21 May LAG BAOMER

Lag B’omer
Lag B’omer is a
day which people
celebrate with great
simcha and joy.
What is the reason for
this great celebration?
When does it start? At
night or by day? Why
do so many people go

to Meron on Lag B’omer?
Should one go to Meron for an Upsherin?
All these questions and many others will be
discussed in this issue.
Lag B’omer will always fall out on the same
day of the week as Purim.
What Happened on Lag B’omer
Many different happenings took place on
Lag B’omer. Some say it is the day Rav
Shimon Bar Yochai came out of the cave
that he and his son were in for thirteen
years.Rav Shimon Bar Yochai died on Lag
B’omer and revealed to us the Zohar. The
Rama also died on Lag B’omer and many
have the custom to go to his kever on Lag
B’omer.
The Simcha of Lag B’omer
On Lag B’omer we are happy. Some say the
reason is because the talmidim of Rav Akiva
who died throughout the days following
Pesach stopped dying on Lag B’omer. Some
poskim ask if so many talmidim died why is
this a reason to be happy? The answer may
be we are happy that the talmidim which
Rav Akiva acquired afterwards did not die.
The talmidim of Rav Akiva died because
they did not show respect to each other.
Some say they spoke loshon hara about each
other. Others say although each talmid grew
to higher levels of Torah, they were treated
by each other as if they had not grown at
all, because they were still friendly from the
olden days.
Others say the reason is to show honor for
Rav Shimon Bar Yochai. Some say the mon
started to fall on Lag B’omer. Others say
the reason for the joy is based on reasons
of kabbalah.
The Greatness of the Day
Lag B’omer is a segula for parnasa. Some
say it brings one to yiras shomayim. It is
a day for one to ask for his needs through
tefilla. It is a day where one can ask for
salvation in any area of life.
Meron and Lag B’omer
The custom to go to Meron on Lag B’omer
dates back to the Rishonim. One should

not go to Meron by himself. Some say
going three days before and after has some
meaning as well. Although some question
the inyun of going to Meron on Lag B’omer,
the custom is to go. It would seem that one
who does not live in Eretz Yisroel does not
have to be matriach himself to go to Meron
on Lag B’omer. One who can not go to
Meron should learn the teachings of Rav
Shimon Bar Yochai.
Today, when one goes to Meron he can
see animals being shechted on the side of
the road. One should make sure that these
animals are shechted properly and salted
etc according to halacha. This is usually not
the case, and one should be careful not to
eat from animals that were shechted in this
way. Furthermore, when going to Meron
one should be careful to avoid the areas that
people walk around dressed immodestly.
Lag B’omer and Rav Shimon Bar Yochai
Any person who is asked will tell you that
Lag B’omer is the day that hundreds of
thousands of people go to Meron to the
kever of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai. Why is
this so?
As mentioned earlier, Rav Shimon Bar
Yochai was niftar on Lag B’omer. Normally
when a tzadik dies the yartzeit is not a day of
simcha and joy, rather one fasts. However,
Rav Shimon Bar Yochai is different. Before
he was niftar he called his students and
revealed to them the secrets of the Torah.
These secrets were written down and are
contained in the Zohar. Therefore, we are
extra happy and rejoice on the day that these
secrets were given to us. Others say since
a miracle happened to Rav Shimon Bar
Yochai that he did not die when he was in
the cave, we celebrate his yartzeit by being
happy. The day Rav Shimon Bar Yochai died
three-thousand halachos were introduced.
This is another reason why we are happy on
Lag B’omer.
Anytime it says in the Gemorah Rav
Shimon without any other name, it means
Rav Shimon Bar Yochai. He was the talmid
of Rav Akiva and Rav Yehoshua.
The day that he was niftar is referred to
as the “yom hilulei” of Rav Shimon Bar
Yochai.
Tachnun on Lag B’omer
Tachnun is not recited both on Lag B’omer
and on the day before at mincha which is the
thirty second day of the omer. One recites
lam’natz’eiach yancha etc. on Lag B’omer.
However, others say that it should not be
recited;[39] this is not the overwhelming
custom. When Lag B’omer falls out on

