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Rabbi Akiva and the Bar Kochba Revolt
Rabbi Akiva was a very great Rabbi and he lived during a
period when the Romans ruled the land about 2,000 years ago.
Rabbi Akiva had thousands of students who were important and
great Torah scholars.
Bar Kochba led a revolt against the Romans.
Rabbi Akiva and his students opposed the Roman regime and
supported Bar Kochba’s revolt.
The revolt was during the period between Passover and Shavuot
(Pentecost) – the days of the counting of the omer.
24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died during this time.
These days are days of mourning over the students of Rabbi
Akiva and mourning rituals are conducted then:
No haircutting, not shaving, no getting married.
On the 33rd of the omer the death of Rabbi Akiva’s students
stopped and this day has become a day of joy in Israel and the
mourning rituals end.
It says in the Talmud that Rabbi Akiva’s students were killed
because they didn’t treat each other with enough respect and
thus they brought calamity upon themselves.
The Romans captured Rabbi Akiva and killed him after severe
torture.
Rabbi Akiva himself was a man of peace and optimism.
The phrase that he always said to people and believed in was:
“Love thy neighbor as thyself.”
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העתקה והפצה אסורים, כל שימוש.אור-כל הזכויות שמורות לאולפן
