Lag B’Omer, the thirty third day of counting up from Passover to Shavuot (the day that Hashem gave us the Torah) which took place this past Tuesday, is a day of fire.
On the outside, we see bonfires, singing, warmth, and celebration. But like everything in Judaism, there is something much deeper beneath the surface. The fire of Lag B’Omer is not only something we light outside of ourselves. It is meant to awaken the fire inside of ourselves.
Lag B’Omer is connected to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the Tannaic sage who lived around 2,000 years ago, who revealed the deeper, more hidden dimension of the Torah. In that sense, Lag B’Omer reminds us that Judaism is not only about what we do, but also about what is happening inside while we do it.
Of course, the mitzvot themselves matter deeply. A Jew puts on tefillin, lights Shabbat candles, keeps kosher, gives tzedakah (charity), learns Torah, honors parents, etc. Judaism is real, practical, and action-based. But Hashem does not want our actions to remain empty or mechanical. He wants the mitzvah — and He wants the heart inside the mitzvah.
The Rabbis teach us, רחמנא ליבא בעי — Hashem desires the heart. Not instead of the action, but within the action. Hashem wants our sincerity, our yearning, our honesty, our struggle, our desire to come close. A mitzvah is not just a religious task to check off. It is a point of connection between a Jew and Hashem.
That is especially meaningful during Sefirat HaOmer, as we journey from Passover to Shavuot. We are not simply counting days. We are preparing ourselves to receive the Torah. And receiving the Torah does not only mean accepting a system of laws. It means opening ourselves to a relationship with G-d. It means allowing Torah to refine us, elevate us, and make us more real, more sensitive, more honest, and more connected.
Lag B’Omer tells us: Don’t lose the inner fire.
As we move closer to Shavuot, we can ask ourselves a simple but powerful question: Am I just externally acting or identifying as a Jew, or am I allowing Judaism to touch my heart?
Because at the deepest level, that is what Torah is here to do. To bring out the innermost essence and potential of a Jew. To help us become better people. To help us live with meaning. And to help us come closer to Hashem — not only with our hands and our actions, but with our hearts.
Shabbat Shalom,
Shmuel Klein and the JET Team
