Lag BaOmer, May 6, 2007 this year, is a festive day on the Jewish calendar, celebrated with outings (on which the children traditionally play with bow and arrows ), bonfires, and other joyous events. Many visit the resting place (in Miron in Northern Israel) of the great sage and mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, whose yahrzeit (anniversary of his passing) the day marks.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who lived in the 2nd century of the Common Era, was the first to publicly teach the mystical dimension of the Torah known as the "Kabbalah," and is the author of the basic work of Kabbalah, the Zohar. On the day of his passing, Rabbi Shimon instructed his disciples to mark the date as "the day of my joy."
Lag BaOmer also commemorates another joyous event. The Talmud relates that in the weeks between Passover and Shavuot a plague raged amongst the disciples of the great sage Rabbi Akiva "because they did not act respectfully towards each other"; these weeks are therefore observed as a period of mourning, with various joyous activities proscribed by law and custom. On Lag BaOmer the dying ceased. Thus Lag BaOmer also carries the theme of Ahavat Yisrael, the imperative to love and respect one's fellow
We were invited to Earl Bales Park for a giant festival by the Rabbi that lives on our street. The Happy Boy and I were coming home from picking up dinner and we stopped to chat with the Rabbi. My son, after playing shy, announced to the Rabbi that "I love bagels!!", to which the Rabbi said, hey were having a party in the park... are you coming. LOL. We went. There were kids playing with bows and arrows. Go figure. There also was a bonfire. Hmmmm. There were games, and stuff. It was....ok. We came, we stayed for a bit, we left. Happy Boy got to jump around inside an inflatable dreydl, and was climbing the giant menorah slide when a much older kid jumped down flattening all the kids in the way including Happy Boy. He did want to play on that ride anymore... He was, "Scared!!!".
We left the event and went to our friends for a nice BBQ dinner. Sweet.
The Weed enjoyed the fresh air and actually slept 5 straight hours that night. 5 straight!!! WOW. It was... weird. He's almost 7 months now and it looks like he might actually try sleeping.
I have my fingers crossed.
1 comment:
What I woulnd't have given to let my son play in a giant dreidl.
I should explain that we aren't Jewish, but my son became obsessed with dreidls - and sleeps with one.
I think a giant dreidl would make his day.
Who knew?
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