2 – The Laws of Counting the Omer

1 – The Mitzvah and its Meaning

Starting from the night of the Omer harvest, there is a mitzvah to count forty-nine days, which are seven weeks.  The Omer is harvested on the sixteenth of Nissan, which coincides with the night after the first day of Pesach.  That night, [our ancestors] would go out [to the fields], cut down stalks of barley, bring them to the Temple courtyard, thresh them, winnow them, separate out the chaff, toast the grains, grind them well, produce a tenth of an eifah of flour, sift it in thirteen sifters, mix it with a log [measure] of oil, and place upon it a kometz (around ¾ of a handful) of levonah (frankincense).  The next day, [part of the mixture] would be offered on the altar.  First, a kohen (priest) would wave it; and then he would separate a kometz [approximately ¾ of a handful, from the mixture] and burn it on the altar.  After the kometz was burnt up, everyone was permitted to eat from the new grains.

It is important to know that the holiday of Shavu’ot does not have a calendar date like the other holidays do.  For example, Pesach begins on the 15^th of Nissan and Sukkot on the 15^th of Tishrei.  The date on which Shavu’ot falls, however, is determined by the Omer count.  The holiday arrives after the seven-week count is completed, which is why it is called Shavu’ot – the Festival of Weeks.  This is the meaning of the verse: You shall count for yourself seven weeks; from when the sickle begins [to cut] the standing crop shall you begin to count seven weeks.  Then you shall observe the Festival of Weeks for the Lord your God (Devarim 16:9-10).  It also says, You shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the “Sabbath” – from the day you bring the Omer of waving – seven weeks; they shall be complete. Until the morrow of the seventh week, you shall count fifty days, and you shall offer a new meal offering to the Lord (VaYikra 23:15-16).

This mitzvah is not incumbent upon the [Supreme] Rabbinic Court alone; rather, every Jew is commanded to count forty-nine days.  And everyone must verbalize the sefirah (count) himself.  In general, we have a rule when it comes to mitzvot that involve speech: “One who hears is as one who responds.”  Therefore, for example, one can fulfill the mitzvah of remembering Amalek by hearing the reader [read Parashah Zachor].  Similarly, one can fulfill his obligation to recite a blessing over the counting of the Omer by hearing the leader’s blessing.  With regard to the counting itself, however, several poskim hold that everyone must enunciate the count himself, as it says, You shall count for yourselves (Levush, Chok Ya’akov).  True, others hold that the law of sefirah is identical to that of other speech-related mitzvot and one may therefore discharge his obligation by hearing someone else’s count (Pri Chadash, Birkei Yosef).  Nevertheless, ideally, we try to satisfy all opinions; therefore, everyone must count for himself (see M.B. 489:5 and B.H. s.v. u’mitzvah).

The foundation of this mitzvah is rooted in our national inception. Chazal explain that the Children of Israel descended to the forty-ninth level of impurity during their bondage in Egypt.  This made them unworthy of receiving the Torah and necessitated a purification process.  Therefore, HaKadosh Baruch Hu waited seven weeks to enable them to purify themselves from the defilement of Egypt and reach a state in which they could receive the Torah (based on Zohar, Emor 97).  The sefirah also expresses our anticipation for the giving of the Torah.  The Midrash relates that when Moshe told the Jews that after leaving Egypt they would serve God on Mount Sinai and receive the Torah, they asked, “When will this service take place?”  Moshe answered, “Fifty days later.”  Then, due to their great love [for HaShem], they counted every day and said, “Behold, one day has passed; two days have passed,” and so on.  On account of their love and anticipation for the Torah, it seemed to them as a long time (Shibolei HaLeket 236).

Thus, Sefirat HaOmer expresses our yearning for that great day, the day on which HaShem gave us the Torah, while we simultaneously undergo a process of purification in all the forty-nine levels of which man is comprised.  The purer and “cleaner” one is, the more he will be able to absorb the Torah’s light.  In this way, we prepare ourselves every year for the receiving of the Torah by way of the Omer count (see the end of halachah 3, below).

