Lag B'Omer falls this year Saturday Night, April 27, and the following Sunday
Why Lag B'Omer is a Festival
It was taught by our sages that the many students died
between Passover and Shavuot (Gemara Yebamot 62b, see also Code
of Jewish Law chapter 120 paragraph 6). Before the plague these days were
considered happy days. After the plague the days of the counting of the Omer
were considered days of mourning. According to tradition the plague stopped on
the 33rd day of the Omer. Therefore the prior happiness is restored
Lag B'Omer and the days that follow it.
There is a legend that during the Roman prohibition on
studying Torah, students would hide sacred scrolls in a quiver for arrows and
go out into the fields as if they were practicing archery. Once they were safe
they would take out the scrolls and study them. For this reason athletics
particularly archery became a custom.
In Iselin at Congregation
Beth Shalom Lag B'Omer was a picnic day in which there would be light athletic
competition. At one picnic I came in third in the potato sack race and won a
small prize. At another picnic the neighborhood, not Jewish, children joined
the games with one of them coming in first.
Lag B'Omer is also the yarzeit of the Mishnaic sage Rabbi
Shimon bar Yochai. He was perhaps the greatest student of Rabbi Akiva. He is
credited with redacting the classic of Kabala, the Zohar. Because the Zohar is
compared to light there is a custom to light bonfires on the evening of Lag
B'Omer. This is very popular especially among children and large piles of wood
will be assembled.
At Biala in Brachfeld (Modi'in Illit), Israel , the
right to ignite the fire is auctioned off with the proceeds going to the
synagogue. It often goes for a few hundred shekels say $100. I remember one
time it was purchased by a member of the town council. Once the fire is burning
bright they will dance either around it or in front of it and sing the
traditional songs. Sometimes there is instrumental accompaniment. At the home
for new immigrants, Beit Canada ,
they would follow the common Israeli custom and bake potatoes and onions in the fire.
Popular Lag B'Omer Songs
אשריך ישראל- Bar Yochai -
anointed and happy
You Tube link http://youtu.be/8Aibl34w-QY
וַאֲמַרְתֶּם
כֹּה לֶחָי Yoseph
Sings "You will say he lives Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai - V'amartem Ko LeChai
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
YouTube
link http://youtu.be/taqinWBAnPw
Says Rabbi Akiva: Happy are you Yisrael
Youtube link
http://youtu.be/RLoE48yntdA
The Legend of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Shimon were sitting together
and Juda Ila'I was next to them. Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion saying how
fine were the works of the Romans that they have made streets, bridges, and
public baths. Rabbi Yosi remained silent. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai replied
everything they did they did for themselves. The markets were for a
prostitutes; the baths for their refreshment; the bridges so they could collect
tolls.
Juda Ila'I repeated the conversation and it reached the
occupation government. They decreed that since Rabbi Yehuda exalted them, they
will exalt him. Rabbi who remained silent was to be banished. Rabbi Shimon who
censured would be executed.
Rabbi Shimon fled and hid out in a shul with his son. Every
day his wife brought him bread and water. When the decree was made harsher,
they feared for her safety and ran away and stayed in a cave. A miracle
occurred and a carob tree and a well were created for them. They live on this
and spent the time learning Torah.
After twelve years Elijah came and stood at the entrance to
the cave and exclaimed, Who will inform the bar Yochai that the emperor is dead
and his decree annulled? With that they left the cave.
When they emerged they saw seeing a man plowing and sowing.
"They forsake life eternal and engage in life of the moment", the two
of them exclaimed. Whatever they cast their eyes upon was immediately burnt up.
Thereupon a Heavenly Voice came forth and cried out, "Have you emerged to
destroy My world? Return to the cave".
 |
| City of Tiberias טְבֶרְיָה |
After twelve months they said the punishment of the wicked in
Gehinom is less than a year. With that a
Heavenly Voice told them to go forth.
Wherever Rabbi Eleazar wounded Rabbi Shimon healed. Rabbi Shimon then said to
his son that it's enough for the world only the two of us are learning Torah.
Just before Shabbos they saw and old man with two bouquets
of flowers. "What are they for?" they asked. The man answered,
"to honor the Shabbos."
"Wouldn't one be enough".
"One is for 'Remember' and the other is for
'Keep'" He replied quoting the Chumash.
With that Rabbi Shimon said to his son, "See how
dear mitzvahs are to Israel ", and their minds were
put at ease.
See Shabbos Folio
33a to 34a
Rabbi Akiva the Martyr
Our rabbis taught that once the evil empire made a decree
forbidding the Jews to study and practice the Torah. Pappus ben Judah
found Rabbi Akiba publicly assembling large number of people and lecturing on
the Torah. He said to him, "Akiva, aren't you afraid of the
Government?"
He replied, "I will explain it to you with a parable. A
fox was once walking alongside of a river, where he saw swarms of fish darting
from one place to another. He asked them 'from what are you fleeing?'
They replied, "From the nets cast for us by men".
He said to them, "Why don't you l come up on to the dry
land so that you and I can live together in the way that my ancestors lived
with your ancestors?"
They replied, "They say you are one the cleverest of
animals? However you are art not clever but rather foolish. If we are afraid in
the element in which we live, how much more so in the element in which we would die!"
So it is with us. If such is our condition when we sit and
study the Torah, of which it is written, "For this is thy life and the
length of thy days", if we go and neglect it how much worse off we shall
be!
Not long after afterwards Rabbi Akiba was arrested and
thrown in jail, and Pappus ben Judah
was also arrested and imprisoned next to him. Rabbi Akiva asked, " Pappus,
what brought you here?"
He replied, "Happy are you, Rabbi Akiba, that you have
been arrested for busying yourself
with the Torah! And woe to Pappus who was arrested for
busying himself with nonsense.
See Berakoth Folio 61b
Says Rabbi Akiva: Happy are you Yisrael
אמר רבי עקיבא , R. Akivah saith,
אשריכם ישראל, Happy
are ye, Israel,
לפני מי אתם מטהרין, before
whom are ye cleansed,
ומי מטהר אתכם , and who purifies you?
אביכם שבשמים Our
father who is in heaven.
שנאמר, וזרקתי עליכם As it is said,
'Then will I sprinkle upon you
מים
טהורים clean water
וטהרתם (יחזקאל לו) and ye shall be clean (Ezekiel 36);
ואומר, מקוה ישראל and it is also said, 'the mikva of Israel
ה', (ירמיה יז) is Hashem (Jerimiah 17);
מה מקוה מטהר את הטמאים just as a bath
purifies the unclean,
אף הקדוש ברוך הוא so does
the Holy One, blessed be He
מטהר את ישראל cleanse Israel
משנה יומא ח ט Mishna Yoma
8:9
Youtube link http://youtu.be/RLoE48yntdA
No comments:
Post a Comment