Lag B’omer is a day of rejoicing (see Rama Orach Chaim 493:2). Depending on the various minhagim, the mourning customs of sefirah either conclude or are put on hold for a day, tachanun is omitted, and for those who can, being in Meiron – the burial place of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai – is an unforgettable experience. Let us now discuss some of the background and minhagim of this most interesting holiday.
Category: Sefiras Ha’omer
Pesach Sheini
Pesach is already a distant memory. Lag Ba’omer and the beginning of the post-sefirah wedding season are almost upon us. However, before we get to that, we first have an almost unnoticed date on the Jewish calendar – the fourteenth of Iyar, otherwise known as Pesach Sheini. Let us examine this holiday and some of its unique minhagim.
Emor – (There Ain’t Nothin’) Holier Than Thou
וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת מיום הביאכם את עמר התנופה שבע שבתות תמימות תהיינה You shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the rest day, from the day you bring… Read more »
The Halachic Status of Music: During the Year and in the Sefirah (Part 1)
Although it is well known that one mustn’t listen to music in the sefirah period, it is striking to note that this prohibition is not found in any early authority, from the time of the Talmud until the Mishnah Berurah! What, then, is the nature of the customary prohibition? When can one be lenient, and when must one be stringent? To answer these questions, we must first understand the halachic approach to music throughout the year, which is the subject of this two-part series.
