Lag Ba'omer 2022 came in the wake of the disaster that occurred last year and with a state inquiry underway and new police protocols to ensure public safety.
Followers of Jewish mysticism traditionally hold a yearly pilgrimage to Mt. Meron on the holiday of Lag Ba'omer in order to honor the teachings of the father of Jewish mysticism, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
According to the Talmud, a central text in rabbinic Judaism, God created a plague during the time of Rabbi Akiva that killed 24,000 of his students, leaving him with only five. One of the five remaining students was Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
While the first 33 days of the Omer are marked by mourning for the students who died, Lag B'aomer signifies a change in mood, as Jewish teachings say it is the day that the plague finally ended.
More than that, however, followers of Jewish mysticism observe Lag Ba'omer as the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimon, the day he died.
There is a tradition among Hassidic Jews to cut their sons' hair for the first time at Mount Meron when the child is three years old, and this meaningful occasion is marked with candy, songs and dancing.
The bonfires that the followers of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai light are representative of the spiritual light that can be found within the mystical teachings of the Torah, and they are now an intrinsic part of Lag Ba'omer celebrations around the world, but particularly on Mount Meron.
