LIVE Broadcast from MERON

B"H

Here you are able to listen to music and dancing from Meron:

http://ladaat.net/article.php?do=viewarticle&articleid=15707

http://www.kol-barama.co.il/live/

 http://www.kol-barama.co.il/

Lag Ba'Omer and the Meron Craziness

B"H

Today was a really weird day for me. Many things went wrong and it was just as if Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was telling me to become spiritual and celebrate Lag Ba'Omer instead of running after materialistic issues. Its a long story and I am going to tell it tomorrow. In brief, I finally ended up in Jerusalem where I saw some really nice bonfires. Unfortunately I didn't have time for Mea Shearim in the end due to my materialism. However, here are some Lag Ba'Omer photos from Jerusalem. 

By the way, on my way home, I saw about twenty bonfires at Tel Aviv's secular neighbourhood Kikar HaMedina. All kinds of families had gathered lighting their own bonfires. 

A family starting its bonfire. Between the Belzer Beit Midrash in Agrippas Street and Jaffa Road (Jerusalem).

A bit further away, two bonfires were burning.

Jerusalem, Central Bus Station tonight: Mostly Haredim lining up at an extra EGGED bus counter for buying bus tickets to Meron.

Haredim storming to the Meron buses. I took this photo out of my bus to Tel Aviv. The window was quite dirty.:-)

Buses to Meron getting ready for the crowd.

Photos Miriam Woelke

Lag Ba'Omer Plans

B"H

Tomorrow night (Wednesday), "Lag Ba'Omer - the 33 day during the Omer period" is going to start. Thousands of Jews have already been gathering at the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron (northern Israel). Most chassidic Rebbes will be there for the bonfire lighting tomorrow night. 

For some reason I have never made it to Meron on Lag Ba'Omer. Also this time I am too busy. Looking at apartments and finding a new place to live. However, I am trying to get to haredi Bnei Brak tomorrow night in order to take some pictures of the local bonfires. Also in order to get a bit of a spiritual feeling.:-) 

The secular Tel Aviv world is going to lit the bonfires near the beach but this is not my cup of tea. Having crazy people dancing around and getting drunk.

Lag Ba'Omer is the Yahrzeit of the Talmudic Rabbi (Tanna) Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. He is considered to be the author of the kabbalistic ZOHAR (Book of Splendor). Not that he wrote the book himself but his son as well as his students did so later on. 

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the ZOHAR, the bonfires - all this is providing a really mystical atmosphere. So, tomorrow night, in the middle of apartment hunting, I am going to Bnei Brak and will look for the bonfires. I just hope that not everyone has disappeared to Meron.:-)

Lag Ba'Omer 2008 in Satmar / Mea Shearim. The followers of Rebbe Zalman Leib lighting the local bonfire. 

Photo: TAB / Miriam Woelke

All pictures HERE !

Meron before Lag ba'Omer

Lag ba'Omer Preparations in Meron

All Photos HERE !

B"H 

It really upsets me almost every year anew: Lag ba'Omer is coming up and I won't have much time to participate, as I am stuck at work. Until the end of this month, I will be working in this stressful job and only in another few weeks, I will have time catching up with all the research and writing. 

Always being busy working, I can understand those Haredim who decide to dedicate all their time to Torah learning. How else could you study ? Working the whole day, then coming home in the evening, being finished and tired ... Who can still sit down and take a serious study ? You just fall asleep after a while and when it comes to a holiday or Shabbat, you will be even more glad to rest. 

This is the paradox of life: You have to work in order to make a living but, at the same time, you are missing so many things such as study and participating in important events. 

The Haredi World this Week

Lag Ba'Omer 5771 / 2011 in Dushinsky, Edah HaCharedit, Karlin - Pinsk, Toldot Avraham Yitzchak and Zhvil

The Toldot Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe Shmuel Yaakov Kahn lighting his bonfire in Mea Shearim / Jerusalem.

