Six Fascinating Facts That make Lag Ba'omer a memorable and more festive day

Six Fascinating Facts That make Lag Ba'omer a memorable and more festive day

1. The Shulchan Aruch (493:2) mentions the custom of increasing joy on Lag Ba'omer because it's the day that the students of R' Akiva stopped dying.
2. The Pri Chadash (ibid) questions the reason for the celebration since they all died. He answers that we are celebrating Rebbe Akiva's acquisition of five new students who didn't perish like the others.
3. Chida (Birchei Yosef 493:4), Chayei Adom (131:11), and Kaf Hachaim (493:26) all say Lag Ba'Omer is the day that R' Shimon Bar Yochai passed away.
4. According to Zohar (Idra Zuta: 23,26), Lag Ba'omer is a day of unique revelations. On this day, R' Shimon Bar Yochai shared many secrets of the Torah that had never been unveiled before.
5. The Aruch HaShulchan (493:7) says it's the day R' Shimon Bar Yochai and his son, R' Elazer, left the cave after hiding from the Romans for 12 years.
6. Chasam Sofer (Y.D. 233) adds that Lag Ba'omer was the day the Manna began falling.