ממחרת השבת FROM THE MORROW AFTER THE DAY OF REST — i. e. from the morrow after the first day of the Passover festival (Menachot 65b).
The Plague on Akiba's Students
§ The Gemara comments: The mishna is not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua. As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehoshua says: If a man married a woman in his youth, and she passed away, he should marry another woman in his old age. If he had children in his youth, he should have more children in his old age, as it is stated: “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both alike shall be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). This verse indicates that a man should continue having children even after he has fulfilled the mitzva to be fruitful and multiply.
Other Views from Traditional Sources
(א) ...וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אֲלָפִים תַּלְמִידִים הָיוּ לִי מִגְּבַת וְעַד אַנְטִיפְרַס וְכֻלָּן מֵתוּ בְּחַיַּי בֵּין פֶּסַח לַעֲצֶרֶת, וּבַסּוֹף הֶעֱמִידוּ לִי שִׁבְעָה. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה, וְרַבִּי מֵאִיר, וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי, וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי, וְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי, וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן הַסַּנְדְּלָר. אָמַר לָהֶם הָרִאשׁוֹנִים לֹא מֵתוּ אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיְתָה עֵינֵיהֶם צָרָה בַּתּוֹרָה זֶה לָזֶה, אַתֶּם לֹא תִהְיוּ כֵן, מִיָּד עָמְדוּ וּמִלְּאוּ כָּל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל תּוֹרָה.
...And Rabbi Akiva says I had 12,000 students from Gevat until Antifras and they all died in my lifetime between Pesach and Shavuot, and at the end, I set up seven. They are: Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Nechemia, Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yossi, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yossi Hagelili and Rabbi Yochanan Hasandler. He said to them, the first ones only died because they were stingy to one another in Torah, you shouldn't be like this. They immediately arose and filled the whole Land of Israel with Torah.
(ז) מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ שְׁלֹש מֵאוֹת תַּלְמִידִים בְּנַעֲרוּתוֹ, וּמֵתוּ כֻּלָּם. וְאִלּוּלֵי שֶׁהֶעֱמִיד שִׁבְעָה תַלְמִידִים בְּזִקְנוּתוֹ, לֹא הָיָה תַלְמִיד שֶׁיְּהֵא קוֹרֵא עַל שְׁמוֹ.
(7) It is related that R. Akiba had three hundred disciples during his earlier years, but that all of them died. Had he not raised seven disciples in his old age, no one would have survived to speak in his name.
From My Jewish Learning:
Since during this period, twenty four thousand pupils of Rabbi Akiva died. Spread out all over the country, they died in a mysterious plague. The Talmud explains that the reason for this terrible tragedy was because they did not treat each other with respect.
Now this is of course very hard to comprehend. Was not Rabbi Akiva the one who taught us that we must love every Jew??
The explanation is as follows. The pupils of Rabbi Akiva would argue with each other, each one contending that he understood the teachings of Rabbi Akiva properly, but not his friend. Since he believed that he, and only he, possessed the proper understanding of their Rabbi's teachings, he would make fun of his friends understanding.
Because of the lack of respect that each had for the other, and since they could not accept the other's view, they slighted one another. This was a great disgrace for their master, Rabbi Akiva, that his pupils should conduct themselves with such disrespect between each other and therefore, heaven saw it fitting that they should die.
