Meron, Israel – The traditional Lag Ba’omer bonfire was lit Motzei Shabbos in celebration of the memory of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai at his tomb site at Mt. Meron.
By now thousands of worshippers arrived at the tomb, and police estimated they would reach up to a few hundred thousand visitors.
The large number of people came despite calls from several haredi leaders urging the public not to participate in the celebration.
Police have been preparing for the event, which should go on until late into tonight, for months. Based on previous years, some 300,000 worshippers are expected to arrive at the site, which is secured by some 5,000 officers.
Hundreds of Hatzolah Yisroel, Magen David Adom crew members and first aid workers are providing medical care non-stop for those hudreds of calls due to the weather being very hot, but nothing out of the ordinary.
In last year’s celebration, some 200 people received medical treatment, mostly after fainting due to crowding near the tomb. [VIN-YNet]
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b”h their is a “mehadrin veg” !!!
& it’s b”h much better then it used to be !!!
(i”m not chas v’sholem overcoming hagoan r’ eliyasiv l’orich yomim v’shanim tovos ,amen)
The leader of the Lithuanian Jewish community, Rabbi Yosef Sholom Eliashiv, said in an interview to a haredi newspaper that “Yeshiva boys are better off sitting and studying rather than going to the celebration.” He also said that he had never been to Meron.