LESSONS FROM LAG BA OMER

Every religious tradition is based on a story. In Judaism, many of the stories come from the Torah. For instance, it is written that from the second day after the Passover holiday, which celebrates the Jews’ Exodus from Egypt, and their fight for freedom, the Jews count seven weeks, called Omer.

This culminates with the next holiday called Shavuot. During the time of the Temple, it was customary to come to Jerusalem and to bring the crops from the early summer grain (the word “Omer” means “sheaf of barley”). The Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, however the tradition of counting Omer continued. And then in 132 AD, during the rebellion of Israelis led by Bar Kohba against the Romans, many Jews were killed. This occurred during the counting of Omer time. Therefore, the 7 weeks of Omer became a time of mourning. In spite of this, rabbis decided to introduce a new tradition. It was announced that on the 33rd day of Omer, there would be a break in the mourning. Instead, it would be a day of joy with barbecues and bonfires to celebrate the Jewish unity and pride. It is the day to have weddings and for children to get their first haircut.

For me, this minor holiday is a good reminder that in our lives there are many events which can cause feelings like mourning. What rabbis taught us is that life goes on, but we do not need to forget others. This is one of the reasons why during a Jewish wedding ceremony it is customary to break a glass. This symbolizes the memory of the destruction of the Holy Temple.

Lighting a bonfire has its own tradition. I do not have photo images of bonfires, instead I am sharing with you these three beautiful images of the fire from a gas burner. Look carefully at the game of fire, I am sure you will find many interesting images there.

 

Enjoy and Share!