Counting the Omer

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1. Counting the Omer, or Eating the Omer

   Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

   תאריך פרסום: תשע"ב | |

   While the Hebrew word ‘omer’ is usually associated with something that is ‘counted’, we will trace the few instances when the word ‘omer’ appears in the Bible to show how it consistently refers to a special measure of grain. In light of our discussion, we will uncover the deeper thematic connection between ‘counting the Omer’ and our commemoration of the events at Mt. Sinai.

2. The Omer, the Counting of the Omer, and the Festival of Shavuot

   Rabbi Yehuda Rock

   What is the significance of Sefirat Haomer - counting the omer? Does the counting only have historical significance, commemorating the weeks between the Exodus and the Giving of the Torah, or is there agricultural significance as well? Why is a public peace offering (shelamim) only brought on Shavuot, and what is the connection between Shavuot and the eighth day of the Miluim? And what is the significance of waving the Omer?

3. Macharat Hashabbat: Holiness and Time in Sefer Vayikra

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman

   תאריך פרסום: תש"ע | |

   What does the phrase "macharat hashabbat" mean? Many commentaries attempt to answer this question, which has important implications regarding the observance date of the holiday of Shavuot. However, by carefully examining the texts in Vayikra, we gain an understanding of the connection between Shavuot and the concept of Shabbat, signifying dependency on Hashem. We also gain deeper insights into the two aspects of meeting with Hashem - both in place and time. 

4. Parshat Emor

   Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 29 minutes

   There are three main instances in the Torah where we are commanded to count towards a particular event: counting seven days in the process from impurity to purity, counting 50 years to yovel, and counting the omer (in our parsha). By examining these three mitzvot we can understand the beauty and uniqueness of the mitzvah of counting, whereby the Torah teaches us important lessons by involving us not only in the ultimate goal but in the process as well. 

5. The Problem of Macharat HaShabbat

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman | 36 minutes

   What does the term Macharat HaShabbat mean? Many classical commentaries deal with this famous question, which holds practical implications for the counting of the omer and the holiday of Shavuot. By comparing the korban haomer with the episode of the manna in the desert, we can learn about Shabbat and our constant dependency on God. 

6. Four Mitzvot of Counting

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   Are all the instances of counting in the Torah similar? What are the differences between each  commandment to count, and what are the significances of these differences? 

7. The Seventy Bulls of Sukkot

   Rabbi Meir Spiegelman

8. Peshat and Midrash Halakha

   Part 5 - Rabbinic Interpretations that Contradict the Peshat (cont.)

   Rabbi Amnon Bazak

   Chazal taught that "from the day after the Shabbat" means "from the day after the festival". Chazal's interpretation was accepted by all of the commentators, but it is difficult to ignore the fact that this understanding seems somewhat forced. It is possible to say that when Chazal declared that "from the day after the Shabbat" means "from the day after the festival,” they did not mean this as an interpretation of the verse in Vayikra; rather, they meant it as a halakhic ruling, by virtue of the authority of the Sanhedrin to decide the beginning of the count on a particular date, although the Torah makes no such stipulation.

9. Yovel, Sefirat HaOmer, and the Mitzvah of Counting

   Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 18 minutes

   We are in the midst of the period of Sefirat Omer, and Parashat Behar speaks of counting years for the Shemitta (Sabbatical) and Yovel (Jubilee). Counting is abundantly necessary for many commandments in the Torah, such as Shabbat and Brit Mila, but for those and for other mitzvot there is no explicit commandment to count. Why, then, is there an explicit commandment to count in some circumstances, but not for others? Why do we need the mitzva of Sefirat HaOmer, and what is the significance of counting the years leading up until the Yovel?

   There is value  in the process itself, even for the 50-year timespan. Freedom and equality do not exist in a vacuum on the 50th year-- they must be part of the leadership's agenda throughout those 50 years. The journey may be just as important as the destination.

10. Rav Medan: Sefirat HaOmer, Matan Torah, and the Yovel Year

    Rabbi David Silverberg

11. The Counting of the 'Omer'

    Dr. Zvi Shimon

    The period between the beginning of Passover and 'Shavuot' (Pentecost) is a period of counting. Every evening, Jews count the days and weeks that have passed since the first day of Passover. This counting is called the 'Sefirat HaOmer' - the counting of the 'omer.' 
    
    Before analyzing the nature of this connection between Passover and Shavuot and the significance of the counting of the omer, we will first probe some of the laws relating to the counting of the omer and their textual sources.
    
    Why do we count forty-nine days between the offering of the omer and the bread offering? The commentators offer different explanations.
     

12. The Agricultural and Historical Significance of Sefirat HaOmer

    Rabbi Yaakov Medan

    
    The Festival of Freedom, which commemorates the unique historical event of the Exodus, must coincide with the start of the annual agricultural season - the harvest. What is the connection between the two?
    
    
    It is somewhat puzzling that while the Torah speaks directly of both aspects of Pesach - agricultural and historical - it focuses solely on the agricultural significance of Sefirat Ha-Omer and Shavuot. In fact, it is the Sages who calculate that Matan Torah took place on the selfsame day that we are commanded to offer the shtei ha- lechem. Why does the Torah not mention the historical significance of the day at all?
    
    While it is true that there is no direct mention of Shavuot as the commemoration of the revelation at Sinai, the connection is very strongly hinted at in the verses by the use of Sefirat Ha-Omer as the link between Pesach and Shavuot, as will be explained.
     

     

    Translated by Zev Jacobson

13. Meaning of the Omer, Counting, and Shavuot

    Rabbi Yehuda Rock

    תאריך פרסום: 5777 | | Hour and 5 minutes

    Was Shavuot the same time as Matan Torah? It is supposed to be the 50th day- after the first day of Pesach. Shavuot did not always take place on a fixed date – when calendar wasn’t fixed, the day could vary, just as the number of days in the preceding months could vary. In the Torah, Shavuot is always described in agricultural terms - the only regel (pilgrimage holiday) not to be explicitly linked with a historical commemoration. Did Hazal (the Rabbinic Sages) simply decide to link Shavuot with the Giving of the Torah, or are there strong hints within the Torah as well? If so, why are they not explicitly linked? What can we understand - and what are we meant to appreciate about Shavuot from the way the Torah describes the commandments surrounding Shavuot?

     

14. "from the day after the Shabbat"

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak