Lag B'Omer

It is customary to rejoice somewhat on Lag Ba-omer. Even though we observe some customs of mourning during the omer period, nevertheless, one may sing and dance on Lag Ba-omer. Taḥanun is recited neither on Lag Ba-omer nor at Minḥa on the preceding day. One may not fast on Lag Ba-omer.^¹

The reason we rejoice on Lag Ba-omer is that the Rishonim had a tradition that the students of R. Akiva stopped dying on the 33rd day of the omer (Me’iri, Yevamot 62b; SA 493:2). Some explain that his students actually continued dying, but on the 33rd day of the omer R. Akiva began teaching new students – including R. Shimon bar Yoḥai – who did not die in the plague, and through them Torah spread among the Jewish people. This is why we rejoice on Lag Ba-omer (Pri Ḥadash 493:2). Others claim that on the 33rd day of the omer R. Akiva conferred rabbinic ordination on his five new students – R. Meir, R. Yehuda, R. Yosi, R. Shimon bar Yoḥai, and R. Elazar b. Shamu’a – who continued the tradition of Torah (Kaf Ha-ḥayim 493:26, based on Sha’ar Ha-kavanot). Another reason for rejoicing on Lag Ba-omer is that it is the yahrzeit or hilula of the holy Tanna R. Shimon bar Yoḥai, who was R. Akiva’s disciple.

We will first summarize briefly the customs of mourning and rejoicing that apply on Lag Ba-omer. According to all customs, one may sing, dance, and play musical instruments on Lag Ba-omer, from beginning to end. Regarding weddings and haircuts, the matter depends on one’s custom. According to the customs of Ashkenazic and some Sephardic communities, one may get married and cut one’s hair during the day of Lag Ba-omer, and some permit these activities even at night. According to the custom of most Sephardim, however, one may not get married or cut one’s hair on Lag Ba-omer (see above 3:4-5). Nonetheless, when Lag Ba-omer falls out on Friday, one may cut one’s hair in honor of Shabbat, even according to Sephardic custom (SA 493:2). Those who follow the customs of Arizal do not cut their hair on Lag Ba-omer even in this situation, because they refrain from cutting their hair throughout the omer period, until Erev Shavu’ot (Kaf Ha-ḥayim 493:13).