Lag Baomer

Lag BaOmer commemorates:

• The day Rabbi Akiva became the leader of the Jews

• The passing of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

• The end of the plague that claimed the lives of 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva

• Halfway thru the counting of the Omer

Where did Rabbi Shimon and his son hide?

• On top of the mountain

• In a Cave

• In a tree house

• Under a bridge

At what age did Rabbi Akiva start learning Torah?

What is this?

Why do we eat Carobs on Lag Baomer?

• A carob tree miraculously grew for Rabbi Shimon and his son, when they hid from the Roman authority

• Their tough skin protects their seed, like G-d who protects his nation

• The word carob also means many, symbolizing the many teachings of Rabbi Shimon

• Rabbi Akiva was a Carob merchant before he became a big scholar

What do you like better?

• Potatoes in the bonfire

• Marshmallows in the bonfire

• carobs חרובים

What book did Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai write?

• Tanya

• Tehilim

• Explanations on the Torah

• Zohar

What is something we do on Lag Baomer

Lag Baomer is traditionally celebrated with bonfires because:

• Lag means "log" in Yiddish, and the custom developed to celebrate with burning logs

• It is a Torah commandment for which no explanation was given

• It was on that day that Rashbi taught insights of such spiritual intensity that the entire house was ablaze with spiritual fire

• firewood is plentiful in Israel

What day in the Month of Iyar is Lag Baomer?