Today Is A Special Day of The Year
Today is a special day in the Jewish calendar. It’s Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer. But what makes this day stand out? The answer lies in our history.
You may recall that following the festive meal at the second Passover Seder, we began counting the Omer. That night, we started fulfilling the commandment to count each day until we reach seven complete weeks. At the conclusion of those seven weeks comes the holiday of Shavuot, which begins two weeks from this Sunday night.
In the Torah, this season of the year was festive. Our ancestors would bring an Omer, a measure of barley, as an offering each day to the Temple, symbolizing their gratitude for the spring harvest and the bounty of the land.
Yet in our time, this season is understood as a mournful period in the Jewish calendar. We generally refrain from planning weddings, and other celebratory events. Many will refrain from the purchase of new clothes and luxury items, as well as haircuts.
So how did this once happy period become a mournful one?
During the Great Revolt against Rome (66–70 CE), which culminated with the destruction of the Second Temple, the Jewish people suffered terribly at the hands of the Romans. Nearly one million Jews were killed, and tens of thousands were exiled from the Land of Israel, or enslaved throughout the Roman Empire. Those who remained in Israel endured terrible violence, persecution, and interference in their ability to practice Judaism freely.
62 years later, after several unsuccessful attempts to break free from Roman domination and oppression, the Bar Kochba Revolt (132-135 C.E.) began. Despite stunning initial victories and success that shocked the leaders of the Roman Empire, we know that it was during this season of the year that this second revolt against Rome came to a violent end, and with it the loss of thousands of lives and renewed persecution of Israel’s remaining Jews. Indeed, among the punishments that the Emperor Hadrian decreed was that Jerusalem was to be turned into a pagan city called Aelia Capitolina and the Jews were forbidden to live there, as well as changing the country’s name from Judea to Syria Palestina. Yet even in the darkest times, there were moments of light.
The martyrology service on Yom Kippur, which graphically
describes the murder of 10 great sages of the Mishnah, is a yearly reminder of
the lengths the Romans took to destroy the Jewish people.
The Talmud speaks of a plague that killed 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva’s students—a plague that lifted on this very day. From a historical perspective, given Rabbi Akiva’s passionate support of the failed revolt against Rome, Lag B’Omer likely recalls a brief but significant victory amidst a period of crushing defeat.
On Lag B’Omer, we celebrate this moment of respite. The restrictions are lifted, and celebrations are not only allowed, but encouraged. It is a popular day for weddings, for other communal and individual festivities. In Israel, many customs have evolved over recent decades, including large dinner parties and lighting communal bonfires. Sephardic tradition also holds Lag B’Omer as the hilula, or anniversary of the death of the great sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, author of the Zohar and one of Rabbi Akiva’s most eminent disciples. Each year, thousands ascend Mount Meron outside of the city of Safed to mark this day in his honor.
Lag B’Omer reminds us that even in the darkest times, there are moments of light. That even in an era of suffering, there were victories—small but meaningful—reminders that resilience outlives tragedy. Today we remember and celebrate our ancestors, and their struggles to live their Judaism despite the unimaginable obstacles they endured
So today, how will we honor their legacy? How will we rise to the challenges of our time, ensuring our faith remains strong, our community united, and our traditions vibrant?
May we find inspiration in their struggles, courage in their victories, and strength in knowing that the Jewish people have always endured, and always will.
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