{"id":5810,"date":"2010-02-02T03:00:41","date_gmt":"2010-02-02T01:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=5810"},"modified":"2022-03-21T11:09:35","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T09:09:35","slug":"05-02-03","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-02-03\/","title":{"rendered":"3 \u2013 The Mechanics of Counting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before counting the Omer, one recites the following blessing: \u201cBlessed 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.\u201d\u00a0 Both the blessing and the counting are said, le\u2019chatchilah<\/i>, in a standing position.\u00a0 If one said them while sitting, he has nonetheless fulfilled his obligation (Sh.A.<\/i> 489:1).[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

There are two components to the count \u2013 counting the days and counting the weeks, as it says, You shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the \u201cSabbath\u201d \u2013 from the day you bring the Omer of waving \u2013 seven weeks<\/b>; they shall be complete. Until the morrow of the seventh week, you shall count fifty days<\/b><\/i> (VaYikra<\/i> 23:15-16).<\/p>\n

Therefore, one must mention the tally of days and weeks when counting the Omer (Menachot<\/i> 61a).\u00a0 For example, on the seventh day, one says, \u201cToday is seven days, which are one week, [of the Omer],\u201d and on the fourteenth day, one says, \u201cToday is fourteen days, which are two weeks.\u201d\u00a0 We mention the number of days and weeks even in the middle of a week.\u00a0 For example, on the tenth day, we say, \u201cToday is ten days, which are one week and three days.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

There are several versions of the text of the Omer count.\u00a0 Some say, laOmer<\/i> (\u201cof the Omer\u201d), while others say baOmer<\/i> (\u201cin the Omer\u201d).\u00a0 Some say, \u201cToday is fourteen days of\/in the Omer, which are two weeks,\u201d and some say, \u201cToday is fourteen days, which are two weeks, of\/in the Omer.\u201d\u00a0 One fulfills his obligation no matter which version he uses.\u00a0 The custom is to add the LeSheim Yichud<\/i> paragraph before counting, as well as various other prayers afterwards, but one is not obligated to do so.\u00a0 The main components are the actual counting and the blessing preceding it.<\/p>\n

The number seven alludes to a complete phenomenon, for the world was created in seven days.\u00a0 Indeed, every physical entity has six sides \u2013 four sides, a top, and a bottom \u2013 plus a seventh aspect, its inner core.\u00a0 Man, as well, has seven sides, which is why it takes seven days to go from a state of impurity to one of purity. \u00a0For seven days, a person prepares all of his aspects to make this transformation.<\/p>\n

The same is true of purifying oneself for sacred endeavors in this world, like eating terumah<\/i> and sacrificial foods, as well as a woman\u2019s purification process for her husband.\u00a0 However, in order to absorb God\u2019s Torah, whose lofty stature belongs to the supernal worlds, we need to count much deeper \u2013 seven weeks instead of seven days.\u00a0 In this count, each one of the seven numbers appears in all of its seven facets.\u00a0 This way, our purification in advance of the giving of the Torah is complete.\u00a0 Every aspect of our character undergoes refinement and expresses its yearning and anticipation for the receiving of the Torah.<\/p>\n

