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14 votes
Accepted

What are we celebrating on Lag B'Omer?

This exact question was asked by R. Hezekiah Silva in his commentary to the Shulchan Aruch where it says that the students stopped dying. Peri Chadash O.C. 493:2 ומיהו יש לדקדק בשמחה זו למה ואי משום ...
Alex's user avatar
  • 49.8k
10 votes

How can people dance around bonfires on Lag Lo'Omer - it's darchei emori?

Merely dancing next to a bonfire has nothing to do the ways of the Emorites, nor is it a form of fire worship, if the dancer(s) has/have no such intent. The question is based on a misunderstanding of ...
IsraelReader's user avatar
  • 5,162
7 votes

How can people dance around bonfires on Lag Lo'Omer - it's darchei emori?

Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky, in his commentary 'Tosefta Chazon Yechezkel' on the Tosefta, explains that the manner in which one qualifies for 'the ways of the Emorites' would be by dancing in order to ...
Dr. Shmuel's user avatar
6 votes
Accepted

Lag baomer and non-chasidic Jews

I located two customs mentioned in this article: Bows and Arrows: On Lag Baomer kids go out into the fields to play with bows and arrows. There are two schools of thoughts as to what this ...
DanF's user avatar
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5 votes
Accepted

How can people dance around bonfires on Lag Lo'Omer - it's darchei emori?

From a Halachic perspective, this is not a concern, see this short article (Hebrew). For example, Rashba 1:167 says that only those practices also mentioned in the Gemara are subject to the ...
רבות מחשבות's user avatar
4 votes

Haircuts on lag beomer for those keeping the second half of sefira?

Rama OC 493:3 בהרבה מקומות נוהגים להסתפר עד ראש חדש אייר, ואותן לא יספרו מל"ג בעומר ואילך, אעפ"י שמותר להסתפר בל"ג בעומר בעצמו. ואותן מקומות שנוהגין להסתפר מל"ג בעומר ואילך, לא ...
Double AA's user avatar
  • 100k
3 votes

Rashbi's generation was completely righteous, so why were they killed?

Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah, 3:1 "Each and every person has merits and sins. A person whose merits exceed his sins is [termed] righteous. A person whose sins exceed his merits is [termed] wicked. If [...
David Kenner's user avatar
2 votes

Until when you can listen to music on lag baomer?

Assuming you're referring to those people who keep the 2nd half of the Omer. Those people have to continue the mourning after Lag B'Omer. I would assume that the day ends at sunset - just like every ...
Danny Schoemann's user avatar
1 vote

Implication for Lag Ba'Omer if Shimon bar Yochai wasn't the author of the Zohar

Are there any implications for the minhagim of Lag Ba'Omer for those who don't hold Shimon bar Yochai to be the author of the Zohar? No, the various mourning customs and cessation thereof on 33/34 of ...
Deuteronomy's user avatar
  • 9,320
1 vote

Haircuts on lag beomer for those keeping the second half of sefira?

Cutting hair after lag bomer Rabbi David Sperling from Yeshiva University states that Ashkenazim can cut their hair during the day of lag baomer but not the previous night. Others, however, start ...
sabbahillel's user avatar
  • 43.4k
1 vote

why do we mourn the 24k students of Rabbi Akivah?

The Gemarah which you quoted above (Yevamos 62b) says after Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 disciples died, the world was desolate until Rabbi Akiva came & taught five new students. Rashi there says the ...
Earl's user avatar
  • 853
1 vote

What is the connection between Purim and Lag BaOmer?

Perhaps it is connected to the counting of seven weeks from the Korban Omer to the Shtei Halechem reflecting a gradual transcendence of physical man from a primitive, self-centered and bestial state ...
Loewian's user avatar
  • 17.9k
1 vote

What is the connection between Purim and Lag BaOmer?

I once heard a connection as follows. Shabbos 88b says that the Jews reaccepted the Torah on Purim. אמר רבא אף על פי כן הדור קיבלוה בימי אחשורוש דכתיב קימו וקבלו היהודים קיימו מה שקיבלו כבר On ...
Gershon Gold's user avatar

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