Lag Beomer

This Sunday is the holiday of Lag Beomer. Lag Beomer is the celebration of two things: 1) The stopping of an epidemic that affected 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva (about 2,000 years ago.) 2) The yartzeit (day of passing) of a great Jewish Rabbi, (author of the Zohar- the original book of Kabbala.)

In our class we had a "crash course"in some Jewish history and learned some of the background of the above events.

Along time ago there was a shepherd boy named Akiva. He watched his sheep all day and night and didn’t ever go to school. When Akiva got older he  married Rachel. Rachel told Rabbi Akiva that he should go to school and learn Torah. Rabbi Akiva said, “I’m 40 years old! And I don’t even know the Alef Bais! I can’t go to school! Rachel told him to try so R’ Akiva went to school with all the little children. Rabbi Akiva tried his best  and learned a lot, he went to a higher grade and higher grade until he himself became a great Rabbi with 24,000 students!

Song:

Many years ago, a small shepherd boy, watched the sheep all day.

Akiva didn’t even learn the Alef Bais, which all of us can say.

Rachel his smart wife, gave him good advice and this is what she said,

“It’s never too late to start learning Torah, if you try your best.”

R’ Akiva learned all day and night. A Tzaddik and Rebbe he became.

He had many students who all learned Torah and we can do the same.

Rabbi Akiva taught his students that a huge principle in the whole Torah is loving your friend like you love yourself. His students tried to love their friends like themselves. They made the mistake of thinking that it meant that their friends have to follow their own ideas because their ideas are correct. This was not so kind because it’s ok to have different ideas. They started fighting with each other because they wanted everyone to do things their way.

There was a terrible epidemic that affected almost all of Rabbi Akiva's students. Right after Pesach, they all started to get sick. Everyone was so sad. But on Lag Beomer the students stopped getting sick!

Lag Beomer became a day of celebration. It is also a day to emphasize the teaching of Rabbi Akiva, to love you friends, like you love yourself, "Váhavta Leraiacha Kamocha."

We spoke about how we can have practice "Váhavta Leraiacha Kamocha," (loving your friend like you love yourself." Here are some of our ideas:

Shlomo: I can share my toys with Shimon.
Jacklyn: I share my toys with Lauren.
Zaylin: I can share a Torah with Emy.
Alan: I share my police car with Ariella.
Emy: I try to share my toys. But sometimes I am shy.
Yonni: I share my train with Shimon.
Evalyn: I listen to Yonni.
Nosson: I give Tzedaka to poor people.
Shimon: I share my toy train track with Yonni.
Aharon: I share my toys with Shlomo.
Ariel: I share my toys with my friends.

Rabbi Akiva had five students who did not get sick. One of them was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. R’ Shimon lived in a very hard time for the Jews. The Romans did not let the Jewish people learn Torah.  But the Jews would not stop learning Torah! They would go to the fields with Torahs and Bows and Arrows and if the Romans would come they would hide their Torahs and pretend to be practicing their archery. (For this reason it is a custom to play with bows and arrows on Lag Beomer.)

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai heard that the Romans knew he was learning Torah and they wanted to stop him! He and his son had to run away and hide in a cave so they wouldn’t find him!

R’ Shimon and his son R’ Elazar lived in a cave for thirteen years! They drank from a stream of water near the cave and they ate Carob from a Carob tree nearby.  

Song:

Lets remember Bar Yochai

For thirteen years in a cave,

He learned Torah with his son.

Chorus: Bar Yochai, Bar Yochai, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

Bar Yochai, Bar Yochai, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

Lag Beomer is celebrated by going out to fields or parks as well as shooting bows and arrows. It is also a custom for some to light bonfires to commemorate the day of passing of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. (This is done because the book he wrote called the Zohar, means light, his teachings lit up the Torah and revealed some of the secrets of the Torah.) 

Lag Beomer is also a time to strengthen our love for our fellow Jew. This is why we have a parade, where Jewish people come from all over in unity to celebrate together. (Looking forward to seeing all of you there! :)