(ג) הִנְ֒נִי מוּכָן וּמְזֻמָּן לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל סְפִירַת הָעֹֽמֶר כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה. וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹֽמֶר הַתְּ֒נוּפָה שֶֽׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימוֹת תִּהְיֶֽינָה: עַד מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת הַשְּׁ֒בִיעִית תִּסְפְּ֒רוּ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַיהֹוָה:
(ד) וִיהִי נֹֽעַם אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ עָלֵֽינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵֽינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵֽינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵֽינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ:
(ה) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הָעֹֽמֶר:
(3) I am prepared and ready to perform the affirmative command to count the Omer, as is written in the Torah: “And you shall count for yourselves, from the day after the day of rest, from the day you bring the omer as the wave-offering, seven complete weeks shall there be; until the day following the seventh week shall you count fifty days; and you shall bring a new meal-offering unto Adonoy.” Blessed are You, Adonoy, our God, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to count the Omer.
(4) May the pleasantness of my Master our God be upon us, and the work of our hands established for us, and the work of our hands—establish it.
(5) Blessed are You, Adonoy, our God, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to count the Omer.
Later Interpretations of the Omer Count
Counting to Freedom
(ב) בספירת העומר אנו מושכים קו שהולך ועולה מפסח לחג השבועות. חג הפסח מבטא את הצד הלאומי הישראלי, שביציאת מצרים נתגלתה סגולת ישראל, בכך שהקב"ה בחר בנו מכל העמים למרות היותנו שקועים במ"ט שערי טומאה. וחג השבועות מבטא את הצד הרוחני של ישראל, שאז הגענו לפסגה הרוחנית של קבלת התורה. בחג הפסח התחלנו את תהליך השחרור שלנו מעול מצרים, ובחג השבועות השלמנו את השחרור שלנו מעול היצרים והתפיסות האנושיות, וזכינו לתורה מן השמים, שכל העוסק בה נעשה בן חורין באמת (אבות ו, ב).
(2) By counting the omer, we draw a line that ascends continuously from Pesaḥ to Shavu’ot. The festival of Pesaḥ represents Israel’s national aspect: the Exodus revealed Israel’s uniqueness, in that God chose us from among all the other nations despite the fact that we were mired in 49 levels of impurity. The festival of Shavu’ot, however, represents Israel’s spiritual aspect, because that is when we reached the spiritual pinnacle of receiving the Torah. On Pesaḥ, we began the process of liberation from the yoke of Egypt, while on Shavu’ot we became completely liberated from the yoke of human perceptions and impulses by receiving the divine Torah, which makes all who engage in it truly free (m. Avot 6:2).
(ד) וּמִפְּנֵי כֵן, כִּי הִיא כָּל עִקָּרָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבַעֲבוּרָהּ נִגְאֲלוּ וְעָלוּ לְכָל הַגְּדֻלָּה שֶׁעָלוּ אֵלֶיהָ, נִצְטַוִּינוּ לִמְנוֹת מִמָּחֳרַת יוֹם טוֹב שֶׁל פֶּסַח עַד יוֹם נְתִינַת הַתּוֹרָה לְהַרְאוֹת בְּנַפְשֵׁנוּ הַחֵפֶץ הַגָּדוֹל אֶל הַיּוֹם הַנִּכְבָּד הַנִּכְסָף לְלִבֵּנוּ כְּעֶבֶד יִשְׁאַף צֵל, וְיִמְנֶה תָּמִיד מָתַי יָבוֹא הָעֵת הַנִּכְסָף אֵלָיו שֶׁיֵּצֵא לְחֵרוּת, כִּי הַמִּנְיָן מַרְאֶה לְאָדָם כִּי כָל יִשְׁעוֹ וְכָל חֶפְצוֹ לְהַגִּיעַ אֶל הַזְּמַן הַהוּא. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָנוּ מוֹנִין לָעֹמֶר, כְּלוֹמַר, כָּךְ וְכָךְ יָמִים עָבְרוּ מִן הַמִּנְיָן וְאֵין אָנוּ מוֹנִין כָּךְ וְכָךְ יָמִים יֵשׁ לָנוּ לַזְּמַן, כִּי כָּל זֶה מַרְאֶה לָנוּ הָרָצוֹן הֶחָזָק לְהַגִּיעַ אֶל הַזְּמַן, וְעַל כֵּן לֹא נִרְצֶה לְהַזְכִּיר בִּתְחִלַּת חֶשְׁבּוֹנֵנוּ רִבּוּי הַיָּמִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָנוּ לְהַגִּיעַ לְקָרְבַּן שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם שֶׁל עֲצֶרֶת. וְאַל יִקְשֶׁה עָלֶיךָ לוֹמַר אִם כֵּן אַחַר שֶׁעָבְרוּ רֹב הַיָּמִים שֶׁל שִׁבְעָה שָׁבוּעוֹת אֵלּוּ, לָמָּה לֹא נַזְכִּיר מִעוּט הַיָּמִים הַנִּשְׁאָרִים? לְפִי שֶׁאֵין לְשַׁנּוֹת מַטְבֵּעַ הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן בְּאֶמְצָעוֹ. וְאִם תִּשְׁאַל אִם כֵּן לָמָּה אָנוּ מַתְחִילִין אוֹתוֹ מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת, וְלֹא