Sefirat HaOmer (Counting the Omer)

Sefirat HaOmer is a biblical commandment in which Israel is commanded to count the days and weeks from the day after the first day of Pesach until the festival of Shavuot. In Temple times, an omer offering (a barley meal offering) was brought on the day after the first festival day of Pesach, and the counting began from it.

The days of counting are days of spiritual preparation for the giving of the Torah. According to tradition, Israel left Egypt on Pesach, and for 49 days they prepared spiritually for receiving the Torah on Shavuot. By counting the days, one marks the journey from physical freedom to spiritual freedom. These days are also observed as semi-mourning days, because during them the disciples of Rabbi Akiva died, and mourning customs are therefore practiced.

• Counting the Omer — counting the days and weeks each evening, with a special blessing.
• Mourning customs — prohibitions on haircuts, weddings, and music during the counting period (in various customs).
• Studying Pirkei Avot — it is customary to study Ethics of the Fathers on the Sabbaths between Pesach and Shavuot.
• Spiritual preparation for Shavuot.

Sefirat HaOmer is a biblical commandment, and one must count each evening, after nightfall, with a blessing. The counting includes the number of days and weeks. One should count while standing, and the counting should be done at night. If one forgot to count a day, one does not continue counting with a blessing (according to certain opinions). The mourning customs during the Omer period are observed differently in various communities.

The counting of the Omer is done at the conclusion of the Maariv service, after the Kaddish. One blesses Al Sefirat HaOmer and counts the days and weeks. The counting formula: Today is one day of the Omer, and so on, until Today is forty-nine days, which are seven weeks of the Omer.