Lag BaOmer is Wednesday night through Thursday
Tonight begins Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day in the Omer. All around the world, Jews are celebrating Lag BaOmer as a festive, joyous occasion with music and dancing.
What are we celebrating on Lag BaOmer? The most common answers are that Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students stopped dying on Lag BaOmer, and that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai passed away on this day.
But the Chassam Sofer1 adds another reason for why we celebrate:
According to the Chassam Sofer, Lag BaOmer was the day that the Mun (manna) began to fall for the Jews in the desert after they left Egypt.2
Lag BaOmer was the day that the Mun (manna) began to fall for the Jews in the desert after they left Egypt.
It’s very nice that Hashem gave Mun to the Jews thousands of years ago, but what does that have to do with us today? We no longer have the Mun, so why are we still celebrating?
The Sefer HaIkarim3 says that the Mun taught us a lesson forever in Bitachon: Just as Hashem sustained our ancestors in the desert with miraculous food from the Heavens, Hashem still has the power to take care of us today, making sure we have enough food, parnassah (livelihood), and everything else we need. A person who keeps the Torah is heldabove the constraints of nature, and Hashem can provide for him even through supernatural means.
Hashem still has the power to take care of us today.
Today, even though we can’t always see Hashem’s involvement in our lives, we can rest assured that if we keep Torah and mitzvos, then Hashem will give us everything we need.
Sources: [1] Chassam Sofer Yoreh Deiah Siman 233; [2] Other opinions say that the Mun began to fall a few days earlier, on 16 Iyar; [3] Sefer HaIkkarim 4:41
Your Challenge
(1) Before eating something, say: “Thank you Hashem for giving me this food.”
(2) At any time, say: “Thank you Hashem for giving me money to use for whatever I need.”
(3) Ask Hashem to provide food and money for you in the future.
(4) Daven for someone else you know, who needs a job (or a better job) or is having financial troubles.
You can do these challenges any time from now until Shabbos starts.
You can only do each challenge once.
Questions to Ponder
The Midrash says (Tanchuma on Shemos 16): “Lo Nitnah Torah Ela L’Ochlei HaMan – The Torah had to be given to the generation of Jews who were fed the Mun.”
Why do you think that Hashem wanted us to eat the Mun before He gave us the Torah?
