Lag BaOmer - What Are We Celebrating? And Why?

One of the most uniquely celebrated days on the Jewish calendar is ל'ג בעמר /Lag BaOmer (the 33rd day of the Omer-Count), when tens of thousands of Jews descend upon Meiron in the Galil to celebrate the yartzeit (anniversary of death) of the holy Tanna Rabi Shimon bar Yochai (known by the acronym Rashbi), the primary author of the teachings found in the Sefer HaZohar. And ultimately all of Eretz Yisrael is ablaze on Lag BaOmer with bonfires lit in honor of the day. Though, as celebrated as this day is, if one delves into the matter, it’s actually not so straightforward what exactly is being celebrated. That is, most people understand that Lag BaOmer is a double-rejoicing over the fact that the students of Rabi Akiva ceased to die after many weeks of them passing away in a plague, together with a celebration in honor of the yartzeit of Rashbi. But the truth of the matter is that neither of these explanations for the Lag BaOmer festivities is clear cut. In order to understand why not, let’s first get the necessary background. Based on Insights of HaGaon HaGadol Rav Yaakov Hillel shlit”a In the פתיחה and first essay of his sefer on Lag BaOmer – Eid HaGal HaZeh * Prepared by Chaim Rosenblatt Also based on the notes of Rav Pinchas Friedman