\n
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[2]<\/a>. The Rishonim<\/i> find a support for this in the verse From when the sickle begins [to cut] the standing crop <\/i>(\u05d1\u05e7\u05de\u05d4) shall you begin to count seven weeks<\/i> (Devarim<\/i> 16:9) \u2013 do not read \u05d1\u05e7\u05de\u05d4, rather \u05d1\u05e7\u05d9\u05de\u05d4 (while standing).\u00a0 The author of Sefer HaEshkol<\/i> (Hilchot Pesach<\/i> 159:1) writes that we do not recite the Shehechiyanu<\/i> blessing on the Omer count because [we count] in anticipation of the holiday of Shavu\u2019ot<\/i>, and the Shehechiyanu<\/i> recited on Shavu\u2019ot covers the count as well.\u00a0 The Maharil suggests that it is because the Omer count is [only] a preliminary mitzvah, which culminates on Shavu\u2019ot.\u00a0 The Radvaz (4:256), Maharsham (1:213), and Rav Poalim (3, O.C.<\/i> 32) offer these reasons, as well.\u00a0 The Maharil adds that we are worried that one may forget to count one day and forfeit the entire count.\u00a0 How, then, can [such a person] recite the Shehechiyanu<\/i> blessing at the beginning?\u00a0 The author of Kol Bo<\/i> (145) explains that [we omit the blessing] because the mitzvah is [only] Rabbinic nowadays.\u00a0 The Rashba writes in his Responsa<\/i> (1:126) that [Shehechiyanu<\/i> is recited only if the mitzvah gives one pleasure].\u00a0 The lulav<\/i> is taken [to express] joy; the shofar<\/i> is [blown] as a remembrance; but the Omer count is merely a preparatory act, which provides no pleasure.\u00a0 Furthermore, we perform it today in mournful commemoration of the Temple\u2019s destruction.\u00a0 Rabbeinu Yerucham gives the same reason, quoting the Razah.<\/div>\n
[3]<\/a>. At the completion of every week, one is obligated to mention the number of days and weeks, e.g., \u201cToday is seven days, which are one week.\u201d \u00a0[There is a dispute,] however, regarding the middle of a week, like the eighth day.\u00a0 According to the Razah and other Rishonim<\/i>, one must count only the days and say, \u201cToday is eight days.\u201d\u00a0 Rabbi Efrayim holds that one must count only the weeks and say, \u201cToday is one week and one day.\u201d\u00a0 According to the Rif, Rambam, and Rosh, one enumerates both counts every day, and that is our custom, as the Shulchan Aruch writes (489:1).If, at the end of a week, one forgets to count the days, he does not discharge his obligation, even be\u2019di\u2019avad<\/i>, and he must re-count with a blessing.\u00a0 And if he fails to rectify his mistake that day, he must count without a blessing from then on.\u00a0 If, at the end of a week, one forgets to count the weeks, some say he fulfills his obligation, be\u2019di\u2019avad<\/i>, while others say he does not.\u00a0 In the middle of a week, however, like the eighth day, if one says merely, \u201cToday is eight days,\u201d he fulfills his obligation, be\u2019di\u2019avad<\/i>.\u00a0 And if he says, \u201cToday is one week and one day,\u201d some maintain that he fulfills his obligation.\u00a0 In all of these scenarios, one should re-count properly without a blessing, but if he failed to do so that day, he counts the next day with a blessing (based on M.B.<\/i> 489:7, Sha\u2019ar HaTziyun<\/i> 9, 19, and halachah<\/i> 2.8, below).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before counting the Omer, one recites the following blessing: \u201cBlessed 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.\u201d\u00a0 Both the blessing and the counting are said, le\u2019chatchilah, in a standing position.\u00a0 If one said them while sitting, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-05-02"],"yoast_head":"\n3 \u2013 The Mechanics of Counting - Peninei Halakha<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-02-03\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 \u2013 The Mechanics of Counting - Peninei Halakha\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Before counting the Omer, one recites the following blessing: \u201cBlessed 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.\u201d\u00a0 Both the blessing and the counting are said, le\u2019chatchilah, in a standing position.\u00a0 If one said them while sitting, […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-02-03\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Peninei Halakha\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2010-02-02T01:00:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-03-21T09:09:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"\u05e6\u05d5\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d0\u05ea\u05e8\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\u05e6\u05d5\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d0\u05ea\u05e8\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-02-03\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-02-03\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\u05e6\u05d5\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d0\u05ea\u05e8\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/8822293bfa4f7cd35b44a3c311851b63\"},\"headline\":\"3 \u2013 The Mechanics of Counting\",\"datePublished\":\"2010-02-02T01:00:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-03-21T09:09:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-02-03\/\"},\"wordCount\":982,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"2 - 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