Why count the Omer?
In my effort to get myself to do it properly and on time, I have asked this question and looked for answers. Here are some ideas about why we count the Omer.
(1). GOD SAID TO: “You shall count from the eve of the second day of Pesach, when an omer of grain is to be brought as an offering, seven complete weeks. The day after the seventh week of your counting will make fifty days, and you shall present a new meal offering to God (Leviticus 23:15-16).” In other words, God said to make sacrifices to mark these days. We don’t have the Temple anymore, so instead we count after dinner each night.
(2) IT CONNECTS PASSOVER TO SHAVUOT: Passover is a big holiday of celebration. We celebrate freedom, which is mostly a happy thing (no more slavery, yay!) By preserving the count of the Omer, even without the Temple, the rabbis are reminding us that the Passover is not truly complete until we commemorate the giving of the Torah at Sinai on Shavuot. Freedom without responsibility is incomplete and unreal. By counting, we remind ourselves that the process is not yet finished.
(3) SELF IMPROVEMENT: In preparation to receive the Torah, we work to become better Jews. The Kabbalists point out that the Omer is counted for seven weeks of seven days, and they match them with the seven sefirot through which God interacts with the world. Each of the seven days within those weeks are matched with the sefirot, also, and those various permutations of Godliness provide an opportunity for study and self improvement. Another tradition is to read and study Pirkei Avot [the first chapter of the Mishnah, which consists mostly of advice on proper behavior and attitude] during this season.
(4) AN EXPRESSION OF ANTICIPATION: When we are excited about something, we count the days to that event. It is also true that when we behave a particular way, we cultivate the emotions and the thoughts that go with that behavior. When we count the Omer, we cultivate excitement about Torah in our lives.
(5) MINDFULNESS: This one is my own, as far as I know. I know that the reason I never make it through the omer is that I get distracted. 49 days is a long time to do anything, especially something as small and easy to forget as an additional blessing after eating. This year I want to improve my attention span for Torah. I want to be mindful of Jewish time, and in the process, perhaps make better use of my time.
If you count the Omer, why do you do it? Do you know any additional reasons for counting?
Related articles
- My Omer Counting Journey (#3): Keva and Kavanah through Crafting (omerharvest.com)
- Tweeting the Omer – A chance for some bite size Torah study (benjisimon.blogspot.com)
- My Omer Counting Journey (#1): Cultivating Contemplative Practices in Chevruta (omerharvest.com)
Reblogged this on Exploring Judaism and commented:
Some of you asked today after class about Counting the Omer. Here’s a post from my regular blog on the subject:
This is a good post, I also struggle with remembering to count the omer and it’s lovely to be reminded of its relevance and benefits, but I’m really uncomfortable with your use of ADD as an adjective. It’s demeaning and dismissive of the experiences of those of us who DO have attention and executive function disorders. It also contributes to misunderstandings of what ADHD is by only ever drawing on a narrow interpretation of the disorder, which is explained in a blog post I can’t link, but if you google “stop using ADHD as an adjective” with the quotes in, it’s the first result.
Thank you so much for taking the trouble to bring this up. I will fix it immediately, and I apologize for the hurt.
Thank you for your article on counting the Omer. It’s a practice I try to be consistent with, along with reading the Pirke Avot.
Reblogged this on John Oliver Mason.