Is Lag Baomer Truly A Happy Day?- Rabbi Efrem Goldberg

one happy luck balmer but isn't really happy it's always bothered me since i was a kid what is like bomber about we're all taught since we're young lag bombers when the students are ready give us stop don 24 000 students 24 000 funerals 24 000 eulogies 24 000 shiva goals and you make a party because people stop dying a bonfire music barbecue's a party happy you think when the jews were liberated from the camps when we survived extermination attempts we said happy as if there was a party and an event what is lagrange about it's a beautiful beautiful explanation by the prehadash who says like bomber is not about what ended the end of a plague the end of death it's about where the akiva did next would be akiba went to 24 000 funerals he should have been hopeless and helpless he should have given up he should have given in but instead what did he do he picked up where he left off he found his five surviving students he sat them down on log balmer and he continued the next lesson it's only because he chose to do that his tenacity his resiliency that we have a tourist about that the only reason we have the judaism as we know it today is because ruby akiva continued to burn like a fire he refused to be extinguished or put out he continued to rage to the next generation and we are the beneficiaries it is a happy like balmer it's happy when we realize we have the strength and the power to continue against all odds even when we've gone through a difficult time we are in a difficult time not nearly as difficult as whatever went through but we need to know we will come out the other side we will be stronger the fire will rage it will bright illuminate warm our worlds it is the fuel and the energy that drives us and so today is a happy life but owner that we continue to pick up that town where the akiva left off continue to study torah to live torah to make that fire rage and illuminate the world for many years happy life