AMiR LEV is our Lag b'AMiR

Today is Lag b'Omer or on the Internet, affectionately dubbed Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag b'Internet by the jews@cyberspace

Lag B'Omer, 18 Iyar, is the thirty-third day in the counting of the weeks between Passover and Shavuot. Lag represents the combined numeric value of two Hebrew letters, lamed=30 and gimel=3. On this day, the prohibitions and observance of mourning customs held during the Omer period are relaxed, marriages are performed, hair cutting and shaving permitted (NB: The Sefardies do this on the next day, ie, the 34^th day of Omer.), and music and other entertaiments occur. On this day, three year old boys are given their first haircut and talit qatan.

Various traditions are held with regard to the joyousness of this day. One states that the Lag b'Omer is when the manna began to fall for the Israelites.

Since the time of the geonim (sing, Gaon. Title given to the heads of the two large academies in Babylonia) rabbinical students have celebrated this day, the "Scholar's Festival", where, according to tradition, the plague which decimated the warrior-students of Rabbi Aqiva halted on that day. Kabbalists commemorate the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai, RaShBY. The Rashbi is the authour the Zohar, the primary sourcebook of Kabbala. In Meron (near Safed), where the Rashbi is said to be buried, it is the Hillula de-Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai. Among the festivities, Ashreha is sung, which consists of ten stanzas corresponding to the ten Sefirot in the Kabbalah. The story goes, that the day in which the Rashbi left his earthly existence he summoned his disciples and revealed to them the greatest secrets of the Torah. He then enjoined them not to mourn but to celebrate his Yahrzeit as a great wedding. He explained that he had arrived at a blissful communion with G-d; and totally wedded to G-d: "I am at one with HIM, I am afire with HIMm. I am entwined with HIM."

Today youngsters use bows and arrows to recall the revolt against Roman rule (132-135, c.e.). The keshet (bow) also recalls the legend that the rainbow (keshet), a symbol of peace and during the life of the Rashbi, a rainbow did not appear due to his saintlyness. Lag ba-Omer is a school holiday, with pique-niques where bonfires are lit. Students' Day is also celebrated on university campuses.

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