“Bonfire” almost sounds like bond fire. Truthfully, fire bonds us, and is a significant part of how we celebrate many Jewish holidays.
On Lag Ba’Omer, fire takes center stage. On Shabbat, we light candles, and on Chanukah, we light the menorah for eight nights straight. Even in the times of the Beit HaMikdash, the kohen lit the menorah daily.
Fire represents the struggle between the body and the soul, which is the essence of being human.
Flames always point upward. No matter which way you turn a candle, the fire wants to rise, just like the soul. The wick holds the flame back and keeps it grounded towards earthly pursuits, just like the body. The soul wants to lift up towards G-dliness, while the body just wants to be comfortable.
We experience this struggle often in our everyday lives. We arise in the morning, and our soul wants to start the day to perform mitzvot, but the body rolls over and hits the snooze button.
On Lag Ba’Omer we unify and bond as a Jewish nation over a bonfire, and when we light candles, we bond our body and soul together in a fusion that is unstoppable in the service of Hashem.
