At the time of writing, it is still unknown whether it will be possible to hold Lag BaOmer parades in the streets of cities, or whether the security situation will require celebrating the day with one restriction or another. Either way, we will rejoice on this day and draw strength and courage from it.
In Jewish tradition, Lag BaOmer was designated as a day of special activity with children. Teachers in Israeli communities used to go out into the field with their students, play archery games, tell them about Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai, and instill in their hearts a love for the people of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and the customs of Israel.
The Lag BaOmer processions that are held today, according to the call of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, are a new take on this ancient Jewish tradition. But this custom is also very ancient, and in the Hasidic tradition there is a story about a children's procession that the Baal Shem Tov organized on Lag BaOmer back when he was a hidden tzaddik.
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To feel that we are all one people
In our time of heightened tensions between parts of the nation, there is a great longing for unity and for gathering around the common denominator that we all share. The children's parades of Lag BaOmer bring this message to expression in a most enjoyable way. Hundreds of thousands of children, from all walks of life, march together through the streets of cities and towns, demonstrating their love for these values.
Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai was blessed that his day of celebration – Lag BaOmer – succeeds in uniting hundreds of thousands of Israeli children around the values of love of Israel and love of Torah. It is impossible not to be moved by the sight of thousands of children shaking the air with the cry, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one." This demonstration proves that our Jewish roots are stronger than all attempts to separate and divide us.
In our polarized times, these parades have enormous value, in breaking down the barriers that separate parts of the people. The atmosphere that politicians and the media create raises a wall between the publics. Here, in the Lag BaOmer parades, everyone suddenly feels that we are one people and that all these barriers are artificial and unnecessary.
Because the truth is that we are all Jews and that the Torah belongs to all of us. This is his prayer in an Ashkenazi tone and his friend curls it in an Eastern tone, but we all pray to one God and unite in saying, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one." Even those who do not usually pray are connected within their souls to the prayer that their ancestors prayed and to the tradition that is common to all of us.
To argue and to love
Unity does not mean giving up on perceptions and positions. Its greatness lies in its ability to tolerate differences. It is possible to be united even if one does not agree, and even when there are sharp differences of opinion. It is possible to feel respect for one another even if one believes that the other is completely wrong. Unity takes into account that 'their opinions are not equal,' and yet it finds the common ground, stronger than the differences between one person and another.
The roots of Jewish unity lie in the common essence of all of us. We are the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Within every Jew resides a soul that is a 'part of God from above.' We have one God, one Torah, one land. This common foundation casts a solid anchor for maintaining unity even in the face of disagreements and differences.
