Sefirat Haomer

Many poskim maintain that there is no difference between listening to live music and listening to music on the radio or any other electronic device.

One may hold a se’udat mitzva and sing and dance at such a meal, just as one does throughout the year.

Since it is customary not to celebrate too much during the omer period, the Aĥaronim write that one may not engage in optional dancing. They also forbid playing or listening to musical instruments.

A question arises regarding the issue of shaving during the omer period. May one who shaves regularly throughout the year do so during this period?

The Rishonim write that one should not get a haircut during the omer period. Only regular haircuts, which include an element of joy, are prohibited.

Now that we have discussed the duration of the mourning period, we will outline the laws of the various customs in detail

The prevalent custom among Ashkenazim in Israel today amalgamates several traditions. Most customs of mourning last until Lag Ba-omer, while some continue afterward.

According to Shulĥan Arukh , the customs of mourning begin on the first day of the omer and last until the morning of the 34th.

The days between Pesaĥ and Shavu’ot are days of sorrow, because 24,000 of R. Akiva’s students died during that period. Therefore, we keep some customs of mourning during this period.