The Bar Kochba Revolt, which many Israelis remembered on this week's Lag Ba'omer holiday, should serve as a warning to a society that embraces its most extreme voices
For centuries, the annual Lag Ba'omer celebration commemorated the end of the plague that killed 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva's students 2,000 years ago. According to the Talmud, the reason for their deaths was simple: They didn't treat each other with respect. Marking the end of the plague, the holiday – which took place this week – became an occasion for joy and a suspension of mourning practices.