The Toldot Aharon Rebbe David Kahn (the younger brother of the TAY Rebbe Shmuel Yaakov Kahn) lighting his bonfire in Mea Shearim / Jerusalem.

All photos from Dushinsky, the Edah, Karlin - Pinsk or Zhvil HERE !

Lag Ba'Omer in Tel Aviv

Lag Ba'Omer 5771 / 2011 Links

B"H

Some Lag Ba'Omer Photo Links:

Lag Ba'Omer in Kfar Chabad

Good Morning, Meron

Meron on Lag Ba'Omer 5771

The BOSTONER REBBE at the Kever of Rabbi Akivah in Tiberias

Lag Ba'Omer in Belz / Jerusalem

All Photos HERE !

LIVE from MERON

B"H

LIVE from MERON on Lag Ba'Omer 5771 / 2011:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/144355

Lag Ba'Omer in Meron & Tish of the Boyaner Rebbe

B"H

The Ruzhin - Boyan Rebbe in Meron on Lag Ba'Omer 5770 / 2010.

Thousands of Chassidim are on the way to Meron in Northern Israel in order to celebrate Lag Ba'Omer, the 33 day of the Omer Counting. Lag Ba'Omer is also the yahrzeit of the Talmudic and Kabbalistic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and he is buried in Meron. Hundreds of Jews will be dancing around his grave tonight and tomorrow.

Lag Ba'Omer in Meron

The Haredi World this Week

B"H

The Jewish world is celebrating Lag Ba'Omer (the 33rd day of the Omer counting) and this Saturday night, thousands of Jews will be lighting the traditional bonfires. Especially around the grave of the Talmudic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron / Northern Israel. The haredi world, in particular, has been reporting about Lag Ba'Omer for the past two weeks or so and for Haredim, the holiday is extremely important.

At the grave of Rabbi Shimon 

All photos from Meron 24 hours before Lag Ba'Omer HERE !

Virtual Visit at Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron

B"H

Thanks to a reader who provided this great link to the Kever of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron:

http://www.p360.co.il/360-projects/miron/miron.html

 

 

Or in other words, not each of us has to squeeze himself into the crowd on Lag Ba'Omer.:-)

The "Shabbat - Lag Ba'Omer - Rashbi" Dispute

B"H

The Boyaner Rebbe announced that he is planning to delay his Lag Ba'Omer bonfire and will not light the fire before midnight (Mozzaei Shabbat). Further Rabbis have been announcing the same and keep on warning the religious population not to exaggerate and start any Lag Ba'Omer preparations before Shabbat is over. 

In Israel, Lag Ba'Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer, is extremely important among the Jewish religious population. Then, thousands of people will be traveling to the grave of the RASHBI, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, in Meron. This year, Lag Ba'Omer is starting this upcoming Mozzaei Shabbat (Saturday night, after Shabbat ends) and leading Rabbis are very concerned about religious Jews breaking Shabbat in order to get to Meron on time. There is a whole discussion going on who is coming when to Meron. Many Rabbis say that Sunday would be the best day to go and not necessarily on Mozzaei Shabbat.

Now the haredi news site KIKAR SHABBAT is reporting that the Israeli government is planning to turn the grave of Rabbi Shimon into a huge tourist attraction. In fact, our government including the Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, have just become greedy and keep on extending tourism. Can you imagine hundreds of Christians visiting the Kever of the Rashbi ? People, who have nothing to do with Rabbi Shimon.

Furthermore, the Edah HaCharedit is giving out a warning that the Reform Movement is planning to build a "Mystic Center" near the Kever. The Tanna himself will turn around in his grave !

The Israeli government is trying to turn our entire country into a Disneyland for Gentile tourists !

The Toldot Aharon Mobile

B"H

Where is the difference ?

