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May 12, 2006
Heroic period in our history
Lag b'Omer's customs enhance our lives with joy and beauty.
DVORA WAYSMAN
There are 50 days between Passover and Shavuot, or the Festival
of the First Fruits. We keep track of these days by counting the
Omer (in Hebrew, sefirot ha'Omer).
An omer is a bundle of grain which, in Temple times, would be offered
on each day between the two holidays. Each night, until Shavuot,
we announce the day of the Omer at ma'ariv, the evening prayers.
On the 18th of Iyar, the 33rd day of the counting period, there
is a minor holiday called Lag b'Omer. Its source originates in a
heroic period in Jewish history 18 centuries ago. Sixty years after
the Temple was destroyed by the Romans, the country was in ruins.
Thousands had been killed, exiled or sold into slavery. In an effort
to free themselves, Jews revolted under the leadership of an outstanding
general, Bar Kochba, and a great scholar, Rabbi Akiva. At first,
they were successful, but Rome was too mighty and battering rams
eventually broke down the walls of Betar, Bar Kochba's last stronghold.
The Romans followed up their victory on the battlefield in 131 CE
with cruel persecutions, attempting to wipe out all Jewish religion
and culture. Rabbi Akiva and nine other leading scholars died by
torture – but nothing could force Jews to give up their Torah,
despite the perils they underwent.
Lag b'Omer has come to us out of this period in our history. During
Bar Kochba's revolt, a terrible epidemic struck Rabbi Akiva's students
and 24,000 young men lost their lives. The epidemic suddenly stopped
on Lag b'Omer (the 33rd day of the Omer). This is the reason
that, although the Omer period is one of mourning when no celebrations
are allowed, an exception is made on this day.
Another tradition links this day with the great teacher Simeon Bar
Yochai, who lived at the same time. His life was in danger, as he
refused to obey the Roman decree against studying Torah and continued
to teach his students. When he was discovered, he escaped to a cave
in the mountains of Galilee, where he hid with his son for 13 years,
living on the fruit of the carob tree. Each year on Lag b'Omer,
his students visited him, disguising themselves as hunters with
bows and arrows. Bar Yochai is believed to have died on Lag b'Omer,
with his last request to his disciples being that the day of his
death be celebrated and not mourned. To this day, his burial place
in Meron – a village near Safed – is the scene of very
joyous celebrations. Pious Chassidim from all parts of Israel converge
on Meron to honor the teacher and the ideas for which he stood.
They chant psalms, sing Chassidic songs and study the Zohar, the
mystic book ascribed to Bar Yochai.
The real festivities begin when a huge bonfire is lit at midnight.
The women throw silken scarves into the flames. The men sing and
dance around the fire until dawn. Some fall asleep from exhaustion
until they are wakened with the cry, "Shahar ba"
("Dawn has come"). The hues of crimson sunrise light up
the mountains and valleys as praying begins anew. Then three-year-old
boys receive their first haircuts and the hair is thrown into the
flames with much singing and dancing. As a result of the Meron celebrations,
the bonfire idea has spread to every part of Israel, with every
city and village having its kumzitz – singing around
the campfire, roasting potatoes, retelling the ancient stories.
An interesting claim for Lag b'Omer is that it marks the day when
manna first began to fall in the wilderness. The fact that this
is the most popular date for Jewish weddings adds a festive note
to this semi-holiday and Lag b'Omer's customs enhance our lives
as Jews with joy and beauty.
Dvora Waysman is a freelance writer living in Jerusalem.
Her website is www.dvorawaysman.com.
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