How do we view dancing around a bonfire through Torah eyes? Are there any issues regarding the practice? Well, believe it or not, there a teshuvah (responsum) from a leading halachic decisor on the issue.
Toras Aba just put up an interesting post discussing a halachic concern regarding dancing around a bonfire, due to similarity with ancient practice of idolators. It is based on a teshuvah (responsum) of one of the leading poskim of our era, Rav Shmuel Wosner z”l, stemming from a תוספתא that states המרקד לשלהבת הרי זה מדרכי אמורי.
Here is the full teshuvah of Rav Wosner (שו”ת שבט הלוי, חלק ז, יורה דעה סימן קלו).
Rav Wosner concludes that there is definitely a מקום (basis) to be מחמיר (stringent) and refrain from doing so. Toras Aba feels that is relevant to the Lag Baomer situation. A matter worthy of serious consideration.
That is in addition to many other reasons for people not to make bonfires, which have been touched on here in the past, e.g. safety, חשש גזל עצים, damaging air quality, refraining from new practices not practiced by our holy ancestors, etc.
May we merit a safe Lag Baomer, בין ברוחניות, בין בגשמיות, both spiritually and physically.
Tags: Bonfires, Lag Baomer
TREASURES OF ASHKENAZ 
May 2, 2018 at 4:49 am |
I love your posts. Please keep them coming. RB
May 2, 2018 at 8:56 am |
Thank you very much. In this case the main credit goes to Toras Aba, although I did expand on what he wrote, and added a link to the entire teshuvah.
May 2, 2018 at 5:09 am |
In the Sefer “Minhogei Maharitz”, based on the Minhogim of Rav Yosef Zvi Dunner ZT”L, it mentions his Minhog to take the Talmidim on an outing, where the Melamed inspires them with Divrei Torah.
He bases this on the fact, according to some opinions, that on Lag Be’Omer, no more of the Talmidim of Rabbi Akiva died. So, it is a celebration for Talmidim Le’Doros everywhere.
May 2, 2018 at 9:05 am |
Thank you for sharing that.
An old-fashioned smokeless Lag Baomer.
Great! 🙂