Welcome to our special Lag b'Omer ("Zohar Day") edition, 5778
In many places, Lag B'Omer (Saturday-night-Sunday) is 'picnic day,' 'bonfire night, 'outing day' and so forth. mIn Israel it is primarily "Zohar Day,"
especially here in the Safed area, with 150,000 people making the pilgrimage to Meron and the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai,
the source of the Zohar teachings.
The first 3 articles and the concluding story examine different aspects of this important occasion.
 
The 4th article presents insights for the 4th chapter of Pirkei Avot (the Mishnaic tractate of 'Ethical Principles'),
of which we study one chapter each Shabbat until Shavuot (and many repeat the cycle through the last Shabbat before Rosh Hashana).

(Those of you in Israel should click to Parashat Behar for articles on the Weekly Reading there.)