From TorahVort.com
Omer
The Counting of the Omer (or Sefirat Ha'omer) is a verbal counting of each of the forty-nine days between the Jewish festival of Pesach and Shavuot. This mitzvah is taken from the Torah commandment to count forty-nine days starting from the day on which the Omer, a sacrifice that featured an omer-measure of barley, was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, up until the day prior an offering of wheat was brought to the Temple on Shavuot. The Counting of the Omer starts on the second day of Pesach (the 16th of Nisan).
The idea of counting each day represents a spiritual preparation and anticipation for the presenting over of the Torah, which was given by Hashem on Mount Sinai at the beginning of the month of Sivan, around the same time as the holiday of Shavuot. This is very much featured in Parshat Yitro in the book of Shemot. The Jewish people were only freed from Egypt at Pesach in order to receive the Torah at Sinai, an event which is now celebrated on Shavuot, and to fulfill its laws. Thus the Counting of the Omer demonstrates how much a Jew individual wants to accept the Torah in his own life. The Jews accepted the Torah with the children being the guarantor’s, guaranteeing that the Torah will be passed down generation to generation.
The Omer is actually a Biblical measure of volume of grain. On the second day of Pesach, an Omer of barley was offered up in the Beit Hamikdash, signifying the allowance of the consumption of chadash (grains from the new harvest). On the fiftieth day after the beginning of the count, corresponding to the holiday of Shavuot, two loaves comprised of wheat were offered in the Temple to symbolise the commencement of the wheat harvest. We see in the Tanach the merit of the ‘omer’ sacrifice saved the Jews in King Chizkiyahu’s time. While the Jews were asleep on Pesach night, Hashem’s angel went out and struck the camp of Ashur, the almighty fought behalf of the Bnai Yisrael because they had fulfilled the mitzvah of offering the omer. This is related in book of Kings. We also see in the book of ‘Shoftim,’ during the era when Gidon was leader, before going to battle, he overheard a man telling his friend in a dream, ‘I dreamt that I saw a loaf of barley bread rolling through the midianite camp, reaching the tent, and striking it with such force that the entire tent turned over and collapsed. The listener turned around and answered, ‘there is only one way of interpreting this dream – you saw the sword of Gidon Ben Yoash, a Jewish man. Into his hand has G-d delivered Midyan and the entire camp. Gidon who overheard this conversation knew Hashem was with him and sacrificed the ‘Omer’ offering and won the war easily.
The origins of the Omer count, is actually very much related in Parshat Emor in the book of Vayikra. It relates that when the Children of Israel left Egypt they were told by Moshe that 49 days after the exodus, they would be presented the Torah. The Jews were so excited at the prospect of a spiritual liberation, following the physical emancipation from Egypt; they kept a count of the passing days that finished with the presenting of the Torah at the foot of Mount Sinai. In Parshat Emor it states that it is a commandment to count seven complete weeks from the day after Pesach night ending with the celebration of Shavuot on the fiftieth day. Shavuot is the festival signifying the giving of the Torah to the Jewish nation on the 6th of Sivan.
It is customary for people to study the laws on the Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the fathers) during these seven weeks in between. It is a time of transition for an individual for a person to change things they want to for the year and work on themselves in stages. We must learn the lesson of the counting of omer. It is specifically during this period that we strive to grow and blossom in our spiritual state. The Torah does not permit us to become happy with our current level of spirituality. It urges us to set high goals for ourselves and then strive to attain that goal.
The Talmud teaches us that Rabbi Akiva had 24,000 students who tragically died during the period of the Omer; this was due to the fact that they did not treat each other with good respect. Therefore, for the 33 days from Pesach until Lag B'Omer, we observe these signs of mourning: no weddings, not listening to instrumental music, either live or recorded (vocal music is permitted) and no haircuts or shaving, unless for business purposes. By observing these we are remembering this tragic happening and strive to improve as individuals. The Omer time is a time to clarify existence!! Hope you all have a fantastic Shabbat, Michael Zaroovabeli.
