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Postponing Lag BaOmer Bonfire Ceremonies on Saturday Night?

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edu:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/267174

--- Quote ---Lag BaOmer 2013 School Holiday Lasts Two Days

The announcement of the Chief Rabbinate to postpone Lag BaOmer bonfires to Sunday night in order to honor the Sabbath, has prompted the Education Ministry to give Israeli school children vacation on Monday as well.

The mass pilgrimage of an expected 450,000 worshippers to Meron has been going on since Saturday night, and a second great lighting is expected to take place there Sunday night, with the honorable attendance of Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar.
--- End quote ---
I have two questions. Do you think it is right for the Chief Rabbinate to try to postone Lag BaOmer Bonfires moving the ceremony from the true day of Lag BaOmer to the next day, on Sunday Night?
My second question is: Do you think it is proper to celebrate Lag BaOmer on any day of the week with Bonfires etc. or should Torah study etc. never be diminished on account of Lag BaOmer, since I'm told that Lag BaOmer is not mentioned in the Talmud?
As a follow up to the second question, it is also possible that Lag BaOmer is used as a tool to promote certain religious ideologies that we may not really be interested in promoting? Or maybe you feel it poses no danger in this regard?

Tag-MehirTzedek:
1) No problem. Lag BaOmer is not a real holiday. Making Hillul Shabbat is a real issue.
2) It is not mentioned in the Talmudh. Not in the writings of the Ari either and Kabbalists either.
3) It certainly does. It is the promotion of the Zoharianism and mysticism taken to the extreme many times. Throwing things into a bond fire doesn't seem to Jewish. Not a big deal to allow kids to make bond fires and have fun but still their is this danger of certain ideology completely taking over (as happened in a large scale already).

muman613:
I don't see any problem with celebrating Lag B'Omer.

It is a time of celebrating the mystical aspect of Torah, a time to move beyond the mourning period of the Omer, and a time to get together with your close friends and minyanim to bond with them...

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/70781/jewish/Lekutei-Sichot-Lag-BaOmer.htm

edu:
In the Talmud Brachot 35b a dispute is recorded between Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
Rabbi Yishmael holds that you should act according to the natural way, such as harvesting your field in the time of harvest, while in your free time you should learn Torah.
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai objects and claims that being too involved in those activities for a livelihood will detract from Torah learning. Rather, learn and we will receive a blessing of others engaging in activities of livelihood on our behalf, such as in the situation described in Yishayahu/Isaiah 61:5.
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was so involved in learning Torah that he would not even stop to pray Shmoneh Esrei, in order to avoid stopping his learning.
I do not think that he of all people would be happy of the 2 days of loss of Torah study that was caused this year on his behalf.
Perhaps one could contend that for the important mitzva of honoring a Torah scholar and also to educate the public not to respect those equivalent of the Romans (which is why he had to hide in a cave), Rabbi Shimon might not be against the 2 day break from Torah study this year done to honor him. I believe this is probably not true, because it says in the Talmud tractate Shabbat 119b (Soncino Translation)

--- Quote ---Resh Lakish said in the name of R. Judah the Prince: The world endures
only for the sake of the breath of school children. Said R. Papa to Abaye, What about mine and
yours? Breath in which there is sin is not like breath in which there is no sin, replied he. Resh Lakish also said in the name of R. Judah the Prince: School children may not be made to neglect [their studies] even for the building of the Temple. Resh Lakish also said to R. Judah the Prince: I have this tradition from my fathers — others state, from your fathers: Every town in which there are no school children shall be destroyed. Rabina said: It shall be laid desolate.
--- End quote ---
The Poskim also bring it as halacha that School children may not be made to neglect [their studies] even for the building of the Temple.
As far as the issue of pushing off the Lag BaOmer festivities by one day and thereby causing school children to lose Torah study for the benefit of minimizing Sabbath desecration, it seems at first glance that we should apply the principle brought by the Mishna Brura that we do not do a smaller sin to prevent someone from committing a bigger sin.
But perhaps, you might want to answer back, that due to the honor given Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, etc. maybe we shouldn't call this a black and white sin.
Or maybe you will find some other reason not to apply the principle of the Mishna Brura that we don't do a small sin to prevent someone from committing a bigger one.

muman613:
edu,

From the Chabad site explaining the Chassidic understanding of the day of Lag B'Omer:

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/70781/jewish/Lekutei-Sichot-Lag-BaOmer.htm


--- Quote ---Ultimate Dedication to the Study of Torah

This fusion of opposites is reflected in Rabbi Shimon's rulings in the realm of Nigleh, the revealed dimensions of Torah law. For example, with regard to the verse:17 "This Torah scroll will not depart from your mouth," the Talmud18 mentions a difference of opinion between Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Shimon.

Rabbi Yishmael explained that the verse is not meant to be understood in an absolutely literal sense. We must follow the ordinary pattern of the world, he argued ploughing, sowing, and the like even though this requires a departure from the study of the Torah.

Rabbi Shimon, by contrast, maintained that the verse should be understood in its most literal sense: the entire day should be devoted to the study of Torah. Moreover, he said that if Jews dedicate themselves to G-d's will in this manner, their work will be accomplished by others.

The Talmud concludes that many followed the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael and were successful. In contrast, many who followed the opinion of Rabbi Shimon were not successful. This indicates that Rabbi Shimon's approach is above the level appropriate for this material world.

Personally, however, Rabbi Shimon followed his own opinion. "His Torah was his occupation."19 His days were filled with study alone.

Nevertheless, Rabbi Shimon did not compel others to follow his example. The Talmud relates20 that when he and his son, Rabbi Elazar, emerged from the cave where they had hidden for 13 years (an experience which elevated their spiritual level immensely), Rabbi Elazar saw people engaged in worldly concerns and destroyed them with his glance. "How can they abandon eternal life for temporal matters?" he exclaimed. [He then with a glance destroyed those people.]

But "whatever Rabbi Elazar destroyed, Rabbi Shimon healed." Not only did he not destroy as did his son, he mended what his son had devastated. For as he explained to his son: "You and I [who study in a manner of 'his Torah is his occupation,'] are sufficient for the world."

Moreover, we find that it is Rabbi Shimon who stated:21 "Even if all a person did was read the Shema in the morning and the evening, he has fulfilled the charge, 'This Torah scroll shall not depart….' "

According to certain opinions, the mitzvah of reading the Shema involves only the first verse.22 Rabbi Shimon maintained that when a person is unable to study Torah the entire day because he has other concerns with which the Torah requires him to be occupied, or because he is ignorant and incapable of studying,23 he fulfills the charge "This Torah scroll shall not depart…" with the recitation of the Shema alone.24

This reflects the unique ability of Rabbi Shimon to encompass the most complete devotion to Torah study a literal fulfillment of the charge "This Torah scroll shall not depart…." and a person incapable of studying more than "one verse in the morning and one verse in the evening." Rabbi Shimon's teaching reflects how the infinite dimensions of the Torah are invested in even the tiny segment which such a person is able to read.
--- End quote ---

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