To the left you see the Pope in his mobile and to the right, you have the Toldot Aharon Rebbe David Kahn in his wooden mobile in Meron (on Lag Ba'Omer). First I thought that the Rebbe is sitting in that box because of modesty reasons (not to look at women) but then I was told the real reason:

The Rebbe is a Cohen and is thus not allowed to go to a cemetery. While sitting in this box, he is protected from the impurity on a cemetery while he doesn't have to walk on the ground. The Toldot Aharon took him to the place where he was lighting the bonfire in a very kosher way.

But I have to admit: It is really funny !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MERON after the "Flood"

B"H

For the past few days before and on Lag Ba'Omer we saw plenty of photos showing Chassidim and Rebbes in their spiritual moods. The "Chadrei HaCharedim", however, show the other side of the story today: This is how it looks when Israelis leave a place after celebrating ! Poor Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai !

Lag Ba'Omer Photos

Lag Ba'Omer in Beit Shemesh

Lag Ba'Omer in VISHNITZ / Bnei Brak

 

The Vishnitzer Rebbe Moshe Yehoshua Hager, father of the Belzer Rebbitzen, the Satmarer Rebbitzen (wife of Rebbe Aharon Teitelbaum) and the Rebbitzen of New Square.

Various photos from MERON !

Further pictures HERE !

Last night in Chassidut Toldot Avraham Yitzchak in Mea Shearim/ Jerusalem. This morning, the Rebbe is going with his Chassidim to Meron.

Source: Rebbe Clips

Cohanim cannot enter Tiberias

B"H

It is Lag Ba'Omer today and 100,000 Jews have already arrived in Meron celebrating through the night. What is very unusual is the fact that it has been raining last night and this probably wasn't too good for the bonfires.


Mea Shearim organized its own "KOSHER" buses going to Meron and warning Haredim to use the "unkosher" and "immodest" Egged buses. There were also Pashkevilim warning Cohanim (Priests) not to enter Tiberias (at the Sea of Galilee) but take another route around the town. Unfortunately, those Pashkevilim did not give any reason for that and I would like to ask my readers.


Does anyone know why Cohanim are not allowed to enter Tiberias on the way to Meron ? Is it because there is a cemetery in the city center or because there is a suspicion that many dead bodies from the ancient days haven't been discovered yet ?

Rabbi Mordechai Machlis (Jerusalem) on Lag Ba'Omer

Why are we so happy on Rabbi Shimon's Yahrzeit ?

B"H

I heard a nice explanation from a Sephardi Rabbi on the question "Why are we so happy and celebrating Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's Yahrzeit on Lag Ba'Omer ? Shouldn't we rather commemorate it by sitting down, having a meal and talking Torah in order to lift up his Neshama (soul) ? Why are the Jews so extremely joyful and dancing around a bonfire next to the Rabbi's grave in Meron ?"

The Sephardi Rabbi explained that we are expressing our joy because everything connected to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai has to do with G - dly miracles. His escape from the Roman's together with his son Elazar. Due to their flight, they both hid in a cave for 12 years. Talmud Shabbat 33 teaches how Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar dug themselves into the sand in the cave until only their heads stuck out. A miracle occured and G - d created a carob tree and a spring of water for them in order to provide nourishment. The whole day they learnt Torah and finally, after 12 years, Ceasar (the Roman procurator) died and Rabbi Shimon was free.

Father and son left the cave and outside they saw some farmers working. Rabbi Shimon and his son were on such a high spiritual level after discussing the secrets of the Torah for the past twelve years with the result that Rabbi Shimon was unable to refer to the physical world anymore. He couldn't accept that there were commoners earning their living through work and not with Torah study only.

G - d punished both of them for destroying His world. The Rabbis had to go back to the cave and they there for another year in order to find their way back to reality.

Here we see that G - d miraculously provided them with food and drinks. The other miracle was that Rabbi Shimon escaped the vicious Romans and died a natural death.

The miracles are the reason why we celebrate his Yahrzeit !