Lag B'Omer - Breaking up the Count

The time from the second day of Pesach until Shavuot is known as "Sefirat Ha'Omer", the Counting of the Omer. Really, in the times of the Beit HaMikdash/Temple this period was a time of great rejoicing as Israel readied itself to once again receive the Torah and busied itself with harvest preparations. However instead of celebrating, we mourn, instead of feeling joy, we feel sadness.

Today as we count the omer we practice customs of mourning. Weddings are not held, rejoicing is diminished, and one refrains from getting a haircut or shaving. The reason behind this is two-fold. First we are saddened by the absence of the shechina in are midst and the lack of Beit HaMikdash where we would have offered the omer. Second, we mourn the death of Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 thousand students who died during this period.

The two are connected. The Gemara teaches that a plague stroke Rabbi Akiva's students because they failed to show respect to each other. Sinat Chimam/baseless hatred among Jews destroyed the Second Temple. Until we can rectify this, the Temple remains without being rebuilt. However there is a break in the count that changes the atmosphere from mourning to rejoicing. This break is Lag B'Omer.

Tradition has it that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai passed away on the 18th of Iyar, the 33rd day of the Omer. The day of his passing was filled with a great joy because it was the day when he revealed to a small group of his students mysterious wisdom recorded as the Zohar. This wisdom revealed so much light into the world that there is a custom to rejoice and light candles and bonfires on this day. It is also written that the students stopped dying on the 33rd day (There are many opinions about this-if they stopped dying on this day or if they died for a total of 33 days.).

Suddenly the mourning stops. According to most communities, weddings resume (for Sefardim weddings and haircuts resume on the day after Lag, the 34th day of the omer), one does not recite tachanum on this day, music plays once again, and people cut their hair. It is also customary to give little boys, who are three years old, their first haircut on Lag B'Omer, leaving them with peyot. In Israel the day is especially festive and thousands of people flock to the kever of Rabbi Shimon and his son, Rabbi Elazar, in Meron to pray, dance, and sing. It is very important that when speaking of Lag B'Omer during the Count one doesn't say "Lag B'Omer," but just "Lag" so that one will not unintentionally count the number of the omer.

Baseless hatred destroyed the Second Temple. Lack of showing courtesy to one another caused the death of the R' Akiva's students. Failure to unite as one and rectify these sins prevents the Mashiach from coming. The Zohar is clouded in mystery and very few people can actually come to understand it. However, within it contains the wisdom that will help bring about the coming of the Mashiach. Therefore we break this time of mourning and celebrate the hope that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai infuses in us with his Torah.

The Omer and Honey
Peaks and Valleys - The Good Omer and the Bad Omer
Omer Personalities - R' Akiva and R' Shimon Bar Yochai
From Beast to Man
From Matzos to Cheesecake
Lag B'Omer - Breaking up the Count
Mitzvah lesaper et haMispar hamesaper
Not Fowl, but Foul
One Long Party: Pesach to Shavuot
Oops, I forgot to Count the Omer
Sheva Shabbatot temimot tiyenah
The Best Unbroken Chain
The Mourning after the Night Before
The Students of Rabbi Akiva
What Does Lev Tov Have to do with Sfira?
The Counting of The Omer
Lag B'Omer - The 33rd Day