Iyar

20 Jun 2006

Second month of the year, counting from Nisan, the first month. The month in the Hebrew Calendar which contains the bulk of the days of the Sefirat HaOmer. The month begins right after Holocaust and Bravery Remembrance Day [which occurs at the end of Nisan] and contains Israel’s Memorial Day, Israel Independence Day, Lag BaOmer and Yom Yerushalayim. The month is sometimes called “Chodesh Ziv,” the Month of Shining, because of the beauty of the Spring and, among other reasons, perhaps because of the brilliance of the Zohar, which is associated with Lag BaOmer and with Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.