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The Omer: What is it? And why do you count it?

05/02/2019 10:00:30 AM

May2

Carole Kantor

Between Passover and Shavuot we can latch onto an ancient custom and use it as a discipline to become kinder, smarter, stronger, more mindful of ourselves and those around us. Set your own goals and remind yourself of them every day as you count the Omer. This is obviously a modern slant on a Biblical custom, but it can make it more relevant for us today.

The counting of the Omer, on the 49 days from Passover’s second night until Shavuot seven weeks later, has its roots in the agrarian society of Biblical Judaism. In that time Jews would bring a sheaf of barley to the Temple on the second day of Passover and then count for seven weeks to mark the period between the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah. There, in Leviticus 23:15-16, is the commandment to observe this seven-week period.

As for so many aspects of our tradition we can find varied interpretations of the meaning and the obligations of this ritual. A Rabbinic Midrash relates that Moses told the Israelites after their miraculous escape from Egypt that they would be given the Torah, and in their excitement, they counted the days until it would happen as they travelled to Mount Sinai. The Rabbis proposed that the Israelities underwent spiritual and character development during these weeks.

In the strictest observance, the Omer period is a time of partial mourning when Jews refrain from haircuts, shaving, listening to instrumental music, or conducting weddings, parties, and dinners with dancing. This practice is attributed to historic events in the first and second centuries when Torah scholars died in conflicts with Romans during the Omer. Within the seven weeks, the rules of mourning are lifted only on the thirty-third day, called Lag BaOmer. Many Jews celebrate on Lag BaOmer, many weddings take place, and outdoor activities of all kinds mark the new season. 

To help with the discipline of the Omer period people have devised calendars over the years.  From decks of cards, to devices resembling an abacus, to a look-alike of the periodic table of the elements, human ingenuity abounds. And of course, today you can find numerous cellphone apps that keep track of the days of the Omer and offer both the traditional prayers for daily counting and extras to extend spiritual practice.

April 25, 2024 17 Nisan 5784