Emor (speak)
Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23

(This week's Torah for Today is by Russ Resnik, General Secretary for the UMJC)

This week marks Lag B'Omer, the thirty-third day of the counting of the Omer, a minor holiday whose origins are shrouded in mystery. It is a day of celebration in the midst of the more solemn mood of the rest of the days of the Omer. Why is this so?

The Talmud records that one year, during the counting of the Omer, twelve thousand pairs of disciples of Rabbi Akiva all died (Yevamot 62b), until the 33^rd day when the deaths ceased. Therefore, the tradition is to refrain from weddings and merriment during this time, until the 33^rd day, which is a day of merriment.

The day is also linked to R. Shimon bar Yochai, one of five disciples of Akiva who succeeded the thousands that were lost. Bar Yochai and his son, R. Elazar, were forced into hiding by the Romans and were freed on Lag B'Omer. Further, he died on Lag B'Omer, which paradoxically became a day of rejoicing.

In modern Israel , the eve of Lag B'Omer is marked by lighting bonfires, usually made these days of discarded building materials and other scraps. Various explanations are given for this custom, but none sounds particularly authoritative.

I have my own explanation of Lag B'Omer. It marks the two-thirds point through the counting of the Omer ­ two-thirds of the way between the rescue from Egypt and the arrival at Mount Sinai to receive Torah, two-thirds of the way through Messiah's days of instructing his disciples between his resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Shavuot.

The counting of the Omer is a time of spiritual intensity and the great challenge in such times is to lose our concentration. We can see this problem in the account of the Exodus, and most of us can probably recognize it in our own lives. So, Lag B'Omer serves as a reminder to persevere. We're two-thirds of the way there, let's go into high gear for the remainder of the journey!

I imagine we can use such a reminder as we continue through our Prayer Campaign and move into the final weeks before the climax on Erev Shavuot. Keep on counting!

Parashat Emor, our reading for the week, includes these instructions about the menorah in the temple:

"Command the children of Israel that they bring to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to make the lamps burn continually. Outside the veil of the Testimony, in the tabernacle of meeting, Aaron shall be in charge of it from evening until morning before the LORD continually; it shall be a statute forever in your generations. He shall be in charge of the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually" (Exodus 24:2-4).

Note that "continually" ­ tamid ­ appears three times in these three verses. The repetition reminds us that all things, and especially holy things, tend to deteriorate, to fall into disuse, and to become neglected. Instead, the priests are to see that the lamp does not flag, but burns continually.

So may our efforts through this Prayer Campaign be steady and continual before the Lord. Through the days of the omer and beyond, may we "never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer" (Romans 12:11 -12).

Russ Resnik, Lag B'Omer 5761