The Story of Shimon Bar Yochai - Credited Author of the Zohar
אֲזַלוּ טְשׁוֹ בִּמְעָרְתָּא. אִיתְרְחִישׁ נִיסָּא אִיבְּרִי לְהוּ חָרוּבָא וְעֵינָא דְמַיָּא, וַהֲווֹ מַשְׁלְחִי מָנַיְיהוּ וַהֲווֹ יָתְבִי עַד צַוְּארַיְיהוּ בְּחָלָא. כּוּלֵּי יוֹמָא גָּרְסִי. בְּעִידָּן צַלּוֹיֵי לָבְשִׁי מִיכַּסּוּ וּמְצַלּוּ, וַהֲדַר מַשְׁלְחִי מָנַיְיהוּ כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלָא לִיבְלוּ. אִיתִּיבוּ תְּרֵיסַר שְׁנֵי בִּמְעָרְתָּא. אֲתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ וְקָם אַפִּיתְחָא דִמְעָרְתָּא, אֲמַר: מַאן לוֹדְעֵיהּ לְבַר יוֹחַי דְּמִית קֵיסָר וּבְטִיל גְּזֵירְתֵיהּ. נְפַקוּ, חֲזוֹ אִינָשֵׁי דְּקָא כָּרְבִי וְזָרְעִי, אָמְרִין: מַנִּיחִין חַיֵּי עוֹלָם וְעוֹסְקִין בְּחַיֵּי שָׁעָה. כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנּוֹתְנִין עֵינֵיהֶן מִיָּד נִשְׂרָף. יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה לָהֶם: לְהַחֲרִיב עוֹלָמִי יְצָאתֶם?! חִיזְרוּ לִמְעָרַתְכֶם! הֲדוּר אֲזוּל אִיתִּיבוּ תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחֵי שַׁתָּא. אָמְרִי: מִשְׁפַּט רְשָׁעִים בְּגֵיהִנָּם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: צְאוּ מִמְּעָרַתְכֶם! נְפַקוּ. כָּל הֵיכָא דַּהֲוָה מָחֵי רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, הֲוָה מַסֵּי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. אָמַר לוֹ: בְּנִי, דַּי לָעוֹלָם אֲנִי וְאַתָּה.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai and his son, Rabbi Elazar, went and they hid in a cave. A miracle occurred and a carob tree was created for them as well as a spring of water. They would remove their clothes and sit covered in sand up to their necks. They would study Torah all day in that manner. At the time of prayer, they would dress, cover themselves, and pray, and they would again remove their clothes afterward so that they would not become tattered. They sat in the cave for twelve years. Elijah the Prophet came and stood at the entrance to the cave and said: Who will inform bar Yoḥai that the emperor died and his decree has been abrogated? They emerged from the cave, and saw people who were plowing and sowing. Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai said: These people abandon eternal life of Torah study and engage in temporal life for their own sustenance. The Gemara relates that every place that Rabbi Shimon and his son Rabbi Elazar directed their eyes was immediately burned. A Divine Voice emerged and said to them: Did you emerge from the cave in order to destroy My world? Return to your cave. They again went and sat there for twelve months. They said: The judgment of the wicked in Gehenna lasts for twelve months. Surely their sin was atoned in that time. A Divine Voice emerged and said to them: Emerge from your cave. They emerged. Everywhere that Rabbi Elazar would strike, Rabbi Shimon would heal. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar: My son, you and I suffice for the entire world, as the two of us are engaged in the proper study of Torah.
(א) הנה ר' שמעון בן יוחאי קראוהו בוצינא קדישא, כי ע"י נתגלו באיתגליא סודות התורה, ה"ס האור כי טוב הגנוז בתורה, ע"כ נקרא ספרו הקדוש זה"ר, אור המבהיק מסוף העולם ועד סופו, אור הטוב הגנוז בתורה. ע"כ יומא הדין טוב ימים למתן תורה. אשר מתחיל להתנוצץ האור כי טוב בתו' וכמש"ל. הנה יום הזה ל"ג בעומר. יומא דהילולא דרבי שמעון בן יוחאי בו ביום עלה לשמי מרומים. ומסתמא ביום זה נולד ג"כ כי הקב"ה יושב וממלא שנותיהם של צדיקים מיום אל יום. הנה בו ביום שמתחיל האור כי טוב להאיר מן התורה היינו טוב ימים קודם מתן תורה בו ביום נתגלית הנשמה הקדושה בעולם אשר תגלה דרך אור כי טו"ב בתור'. ע"כ נקר' הקדוש ההוא בוצינא קדישא (היינו נ"ר הקדוש) בו ביום עלה לשמי מרומים וצוה לר' אבא לכתוב כל הגנזי נסתרות אשר נתגלה להשאיר ברכה מהארת האור הגנוז (כי טוב כמד"א מה רב טובך אשר צפנת וכו') שמור לנו ולבנינו עד יתגלה במהרה אור משיח צדקינו. כמשארז"ל ויאמר אלקים יהי אור זה אורו של מלך המשיח בזכות התעסקות בהאור כי טוב אשר השאיר בוצינא קדישא לברכה ולחיים ולאור לכל ישראל:
(1) R’ Shimon bar Yochai was called “the holy lamp” because through him were revealed the secrets of Torah, that is the secret of “the light that was good” which is hidden in the Torah. Therefore his holy book is called the Zohar (lit. brilliance), meaning a light which shines from one end of the world to the other – the ‘good light’ which is hidden away in the Torah. That is why this day is the best of days for the giving of Torah. This is when the good light in the Torah began to shone forth, as we have learned. And this day is the 33rd day of the Omer, Lag Baomer. This is the day of the hilulah (lit. rejoicing) of R’ Shimon bar Yochai, the very day on which he ascended to the highest heavens. It also makes sense to assume that he was born on this day as well, because the Holy One sits and completes the years of the righteous from day to day (Kiddushin 38a). The very day on which ‘the light that is good’ began to shine out from the Torah, that is the best of days before the giving of the Torah, is the very day on which the holy soul that would reveal the path of ‘the light that is good’ in Torah was itself revealed. That is why this holy soul was called “the holy lamp,” on the very day that he rose up to the highest heavens he commanded R’ Aba to write down all the storehouses of hidden knowledge which he had revealed in order to leave behind a blessing from the illumination of the hidden light (that is good, as it says “How abundant is the good that You have in store for those who fear You…” (Psalms 31:20)) It is preserved there for us and our children until the light of our righteous Messiah is revealed, speedily and in our day! It is as our Sages said “And God said, let there be light…” this refers to the light of the King Messiah (Pesikta Rabbati 36), in the merit of our occupation with ‘the light that is good’ which the holy lamp left behind as a blessing and life, and a light for all Israel.
