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53-526: Bnei Akiva in Israel is the central youth movement of the religious Zionist public in Israel and the third-largest youth movement in Israel. The movement's Secretary-General in Israel is Yigal Klein. Bnei Akiva was established on Lag BaOmer 1929 as the youth wing of the Mizrachi movement. Concurrent with the establishment of the movement in pre-independence Israel, organizations of religious youth operated in

106-479: A Kibbutz Hadati , and fierce debates took place as to whether any other form of Aliyah was a valid expression of the movement's ideals. Today the push for Aliyah is more general, with no specific communities or framework in mind. The focus is more on coming to Israel and contributing positively to society in any way. In Israel, Bnei Akiva is affiliated with the Religious Kibbutz Movement . It

159-471: A dagesh . As pharyngeal fricatives are difficult for most English speakers to pronounce, loanwords are usually Anglicized to have /h/ . Thus challah ( חלה ), pronounced by native Hebrew speakers as /χala/ or /ħala/ is pronounced /halə/ by most English speakers, who cannot often perceive the difference between [ h ] and [ ħ ] . In gematria , Ḥet represents the number eight. In chat rooms , online forums , and social networking

212-408: A yahrtzeit is marked by observances that "bring out the solemn and serious nature of the day". Other issues raised include the practice of throwing clothes into bonfires, which is perceived as wasteful , the fact that the holiday has not been celebrated by earlier sages, and the prohibition of establishing holidays. Nevertheless, these authorities did not ban the holiday. Other rabbis responded to

265-532: A 16th-century kabbalist in Tripoli, Libya , in honor of Shimon Bar Yochai. Other songs include " Ve'Amartem Koh LeChai ", a poem arranged as an alphabetical acrostic , and " Amar Rabbi Akiva ". Most Hasidic Rebbes conduct a tish on Lag BaOmer, in addition to or instead of a bonfire. A full meal is usually served, and candles are lit. It is traditional to sing " Bar Yochai ", " Ve'Amartem Koh Lechai ", and " Amar Rabbi Akiva ". Among

318-444: A broader definition of working for the development of the country. Members are encouraged to spend a year in Israel on organized learning and touring programs to broaden their knowledge of Israel and develop their leadership skills. Similarly, the original socialist aims of Bnei Akiva are less actively pursued. Until the 1980s many Bnei Akiva members joined religious Kibbutzim in groups based on mutual army service or Aliyah . Since

371-607: A century-old tradition among his Hasidim to light a bonfire at the grave of Rabbi Akiva in Tiberias on Lag BaOmer night. The tradition had been abandoned due to attacks on participants. After the bonfire, the Rebbe delivered a dvar Torah , gave blessings, and distributed shirayim . Later that same night, the Rebbe cut the hair of three-year-old boys for their Upsherin . For many years, New York based Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum of Satmar discouraged bonfires, saying it

424-529: A joyous day according to Ashekaniz custom (Rema OC 493:2), as it was believed to be the day the plague of Rabbi Akiva's students ended. As one of the latter's prominent students, Shimon's tomb ultimately became the focus of the pilgrimage. Lag BaOmer has another significance based on the Kabbalistic custom of assigning a Sefirah to each day and week of the Omer count. The first week corresponds to Chesed ,

477-618: A rabbinic-oriented celebration to a commemoration of the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Roman Empire (132–136  CE ). According to work published by Yael Zerubavel of Rutgers University , a number of Lag BaOmer traditions were reinterpreted by Zionist ideologues to focus on the victory of the Bar Kokhba rebels rather than their ultimate defeat at Betar three years later. The plague that decimated Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 disciples

530-505: A result, weddings, parties, listening to music, and haircuts are commonly scheduled to coincide with Lag BaOmer among Ashkenazi Jews , while Sephardi Jews hold weddings the next day. It is customary mainly among Hassidim that three-year-old boys be given their first haircuts ( upsherin ). While haircuts may be taken anywhere, if possible, the occasion is traditionally held at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron, Israel , or at

583-728: A special holiday for students and was called "Scholar's Day". Students were freed to engage in outdoor sports. According to another suggestion, Lag Baomer was the date on which the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem began under the Emperor Julian . With the failure of this project and the death of Julian, Lag Baomer initially became a fast day. After the Muslim conquest and the end of Christian oppression of Jews in Israel, mourning practices ceased to be observed. The choice to begin

