Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

If ever we needed a day of joy at this particular time, today, Lag Ba'Omer is the day. Many of us are physically and emotionally exhausted after the lifestyle changes of the last two months.

There was a time when the seven weeks connecting Passover and Shavuot were a time of pure joy. The celebration of physical freedom led to a celebration of spiritual purpose. The planting of the Spring harvest led to the ripening of the first fruits.

During the Second Temple period, however, the situation changed. A story from the Talmud tells us, "Rabbi Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of students. All of them died at the same time because they did not treat one another with respect. . . . All of them died between Pesach and Shavuot."

Legend has it that the plague which killed them stopped on the thirty-third day, thereby explaining why that day - Lag (33) Ba'Omer - is not a day of mourning. In some traditions, mourning is stopped for that day and then resumes. In others, that is the end of the mourning period.

Many scholars suggest that the reason for the tragedy as described in the Talmud is a euphemism. The historical reality was the genocide perpetrated by the Roman Empire at this season of the year.

Perhaps the two reasons can co-exist. When one Jew treats a fellow Jew with disrespect; when one shows disdain for one another in a shared community, then the opportunity is ripe for an external enemy to take advantage.

With this in mind, we can understand the mourning restrictions during the Sefira season. Today, however is a day of joy. The ancient genocide came to an end. The study and practice of Torah in hiding also came to an end. The celebration of Jewish life could become public again.

As a child attending Jewish day school, we always looked forward to Lag Ba'Omer. Regular classes were cancelled. Sports competitions took place instead. The day was treated with fun and festivity for children so that we could appreciate this day of joy, which commemorated an end to the sadness.

We too look forward to having the sadness caused by Covid-19 come to an end, so that soon we can look forward to every day becoming like Lag Ba'Omer.

I encourage all of us to find some time on Lag Ba'Omer to celebrate the joys of Judaism and life amidst the sadness.

Rabbi Howard Morrison