Omer FAQs: Music, Haircuts, Weddings, and Other Halachic Questions

Is it permitted to enter the sea during the days of the Omer?

Answer: It is permitted.

When exactly is it permitted to shave and get a haircut after the Omer?

Answer: Sephardic Jews generally refrain from haircuts until the morning after Lag BaOmer. Ashkenazi Jews permit haircuts on Lag BaOmer itself. According to Kabbalistic practice, however, one should not cut hair until the eve of Shavuot.

If someone began counting the Omer and then stopped because they forgot due to various distractions, may they continue counting? If so, how?

Answer: They may continue counting, but without reciting the blessing.

May a woman shape her eyebrows or remove facial hair during the Omer? When a woman counts the Omer, should she recite the blessing? Should the counting be done standing or sitting? Is it possible to count in the morning?

Answer: A woman may shape her eyebrows and remove facial hair. When counting the Omer, she should do so standing and without reciting the blessing. The counting may also be done in the morning.

Is it permitted to distribute wedding invitations during the Omer for a wedding that will take place two days after Lag BaOmer?

Answer: Yes, it is permitted.

Is it permitted to listen to calm songs with a melody that are not lively or dance music?

Answer: This is not permitted.

What does the Torah or tradition actually say about the death of Rabbi Akiva’s students? Did they stop dying on Lag BaOmer, or did the deaths gradually decrease until Shavuot?

Answer: The halachic authorities disagree about when the deaths of Rabbi Akiva’s students began and ended. Some hold that they died from Passover until Lag BaOmer, while others maintain that it occurred from the beginning of the month of Iyar until the third of Sivan.

Why is it customary to light bonfires on Lag BaOmer? What is the meaning behind it?

Answer: The bonfire is essentially a large memorial flame in honor of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, whose passing occurred on Lag BaOmer.

In my home people sometimes listen to music, and when I ride on a bus or in someone else’s car music is sometimes playing. I try to ignore the music and do not actively listen to it. Is this considered as though I am listening to music during the Omer?

Answer: As long as you do not intend to enjoy the music, there is no prohibition.

Is it permitted to knit during the days of the Omer?

Answer: Yes, it is permitted.

I am a baal teshuvah and thank the Hidabroot organization for helping me return to Judaism. I have a functioning business and am currently searching for a more central location in order to increase profits. I understand that livelihood ultimately comes from Heaven, but my current location does not seem to represent proper effort. If business activities are restricted during the Omer, I may miss a good opportunity. May I continue pursuing this?

Answer: It is permitted to conduct business during the days of the Omer.

The answers were given by Rabbi Menashe Israel and Rabbi Binyamin Shmueli and were collected and edited from the question and answer section on the Hidabroot website.