Mystical Paths is proud to present, Live from Meron for Lag B'Omer 5770 - May 2010. We've got video, high quality photos, live cell phone clips, and text updates.

If you appreciate our efforts, please consider giving a tip. Hey, we're not charging pay-per-view rates, or any rates for that matter. Help offset our costs and efforts of charging through the crowds with a pile of electronic equipment and a laptop to post it live!

Our final updates are up. Lag B'Omer has ended, but the fire will last throughout the year.

UPDATES...(in reverse time order)

Cell Phone Clips - Low quality, but lots of interesting views as I streamed live from Meron...


3:00 PM Lag B'Omer Day - The band that never quites (while Lag B'Omer is still going) is...still going! Actually there's a band in the kever (on a special balcony), and one behind the kever. I assume they rotate members in and out, either that or they're incredibly dedicated.


2:45 PM Lag B'Omer Day - The old men are out dancing as well. No, they're not as fast as the youngsters, but they've got a lifetime of chassidic dance moves to show off.



2:30 PM Lag B'Omer Day - 3 year olds waiting for their first haircut are dancing with their father's in the middle of the dance circles. It's unbelievably cute.


2:00 PM Lag B'Omer Day - The dancing is still going on at the back stadium, though the back bonfire has gone out. It's not as crowded as last night, and the bleachers are only 1/2 full. But the dancing is still just as lively.



1:00 PM Lag B'Omer Day - People are STILL arriving, the kever is STILL busy.


11:30 AM Lag B'Omer - Another short high quality clip of the dancing at the back stadium. Unbelievable achdus and simcha, and dancing that continued till daybreak.


11:00 AM Lag B'Omer - Heading back to Meron. Had some time to process some initial video clips from last night. Here's a high quality short clip of dancing by the stadium in back, Gan Eden b'olam hazeh.


5:00 AM Lag B'Omer - Missing offspring found safe and sound. Awesome dancing, music, ahavas yisroel, simcha. It's another world! People who wouldn't talk to each other on the streets are smiling and dancing arm in arm. I leave you with one high quality video clip (just uploaded, may take Youtube a bit to process it) after returning on the bus. Can barely walk (Baruch Hashem), feed worn out, body demanding attention. G-d willing, maybe we return to walk as angels briefly again before we depart.


4:00 AM Lag B'Omer - The dancing is still GROWING! The circles are larger! I am in awe. (very low quality cellphone video - sound overload)



3:45 AM Lag B'Omer - I stand in awe, dancing beyond Simchas Torah with thousands and thousands of Jews of all stripes. Did Moshiach come and they didn't tell me? Because the celebration couldn't be any greater than this! Oh, I lost my son in the crowd. Worry? No concerns with this spirit. (see associated cell video)


3:30 AM Lag B'Omer - Still behind the kever in the stadium area. It's Gan Eden and Simchas Torah combined! The dancing is intensifying, more people and more serious coordinated dancing. A guy just walked up to me with a bottle of Irish Scotch whiskey and demanded I drink l'chaim! The ahavas yisroel is palpable! (see asscoiated cellphone video clip)


2:30 AM Lag B'Omer - We head behind the kever to the stadium area. This is where the serious dancing is. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THIS IN THE WORLD! The achdus (unity) here as Jews of all stripes, ultra-orthodox charedi, sephardi, mizrachi, hippie, non-religious, are dancing in escasty! I expect it won't be a new thing when Moshiach comes, because we see it right here in Meron! (see associated cell phone clip)


1:40 AM Lag B'Omer - Finally able to break out of the crowd and find a place to post. The kever is unbelievably crowded. Davened, put in the kvittel, took some pictures and was squeezed, crushed, and turned like laundry in the machine. Pushed through to behind the kever where it was another world.

11:50 PM Lag B'Omer - The head of the Shas party in Israel, MK Eli Yishai, is seen departing from the kever.



11:45 PM Lag B'Omer - The Rishon L'Ziyon Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Shlomo Amar, shlita, arrives to the kever.


11:30 PM Lag B'Omer - Younger Boyaner chassidim dancing by their Rebbe.


11:30 PM Lag B'Omer - The Boyaner chassidim dancing opposite their Rebbe. There were 2 bleachers like this.


11:30 PM Lag B'Omer - The Boyaner Rebbe dances by the main fire on the roof of kever Rashbi...


11:15 PM Lag B'Omer - Dancing in the kever of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, entrance side...


11:00 PM Lag B'Omer - Dancing in the kever of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, inner courtyard...


11:00 PM Lag B'Omer - Dancing in the outer courtyard of Kever Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Loud, crowded, boisterous! (see cell phone clip)

10:45 PM Lag B'Omer - Heavy security, but once you're through the barrier the bus run becomes fast. It's a dark video, and it's not busy yet, but here's the entrance to Meron. (see cell phone clip)

10:30 PM Lag B'Omer - We're on the bus to Meron from Tzfat. The crowd is large and traffic is crazy. So far what's supposed to be a 15 minute ride is already double that and we're not even 1/3 of the way. Oy. Last year it was smooth and well handled. Oh well. (see boring cell phone clip)

9:00 PM after Shabbos - Shabbos is Tzfat was awesome. Friday night we ran across an outdoor Carlebach minyan with 500 people in a town square. Unbelievable.

6pm Friday - GOOD SHABBOS! We're offline until the end of Shabbos Kodesh here in Israel. Keep the holy Shabbos and she'll keep you! Shabbat Shalom!

4:00pm Friday - A davener by the kever Ari HaKodesh in Tzfat. I don't know who this is, but he presents a striking image of one preparing for Shabbos and Lag B'Omer in the holy mystical city of Tzfat.


4:00pm Friday - Kvittels delivered to our first stop, the Ari HaKodesh in Tzfat, a bonus on top of Rashbi in Meron...


3:00pm Friday - Davening that the merit of the (spiritually) mighty Ari'zl HaKodesh the gates of heaven will be open to our prayers...


12:00 Friday - On the road up north. As we enter the mountains, traffic is heavy with cars full of people going for Shabbos. We come to the Meron turn-off, the road is already blocked by police - public transportation only. It's ok, we're turning to Tzfat for Shabbos.