Sefirat Haomer & Lag Bomer

Sefirat Haomer/Lag Bomer

The conclusion of the Passover holiday leads right into a long 7-week period known as Sefirat Haomer. It translates as counting of the Omer, which in the days when the temple stood in Jerusalem was a barley offering which people made. The period last for 49 days from the first night of Passover until the festival of Shavuot. During this time the Jewish people are required to count out loud each day, until the final day. The day can be counted from sundown which is the start of the day on the Hebrew calendar.

Mysticism

The Sefirat Haomer is a very special time in the Jewish calendar. The number 7 falls into the natural order of things, there are 7 days in a week (with the 7th being Shabbat) 7 days to Passover, 7 days to sukkot, and now the 7 weeks. Jewish sages have pointed out that these days connect the festival of Shavuot (the only festival which is one day) to Passover, making it as if it was one long holiday. There are other sources that explain that when the Jewish people were in enslaved in Egypt they fell to the 49th level of impurity, and each of the 49 days of the Omer purifies and elevates the Jewish nation. It ends for Shavuot which was the day the Torah was received at Mt. Sinai and one of the primary reason for the exodus as well as to dwell in a land of our own. The Sefirat Haomer is a time for preparation and introspection to reach the spiritual and physical turnaround of going from slaves to freemen.

Customs

There are a number of customs which have developed over the centuries during Sefirat Haomer. One of the most significant of which is the remembrance of the death of the students of Rabbi Akiva. He was a major figure in Jewish history and mentioned repeatedly in Jewish holy books. There was a plague lead to the death of tens of thousands of his students. To mourn their deaths Jews today follow the custom of refraining from certain activities during the Sefirat Haomer. These include cutting of hair and listening to music since theses are identified as joyous activities. In this time also, many Jews study the Pirkei Avot (Chapters of our Fathers) an compilation of ethical teachings.

Lag Baomer

Lag Baomer is the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, and is a celebratory day, remembering the death of Shimon Bar Yochai. Traditionally these days are not celebratory but for great influencers in Jewish history like Shimon Bar Yochai, they are indeed festive because of their contributions. Shimon Bar Yochai was a leading authority who revealed some of the deepest secret of Kabbalah or Jewish mysticism through his book The Zohar. The Zohar is essentially a commentary on the Torah which focuses on spiritual aspects of the soul, nature, and the physical relationships with the spiritual. This day is celebrated with Bonfires since fires have always been symbolic of the soul, always reaches upwards.