The second month of the year is Iyar, following Nissan, the rosh chodashim. In the yotzros for Parshas Hachodesh, the verse states that Nissan is a month sheyeshuos bo makifos, literally, following one another. The months of Adar and Nissan are months of redemption and salvation, as they contain Purim and Pesach. Another interpretation of makifos is “surrounded,” as the hakafos on Simchas Torah is when we dance around and surround the bimah. It’s a month enriched by salvation, as aleph–dalet-reish represents Ani Hashem Rof’echa—I am Hashem Who heals you. Aleph-yud-reish is for Iyar, as it also highlights Hashem in His role as the One who grants health and redemption.

The shevet of Iyar: Yissachar

According to Sefer Yetzirah, the shevet for Iyar is Yissachar. In Tanach (Divrei Hayamim I 12:32), they are given the appellation of “yod’ei binah l’itim—who understand the times,” a reference to the intercalation of the year, called ibur hashanah. The Jewish calendar, specifically understanding the workings of shamayim regarding the establishment of the times and festivals of the year, distinguish us from the peoples of the world. Ki hi chochmos’chem u’vinaschem l’einay ha’amim (Devarim 4:6).

Megillas Esther (1:3) relates that Achashveirosh sought counsel with the wise men who knew the times regarding the fate of Vashti when she refused to come before Achashveirosh. Their wisdom set them apart, but they wisely demurred (see Megillah 12b). The designation of time as a focal element of Iyar is highlighted by the fact that it contains the majority of the Sefirah period. Part of the halachah and hashkafah of Iyar is that we are obliged to count both days and weeks for the seven weeks of Sefirah ending in Shavuos.

Picture from Singer bencher of Sefiras Haomer, pg. 59. Maybe add a tint of color behind.

Parshas Bo – Page 75 – picture Iyar

As much as the month of Nissan was symbolized by the meekness of the lamb, Iyar, which follows Nissan, is represented by the bull, Taurus. The timidity of the lamb, passively following others, is contrasted to the strength and dominance of the bull. Even in common parlance, bullying means exerting one’s power and influence over another, often to demean and to the detriment of another. The period after Pesach is the days of the Omer, when the Gemara (Yevamos 62b) says that 24,000 talmidim of Rabi Akiva died because they did not sufficiently act with proper respect for one another. Rabi Akiva, whose life philosophy advocated love to one’s fellow man, was challenged by his students’ deaths for not being exacting in the directive of their rebbi.

Rav Aharon Kotler (Chelek 3: Sefirah) raises an apparent difficulty in the stern measure of justice that was meted out to the talmidim of Rabi Akiva—not for cardinal sins, but for the transgression of middos that were befitting students of such stature! Rav Aharon suggests that possibly the punishment was so severe because of Rabi Akiva’s crucial role in the transmission of Torah sheba’al peh. Acquiring Torah means perfecting the ways prescribed to make it part of the fiber of our nation. These students were to be the conduit to transmit the Torah to future generations in all its purity forever. If there was an innate character flaw where one couldn’t properly transmit these tenets of our faith to the future, they couldn’t be relied on for a pure, faithful transmission. Rabi Akiva began once again, with five students who would become Hashem’s emissaries, including Rabi Shimon bar Yochai.

Pirkei Avos, Pesach Sheini, and Lag BaOmer

Pirkei Avos deals with refining one’s personal conduct, particularly as it relates to one’s internal behavior and how he interacts with his fellow man. If the shortcoming among Rabi Akiva’s students was that they were lax in bein adam l’chaveiro, the dictum found in perek dalet might address it. “Who is honored? One who honors others.” He honors more than his friend alone, he honors the fact that his friend is a tzelem Elokim and is therefore deserving of honor. Correcting the flaw of Rabi Akiva’s talmidim during this time period underscores the gravity of lack of kavod to another and how to rectify it.

Lag BaOmer has particular significance during the Sefirah period, as it is on that day the talmidim of Rabi Akiva stopped dying. The Rema writes that it’s a day of simchah, and haircuts are permitted as well as marriages. In certain Sephardic and Chassidic circles, Lag BaOmer is a day when their sons are brought o Meron for their third birthday for a haircut to fulfill the mitzvah of leaving peyos. Rav Chaim Vital, primary talmid of the Arizal, writes (Sha’ar HaKavanos, Sefiras Ha’Omer) that he saw his rebbi go there on Lag BaOmer with his entire household to give his child a haircut. The letter states that giving the haircut was done as is the well-known custom, attesting to the fact that the custom pre-dated Arizal.

In Eretz Yisrael particularly, it’s a day of hillula, celebration. Rabi Shimon bar Yochai, on the day of his petirah, gave over the hidden, mystical teachings of the Torah to his talmidim. The ascent to the tziyun of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai and his son Rabi Eliezer is a testament to the radiance of the Torah that was transmitted and the fact that the mesorah would continue.

It’s customary to use a bow and arrow on Lag BaOmer. Rabi Shimon represents the pnimiyus, inner dimension of Torah. Rashi (Bereishis 48:22) states that Yaakov took Shechem b’charbi u’v’kashti, with his sword and his bow, with his chochmah and his tefillah. Similarly, Targum explains it as with his wisdom and his tefillos.

Just as with a bow, the more one draws the bow toward himself, the further the arrow will fly, so it is with tefillah (Griz al HaTorah). Similarly, Rabi Shimon’s teachings represented the pnimiyus of Torah, where a person can access the depths of Torah by reaching down to one’s innermost being.