The story of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's thirteen years living in a cave is a core part of Lag BaOmer. The recent addition of a complete English translation of the Jerusalem Talmud to the Sefaria library means that we now have two accessible ways to tell the story. Two Tellings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the Cave: The Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds is a helpful guide to both versions, including discussion questions for comparing and contrasting the two.
You can also learn more about the practice of counting the omer and prepare for Lag BaOmer with two new collections:
- To get you started, Counting the Omer on Sefaria includes explanations and instructions for counting the days between Pesach and Shavuot.
- Go on a scavenger hunt, learn about bonfires and haircuts, and more with Lag BaOmer on Sefaria.
Want to create your own resources for the holiday? Sefaria has a new source sheet builder! Streamline your sheet creation with our new clean look. Watch a recording of the new sheets webinar to learn how to optimize your use of this exciting new tool. Instructions can be found on Making a Source Sheet on the New Editor.