I’ve heard this question. People ask “Why are we celebrating when 24,000 talmidim stopped dying when there WAS only 24,000 students? there was noone else lefttt to die, they didnt STOP dying cuz they ALL died.
So i heard a great answer.. that we’re celebrating the Greatness of Rabi Akiva. Any other person would have given up at this point,
“Hashem i tried to hard to make you happy and do your will and this is what i get in return?!” But NO, Rabi Akiva did not say a word, he had 24,000 students and buried every single one of them.
We are celebrating that Rabi Akiva did not DIE with them. Not physically, but spiritually. He continued and made the best of the situation, taught only 5 new students with happiness and had full trust in HK”BH. We should take a lesson from Lag baOmer to never lose hope and to know that every challenge we get is from our loving father,Hashem!