There are several reasons for the simcha of Lag Ba’omer:
1) On Lag Ba’omer the talmidim of Rebbi Akiva stopped dying. (Mishna Brurah 493:MB8)
2) It is the Yahrtzeit of Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai and on this day he revealed the Zohar. (Sdei Chemed, Chida, Bnei Yissaschar, Chayei Odom, Aruch Hashulchan, Kaf Hachaim)
On Lag Ba’omer Rebbi Akiva gave Semicha to his five talmidim who did not die, and through whom Torah was disseminated, (among them Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai).
(Sdei Chemed, Chida, Kaf Hachaim, Pri Chodosh)
4) On this day The Mann began to fall for Klal Yisroel in the Midbar (S’U Chasam Sofer YD 233)
{[email protected]/Matzav.com Newscenter}
http://matzav.com/the-unknown-days-of-the-jewish-calendar
“There are several reasons offered for why Tachanun is not said on Lag BOmer, including: Its the day when Rabbi Akivas 24,000 students stopped dying (See Biur HaGra O.C. 131, 6 s.v. bLag and Pri Megadim O.C. 493, M.Z. 1); Its the day when the Mann (manna) started to fall, feeding Bnei Yisrael in the Sinai desert (Shut Chasam Sofer YD 233, s.v. amnam yadaati); It is the day when Rabi Shimon bar Yochai and his son, Rabi Elazar came out of the cave they hid in for 13 years (see Aruch Hashulchan O.C. 493, 7); It is Rabi Shimon bar Yochais Yahrtzeit (see Birkei Yosef O.C. 493, 4, Aruch Hashulchan ibid. and Kaf Hachaim ad loc. 27; however, this might actually be based on a printing mistake! See below for Rabbi Eliezer Brodts relevant article); It is the day when Rabi Akiva gave Semicha to his remaining five students (including Rabi Shimon bar Yochai) after 24,000 died, allowing the Torahs mesorah to perpetuate (Yalkut Meam Loez – Parshas Emor); It is the day when Rabi Shimon bar Yochais (hidden) Torah (Zohar) became revealed to the world (Zohar – Parshas Haazinu).”
Nothing in halachah about bonfires. I wonder where that came from…
Thank you for the info and the sources!
The Chida writes that there is no such
mekor that the Yahrzeit is on Lag Baomer
I thought that R. Yehuda Ben bava gave simcha to those remaining 5 Talmudic since R. Akiva was in jail at that time. ??
All very well and good but it ought to have been mentioned by the Rambam. There was somethin strange about this mesora not being passed on. As for giving them smicha, the Gemora was more impressed that they stopped dying (either for a day or from that point on). Thats also a very strange thing to celebrate. There is something very quirky about it. Why Rashbi’s Hilula isn’t mentioned in shas and medrash is a great mystery. Lag BaOmer is a big mystery.
Maybe someone can enlighten me. Isn’t the reason that R Akiva Talmidim stopped dying because their were no more to dye? Unless we celebrate the fact that five were saved.
In some places they shout arrows.
Although the chasam sofer says that the mann started on lag beomer- Rashi in Chumash said it started a few days earlier (see Rashi in parshas Vayishlach) v’tzorich iyun. (just thought I’d point that out)(see Shem Mishmuel on lag beomer who says similar to the
Sofer but not the same thing)