Why the Bow and Arrow on Lag BaOmer?

Answer:

The custom of playing with bows and arrows on Lag BaOmer, the day that marks the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, symbolizes our sages proclamation that not a single rainbow appeared in the sky during the lifetime of this great sage.1

The rainbow first appeared after the flood, and represents G‑d's promise to never again destroy the world by flood. The rainbow appears when the world is deserving of punishment. The merit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai protected his entire generation and no rainbow appeared during his lifetime.

The Hebrew word for rainbow, keshet, also translates as bow.2

Please see The Kabbalah of the Bow and Arrow from our Lag BaOmer section.

Rochel Chein
for the Judaism Website

FOOTNOTES
1.	Bereishit Rabbah 35:2.
2.	Rabbi Zvi Elimelech Shapiro of Dynov (1783-1841), Bnei Yisaschar, Chodesh Iyar, Ch. 4.

By Rochel Chein

Mrs. Rochel Chein is a member of the chabad.org Ask the Rabbi team.

More articles by Rochel Chein | RSS

The content on this page is copyrighted by the author, publisher and/or Chabad.org, and is produced by Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with the copyright policy.

E-mail

Sort By:

NewestOldest

June 16, 2011

To Shevy

the reason why no rainbow is a good sign is because it shows that G-d didn't get angry in the first place, so no need to show us that He's holding back His anger!

YYRaskin
MEL, Australia
chabadbentleigh.com

May 22, 2011

sources please

Based on what do you claim that lagh ba`omer is the day that marks the passing of Rashbi?

I saw a source from Ben Ish Hai saying that this is not the case.

Ariel Weber
Jerusalem, Israel

May 22, 2011

Confusingish

if there was no rainbow, why is that good? if the rainbow represents G-d withholding punishment from a world that is deserving, wouldn't the absence of a rainbow be somewhat worrisome in a regular/not-so-good nation?

shevy
New Haven, CT