Lag BaOmer, an Important Jewish Event (the 33rd Day of Omer), Yet Unpopular Among Some African Jewish Communities
By: Israel Ben Abraham
The practice of Omer counting, also known as Sefirat HaOmer, is a significant Jewish tradition that entails counting the 49 days from the second night of Passover until the celebration of Shavuot. The practice of counting the Omer is described in Leviticus 23:15–16, a biblical commandment. It states that one should count for themselves from the day after the Sabbath, starting from the day when the sheaf of the wave offering was brought. This counting should span seven complete weeks, totaling fifty days until the day after the seventh week. Therefore, as black African Jews continue to thrive in Judaism, they also uphold this counting practice, aligning themselves with the rest of world Jewry in celebrating various Jewish festivals that occur at different times of the year.
It is worth mentioning that among these African Jews, Lag BaOmer—a Jewish festival day known for bonfires, weddings, and other Jewish gatherings—has not gained much prominence, despite its significance. This special day occurs on the 33rd day of the Omer, which falls between Passover and Shavout. The Omer counting period is observed as a period of soft mourning in religious tradition, during which weddings and other forms of celebration are prohibited. During this period, observant Jews abstain from cutting their hair, with the exception of the day of Lag BaOmer, which allows for a 24-hour break from this practice. The Omer counting period is often associated with a semi-mourning mood, but Lag BaOmer offers a refreshing break from that. This special occasion is marked by various traditions such as Jewish weddings, bonfires, and haircuts. Observant Jews typically refrain from cutting their hair during the Omer count, making this tradition even more significant.
The origins of Lag BaOmer may be uncertain, but it has gained significance as a minor holiday within the Jewish community, particularly among Sephardic Jews. Schoolchildren enjoy a fun-filled day outdoors, engaging in activities like picnicking and playing with bows and arrows. Meanwhile, in Israel, they actively contribute to the environment by planting trees. Although many practicing African Jews are aware of Lag BaOmer, it is not widely celebrated like Passover, Shavout, Sukkot, and Hanukkah. After my conversation with Yahudah Ben Israel, a passionate returnee Jew, it became evident that there is a lack of awareness among returning Jews regarding the Lag BaOmer holiday. He mentioned that the holiday was unfamiliar to him since his recent return to Judaism.
I have never heard about this very holiday before. This is my first time of hearing it. I will ask my teachers about it because I want to know more.
Answering the question of Lag Ha’omer not being prominent among black African Jews, Shlomo Ben Yakov, a cantor in the Gihon Hebrew Synagogue in Abuja, said that growth in Judaism is a gradual thing.
Judaism is still growing in Nigeria and parts of Africa as a whole. We have grown to some degree, but we are still like children when it comes to the practice of Judaism. Although we are not widely celebrating Lag Bag Omer, we are aware of it. I anticipate widespread celebration in the future. Similar to Hanukkah, we didn’t celebrate it extensively in the past, but now we do. So we will grow to the level where we can celebrate it like our brothers in other parts of the world.”
There are various explanations for the celebration of the Lag Baomer holiday, but none of them can be considered definitive. According to the Talmud, a plague broke out during this season and ended on the 33rd day of Omer, claiming the lives of thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s students. The plague was believed to be a result of their disrespectful behavior. Based on medieval tradition, the 33rd day of October is now a day of celebration, breaking the ongoing period of mourning. People come together to commemorate the hillula (celebration) of the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a renowned sage and mystic from the 2nd century. His teachings formed the foundation of Kabbalah’s mystical tradition. The traditions of bonfires, singing, dancing, and outdoor celebrations on Lag BaOmer are deeply symbolic of the profound wisdom found in Rabbi Shimon’s teachings.
In contrast to many communities in sub-Saharan Africa, other parts of the globe celebrate this 33rd day of the Omer in a more explosive and festive mood. At the tomb of Rabbi Shimon in Meron, Israel, massive annual celebrations take place with bonfires, music, and tens of thousands of pilgrims. For Jewish children, it is customary to have their first haircut, called an upsherin, on Lag BaOmer after not cutting hair for the first three years of life.
Kabalistically, Lag BaOmer can be mystically interpreted in relation to Omer counting which is a period of spiritual cleansing and preparation for receiving the Torah on Shavout at Mount Sinai. The days and weeks of counting is said to represent various combination of sefirot—the divine emanations, whose contemplation ultimately leads to purity of mind and soul. According to Kabbalistic tradition, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his students emerged from a cave on Lag BaOmer, where they had been hiding and studying the hidden teachings of the Torah. This emergence is seen as a revelation of the light of Kabbalah to the world. The Kabbalistic Tree of Life, a symbolic representation of the divine emanations and their interactions, is closely tied to Lag BaOmer. The 33rd day is associated with the sephirah (emanation) of Hod, which represents humility and splendor.
With six weeks of omer counting already done, even as counting continues up until the day before the feast of Shavuot begins in earnest, Jewish faithfuls remain motivated to see the counting completed. For the purpose of what it is worth, may we be spiritually cleansed from all encrusations and contamination as we look towards going through the experience of receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. Each day in the omer, counting takes us through different levels of the Sefiroth. Whenever we pass through the 33rd day of counting, we prepare ourselves for the impending grand celebration of Shavuot, which signifies the end of the omer count. However, one way to increase the popularity of Lag BaOmer in Nigeria and other African countries is for event organizers and celebrants to schedule their celebrations around the 33rd day of the omer. Also, Jewish schools would be a good place to promote this special day through outdoor events for the children.
And if you haven’t counted for today, here is the blessing and prayer copied from Chabad website:
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Today is forty-four days, which is six weeks and two days of the Omer.
May the Merciful One restore unto us the service of the Bet Hamikdash to its place, speedily in our days; Amen, Selah.
For the Choirmaster; a song with instrumental music; a Psalm. May God be gracious to us and bless us; may He make His countenance shine upon us forever; that Your way be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. The nations will extol You, O God; all the nations will extol You. The nations will rejoice and sing for joy, for You will judge the peoples justly and guide the nations on earth forever. The peoples will extol You, O God; all the peoples will extol You, for the earth will have yielded its produce and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us; and all, from the farthest corners of the earth, shall fear Him.
We implore You, by the great power of Your right hand, release the captive. Accept the prayer of Your people; strengthen us, purify us, Awesome One. Mighty One, we beseech You, guard as the apple of the eye those who seek Your Oneness. Bless them, cleanse them; bestow upon them forever Your merciful righteousness. Powerful, Holy One, in Your abounding goodness, guide Your congregation. Only and Exalted One, turn to Your people who are mindful of Your holiness. Accept our supplication and hear our cry, You who knows secret thoughts. Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.
Master of the universe, You have commanded us through Moses Your servant to count Sefirat Ha-Omer, in order to purify us from our evil and uncleanness. As You have written in Your Torah, “You shall count for yourselves from the day following the day of rest, from the day on which you bring the Omer as a wave-offering; [the counting] shall be for seven full weeks. Until the day following the seventh week shall you count fifty days,” so that the souls of Your people Israel may be cleansed from their defilement. Therefore, may it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that in the merit of the Sefirat Ha-Omer which I counted today, the blemish that I have caused in the sefirah Gevurah ShebeMalchus be rectified and I may be purified and sanctified with supernal holiness. May abundant bounty thereby be bestowed upon all the worlds. May it rectify our nefesh, ruach and neshamah from every baseness and defect, and may it purify and sanctify us with Your supernal holiness. Amen, selah.
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