Mishpatim, EmorLag B'Omer, Sefirah / Omer
Lag BaOmer: Recognizing the Tzelem Elokim in Others
How could Rabbi Akiva's students, who learned that loving your neighbor is Torah's great principle, die for lacking respect toward each other? The students failed to recognize the tzelem Elokim in their peers, treating them as mere humans rather than divine images. Lag BaOmer represents the tikun through Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who embodied what it means to be created b'tzelem Elokim.
