Unraveling the Mystery of Lag BaOmer, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

Why is there a celebratory air to the 33rd day of the Omer-count? By far the most mysterious of our festive days is ל"ג בעמר, where the cessation from weddings (etc.) turns the day into a joyous outburst of celebration, replete with bonfires, outings and more. What is the story behind this unexplained day? With the help of an ancient manuscript, a Geniza find, a typesetter's mistake, a letter written by a 4th century Christian Bishop, a rabbi mourning for his son and another rabbi speaking up 14 centuries after his death...we may have the mystery unraveled. This shiur is based on the research of R. Avraham Kosman of Yerushalayim.

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