Machshava:

Lag BaOmer 

Description

Israel is unique among the nations of the world in that we are the only nation to memorialize tragedy and loss with the same hope and ultimate joy with which we commemorate our holidays. We celebrate the days of our “independence” and of spiritual redemption, among other days, Passover, Shavuot, et al., as well as the day of our exile. In fact, we remember the time of our greatest loss, the destruction of our Holy Temple, for a full three week period, from the seventeenth of Tamuz to the ninth of Av. Such a long focus on our tragedy seems strange and would appear to be depressing. However, it all depends on one’s perspective.