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Relax, Have A Picnic,
It's Lag B'Omer
The festival falls on the 33rd day of Omer,
between Passover and Shavuot.
OZZIE NOGG
Special to The Jewish News
T
he month of Iyar con-
tains the Sefirat
haOmer, the period
during which we count the
seven weeks between
Passover and Shavuot. On
18 Iyar (this year, Thursday,
May 2), we celebrate the
minor festival of Lag
B'Omer.
The commandment to
count the Omer is
straightforward. Beginning
on the second day of
Passover, says Leviticus, br-
ing a sheaf (Omer) of the
ripened barley harvest to the
Temple. Do this every day
for 49 days. On the 50th day
(Shavuot), bring the wheat
harvest and the first fruits to
the Temple as an offering of
thanksgiving to God.
The rabbis took this simple
biblical injunction and, after
debates of staggering com-
plexity, came up with a list
of laws spelling out exactly
how we must count the
Omer. Since there is no
longer a Temple to which we
can bring our harvests, why
do we keep this quaint
custom of counting the
Omer?
The rabbis offer many an-
swers but the "direct" one is:
"The fact that God com-
manded us is sufficient
reason for carrying out the
mitzvah with enthusiasm,"
say the sages, "even though
it may be far beyond human
understanding."
The Omer counting con-
nects Passover and Shavuot,
two joyous festivals. But the
seven weeks, at least in the
olden days, were full of anxi-
ety —during the Sefirah, the
fate of the crops was at stake
and, by extension, the fate of
man.
Our ancestors' angst kept
increasing until eventually
the Sefirah became one long,
dreary stretch of semi-
mourning. Prohibitions
against fun of almost any
kind were handed down, the
best known being the ban on
weddings.
Some suggest this
"mourning" is for the 24,000
students of Rabbi Akiba who
died in a plague that hit dur-
ing the Omer period. Indeed,
many of the murderous
motor sales, Inc
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669-2010
38
FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1991
Aym nutf
Books Bought
In Your Home
M. Sempliner
Ozzie Nogg is a writer in
Omaha, Neb.
pogroms recorded in Jewish
history took place during the
Sefirah, including those of
the three Crusades.
But then, at some point in
the Middle Ages, Lag
B'Omer — like an oasis in
the desert — appeared. What
inspired its creation is
unclear. But on the 33rd day
of the Omer (33 being the
sum of lamed and gimel
which spell LAG), the Jews
got a day "off." .
Lag B'Omer has no re-
ligious significance or ritual.
Rather it's a day for relaxa-
tion and fun. The people
agreed, and turned it into a
day to go to forest and field
for picnics.
The rabbis also decided
that on Lag B'Omer (18 Iyar,
remember?), the ban against
weddings could be lifted.
Why? Because Pirke Avot
(which describes the ages of
man) says, "At 18, the wed-
ding canopy." Everywhere,
eager couples rushed to their
rabbis and tied the knot on
Lag B'Omer.
So how will you celebrate
Lag B'Omer? With a picnic?
Maybe you'll get married
(Mazel Tov!). Or, clean your
closets, hold a garage- sale
and give the proceeds to
charity.
Our life span, according to
the Psalms, is 70 years —
symbolically represented by
the seven weeks of the
Omer. Now, if counting the
49 days between Passover
and Shavuot is not for you,
think of the larger picture.
Our lives themselves should
be considered personal
sefirot in which we must
make every day count.
N EWS him"'
Soviet Quota
May Rise
New York (JTA) — Last
week, a House subcommittee
approved a measure allow-
ing tens of thousands of
Soviet Jews to enter the
United States next year if
they cannot do so this year.
The State Department-
backed move is being con-
sidered because it appears
likely that only about 18,200
Soviet Jews will immigrate
to the U.S. this fiscal year.
The U.S. ceiling for this year
allowed 50,000 Soviet refu-
gees into the country.