Question: What is Lag B'Omer?
Many Jews celebrate on Lag b'Omer. To understand why, one must first know the definition of Lag B'Omer.
Answer: Lag (lamed and gimel in Hebrew) means 33. On the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer (Lag B'Omer), we stop our mourning for the day.
Two events took place in Jewish history which led to the celebration of Lag B'Omer.
On the 33rd day of the Omer, Rabbi Akiva's students stopped dying. And Rabbi Akiva started to reveal the light of the Torah to new students, including Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
Also on the 33rd day of the Omer, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the author of the central work of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) called the Zohar, died. His death is a celebration because on the day of his death he revealed the light of the Torah to his students.
- What is an Omer?
- What is Sefirat HaOmer?
- Why do Jews Count the Omer?
- Why do Jews mourn during the Counting of the Omer?
- What is Lag B'Omer?
- How do Jews celebrate Lag B'Omer?
