This is the day that the plague that decimated 24,000 of R’ Akiva’s disciples finally came to an end.  Let’s daven that that today’s pandemic should also immediately come to an end.

Today is also the day that R’ Akiva gave Semicha to his five talmidim who did not die, and through whom Torah was disseminated, (among them Reb’ Shimon Bar Yochai). The Torah we have today disseminated through them.  We need to be so thankful for this!

Today is the yartzheit of Reb’ Shimon Bar Yochai, and the day on which he revealed the deepest secrets of kabbalah in the form of the Zohar.

According to a Midrash, the mon started to come down on Lag b’Omer. Therefore, Lag b’Omer is an auspicious day to daven for parnassah.

The Sfas Emes (Emor 5652) writes, “I heard from my grandfather [the Chidushei HaRimzt’l] that on Lag b’Omer one can attain yiras Shamayim.”  It is also an auspicious day to daven for children, shidduchim, healing and salvation.

Let us therefore have much success with our prayers today and every day.