2 – The Process of Ascension from Nationalism to Spirituality

By counting the Omer, we draw a line that continuously ascends from Pesach to Shavu’ot.  The holiday of Pesach represents Israel’s national side, for the Exodus from Egypt revealed Israel’s uniqueness, in that HaShem chose us from among all the other nations, despite the fact that we were sunken in the forty-nine levels of impurity.  The holiday of Shavu’ot, on the other hand, represents Israel’s spiritual side, for that is when we reached the spiritual pinnacle of receiving the Torah.  On Pesach, we began the process of liberation from the yoke of Egypt, and on Shavu’ot we completed our freedom from the yoke of desire and human perceptions, receiving a heavenly Torah, which makes all those who engage in it truly free (Avot 6:2).

Another angle:  On the holiday of Pesach, the simple, natural faith that is hidden in the soul of every Jew, and remained hidden in the Jewish people’s [collective soul] even when they were enslaved in Egypt, comes to the fore.  On Shavu’ot, however, we rise to a more developed faith, one that is clarified and expanded by virtue of the Torah.  Natural faith is very powerful, and it is the foundation of life, but it is not capable of guiding and perfecting life.  By way of the Torah and its commandments, we are able to link all aspects of our lives – those related to thought, emotions, and actions – to faith.

It comes out, then, that by counting the Omer we gradually elevate ourselves in two ways, ascending from a level of nationalism to that of spirituality and from natural faith to a sophisticated faith based on Torah and mitzvot.

It is impossible to reach Shavu’ot without Pesach.  Once we recognize Israel’s unique nature (segulah), we can rise up [and attain] the Torah.  Once [we realize that] Israel is the chosen nation, as the Exodus from Egypt demonstrated, we can receive the Torah, as we say in the blessing over the Torah, “[Blessed are You, O Lord…] Who has chosen us from all the nations,” and subsequently “has given us His Torah.”  Similarly, it is impossible to absorb the complex, developed faith that is assimilated in the intellect without first discovering the simple, natural faith.  Therefore, it is very important to connect the holiday of Pesach to that of Shavu’ot.  The counting of the Omer is the link and the ladder that connects these two holidays.^[1]

3 – The Mechanics of Counting

Before counting the Omer, one recites the following blessing: “Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us regarding the counting of the Omer.”  Both the blessing and the counting are said, le’chatchilah, in a standing position.  If one said them while sitting, he has nonetheless fulfilled his obligation (Sh.A. 489:1).^[2]

There are two components to the count – counting the days and counting the weeks, as it says, You shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the “Sabbath” – from the day you bring the Omer of waving – seven weeks; they shall be complete. Until the morrow of the seventh week, you shall count fifty days (VaYikra 23:15-16).

Therefore, one must mention the tally of days and weeks when counting the Omer (Menachot 61a).  For example, on the seventh day, one says, “Today is seven days, which are one week, [of the Omer],” and on the fourteenth day, one says, “Today is fourteen days, which are two weeks.”  We mention the number of days and weeks even in the middle of a week.  For example, on the tenth day, we say, “Today is ten days, which are one week and three days.”^[3]

There are several versions of the text of the Omer count.  Some say, laOmer (“of the Omer”), while others say baOmer (“in the Omer”).  Some say, “Today is fourteen days of/in the Omer, which are two weeks,” and some say, “Today is fourteen days, which are two weeks, of/in the Omer.”  One fulfills his obligation no matter which version he uses.  The custom is to add the LeSheim Yichud paragraph before counting, as well as various other prayers afterwards, but one is not obligated to do so.  The main components are the actual counting and the blessing preceding it.

The number seven alludes to a complete phenomenon, for the world was created in seven days.  Indeed, every physical entity has six sides – four sides, a top, and a bottom – plus a seventh aspect, its inner core.  Man, as well, has seven sides, which is why it takes seven days to go from a state of impurity to one of purity.  For seven days, a person prepares all of his aspects to make this transformation.

