It is my desire that every Jew, everywhere will have much joy as they celebrate the day.

 And speaking of “every Jew, everywhere” ….

Lag B’Omer has many aspects to the day; however, I would like to focus on just a small portion of the aspects. Let me preface this with a bit of history:

The Talmud tells us that Rabbi Akiva had 12,000 pairs of students that died during the counting of the Omer because they did not treat each other with respect. Among the students was a Shimon bar Yochai, who was among, and some say the only, survivor of the plague. We are also told that Shimon bar Yochai survived the plague because of his great love of all Yisrael and his refusal to engage in lashon hara against any of them. Because of this, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was blessed to receive the mystical teachings that are generally known as Kabbalah.

Today, there is so much strife, dissension and discord among our people. This group doesn’t like that group. This group says the others are not “Real Jews”. This group says the others are lairs, oppressors, fanatics, fools, and just about every single disparaging remark and label one could utter about another. It seems that we learned nothing from the plague that ravaged the students of Rabbi Akiva!

Every Jew is holy. Regardless of how far from the path they have strayed, they remain a holy spark that is precious to HaShem. How can we find it in our heart to cast away what HaShem finds dear?

As we get ready to celebrate Lag B’Omer, let us keep in mind the lesson of the students of Rabbi Akiva, and also remember what the advice of Eliezer, the father Baal Shem Tov. At the time of Eliezer ‘s death, he imparted to the young Yisrael the following:

“Fear no one but G‑d. Love every Jew with all your heart and soul, no matter who he is.”

In closing, I would like to point you to a short, but very wonderful, shiur by Rav Yakov Shepherd. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp9IRNsBZQ0

Have a wonderful and meaningful Lag B’Omer filled with family, friends and much joy! And Love every Jew!

 As I dragged my body out of bed I think “First things first.”, dress, tallit, tefillin and shacharit, and then (maybe) I can face another day of lifting, pushing, pulling, washing and rearranging; right after coffee that is. And still, the Pesach dinner still has to be planned and prepared! OY, I can’t even think about that right now, it will have to wait.

While I am getting ready, taking out my siddur, tallit and tefillin, I am thinking about the cleaning and bewailing my situation, ok, kvetching about it! As I am checking my tzitziyot the phrase from the Haggadah pops into my head “… from slavery to freedom.” I put on the tallit and wrap the tefillin and as I am trying to concentrate on the prayers, it keeps buzzing around in my head “… from slavery to freedom.” OK, this is just getting annoying! I have prayers to do, a client meeting to conduct and then I have to get back to the drudgery of cleaning …. Ugh!

As I am reading the Akaida it suddenly it suddenly hits me! “… from slavery to freedom!”

For years I have made a point of telling people that they have to infuse the Pesach Seder with meaning, so that we can somehow experience what our ancestors experienced. Make the Seder come alive by telling the story of the Exodus, not to just drone on through the Haggadah.

So, back to cleaning. Why do we do it to ourselves every single year? All the mishegas of cleaning. We tear the whole house apart in order to clean out all the chametz, plan the meal, do the shopping, prepare the meal. We work ourselves like …….. SLAVES!

All these years I have been telling people to experience the Exodus when we have been doing it all along! We work ourselves to near exhaustion doing something we would not do if we didn’t have to, just like our ancestors:

 “Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses.” (Shemot 1:11)

 Weeks of cleaning, planning the seder, cooking the festive meal, working ourselves to the brink of collapse, and then, we finally get to sit with family and friends and enjoy the Pesach Seder. We have literally gone “… from slavery to freedom!”

After 62 years on earth, I finally get it (never too late and never too old!). Pesach cleaning has now taken on a whole new meaning. I still don’t like it, but I now get it! How amazing is HaShem!

 “Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for in haste didst thou come forth out of the land of Egypt; that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.” (Devarim 16:3)

 And how better to remember then by experiencing, in some small measure, what our ancestors lived through by purging our homes.

 “ And there shall be no leaven seen with thee in all they borders seven days;…”

 Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get back to cleaning (Ugh!).

To you and your family, Chag Pesach Kasher Vesame’ach !