An omer refers to an ancient Hebrew measure of grain, amounting to about 3.6 litres. Biblical law forbade any use of the new barley crop until an omer was brought as an offering to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Book of Leviticus (23:15-16) also commanded: "And from the day on which you bring the offering…you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete." This commandment led to the practice of the Sefirat Ha'omer, or the forty-nine days of the "Counting of the Omer". The omer is counted from the second day of Passover and ends on Shavuot.
Lag Ba'Omer is the shorthand way of saying the thirty-third day of the omer. It is celebrated to commemorate the day a plague ended in which thousands of students of Rabbi Akiba, a Talmudic scholar, died during the Counting of the Omer. The period of counting is traditionally observed as a period of mourning. The mourning, however, is set aside on Lag Ba'Omer, making it day of special joy and festivity.
Lag BaOmer is not mentioned in
the Torah and only hinted at in the Talmud. Consequently, there is no
formal ritual, but rather a series of customs that the people found
attractive and meaningful.
Many weddings take place on Lag BaOmer.
In the Israeli traditional community, it has become a day when
three-year-old children get their first haircuts. Parties and picnics
abound, and at least in Israel, hundreds of people attend midnight
bonfires and many children carry little bows and arrows.
The Jewish Home explains many of the "whys" of major Jewish
holidays and lifecycle events. The birth of a child, wedding ceremony,
b'nei mitzvah and Shabbat are only a few of the topics discussed in
Daniel Syme's landmark guide. Learn about Jewish rituals
and practice, their symbolism, and their historical and cultural roots
in an easy-to-follow question and answer format.
The Jewish Home: Revised Edition
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