The same is true of purifying oneself for sacred endeavors in this world, like eating terumah and sacrificial foods, as well as a woman’s purification process for her husband.  However, in order to absorb God’s Torah, whose lofty stature belongs to the supernal worlds, we need to count much deeper – seven weeks instead of seven days.  In this count, each one of the seven numbers appears in all of its seven facets.  This way, our purification in advance of the giving of the Torah is complete.  Every aspect of our character undergoes refinement and expresses its yearning and anticipation for the receiving of the Torah.

4 – The Status of the Mitzvah after the Temple’s Destruction

A fundamental question regarding the Omer count is whether the mitzvah is Biblical or Rabbinic ever since the Holy Temple was destroyed.  The verse says, You shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the “Sabbath” – from the day you bring the Omer of waving – seven weeks; they shall be complete. (VaYikra 23:15).

According to the Rosh, Ran, and many other Rishonim, the Biblical command to count the Omer is in effect only when we offer the Omer of waving on the sixteenth of Nissan, in the Temple.  Today, however, when we do not bring this offering, the mitzvah is only Rabbinically ordained.  The Rabbis enacted it in commemoration of the Omer count that took place when the Temple stood.  This is why we are accustomed to praying for the rebuilding of the Temple after we finish counting.  After all, when the Temple is rebuilt, we will [once again] perform the mitzvah on a Biblical level, and not just as a Rabbinic decree.

The Rambam and the Ra’avyah believe that the Omer offering is mentioned [in the verse] only to teach us the date on which the Omer count begins.  It is not a necessary condition [for the fulfillment of the mitzvah].  Therefore, we are commanded from the Torah to count the Omer even today when the Temple is in ruins and we are unable to bring the Omer offering.

The practical implication of this halachah concerns situations of doubt.  For example, if one counts during the twilight period – that is, between sunset and the emergence of [three medium-sized] stars – it is questionable whether he fulfills the mitzvah of counting.  If we consider twilight day, he does not fulfill his obligation, because the time for tomorrow’s count did not yet arrive.  If we consider it night, however, he fulfills his obligation.  The Aruch HaShulchan (489:2) and the majority of poskim hold that one who counts during twilight fulfills his obligation, because, in their opinion, the Omer count is a Rabbinic mitzvah nowadays, and we rule leniently when a doubt arises [regarding Rabbinic laws].  However, many Acharonim write that it is proper to act strictly and recount, without a blessing, after the emergence of the stars, in order to fulfill the mitzvah even according to those who hold that the Omer count is a Biblical mitzvah nowadays, which requires one to act strictly in cases of doubt (Eliyah Rabbah; M.B. 489:15; B.H. 489:1, s.v. lispor ha’omer).

5 – When to Count

The Omer count begins on the night of the sixteenth of Nissan, as it says, You shall count for yourself seven weeks; from when the sickle begins [to cut] the standing crop shall you begin to count seven weeks (Devarim 16:9-10).  “From when the sickle begins [to cut] the standing crop” refers to the cutting of the Omer, for the first harvest of the yearly produce is designated for the Omer offering.  And the Omer is harvested on the night after the first day of Pesach, which is the sixteenth of Nissan.  That is when the count begins.

One must count at night, because the Torah says about the Omer count, Seven weeks; they shall be complete (VaYikra 23:15), meaning whole.  As is well known, a calendar day consists of night and day, and if we want to include all the nights and days of the seven weeks, we must start counting on the night of the sixteenth of Nissan (Menachot 66a).  And in order to include all [twenty-four] hours of the day, it is worthy to count at the beginning of the night.  People are careful about this especially at the beginning of the count, on the first night, so that the count will include every hour of the seven weeks.  Nonetheless, it is meritorious to count at the beginning of the night every night, so that each day’s count will be whole and will include the entire 24-hour period.