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636-505: A voiceless fricative, either pharyngeal /ħ/ , or velar /x/ . In Arabic, two corresponding letters were created for both phonemic sounds: unmodified ḥāʾ ح represents /ħ/ , while ḫāʾ خ represents /x/ . The Phoenician letter gave rise to the Greek eta Η , Etruscan [REDACTED] , Latin H , and Cyrillic И . While H is a consonant in the Latin alphabet,

689-483: Is conventionally added for pronunciation purposes. Some Jews call this holiday Lag La Omer, which means "33rd [day] of the Omer", as opposed to Lag Ba Omer, "33rd [day] in the Omer". Lag Ba Omer is the traditional method of counting by some Ashkenazi and Hasidic Jews; Lag La Omer is the count used by Sephardi Jews . Lag La Omer is also the name used by Yosef Karo , who was a Sepharadi, in his Shulchan Aruch ( Orach Chaim 493:2, and cf. 489:1 where Ba Omer

742-518: Is inserted by Moses Isserles ). (The form Lag B ' Omer ["33rd day of an Omer"] is also sometimes used, though it is not grammatically correct in this setting.) The origins of Lag BaOmer as a minor festival are unclear. The earliest clear reference to the observance of Lag BaOmer is a gloss to Mahzor Vitry in BL Add MS 27,201 (f. 227v), if it is the work of Isaac ben Dorbolo . The gloss points out that Purim and Lag BaOmer always fall on

795-490: Is run by a National Secretariat ( Hanhala Artzit ). Outside Israel, local branches of Bnei Akiva are under the Bnei Akiva Olami (Worldwide) organization. In every country, Bnei Akiva operates a network of Shabbat groups, summer camps, leadership seminars, Shabbatonim , and other activities. Each age group from third grade to eighth grade has a section common to all scouts of the youth movement in Israel and around

848-545: Is still common among Israeli Arabs and Mizrahi Jews (particularly among the older generation and popular Mizrahi singers , especially Yemenites ), in accordance with oriental Jewish traditions (see, e.g., Mizrahi Hebrew and Yemenite Hebrew ). The ability to pronounce the Arabic letter ḥāʾ ( ح ) correctly as a voiceless pharyngeal fricative /ħ/ is often used as a shibboleth to distinguish Arabic -speakers from non-Arabic-speakers; in particular, pronunciation of

901-566: Is the same all over the world, following a basic structure. Lag BaOmer Lag BaOmer ( Hebrew : לַ״ג בָּעוֹמֶר ‎ , LaG Bāʿōmer ), also Lag B'Omer or Lag LaOmer , is a Jewish religious holiday celebrated on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer , which occurs on the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar . According to some of the Rishonim , it is the day on which

954-669: The Diaspora . In 1958, the Israeli and Diaspora groups merged to form the modern World Bnei Akiva, which operates both in and out of Israel for Diaspora youth, along with Bnei Akiva Israel, which operates in Israel for Israeli youth. Bnei Akiva's objectives are to educate Jewish youth with values of Torah and work, to provide stimulating experiential and informal opportunities for encountering Judaism, and to encourage Jewish continuity and leadership. Bnei Akiva's twin ideals of Torah and Avodah translate to religious commitment and work on

1007-749: The Haganah was established on Lag BaOmer 1941, and the government order creating the Israel Defense Forces was issued on Lag BaOmer 1948. Beginning in 2004, the Israeli government designated Lag BaOmer as the day for saluting the IDF reserves. Heth Heth , sometimes written Chet or Ḥet , is the eighth letter of the Semitic abjads , including Arabic ḥāʾ ح ‎, Aramaic ḥēṯ 𐡇, Hebrew ḥēt ח ‎, Phoenician ḥēt 𐤇, and Syriac ḥēṯ ܚ. Heth originally represented

1060-543: The Middle Ages ; but it is not clear when, by whom, or in what way Lag baOmer was first connected to Shimon ben Yochai. Nachman Krochmal , a 19th-century Jewish scholar, among others, suggests that the deaths of Rabbi Akiva's students was a veiled reference to the defeat of "Akiva's soldiers" by the Romans, and that Lag BaOmer was the day on which Bar Kokhba enjoyed a brief victory. In pre-war Europe, Lag BaOmer became

