season. Hashem commands that the
barley cannot be harvested until the
Korban Omer (offering of barely) is
brought.
The Korban Omer is also a starting
point in the countdown to Matan
Torah also known as "Shavout." (The
giving of the Torah). According to the
Torah (Vayikra, Parshat Emor,
23:15-16), we are obligated to count
the days from the second night of
Pesach to the day before Shavuot,
seven full weeks. This period is known
as the Counting of the Omer or "Lag
B'Omer."
Lag B'Omer means "the 33rd day of
the (counting of the) Omer or
"S'firat Ha'Omer.. This year,
(5763-2003), Lag B'Omer falls on
the 18th day of Iyar, Tuesday, May
20, 2003.
Lag B'Omer - The word "Lag" is from
the hebrew letters Lamed and Gimel.
Each hebrew letter has a numerical
value---The number value of the
letter "lamed" is thirty. The value
of "gimel" is three. Together, they
add up to 33! So we call this day
"Lag B'Omer" much like Americans
say "Fourth of July!"
So why do we observe Lag B'Omer?
This day is not commanded in the
Torah, but It is a traditional holiday
and considered important to
traditional Judaism. It is observed
as a day of rejoicing because it was
the only day within this period that
the students of Rabbi Akiva did not
die.
Akiva was one of the greatest of the
Tannaim Scholars of the Mishnah,
the earliest written form of the Oral
Torah. He was the Spiritual Leader
of the Bar Kochba Revolt and it was
he who initially proclaimed Bar
Kochba the Mashiach. He was, and
still is, considered a Master of
Transformation and Growth.
false Messiah he is considered one
of the greatest Torah Scholars of
all time by Rabbinical Judaism.
The customs of mourning during this
period, of excluding the 33rd day
from this period of mourning are all
based on Rabbinical teachings and
within Messianic Judaism, this
observance is optional at best
depending on your families' calling.
Because it falls within the season of
Yom HaShoah, a time when we
remember those of our people who
perished during the Nazi holocost,
It can be a day to reflect on the
great mercy and soverignty of our
G-d.
Traditionally, on this day, haircuts
are permitted---Many parents wait
until their sons are 3 years old and
give them their first haircut on this
day. Celebrations also include,
listening to music, dancing, holding
weddings etc., because the signs of
mourning observed during the counting
of the Omer are not necessary on
this day.
In Ertez Israel, tens of thousands
of Jews congregate at Meron, the
burial place of Rabbi Shimon bar
Yochai, (Simone Bar Kochba) and his
son, Rabbi Elazar b'Rebbi (son of
Rabbi) Shimon, where the day is
celebrated with bonfires and songs.
Many parents wait until their son is
three to cut his hair, and on Lag
B'Omer they cut his hair for the
first time at the burial place of
Rabbi Shimon.
Lag B'Omer is characterized by a
day of outdoor celebrations. In
Eretz Yisroel (in Israel) and
throughout the Diaspora, (outside of
Israel) the day is celebrated with
picnics, ballgames, and mock
bow-and-arrow play-fighting.
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