While we are living in Israel, we often participate in many of the community events, but this year, we will not be participating in the school's celebration of Lag B'omer.
What is Lag B'omer?
Lag B'omer is the 33rd day in the counting of the Omer. The counting of the Omer is the biblical mandate given in Leviticus 23:15-16, which is the 50 day count to the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot in Hebrew. The Feast of Weeks is also called Pentecost, meaning fifty, by Christians in the New Covenant. According to Rabbinical tradition, this 50 day count from Passover to Shavuot also corresponds to the number of days it took the Israelites to reach Mount Sinai to receive the Torah after they departed from Egypt.
The word "Lag" comes from the Hebrew letters for the number 33. The Hebrew letter ל or lamed (corresponds the letter "L") which represents "30" and ג or gimel (corresponds to the letter "G") which represents "3". According to tradition, one of Rabbi Akiva's students, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the purported author of the Zohar, a book of Jewish mysticism, died on Lag B'omer after he revealed the deepest secrets of the Kabbalah. This day is seen as a celebration of the giving of the hidden, mystical Torah through Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, as a parallel to Shavuot, which, according to Rabbinical tradition, celebrates the giving of the true Torah through Moses.
The lighting of bonfires on Lag B'omer are seen as a tribute to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, representing the "light" he gave to the world through his revelations in the Zohar. I say, the lighting of fires on Lag B'omer is akin to worship of an idol and has no place among believers in the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
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You're a great example of someone who has done their research and decided to take a G-dly stand. I've had to do the same thing many times with my family and understand the difficulty. The Father will reward this obedience and steadfastness. Anytime someone asks me to make a bonfire (which comes from 'bone-fire')or light candles for any human, I tend to get very weary. We have but one Light that still shines. He is our Way and our Truth. We commemorate Him by revealing the Light to others.
ReplyDeleteMy family is counting the Omer anxiously and expectantly this year; trusting the Father to give us a fresh indwelling of His Torah and Holy Spirit on our hearts.
Your ministry is always in my prayers and thanks again for setting a G-dly example. Shalom from Gabriel Rutledge in Florida.