Lag BaOmer, which is the 33rd day of S’firas HaOmer, and the 18th of Iyar, is a festive day celebrating two prominent, yet connected events:
In the weeks between Pesach and Shavuos, all of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students died in a plague because they did not properly respect and honor one another (Y’vamos 62b). Though there are several commentaries on what it means that Rabbi Akiva’s students did not show enough respect and honor, all agree that they fell short in the mitzvah of V’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha, loving your fellow as yourself. We thus mourn over their behavior and the harsh din (judgment) they received. Lag BaOmer, however, was the day that the dying stopped, and on this day all signs of mourning are suspended. But, from the ashes of Rabbi Akiva’s loss arose five great sages who restored the Torah to the world: Rabbi Meir Baal HaNeis, Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, Rabbi Yossi ben Chalafta, Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua, and Rabbi Nechemiah.
Our Sages teach us that Lag BaOmer is a day for t’filah and y’shuah and is an auspicious time to daven for one’s physical and spiritual needs. Here are a few of the many sources on this topic (compiled from ShiratMiriam.com):
Lag BaOmer is a day where one can ask for salvation in any area of life (B’nei Yisas’char Iyar pg. 98).
Lag BaOmer is a day to do t’shuvah (Yaaros D’vash 2:11).
Celebrating Lag BaOmer brings one to yir’as shamayim (S’fas Emes Emor 652).
The Pri Tzadik writes that on Lag BaOmer one can be granted with the merit of reaching higher spiritual levels, thus enabling him to better learn and understand of the words of the Torah.
The days of Chodesh Iyar are a time of r’fuah, especially the days of hod, and more so Lag BaOmer, which is hod she’b’hod.
Lag BaOmer is a s’gulah for parnasah. (Nit’ei Gavriel, Pesach 3: pg. 292) In fact, the man descended to B’nei Yisrael in the desert for the first time at Lag BaOmer.
According to the Admor of Sochtshov, Lag BaOmer is the best day to ask to meet your zivug (soulmate). In fact, the word “hilula” means “marriage,” and Rashbi himself was married on the day of Lag BaOmer. It is also a good day to pray for success concerning our children’s marriages.
Lag BaOmer is a good day to ask for children and many descendants who go in the way of Torah. There is an additional s’gulah to buy a bow and an arrow, as it is written: “Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the sons of one’s youth.”
There is a minhag to read chapter 67 of Sefer T’hilim, which expresses gratitude to Hashem, seven times on Lag BaOmer.
May we all be zocheh to receive the light of Rabbi Shimon and Lag BaOmer!
List of People Who Need a R’fuah Sh’leimah (a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Shmuel Moshe ben Peninah
Yosef ben Leah
Aharon Mordechai ben Sharon
Eliyahu ben Miriam
Moshe ben Rachel
Michael Uram ben Raya Rachel
Nisan ben Yael
Nissim ben Devorah
Yehoshua ben Miriam
Mordechai ben Rachel Anba
Yehoshua ben Fruma
Yisrael Meir ben Etta Rachel
Masoud Meir ben Etta Rachel
Moshe ben Mazal
Yechezkel ben Esther Serel
Yitzchak Chaim ben Sarah
Shimon ben Mercedes
Eliyahu ben Margalit
Yosef ben Nosrat
Yosef Gidon Yaakov ben Peninah
Moshe Chaim ben Shulamis
Efraim ben Leah
Ezra Refael ben Taoos Miriam
Yechiel HaLevi ben Rachel
Yaakov Reuven ben Brachah
Frieda Malkah bas Sarah
Tinokey bas Rivkah
Malkah bas Reich Shifrah
Rachel bas Yehudis Binah Baila
Tovah Yocheved bas Esther Bukas
Ruchama Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Alizah bas Miriam
Chanah Elianah bas Naomi
Adele bas Adi
Orah bas Naomi
Chayah Brachah bas Miriam
Sally Ronit bas Taoos Miriam
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.
