewish people’s miraculous exodus from Egypt) and Shavuot (commemorating the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai). Each night, from the second night of Passover until the day before Shavuot, we recite a prayer stating what day of the Omer it is in days and weeks. The Torah (Vayikra / Leviticus 23: 15-16) commands us to count each day of the Omer. What is the Omer and why do we count the days? This year, the Israeli government approved new safety regulations to ensure this does not happen again. In the worst peacetime disaster in Israel’s history, 45 people were killed and at least 150 people were injured when a stampede broke out at the celebration. In 2021, this turned out to be a horrific nightmare. In Israel, many celebrate by lighting bonfires and having barbecues to symbolize the light that Shimon Bar Yochai brought into the world.Įach year on this day, to celebrate his legacy, hundreds of thousands of Jews from all over the world visit his tomb in the northern Israeli town of Meron for singing, dancing and merrymaking. Key features of Lag BaOmer include Jewish weddings and getting haircuts. Some Jews also attribute Shimon Bar Yochai with the authorship of the Zohar, the foundational text of Kabbalah (mystical Judaism). Lag BaOmer is a break in this period of sadness - it is a happy occasion when the mourning practices are lifted.Īccording to Kabbalistic tradition, the day also marks the anniversary of the death of the great second-century sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (also known as the Rashbi). The Omer period is a time of sadness, during which weddings, parties, live music, dancing and getting haircuts are generally forbidden (read more about this below).
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