1113-555: The Proto-Sinaitic script . The corresponding South Arabian letters are [REDACTED] ḥ and [REDACTED] ḫ, corresponding to the Ge'ez letters Ḥawṭ ሐ and Ḫarm ኀ. This letter is usually transcribed as ḥ , h with a dot underneath. In some romanization systems, a (capital) Ch is also used. The letter is named حَاءْ ḥāʾ and is the sixth letter of the alphabet. Its shape varies depending on its position in

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1166-570: The Satmar Hasidim , " Tzama Lecha Nafshi " is sung at the tish in addition to the other songs. Teachings of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, both from the Talmud and the Zohar, are generally expounded upon by Rebbes at their tishen . In some Hasidic courts, the Rebbe may shoot a toy bow and arrow during the tish , and three-year-old boys may be brought to have a lock of hair cut by

1219-463: The 1990s, Bnei Akiva members now typically settle in development towns and settlements. Bnei Akiva actively promotes moving to the state of Israel in a process called Aliyah (literally meaning "to go up"), but the way in which this occurs has changed over the years. Until the 1990s, chanichim (trainees, disciples) were encouraged to make Aliyah in garinim (kernels, small groups) intended to bolster existing communities. These were almost always directed to

1272-488: The 49th day ( Malkhut she-be-Malkhut , Kingship within [the week of] Kingship), which immediately precedes the holiday of Shavuot. While the Counting of the Omer is a semi-mourning period, all restrictions of mourning are lifted for Ashkenazim on the 33rd day of the Omer. The Sephardic custom is to cease mourning the following day, celebrations being allowed on the 34th day of the Omer, Lad BaOmer ( ל״ד בעומר ). As

1325-481: The Bar Kokhba revolt against the Romans, who had forbidden the kindling of fires that signalled the start of Jewish holidays. Historically, children across Israel used to go out and play with bows and arrows, reflecting the Midrashic statement that the rainbow (the sign of God's promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood; Genesis 9:11–13) was not seen during Bar Yochai's lifetime, as his merit protected

1378-506: The Greek and Cyrillic equivalents represent vowel sounds, though the letter was originally a consonant in Greek and this usage later evolved into the rough breathing character. The Phoenician letter also gave rise to the archaic Greek letter heta , as well as a variant of Cyrillic letter I , short I . The Arabic letter (ح) is sometimes transliterated as Ch in English. The shape of

1431-423: The Jerusalem grave of Shimon Hatzaddik for those who cannot travel to Meron. Families go on picnics and outings. Children go out to the fields with their teachers with bows and rubber-tipped arrows. Tachanun , the prayer for special Divine mercy on one's behalf, is not said on days with a festive character, including Lag BaOmer; when God is showing one a "smiling face", so to speak, as He does especially on

1484-418: The Rebbe as part of their first haircut . Some rabbis, namely Moses Sofer and Joseph Saul Nathansohn , have opposed the celebration of or the practice of certain customs observed on Lag BaOmer. These halachic scholars pointed out that the way Lag BaOmer is observed differs from the traditional manner in which anniversaries of deaths are observed, as Lag BaOmer is observed in a festive way, whereas usually

1537-641: The actions of Bar Kokhba's rebel forces. This interpretation of the holiday reinforced the Zionist reading of Jewish history and underscored their efforts to establish an independent Jewish state. As Benjamin Lau writes in Haaretz : This is how Lag Ba'omer became a part of the Israeli-Zionist psyche during the first years of Zionism and Israel. A clear distinction became evident between Jews and Israelis in

1590-399: The aforesaid opposition by explaining that it has been observed by many great rabbis and that expensive clothes are never burned. They relate what happened on the day of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's death as evidence that the day is very holy and should be celebrated. This has remained the opinion of most contemporary and recent rabbis. In modern Israel, early Zionists redefined Lag BaOmer from

1643-414: The date of his death was Lag Baomer. The source for this idea appears to be a passage by Hayyim ben Joseph Vital , which read שמחת רשב"י "the celebration of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai" but was mistakenly printed as שמת רשב"י "when Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai died" - a difference of one letter. The actual origin of kabbalistic traditions of visiting Meron on any of several dates in the month of Iyar date to

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1696-466: The day on which the plague afflicting Rabbi Akiva's students ended, although this is said to explain a previously-existing custom to allow marriages between Lag baOmer and Shavuot. According to MS ex-Montefiore 134, it was traditional to let blood on Lag BaOmer in celebration. Lag Baomer is commonly said to be the day on which Shimon ben Yochai died. Neither the Chazal nor the Rishonim mention that

