Respect

The Talmud tells us that 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died because “they did not treat one another with respect.” But the plague ended on Lag BaOmer, which means they had remedied their actions and began to treat each other with the appropriate level of esteem.

After doing a favor for someone else, a person may think: “Since I helped him, I have the right to be not so careful about respecting him.” But Lag BaOmer teaches us that when G‑d grants you the position and ability to help another person, you must at the same time be extremely careful to preserve that person’s dignity.

Keep in mind that every Jew is really a student of Rabbi Akiva—by the mere fact that he has studied Torah. The Talmud tells us that the entire Oral Torah that has been passed down to us is based on Rabbi Akiva’s teachings. Remembering that the other person is an actual student of Rabbi Akiva—and possibly an even greater student than yourself—will empower you to show him only the utmost respect.