t’s somewhat ironic that on the second night of Pesach, with the holiday barely under way, Jews will be begin to prepare themselves for yet another festival. Sfirat HaOmer, the period of counting the Omer, culminates seven weeks later with Shavuot. This time of year is a fascinating one, long associated with spiritual, even kabbalistic growth.
Why are we counting? According to tradition, as Rabbi Ronald Isaacs explains, the Torah would be given to the Israelites 50 days after the Exodus. They were so eager for the arrival of the promised day that they began to count the days, saying each time, “Now we have one day less to wait for the giving of the Torah.”
We echo their count thousands of years later. Maimonides suggests that the countdown to receive the Torah can be compared to someone waiting to see his or her most intimate friend on a certain day. That person counts the days, and even the hours. So do we.
But just what is an “omer?” According to the Torah, an offering consisting of a specific measure of barley known as an omer was brought to the Temple on the second day of Passover. Until that offering was made, no grain from the new year’s crop was to be eaten. From that day onward, it was necessary to count 49 days until Shavuot, the Festival of the Wheat Harvest (Leviticus 23:15).
After the destruction of the Temple, the practice of bringing barley was discontinued, but Jews continued to count during the Omer period. The Kabbalists’ interpretation of these 49 days was based on the various permutations (seven times seven) of the sfirot, or mystical emanations. These sfirot denote the ascent from the 49 “gates” of impurity of the Egyptian bondage to the purity of the Revelation at Sinai. Each day and week is given its own mystical attribute such as chesed (loving-kindness), gevurah (restraint) and tiferet (beauty).
For example, the phrase for the fourth day of counting is Hod shel Chesed or Endurance in Lovingkindness. Aish.com poses these practical questions in relation to that day. “Is my love enduring? Do I give and withhold love according to my moods, or is it constant regardless of the ups and downs of life? Exercise for the day: reassure a loved one of the constancy of your love.”
You can read more essays about how each of the 49 days has its own unique quality as you embark on this spiritual guide.
For Rabbi Malka Drucker, this is a very special time with unique opportunities. “When I count the Omer, my intention is to empty myself of the day’s irritations, its problems, even its joys. I do this by becoming conscious of how the day has been spent, and this process helps me to think of the evening as a prelude for the morning… I grow more aware as I count that seven weeks is a long time. Much can be accomplished in that time. I will begin to get up early, give up an addicting behaviour, start a new project, or simply remember to number my days more often.”
As for the count itself, there are rules about when to do it (after dark), how to do it (best while standing) and what to do if you miscount (it’s complicated – read the website). Rabbis have even pondered how to keep your count straight if you happen to cross the International Date Line and your personal count differs from that of everyone around you.
Whether you’re a world traveller or just a typical commuter, downloading Sfirat HaOmer apps for iOS and Android will help you keep on track. You can also sign up to get a daily reminder via email.
Or you can keep track the old fashioned way. Just print out an Omer calendar and stick it on your fridge, and if you need help with your Hebrew, there’s an English version.
And in a case of old meets new, take a look at “The Homer Calendar.” Sure, keeping track of the daily count can be a bit confusing but if H’Omer Simpson can do it, so can you. As you visit the website and Twitter feed @CountTheHomer, you can read up on the basic halachot while looking at illustrations from Jewish-themed episodes of The Simpsons, and pictures of famous Jewish residents of Springfield. (I’m talking about you, Krusty!)
Just remember, if you forget to count the Omer for an entire day, you CAN continue to count on subsequent days, but you can no longer recite the blessing. D’oh!