Lag B’Omer (ל״ג בעומר)
by John Parsons
www.hebrew4christians.com
Thursday May 22 at sundown this year marks Lag B’Omer, a semi-holiday that commemorates the death of thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s students during the last of the Jewish-Roman wars (called the Bar Kochba Revolt (מרד בר כוכבא), c.132-135 AD). Since Jewish tradition understood the Messiah to be a military leader who would deliver the Jewish people (from the Romans) and usher in world peace, Rabbi Akiva (incorrectly) surmised that Shimon bar Kochba, the leader of the Jewish resistance, was in fact the Jewish Messiah — based on an esoteric reading of Numbers 24:17: כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב - “A star shall come out of Jacob” (”Bar Kokhba” means “son of a star” in Aramaic). His tragic endorsement led to widespread destruction of countless Jews and further alienated the Messianic Jewish community from Israel. The eventual defeat of the Jews by Emperor Hadrian perhaps marked the beginning of the Jewish Diaspora from the Promised Land. The province of Judaea was then renamed Palestine and Jerusalem was called Aelia Capitolina.
According to Kabbalistic legend, all of Akiva’s students died during the time of the Omer Count, but Akiva “started over” with a new batch of students. Of these, his foremost student was Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the purported author of the Zohar (one of the key texts of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism). Lag B’Omer is remembered as the Yahrtzeit (anniversary of the death) of Shimon Bar Yochai, who told his followers to rejoice - not mourn - after his death. Today special celebrations are held in the village of Meron (near Safed, Israel), where he is said to have been buried. Every year, thousands of Jews celebrate late-night revelry at Mt. Meron in Israel.
It should be clear that Lag B’Omer is not a Christian/Messianic Jewish holiday, but on the contrary marks a tragic time that ultimately separated the Messianic Jewish community from Israel and contributed to the loss of the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. During this time of “countdown,” chaverim, let us pray that the eyes of many will soon be opened that Yeshua is indeed the Mashiach (anointed King) of Israel.