1749-431: The holidays, there is no need to ask for special mercy. The most well-known custom of Lag BaOmer is the lighting of bonfires . The custom may originate in symbolizing the "spiritual light" brought in to the world by Simeon ben Yochai . Some have speculated a connection between the bonfires of Lag BaOmer and the festivals of May Day and Beltane which are celebrated by some European cultures around halfway between

1802-475: The land of Israel. Bnei Akiva believes in emigration to the land of Israel ( Aliya ) as a central commandment of Judaism , and maintains that the future of the Jewish people is tied to the state of Israel. In the organization's early years, Avodah was understood as meaning agricultural work, as reflected in the symbolism of the movement's emblem . In more recent years, there has been a shift in ideology towards

1855-447: The letter as / x / is seen as a hallmark of Ashkenazi and Greek Jews . Ḥet is one of the few Hebrew consonants that can take a vowel at the end of a word. This occurs when patach gnuva comes under the Ḥet at the end of the word. The combination is then pronounced /-aħ/ rather than /-ħa/ . For example: פָּתוּחַ ( /ˌpaˈtuaħ/ ), and תַּפּוּחַ ( /ˌtaˈpuaħ/ ). Ḥet, along with Aleph , Ayin , Resh , and He , cannot receive

1908-402: The letter Ḥet ( חֵית ‎) usually has the sound value of a voiceless uvular fricative ( /χ/ ), as the historical phonemes of the letters Ḥet ח ‎ ( /ħ/ ) and Khaf כ ‎ ( /x/ ) merged, both becoming the voiceless uvular fricative ( /χ/ ). In more rare Ashkenazi phonologies, it is pronounced as a voiceless pharyngeal fricative ( /ħ/ ). The ( /ħ/ ) pronunciation

1961-475: The letter Ḥet ultimately goes back either to the Egyptian hieroglyph for 'courtyard' ( ḥwt ): (compare Hebrew: חָצֵר , romanized:  ḥaṣēr of identical meaning, which begins with Ḥet). or to the one for 'thread, wick' representing a wick of twisted flax: ( ḥ ) (compare Hebrew: חוּט , romanized:  ḥuṭ of identical meaning, which begins with Ḥet). Possibly named ḥasir in

2014-452: The lighting of bonfires and pilgrimages to Meron . Additionally, in modern-day Israel, the holiday also serves to commemorate the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Romans. Lag BaOmer is Hebrew for "33rd [day] in the Omer ". The Hebrew letter ל ( lamed ) or "L" has the numerical value of 30 and ג ( gimel ) or "G" has the numerical value of three (see Hebrew numerals ). A vowel sound

2067-472: The natural phenomenon poorly understood then was considered miraculous and attracted Jews and Muslims alike. As Hillel's cave is close to Mount Meron it was customary for the pilgrims to stop by the graves of other holy saints on Mount Meron, among them Shimon's tomb. During the 16th century, when the Ashkenazic community came to Safed , the pilgrimage naturally moved up to Lag Baomer (3 days later), already

2120-594: The plague that killed Rabbi Akiva 's 24,000 disciples came to an end, and for this reason the mourning period of the Counting of the Omer concludes on Lag BaOmer in many communities. According to modern kabbalah , this day is the Hillula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and/or the anniversary of his death. According to a late medieval tradition, Simeon ben Yochai is buried in Meron, and this association has spawned several well-known customs and practices on Lag BaOmer, including

2173-410: The reconstruction on the 33rd day of the omer may have been an anti-Christian polemic, as Jesus was said to have been killed at age 33. Another theory posits that the connection between Lag Baomer and Shimon Bar Yochai arose from a general pilgrimage to Mount Meron on Pesach Sheini (15th of Iyar), specifically to Hillel's cave wherein water filled up the cave's cisterns and sometimes overflowed;

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2226-400: The ribbon which displays the text "Bnei Akiva" on it. Bnei Akiva branches all over the world start or end their meetings with mifkad, forming the letter Heth ( Hebrew : ח , a rectangle missing one of its smaller sides) using the participants. The mifkad is the assembly where announcements are made, members are counted and the ideology is reaffirmed. With slight variations, the text of mifkad

2279-411: The same day of the week, but says nothing about the origin of the holiday. Abraham ben Nathan (citing Zerachiah haLevi of Girona ) , David ben Levi of Narbonne , MS ex-Montefiore 134 , Levi ben Abraham ben Hayyim , Joshua ibn Shuaib (citing a " midrash ") Menachem Meiri (citing "a tradition of the geonim "), and Judah Halawa (citing a " yerushalmi ") are the first to name Lag BaOmer as

