On La"G BaOmer

Indeed, we are in the period known as the Counting of the Omer, during which we count 49 days from the Second night of Passover until Shavuot. And yes, this past night and day were La"G BaOmer, literally the 33rd [count] in the Omer. It was on this day that the plague that had killed 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva's students stopped, and it is also the day on which Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, of blessed memory, died (Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai delivered the holy Zohar to the world, thereby introducing the Kabballah to the public (as public as it could be at the time)). La"G BaOmer celebrations are esepecially intense in Meiron in Israel, where Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is buried.

Now, Ben Baruch of Shabot6000.com brought up a good point today: Why do we celebrate when 24,000 of the greatest scholars just died? Moreover, it is the day on which one of the greatest kabbalists of all time died! And why is this such a celebratory day, when most of the people who celebrate La"G BaOmer davka say Tachanun on Yom HaAtzma'ut? Will one of our esteemed rabbis or resident scholars please enlighten me?

Also, in response to Netmessiah's post, there are in fact numerous different customs regarding the Omer, as Chabad.org explains: The Chabad custom, as put forth by the holy kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria, is to observe the mourning practices "beginning on the day after Passover, up until (but not including) the day before Shavuot;" another custom is to mourn "[f]rom the first day of the Omer Count until the 33rd day of the Omer;" another is "[f]rom the 30th of Nissan (the first day of Rosh Chodesh Iyar) until the 3rd of Sivan in the morning;" another is "[f]rom the second day of Iyar until the day before Shavuot;" another, which is the prevailing Sephardic practice is "[f]rom the first day of the Omer until the morning of the 34th day of the Omer" which is the only custom where La"G BaOmer actually isn't observed as a day of rejoicing.

On La"G BaOmer, it is customary to have bonfires, barbecues, enjoy live music, let kids play with bows and arrows, and to give young boys (three year olds) their first haircuts.

I also wanted to share this great drash I read in Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky's Vedibarta Bam regarding Rabbi Akiva's students' plague:

QUESTION: One reason we celebrate Lag BaOmer is that the epidemic which caused the death of Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 disciples ceased on that day (Shulchan Aruch HaRav 493:5).

Rabbi Akiva defined the commandment to "love your fellow as yourself" (Vayikra 19:18) as "a fundamental principle of the Torah" (Jerusalem Talmud, Nedarim 9:4). How could his disciples have departed from his teachings so drastically that their interpersonal conduct resulted in an epidemic?

ANSWER: Since every person is unique in his [or her] nature and thought processes, he [or she] has a unique path in the service of Hashem, in the study of Torah, and in the fulfillment of mitzvot. For example, one individual may be motivated by the love of Hashem, while another is inspired by the awe of [G-d]. Similarly, each of Rabbi Akiva's disciples had his [sic] own personal approach to Divine service. Because they were highly developed individuals, each had internalized his [sic] own particular approach to the point that it affected every aspect of his [sic] personality.

Operating from within his [sic] own perspective, each of them perceived any approach different form his [sic] own as incomplete and inferior. And because Rabbi Akiva emphasized the commandment to "love your fellow as yourself," each of his students tried to influence his [sic] colleagues to accept his [sic] own approach.

Being all intensely involved in their own path of service, however, none of them would change. The tension between them began to escalate as the deep commitment every student felt to his [sic] own particular approach hindered a proper show of respect for colleagues who followed a different path.

The deficiency in their course of action -- highlighted by the severe punishment they received -- teaches a very important lesson: No matter how deeply one is involved in one's own service of Hashem, one must always be broadminded enough to appreciate that someone else may have a different approach. Although, from one's own perspective, the other person's path may appear inadequate, this perception may stem from one's own shortcomings and not from that of the other person. (לקוטי שיחות ח''ז ע 337)

I hope everyone enjoyed La"G BaOmer. Next year in Meiron!