Tonight is Lag B'Omer!

Tonight is the 33rd day of counting the Omer from the day after Pesach. The numerical value of Hebrew letters Lammed + Gimmel (LG, or LaG for easier pronunciation) is 33.

Here are some fascinating articles:

Rabbi Shimon was a great sage who lived during the Roman conquest of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. He was one of Rabbi Akiva's five students who -- despite terrible persecutions -- ensured that the Torah would not be forgotten.
The Talmud (Shabbat 33b) describes a seminal event in the life of Rabbi Shimon:
When the Romans outlawed the study of Torah, Rabbi Shimon spoke out against them. The Romans thus pronounced a death sentence against Rabbi Shimon, who was forced to go into hiding. Read more

Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day of the Omer Count -- this year, Tuesday May 16, 2006 -- is a festive day on the Jewish calendar, celebrated with outings (on which the children traditionally play with bow and arrows), bonfires, and other joyous events. Many visit the resting place (in Miron in Northern Israel) of the great sage and mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, whose yahrzeit (anniversary of his passing) the day marks. Read more

Most people think of life as a trip through a treasure house of experiences. “Living it up” is synonymous with living itself: White-water rafting, paragliding, sipping Margaritas around the pool, seeing the Mona Lisa or the Pyramids or climbing Everest – that’s what life is all about! This view of life sees existence as a compendium of possibilities, and he who dies with the most toys - or the most trophies - wins. According to this view, someone who lives his life without tasting any of life’s countless experiences hasn’t really lived. The eulogy “He had a good life” usually means that the person used his time to maximize his experiences in this world. Someone who hasn’t experienced any of the life’s myriad delights is considered to have wasted his life. Read more

And best of all, watch the live celebration of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's hilula all the way from Meron in Israel. But to watch this, you need to wake up NOW! Israel is +10 hours from LA.