Omer Restrictions:
Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayyim 493:1-3
[The time period between Pesach and Shavuot is called the Omer]. The minhag is not to marry a woman between Pesach and Shavuot until Lag baomer (33rd day) because during that time the students of Rabbi Akiva died. But to get engaged it’s allowed. And if someone does marry we don’t punish him and after Lag Baomer it is all permitted.
The minhag is not to get a haircut until Lag baomer because then the students stopped dying. But one should not cut one's hair until the 34th in the day unless the 33rd is erev Shabbat, then you may cut hair on the 33rd because of honoring the Shabbat. GLOSS: In these states we don't follow his position rather we cut hair from the day of the 33rd and add some extra joy and we don't recite the prayer of Tachanun. But you don't cut hair until the day of the 33rd not the night before. However if the 33rd falls out on Sunday we have a custom to cut hair on the Friday before out of respect for Shabbat. Someone celebrating a Brit Mila may cut his hair during the Sefira in honor of the festivity.
Some have the custom to cut their hair on Rosh Chodesh Iyar but they are mistaken. GLOSS: however in many places some have the custom to cut their hair until Rosh Chodesh and they should not cut their hair form the 33rd day and onwards , even though it is permitted to cut on the 33rd day itself. Those who do cut their hair after Lag Baomer do not make any exceptions after Pesach until the 33rd day. One city should not have customs of both sides in the same city because of the prohibition of 'do not make groups'. And of course one should not be lenient with both at the same time.
Iggerot Moshe OC 1:166, YD 2:137, Minhag Yisrael Torah 493:8, Aruch Hashulchan 493:2, Yechave Daat 3:30 based on a Magen Avraham 493:1 that prohibits dancing during sefira because the two come together. Mishneh Halachot 8:118, Yachava Daat 6:34, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu (Maamar Mordechai 20:40), and Hilchot Chag BeChag (p. 67) agree that during sefirat ha’omer, it is forbidden to listen to musical instruments. Kapei Aharon 52 contends that although listening to music certainly is forbidden during sefirat ha’omer, the three weeks, and the 12 months of mourning for a parent, it was never mentioned by Shulchan Aruch or the commentaries because it is forbidden to listen to music all year round. Minchat Yitzchak 1:111 adds that even if there is no proof for this ruling, the minhag is to be strict
Rav Mordechai Willig quoted by Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz says that music is not necessarily forbidden, the prohibition was only placed on things that lead to excessive joy, which music doesn't necessarily accomplish. Similarly, Rabbi Jachter (Gray Matter vol 3 p. 5) quotes Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, who in turn cited Rav Soloveitchik as saying that music wasn’t prohibited at all during sefirat ha’omer or the three weeks, but most poskim do not accept this position.
The Practice of Counting
(8) If he forgot to bless on one of the days, between the first day [of the omer] and the rest of the days, he should count the rest of the days without a blessing. But, if he uncertain if he skipped a single day and didn’t count, he should count the days with a blessing.
8. הַיּוֹם שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים שֶׁהֵם שָׁבֽוּעַ אֶחָד וְיוֹם אֶחָד בָּעֹֽמֶר:
הַיּוֹם שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים שֶׁהֵם שָׁבֽוּעַ אֶחָד וְיוֹם אֶחָד בָּעֹֽמֶר
Hayom sh’monah yamim shehem shavua echad v’yom echad la-omer.
Today is eight days, which is one week and one day of the Omer.