What my 2-Year-Old Saw at the Lag Baomer Bonfire

What my 2-Year-Old Saw at the Lag Baomer Bonfire

Every Lag Baomer my big kids spend the whole night at their youth group bonfire, and I take the littlest kids down the hill to the bonfire of the Spinka Chassidim.

Rut, my 2-year-old Yaakov’s teacher, has been taking a break from colors and shapes over the last week to teach the kids about Lag Ba’omer. She told them about the Zohar and how Rebbe Shimon hid in his cave from the Romans, and got the kids really psyched up to see some major bonfires Lag Ba’omer night.

Last night, Yaakov was extremely excited that Lag Ba’omer had finally arrived. At the Spinka bonfire, as the Chassidim danced around, Yaakov stared towards the fire with his mouth slightly ajar with 2-year-old awe.

I took in his wonder-full expression and wondered what he was thinking…

Maybe he was surprised to hear the song “Bar Yochai!” which he remembered from gan and our Shabbat table suddenly being blasted top-volume through the night air?

Maybe he noticed the other little boys being carried around on their father’s shoulders, and wished that his father was there too and not with his 8-year-old brother Yoel building their own fire in Sacher Park?

Maybe he thought the Rebbe singing and shuckling back and forth by the fire with his shtender was Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai himself?

After about 20 minutes of staring, Yaakov pointed his finger and said something very quietly…

“What, Yaakov?”

I was about to get my answer…Soon I would know what had captured his little heart and held him a trance this Lag Ba’omer night…

Yaakov pointed his finger towards the fire again and said, “Yellow, it is yellow!”

And then Yaakov drank some juice and watched some more until his head fell forward and he stayed fast asleep until this morning.

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