What is Kabbalah? What’s Special about the Zohar?
The 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who died weren’t the only talmidei chachamim at the time. Why is the emphasis on the fact that they were specifically Rabbi Akiva’s students?
Lag BaOmer: Bows and Arrows
Obviously, bows and arrows are military symbols. In this context, they are doubtless a reminder of the Revolt of the Jewish People, led by Bar Kochba, against the Romans in 135...
Lag B’Omer from Torah Tidbits
Lag BaOmer is an enigmatic semi-holiday, of which the Shulchan Aruch speaks in terms of “a bit of joy”, which grew to a festive day of major proportion in the Chassidic...
Rainbows and Arrows
The Bible makes reference to the “bow of Hashem” appearing in the skies in the time of Noach, after the Great Flood, “I have placed My bow in the clouds and...
Bar Yochai Song for Lag BaOmer
For the Kabbalistically inclined, the following enchanting Shabbat “zemer,” festive song, is shown below. It was composed by Shimon ibn Lavi, who had fled as a child from the Spanish Inquisition,...
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
Before the Cave Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was a student of Rabbi Akiva, who was the spiritual leader of the Bar Kochba Revolt against Rome in 135 CE, which began in...
Lag B’Omer: Carpe Diem!
"Hayom" IS the day!
Lag B’Omer: Eternal Flame
What is it about Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai that attracts Jews from all backgrounds? Why is there an emphasis on bonfires on Lag B’Omer? Why is glory (hod) connected to Lag...
Seekers, Keepers
Back when I was growing up in Cleveland Ohio, Lag B’omer was a great excuse for a school trip. While I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit it, the countdown to Lag B’omer...
Wood Mongers
For most of my adult life I remember that early sightings of Christmas decorations near my suburban NJ home were a sign that Thanksgiving was coming. In my childhood, the opposite...
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- Asarah B'Tevet
- Birchat HaChama
- Chanukah
- Elul
- Fast of Esther
- Fast of Shiva Asar B'Tammuz
- Fast of Tisha B'Av
- Four Shabbatot
- Hoshanah Rabbah
- Lag BaOmer
- Months
- Passover
- Pesach Sheini
- Purim
- Rosh Hashanah
- Sefirat HaOmer
- Shabbat
- Shavuot
- Shemini Atzeret
- Shushan Purim
- Simchat Torah
- Sukkot
- The Three Weeks
- Tu B'Av
- Tu B'Shevat
- Tzom Gedaliah
- Yom HaAtzmaut
- Yom HaShoah
- Yom Hazikaron
- Yom Kippur
- Yom Yerushalayim
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