The Valley Torah Scroll

Lag ba’omer is one of the most beautiful, important, and awaited chagim for the Jewish people. There are many citations to celebrate by making a bonfire and dancing around it, having a barbecue, and just overall having fun. However, the question may arise: what is the cause for all this celebration?

Most people think that we celebrate because the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying. However, tires can’t possibly be the case since the only reason that the students stopped dying was that there were no more students left! So what can wet possibly be celebrating?

Rabbi Akiva lost 24,000 students in a time period of about 32 days, which Is about 750 funerals each day. This of one of the most crushing defeats a person can have. He went from having one of, if not the most prosperous yeshiva in the world to nothing in a matter of days.

We celebrate on lag ba’omer because rabbi Akiva got right back up and started anew with just five students. He concentrated his teaching the 24,000 students to only five students. These students ended up becoming some of the most well-renowned Rabbeim in the world and brought the light of the Torah to everyone.

Lag ba’omer can teach us a big lesson: to never give up. Rabbi Noach Weinberg, the incredible rabbi who made Aish, had previously opened five different yeshivas. Unfortunately, each of those yeshivas failed. But he kept on going, he kept on trying, and he finally made the perfect end product: Aish. Life and learning Torah is all about the struggle. Learning Torah may be a bit hard for some people, but with the struggle, anyone can do it. Be’ezrat Hashem we should all try to keep on working until we finally reach the perfect and desired end product.