2332-401: The second week to Gevurah , etc., and similarly, the first day of each week corresponds to Chesed , the second day to Gevurah , etc. Thus, the 33rd day, which is the fifth day of the fifth week, corresponds to Hod she-be-Hod (Splendor within [the week of] Splendor). As such, Lag BaOmer represents the level of spiritual manifestation or Hod that would precede the more physical manifestation of

2385-686: The spring equinox and summer solstice on 1 May, and are also celebrated through large bonfires. In Germany it is also not uncommon to see rural men go out in the woods to shoot arrows at demons on May Day, similar to how the bow and arrow is used on Lag BaOmer. Throughout the world celebrants gather on the night and during the day of Lag BaOmer to light fires. A large celebration is held at the Tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son Rabbi Eleazar in Meron , where hundreds of thousands usually celebrate with bonfires, torches, song, dancing and feasting. In 1983, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz of Boston reinstated

2438-496: The way the day was celebrated: The religious Jews lit torches in Rashbi's [Shimon bar Yochai's] honor and sang songs about him, while young Israelis, sitting around an alternative bonfire, sang about a hero "whom the entire nation loved" and focused on the image of a powerful hero who galloped on a lion in his charges against the Romans. In modern Israel, Lag BaOmer is "a symbol for the fighting Jewish spirit". The Palmach division of

2491-583: The word, and its initial and medial form resembles a bird's beak: This form is used to denote three letters, the other two being خ ḫāʾ and ج ǧīm . In Arabic, ḥāʾ is similar to the English [ h ] , but it is much "raspier", IPA: [ ħ ] ~ [ ʜ ] . ( Pharyngeal H ) In Persian, it is [ h ] , like ⟨ ه ⟩ and the English h . Hebrew spelling: חֵית ‎ In Modern Israeli Hebrew (and Ashkenazi Hebrew , although not under strict pronunciation),

2544-434: The world as a demonstration of Jewish unity and pride. Chabad sponsors parades as well as rallies, bonfires and barbecues for thousands of participants around the world each year. Several traditional songs are associated with the holiday; these are sung around bonfires, at weddings, and at tishen held by Hasidic Rebbes on Lag BaOmer . The popular song " Bar Yochai " was composed by Rabbi Shimon Lavi ,

2597-561: The world. In Israel, Lag BaOmer is a holiday for children and the various youth movements. It is also marked in the Israel Defense Forces as a week of the Gadna program (youth brigades) which were established on Lag BaOmer in 1941 and which bear the emblem of a bow and arrow. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson , encouraged Lag BaOmer parades to be held in Jewish communities around

2650-642: The world. The movement accepts members from 3rd grade for a preparation month, and after this month, they become an integral part of the movement. Each age group, from 3rd to 8th grade, has a tribal name shared by all members in Israel and around the world within the same age group. The tribe's name changes at the end of the last Sabbath of the movement's organizational month. Bnei Akiva of the United States and Canada sponsors summer camps, known as Camp Moshava. The first Moshava, in Hightstown, New Jersey ,

2703-654: Was established in 1936. The largest camp is located in Texas Township, Pennsylvania , with 1,500 campers and 400 counselors. Bnei Akiva's emblem displays wheat and farming tools (such as scythe and pitchfork ), symbolizing the agricultural perspective of the ideology. It also shows the Tablets of Stone , displaying two letters of the Hebrew alphabet that stand for Torah VeAvoda , which means "Torah and work". The two perspectives of Torah and Avoda are tied together by

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2756-478: Was explained as a veiled reference to the revolt; the 33rd day when the plague ended was explained as the day of Bar Kokhba 's victory. By the late 1940s, Israeli textbooks for schoolchildren painted Bar Kokhba as the hero while Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and Rabbi Akiva stood on the sidelines, cheering him on. This interpretation lent itself to singing and dancing around bonfires by night to celebrate Bar Kokhba's victory, and playing with bows and arrows by day to remember

2809-518: Was not the custom to light them outside of the Land of Israel. However, when his father Rabbi Moses Teitelbaum instructed him to organize a large bonfire in the Satmar enclave of Kiryas Joel tens of thousands turned up. For Zionists (see section below), the bonfires are said to represent the signal fires that the Bar Kokhba rebels lit on the mountaintops to relay messages, or are in remembrance of

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