Lag B Omer

It has been a busy week for our family.  Today is the last day of Hebrew School and also my daughter's birthday.  On top of that we are going to celebrate lag B Omer today.  Here is a quick synopsis of what Lag B Omer actually is:

Rabbi Akiva was well known for the saying "Love your fellow as yourself."  He had 24,000 students who did not seem to know how to put these words into action, they treated each other badly.  A great plague came and wiped out all but 5 students.  It is said the students stopped dying on Lag B Omer.  Since the end of a plague would bring great relief, we remember it to this day.  Lag is the numerical equivalent to 33,  it is the 33rd day during the counting of the omer which is all of the days between Passover and Shavuot (49 days in total). 
In addition, one of the 5 students who survived the plague was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a great sage. He was the first to study the esoteric teachings of the kabbala.  It is said he hid in a cave for 13 years with his son while the Romans searched for him in order to kill him.  They survived on water that came from a stream right outside his cave and from a Buksir tree (better known as carab).  Gee, water and chocolate for 13 years--G-d is good!  While others have studied kabbalah it is said Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is the the first to bring it into the world in a revealed way, to prepare the world for messianic times.  His yartzeit also falls on Lag B Omer.  Such joy is felt on this day, to remember a great sage and also the end of a plague.   It is a time to celebrate!