Even though it is best to count at the beginning of the night, one is not obligated to do so.  Therefore, one who needs to pray Ma’ariv must do so before counting the Omer.  After all, the rule is that more frequent mitzvot take precedence over less frequent ones, and the mitzvot of reading the Shema and praying Ma’ariv are in practice all year round, making them more frequent than the Omer count (Chok Natan; see B.H. 489:1, s.v. achar).^[4]

6 – Until When Can One Count?

One who is accustomed to praying Ma’ariv at a late hour all year round, should [nonetheless] count after his regular prayer service.  If he counts by himself at the beginning of the night, he is liable to make a mistake or forget altogether.  Moreover, there is an advantage to doing the mitzvah together with a congregation.

However, one who cannot – due to time constraints – pray Ma’ariv [with a minyan] after the stars emerge, but intends to pray on his own later on, should preferably count the Omer right after the stars emerge, in order to fulfill the mitzvah as soon as possible.  Furthermore, there is reason to suspect that he might forget to count after he prays Ma’ariv by himself.^[5]

There is a dispute among the Rishonim whether one who forgets to count at night can make it up during the day.  The Torah indicates that the time for counting the Omer depends on the time of the Omer harvest, as it says, From when the sickle begins [to cut] the standing crop shall you begin to count seven weeks (Devarim 16:9-10).  According to the Behag (the author of Halachot Gedolot), the halachah follows the opinion cited in Tractate Menachot (71a) that if [the harvester] fails to cut down the Omer at night, he may, be’di’avad, cut it down the next day.  Subsequently, the same is true of the Omer count: if one forgets to count at night, he may, be’di’avad, count the next day.  Rabbeinu Tam, however, holds that the halachah follows the opinion stated in Tractate Megillah (20b, 21a) that the mitzvah of harvesting the Omer applies at night alone.  Therefore, one who forgets to count at night cannot make it up the next day.  In practice, the accepted halachah is that one who forgets to count at night should count during the day without a blessing.  On the one hand, we give credence to the opinion that says that one may count during the day.  But we omit the blessing, in order not to possibly say a blessing in vain (Sh.A., O.C. 489:7).  Each subsequent night, he may count with a blessing (Terumat HaDeshen, M.B. 489:34).

7 – One Who forgets to Count an Entire Day

The Rishonim debate [the nature of] the Omer count.  According to the Behag, it is one long mitzvah stretching from Pesach to Shavu’ot, as it says, Seven weeks; they shall be complete (VaYikra 23:15).  Therefore, one who forgets to count one day forfeits the mitzvah and may not count thereafter.  However, most poskim maintain that each night’s count is a separate mitzvah.  Hence, one who forgets to count one day loses that day’s mitzvah alone, and he must continue counting the next day, with a blessing (Tosafot, Rosh, Ritva, and more).

In practice, the halachic authorities have determined that even if one forgets to count an entire day, he must continue counting thereafter, in accordance with the majority opinion (that each day stands alone).  However, he counts without a blessing, in deference to the opinion that holds that the entire count is one mitzvah (and when he misses a day, he forfeits the mitzvah).  Thus, in order not to, possibly, recite a blessing in vain, he counts each subsequent day without a blessing (Sh.A. 489:8).

And in order not to forfeit the blessing, one who misses a day must have in mind to fulfill his obligation by way of hearing the cantor’s blessing.^[6]

This halachah demonstrates the tension that accompanies the Omer count.  After all, one who skips a day breaks, to a certain degree, the chain that connects the holiday of Pesach to that of Shavu’ot, and forfeits the blessing.  It is very important to connect Pesach, which represents holy Jewish nationalism, with Shavu’ot, the day we received the Torah, for Torah cannot exist without the Jewish people and the Jewish people cannot exist without Torah.

8 – When in Doubt, Continue Counting with a Blessing

One who is unsure whether he neglected to count one day may continue counting with a blessing, because we worry about the opinion that says that one cannot continue counting with a blessing only when one is certain that he missed a day.

