Video credit: Shiezoli
On Monday night, May 8th, 2023, hundreds of thousands of Jews are gathered in Meron to celebrate Lag Ba’Omer, which commemorates the passing of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, also known as Rashbi. The Zohar, a commentary on the Pentateuch and a classic source of Jewish mysticism, is attributed to Rashbi, who lived in the 2nd century C.E. and is buried in Meron, where the celebration takes place.
According to the Talmud, Rashbi and his son were forced to hide in a cave for twelve years to escape the Romans who sought to kill him for rebellion. During this time, they subsisted on a carob tree and spring of water and attained great spiritual heights in Torah study and kabbalah. Rashbi is revered as a mystic and supremely pious sage who did not engage in worldly pursuits.
The celebration in Meron begins with the Boyaner Hassidic Rabbi lighting the first flame at midnight. Throughout the night, the crowd sings and dances, chanting songs that praise Rashbi, express joy in being Jewish, call on God for protection, and express confidence in His ability to purify them from transgressions. Among the celebrants are many families who bring their three-year-old sons for their first haircut, known as “chalaka,” a tradition among Hassidim in Meron on Lag Ba’Omer.
