Lag BaOmer (ל״ג בעומר) — The 33rd Day of the Omer

Core definition

Lag BaOmer — the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer (18 Iyar) — is the hillula (day of rejoicing) of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi), the day of his histalkus (passing). A hilula is the wedding's joy — the joy of a chasan and kallah — and the tzaddik's histalkus day, which is his ultimate aliyah, is called a hilula for that reason [58837/maamar_046 :: intro]. "On his histalkus day is the ascent... then the revelation's main" [58837/maamar_046 :: §224–225, summary].

How the Rebbeim develop it

Hod shebehod. Rashbi's histalkus fell on the sefirah of Hod shebeHod — "you shall place of your hod upon him" (Bamidbar 27:20): the radiance of the light on the skin of the face, whose root is from the Hod of Atik [58837/maamar_046 :: §219–220]. In this level, only hoda'ah (acknowledgment) belongs. Dovid was nistalek on Shavuos — in Moshe's level in the first luchos; Rashbi was nistalek on Lag BaOmer — in Moshe's level in the second luchos [58837/maamar_046 :: summary].

Rashbi and the Torah's pnimiyus. The day's deeper meaning is Rashbi's role: through Moshe came the revelation of the Torah's chitzoniyus — the "novelos chochmah" — with its pnimiyus hidden; Rashbi revealed the Torah's pnimiyus — the "ta'alumos chochmah" of the second luchos — in revelation, which is why his talmidim expounded the thirteen tikkunim (of the Idra Rabba) [58837/maamar_046 :: summary]. In the 33rd-day count, the 32 days before are the drawing-down of the 32 paths of wisdom (ל״ב נתיבות חכמה); on Lag BaOmer itself comes the drawing of the supernal wisdom (chochmah ilah) into the lower wisdom (chochmah tatah) — as Rabbenu Bachya expounds "and thirty-three days" (Vayikra 12:4) [15962/maamar_016 :: §1025–1033].

The hilula as wedding. Rashbi's histalkus day is called the hilula day like "beyom chasunaso" (on the day of his wedding): Mattan Torah is the wedding-joy, the union of Ze'ir Anpin and Nukva; Rashbi, who was in the pnimiyus of this level in ruchniyus, ascended in it at his histalkus — and then came the truth of the revelation [58837/maamar_046 :: summary].

Lag BaOmer as tena'im. A 5692 maamar reads the day as hod shebehod — the completion of the count of the five principal middos — and as the tena'im (engagement): as the bridegroom and bride bind themselves at the tena'im, so "sheves achim" (the union of brothers/souls) prepares the wedding; from Lag BaOmer until Shavuos are the times of the sablonot — the gifts the Bridegroom sends to the Bride [31673/maamar_032 :: §29–30, summary]. "Lag BaOmer is the time of the bonding (hiskashrus)" [31673/maamar_032 :: §378].

Tiferes. In the counting itself, "Lag BaOmer — both the week and the day — is the sefirah of tiferes" [31667/sicha_006 :: §20–22]: tiferes rises to Keser and is drawn into Malchus, uniting the lowest with the highest.

Chassidic observance. Among chassidim they would sit to farbreng on Lag BaOmer in the afternoon, between Minchah and Maariv — after the day's seder of hachanah, avodas hatefillah, and Torah learning (which, the Alter Rebbe says, gives the day its chiyus) [31667/sicha_006 :: §157–159]. The hillula is also "the preparation" — "the preparation for this is Lag BaOmer" — for the days of Moshiach, when Rashbi's promise ("one who takes upon himself in his time will take upon himself in the days of Moshiach") is fulfilled [31667/sicha_006 :: §241–243].

Key distinctions

Related concepts

Sources