This article argues that mourning during Sefirat HaOmer was practiced only sporadically until after the crusades. It was originally a memorial day for the victims of the Bar Kokhva rebellion. Mourning during Sefirat HaOmer contradicts the intention of the Torah and it is time to reclaim the joy of this period.
מדריך לנקיון, הכשר המטבח, עריכת קניות, ועריכת ליל הסדר ללא טרחה מוגזמת כדי שאפשר יהיה ליהנות משמחת הפסח. המדריך גם כולל עצות שימושיות לנוסעים בארץ ובחו"ל
This source sheet follows the evolution of rabbinic decrees. The mandate for those decrees is derived from the verse ושמרתם את משמרתי in Lev. 18. The question is if that is the meaning of the verse or if it was used to support the rabbis' authority. Mishnaic sources brought here point to lack of clarity and contention regarding decrees.