Lag BaOmer

 

Lag BaOmer

Lag BaOmer (Hebrew: לַ״ג בָּעוֹמֶר‎), is a Jewish religious holiday celebrated on the 33rd day from Passover, the 18th of the Hebrew month of Iyar.

 

Most believe the plague that killed Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 disciples came to an end. Rabbi Akiba, active in the Bar Kochba rebellion against Rome (132-135 C.C.) was one of Judaism's greatest scholars. He developed the exegetical method of the Mishnah, linking each traditional practice to a basis in the biblical text, and systematized the material that later became the Mishnah.

 

His pupil Rabbi Meir continued his studies to develop the Six Orders of the Mishna.

 

Another disciple. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a leading disciple of Rabbi Akiva in the 2nd century and developer of the Kabbalistic tradition.

 

During the Middle Ages, Lag BaOmer became a special holiday for rabbinical students and was called "Scholar's Day." It was customary to rejoice on this day through outdoor sports.

While the Counting of the Omer is a semi-mourning period, all restrictions of mourning are lifted on this 33rd day of the Omer. As a result, weddings, parties, listening to music, and haircuts are commonly scheduled to coincide with this day among European Jews.