Sunday (as it does this year) one
does not recite tzidkascha tzedek at
mincha on Shabbos.
Fasting
One may fast for tannis chalom on
Lag ’omer. One should not fast for
a yartzeit on Lag B’omer.
When getting married on Lag
B’omer those who have the custom
to fast on their wedding day should
do so. Others are lenient. Even one
who did not fast should still say
viduy at mincha. When a fast day
precedes the day of the chuppah one should
still fast on the day of the chuppah. The
same would apply if a fast follows the day
of the chuppah.
Marriage
The custom is that one is permitted to get
married on Lag B’omer. Some say that the
only time that one may get married on Lag
B’omer is by day. The Sefardim have the
custom to marry on the thirty-fourth day
of the omer. The overwhelming custom is
that one may get married the night of Lag
B’omer.However others have the custom
not to get married on Lag B’omer as well.
A wedding that started on Lag B’omer by
day may continue into the night. Dancing
and music are permitted at a wedding on
Lag B’omer.
It is interesting to point out that one who
goes to a chasana during the time he is
observing the restrictions of sefira may only
dance after the chosson and kallah come
out from taking pictures, since before they
come out the dancing is not considered
being mes’ameach the chosson and kallah.
Even those who hold like the Arizal and
are noheg the issur of taking haircuts on all
days of sefira, may make a wedding on Lag
B’omer. No weddings are permitted on the
night before the thirty second day.
Haircuts/Shaving
According to the opinion of the Mechaber
one may not take haircuts until the thirty
fourth day in the morning. The Rama holds
one may shave on Lag B’omer. Many say
this means even at night (because no tachnun
is said already from erev Lag B’omer),
while others say it means first thing in the
morning because if one waits a little in the
morning it is as if one waited a whole day.
This is known as miktzas hayom k’kula. The
custom of many seems to be that shaving
or taking a haircut is permitted after neitz
hachama.
When Lag B’omer falls out on Sunday (as
it does this year) shaving etc is permitted

on Friday because of kovod for Shabbos.
The reason why it is kovod for Shabbos is
because by the mincha before Lag B’omer
one does not say tachnun, so technically
shaving would permitted on Shabbos, but
since one can not do so, the allowance is
pushed back to Friday. One may not shave
etc. on Motzei Shabbos when Lag B’omer
falls out on Sunday. Furthermore, many say
that shaving etc. in the above situation is not
permitted on Thursday night if one has time
to do it on Friday. One who started shaving
etc. on Lag B’omer may continue after
shekia as well (even if he holds no shaving
after Lag B’omer).
According to the opinion of the Arizal
shaving is not allowed even on Lag B’omer.
Shaving is permitted on Erev Shavuos even
for those who go with the Arizal’s opinion.
Meron and Upsherin
Hundreds, if not thousands of people,
cut their children’s hair in Meron on Lag
B’omer. This was the custom of the Arizal.
Some say the reason is because the holiness
of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai should be a
zechus for the child. Others say the reason is
because hair is part of the yetzer hara and this
was taught to us by Rav Shimon bar Yochai
when he gave us the Zohar. Many have the
custom to go to Meron on Lag B’omer and
cut the child’s hair even before the child has
actually reached the age of three. Others
say only if the child was born during sefira
should one go to Meron. If sefira then one
should not go to Meron to cut his hair. Some
question the reason to go cut hair at a kever
of any tzadik.
Saying “Today is Lag B’omer”
Some poskim say one who has not yet
counted the sefira of Lag B’omer should
avoid telling someone else today is Lag
B’omer, since doing so may be considered
counting the day. Other poskim permit this
since his intention is not to count the day,
rather he is referring to the name of the day
since it is a day of simcha. This seems to be
the minhag ha’olom.