Lag BaOmer, the thirty-third day of the Omer count, is celebrated as the hillula — the joyous yahrzeit — of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi), the great Talmudic sage and mystic. The article explains why his passing is marked with joy rather than mourning, traces the ancient custom of lighting bonfires at his tomb in Meron, and presents three classic liturgical poems composed in his honor.
Reciting the biblical passage describing the manna — known in Hebrew as Parashat HaMan — has long been considered a segulah (auspicious spiritual practice) for securing one’s livelihood. This article traces the custom’s sources, from the Shulchan Aruch and early rabbinic authorities through Hasidic tradition, and examines the popular practice of reciting it on the Tuesday of the week when Parashat Beshalach is read. The attribution to Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Riminov is explored, along with questions about its origins.
On the first Shabbat after Passover, many Jewish communities have the custom of baking challah in the shape of a key. This article collects a rich variety of explanations for this practice, drawn from Hasidic masters and traditional sources: opening heavenly gates after Passover, symbolizing livelihood and divine provision, hinting at the merit of Mishnah study, and recalling that certain divine ‘keys’ are never delegated to any intermediary. Together they reveal a tradition layered with spiritual meaning.