Similarly, one who forgets to count at night but remembers and counts during the course of the day counts with a blessing on all subsequent nights.  Even though there are those who hold that one does not discharge one’s obligation by counting during the day, [we follow] those who maintain that, be’di’avad, one who counts during the day fulfills the mitzvah.^[7]

The law of a young boy who becomes bar mitzvah in the middle of the sefirah period is questionable.  Some poskim hold that even if the boy is careful to count every day, he cannot continue counting with a blessing, because the days he counted before becoming bar mitzvah are not considered one continuum with the days he will count after reaching adulthood.  According to most poskim, however, if the boy is careful to count every day before his bar mitzvah, his counting is considered complete and he may continue counting with a blessing.  This is the prevalent custom.^[8]

A gentile who converts to Judaism during the sefirah period counts without a blessing, because he did not count at all before his conversion.

9 – Women and the Omer Count

Based on the famous rule that women are exempt from all time-bound mitzvot, women are exempt from the mitzvah of counting the Omer, for it is dependant on time (see Peninei Halachah, Tefillat Nashim, chap. 3, for the logic behind this rule).

However, a woman who so desires may perform time-bound mitzvot, and she receives credit for doing so.  We thus find that women are accustomed to hearing the shofar on Rosh HaShanah and taking a lulav and sitting in a sukkah [on Sukkot].  But the poskim debate the issue of the blessing.  According to the author of Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 589:6), women do not make blessings over such mitzvot, and this is the prevalent custom among most Sefardic women.

The Ashkenazi custom follows the Rama’s opinion, that women who perform time-bound mitzvot are permitted to recite the blessing (see Tefillat Nashim 2:8).  However, some Ashkenazi poskim rule that women should not recite a blessing over the Omer count because they do not pray [Ma’ariv] in the synagogue and are therefore more likely to miss a day.  As we learned above, one who forgets to count a day is not allowed to continue counting with a blessing, and perhaps a particular woman will not realize that she forgot to count and will continue counting with a blessing (M.B. 489:3).  Others say that women shouldn’t count the Omer for kabbalistic reasons (Rav Poalim, part 1, end of 10, 12).  On the other hand, still others claim that the Askenazi custom is for women to count (M.A. 489:1).

Therefore, a woman who knows that she can make it through the entire count, and even if she misses a day, she knows to continue counting without a blessing, may count with a blessing, according to Ashkenazi practice.  This is especially true regarding a woman who prays Ma’ariv every evening or whose family members are in the habit of reminding her to count.  She may count with a blessing, if she is Ashkenazi and so desires, because the chances of her forgetting to count are relatively small.

10 – Specific Laws Regarding the Mitzvah of Counting

If someone asks his friend, at a time when it is permissible to count, “What is today’s Omer count?” the friend should not answer, “Today is day such-and-such in the Omer,” unless he has already counted with a blessing.  After all, if he says this, he will already fulfill his obligation to count and will be unable to recite a blessing over that day’s count.  Rather, one should answer, “Yesterday was day such-and-such in the Omer” (Sh.A. 489:4).

If one tells his friend which day it is in the Omer while having specific intent not to fulfill his obligation, he may count later on with a blessing.  If the day’s count is made up of both days and weeks [i.e., after day six] and one tells his friend the number of days [without mentioning the weeks], he may count later on, be’di’avad, with a blessing.  Since he did not count in the normal fashion, mentioning both the days and the weeks, he has made it clear that he did not intend on discharging his obligation of the mitzvah with this response (M.B. 489:22).

Before reciting the blessing, one should remind himself mentally what day it is in the Omer (see Sh.A. 489:6, Sha’ar HaTziyun 37).  If someone in unsure whether today is day nine or ten [for example], and there is no one available to ask, he should say both numbers, and thus fulfill his obligation either way.  However, the poskim debate whether or not to recite the blessing [in such a case].  Some say that one may recite a blessing only over a clear and definite count.  Others maintain that one may recite a blessing over a doubtful count, because the person knows for sure that one of the numbers is correct (see Piskei Teshuvot 489:17).  In practice, the blessing should be omitted since there is a doubt regarding the matter.