What is Lag b'Omer

Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer is a day marked with barbecues, bonfires, weddings, music and other festivities. The reasons for celebrating Lag b’Omer remain obscure for many. Lag b’Omer literally translates to 33rd day of the Omer (the Hebrew letter Lamed equals 30 and the Hebrew letter Gimmel is equal to 3).

Beginning on the second night of Pesach and concluding on the eve before Shavuot, Jews count the Omer each evening. The Omer period lasts for seven complete weeks, from the time of our Exodus out of Egypt (Yetziat Mitzrayim) to our celebration of the giving of the Torah (Matan Torah) on Mt. Sinai which Shavuot commemorates. The Omer was a Biblical measure of barley that was brought to the Temple beginning on the second day of Pesach. The Omer period is one of semi-mourning, as it was during this time that 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva’s students died as a result of a plague which was caused by their failure to show proper honor and respect to each other. Instead, they begrudged each other, resulting in sinat chinam, baseless hatred. Owing to this, many Jews refrain from listening to music, getting hair cuts and marriages are additionally prohibited during this period. According to tradition, the plague ceased on Lag b’Omer, one of the reasons for the festivities on this date. On Lag b’Omer, all mourning restrictions are lifted and weddings and other festive occasions are permitted.

A second reason for the celebrations on Lag b’Omer is that it marks the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, one of Rabbi Akiva’s five remaining students traditionally said to have written the Zohar, one of the Jewish mystical tradition’s (Kabbalah) most important and pivotal works. While it does seem strange to celebrate Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s passing in this manner, the celebrations are meant to reflect upon the immense amount of Torah he taught to his students and beyond. The massive bonfires that are erected throughout Israel and elsewhere are symbolic of the incredible amount of light he brought into the world during his lifetime. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai revealed the deepest, most esoteric secrets of Kabbalah on this date and thus we celebrate the giving of the Kabbalistic tradition or hidden Torah to us through him. Interestingly, the bonfires are also reminiscent of the fires lit during the Bar Kokbah revolt as a means of relaying messages or sending signals.

During the Medieval period, Lag b’Omer became a significant holiday for rabbinical students and was known as the scholar’s festival. It is customary to travel to Meron, the site of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son, Rabbi Elazar’s graves. There, a large bonfire is lit and a great deal of celebration occurs.