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<font size=3>After listening to Prof. Shnayer Leiman's talk titled <b>The
Strange History of Lag B'Omer</b>, I can only wonder what the basis is
for the "celebrations" that are held on Lag B'Omer night in
many places. According to him, there is no basis for such behavior. In
addition, he says that the proper celebration of Lag B'Omer, if there is
to be any, is fasting. This seems to imply that what goes on in Meron is
"inappropriate," at best. <br><br>
The practice of making bonfires and then singing and dancing around them
on Lag B'Omer night has even spread to Flatbush! (For the record, I could
never understand how such celebrations can take place in light of the
fact that according to all but two of the customs regarding Sefirah,
aveilus is applicable on Lag B'Omer night. See
<a href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2008/05/mourning-during-omer-2.shtml" eudora="autourl">
http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2008/05/mourning-during-omer-2.shtml</a>
)<br><br>
Can anyone justify what we see going on in our times regarding the
"celebration" of Lag B'Omer? Is Dr. Leiman wrong in what he
says about this day? <br><br>
Since some had trouble accessing this talk from it original site, I have
created a web page from which one can either listen to the talk or
download it and save it. Please see <br><br>
<a href="http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/history/lag_bomer_leiman.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/history/lag_bomer_leiman.html<br><br>
</a>Yitzchok Levine <br>
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