"MERON CANCELED!!"...

16 Iyyar 5786
31 Days of the Omer
Tiferet sheb'Hod

...Israel Cancels Meron Lag BaOmer
Hilula For First Time In Modern History  

* * * UPDATE!  * * *

Lag Ba'omer In Meron Canceled!
SIGN OF THE GEULA??

(*Especially since the focus of this stage of the war period is on
restoring Har Habayit and the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash.)

Introduction to The History of Lag Ba'Omer Celebrations
For the Uninitiated  (Source of information: Chabad.org)

Lag Ba'Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer count, is a minor Jewish holiday marking a pause in mourning for Rabbi Akiva's students and the yahrtzeit (passing) of mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.  Celebrated with bonfires, picnics, and haircuts, it commemorates the end of a plague and the revelation of Kabbalistic secrets, with major festivities in Meron.

Origins and Significance

• End of Plague: According to the Talmud, a plague that killed 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva during the period between Passover and Shavuot stopped on this day.
• Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi): The day commemorates the passing of the 2nd-century sage who instructed his students to treat his death as a joyful yom hilula (festive day) because he revealed profound mystical secrets (the Zohar) on that day.
• Historical Link: Some link the day to the Bar Kokhva revolt against Rome, suggesting the bonfires symbolize success or resistance.

Evolution of Customs

• Bonfires: Symbolizing the spiritual light introduced to the world by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, bonfires have been a central feature for centuries, with early records from the 15th-16th centuries noting gatherings at his burial site in Meron.
• Haircuts (Upsherin): In observant communities, three-year-old boys receive their first haircut on this day.
• Bows and Arrows: Children play with bows and arrows to symbolize the rainbow, which is considered a sign of divine protection, or as a nod to the stories of the Bar Kokhva revolt.
• Weddings: Because it is a break from the mourning period, Lag Ba'Omer is a very popular day for weddings.

Modern Celebrations

• Meron Pilgrimage: Hundreds of thousands gather annually at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron, Galilee, to light fires, sing, and dance.
• Bonfires Worldwide: Jewish communities globally hold bonfires and festive outdoor meals, making it a popular school and community holiday.
• Israeli Culture: In Israel, it is a significant day for scouting events, parades, and in recent times, a day that emphasizes the "Zionist" connection to the land and heroism

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"In a Nutshell"

14 Iyyar 5786

Pesach Sheini

Erev Shabbat Kodesh

Parashat Emor

Emor in a Nutshell (Leviticus 21:1–24:23)

...The Torah section of Emor (“Speak”) begins with the special laws pertaining to the kohanim (“priests”), the kohen gadol (“high priest”), and the Temple service: A kohen may not become ritually impure through contact with a dead body, save on the occasion of the death of a close relative. A kohen may not marry a divorcee, or a woman with a promiscuous past; a kohen gadol can marry only a virgin. A kohen with a physical deformity cannot serve in the Holy Temple, nor can a deformed animal be brought as an offering.

A newborn calf, lamb or kid must be left with its mother for seven days before being eligible for an offering; one may not slaughter an animal and its offspring on the same day.

The second part of Emor lists the annual Callings of Holiness—the festivals of the Jewish calendar: the weekly Shabbat; the bringing of the Passover offering on 14 Nissan; the seven-day Passover festival beginning on 15 Nissan; the bringing of the Omer offering from the first barley harvest on the second day of Passover, and the commencement, on that day, of the 49-day Counting of the Omer, culminating in the festival of Shavuot on the fiftieth day; a “remembrance of shofar blowing” on 1 Tishrei; a solemn fast day on 10 Tishrei; the Sukkot festival—during which we are to dwell in huts for seven days and take the “Four Kinds”—beginning on 15 Tishrei; and the immediately following holiday of the “eighth day” of Sukkot (Shemini Atzeret).

Next the Torah discusses the lighting of the menorah in the Temple, and the showbread; (lechem hapanim) placed weekly on the table there.

Emor concludes with the incident of a man executed for blasphemy, and the penalties for murder (death) and for injuring one’s fellow or destroying his property (monetary compensation).  (Source)

Emor Haftorah in a Nutshell (Ezekiel 44:15-31)

This week's haftorah discusses various laws that pertain to the kohanim, the priests, a topic also discussed at length in the first part of the week's Torah portion.

Ezekiel prophesies about the service of the kohanim in the third Holy Temple which will be rebuilt after the Final Redemption. The prophet describes their priestly vestments, their personal care, whom they may and may not marry, and their special purity requirements which preclude them from coming in contact with a corpse, unless it's for a next of kin. He also discusses their calling as teachers and spiritual leaders.

The prophet conveys G‑d's word: "You shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession." The kohanim do not receive a portion in the Land of Israel, instead they partake of the sacrifices as well as various tithes.    (Source)

~  SHABBAT SHALOM  ~