מִיּוֹם רִאשׁוֹן? הַתְּשׁוּבָה כִּי הַיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן נִתְיַחֵד כֻּלּוֹ לְהַזְכָּרַת הַנֵּס הַגָּדוֹל, וְהוּא יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁהוּא אוֹת וּמוֹפֵת בְּחִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם וּבְהַשְׁגָּחַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ עַל בְּנֵי אָדָם, וְאֵין לָנוּ לְעָרֵב בְּשִׂמְחָתוֹ וּלְהַזְכִּיר עִמּוֹ שׁוּם דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְעַל כֵּן נִתְקַן הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן מִיּוֹם שֵׁנִי מִיָּד. וְאֵין לוֹמַר הַיּוֹם כָּךְ וְכָךְ יָמִים לְיוֹם שֵׁנִי שֶׁל פֶּסַח, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה חֶשְׁבּוֹן רָאוּי לוֹמַר לְיוֹם שֵׁנִי, וְעַל כֵּן הַתְקֵן לִמְנוֹת הַמִּנְיָן מִמָּה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בּוֹ, וְהוּא קָרְבַּן הָעֹמֶר, שֶׁהוּא קָרְבָּן נִכְבָּד, שֶׁבּוֹ זֵכֶר שֶׁאָנוּ מַאֲמִינִים, כִּי הַשֵּׁם בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּהַשְׁגָּחָתוֹ עַל בְּנֵי אָדָם רוֹצֶה לְהַחֲיוֹתָם וּמְחַדֵּשׁ לָהֶם בְּכָל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה זֶרַע תְּבוּאוֹת לִחְיוֹת בּוֹ.
(4) And because of this — that it is [the] essence of Israel, and because of it were they redeemed and went up to all of the greatness to which they rose — we were commanded to tally from the morrow of the holiday of Pesach until the day of the giving of the Torah; to show about ourselves the great desire [we have] for the honored day, which our hearts yearn [for] like “a slave seeks shade” and always tallies when will come the yearned-for time that he goes out to freedom. As the tally shows about a man that all of his deliverance and all of his desire is to reach that time. And that which we count to the omer, meaning, “Such-and-such days have passed from the tally,” and we do not tally “Such-and-such days do we have to the time,” is because all of this shows us the great desire to reach the time [of Shavuot]. Therefore, we do not want to mention at the beginning of our counting the large number of days that we have to reach the offering of the two breads of [Shavuot]. And let it not be difficult for you, to say, “If so, after most of the days of these seven weeks have passed, why do we not mention the minority of the remaining days?” [It is] as one should not change the nature of the counting in the middle. And if you shall ask, “If so, why do we begin counting from the day after [Pesach] and not from the first day?” The answer [is that] it is because the first day is entirely dedicated to remembering the great miracle, which is the exodus from Egypt, that is a sign and a proof of the world having been created and of God’s — may He be blessed — providence over people. And we may not mix [something else into] its joy and mention anything else with it. And as such, the counting begins immediately from the second day. And we should not say, “Today is such-and-such days from the second day of Pesach” — as the count would not be fitting to say, “From the second day.” And therefore it was ordained to count the tally from that which is done on it — and this is the omer-offering, which is a significant sacrifice. As through it is the remembrance that we believe that God, blessed be He, wants — through His providence over people — to sustain them and [so] renews for them the seed of the grains in each and every year, to live through them.
(ח) וְתָנֵינָן, יוֹבְלָא דְּנָפְקִין בֵּיהּ עַבְדִּין לְחֵירוּ, בְּהַאי מוֹחָא אִתְאֲחָד. וְאִינּוּן חַמְשִׁין שְׁנִין דְּיוֹבְלָא. וְאִינּוּן חַמְשִׁין יוֹמִין דְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא דְּעוֹמֶר, בֵּיהּ אִתְאֲחָדוּ. דִּבְהוּ נַיְיחִין רוּחֵי דְּעַבְדִּין, וּמַפְּקֵי רוּחֵיהוֹן (נ"א ומפיק רוחיה) לְנַיְיחָא. כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו י״ד:ג׳) בְּיוֹם הָנִיחַ יְיָ' לְךָ מֵעָצְבְּךָ וּמִרָגְזֶךָ וּמִן הָעֲבוֹדָה וְגוֹ'. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, ה' נַיְיחָא דְּרוּחָא, וּלְאַפָּקָא רוּחָא לְחֵירוּ. וְהַאי בֵּיתָא יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בָּהּ תַּלְיָיא, וּבְאָת ה' דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר. עֲד כָּאן כְּלָלָא דְּי"ה דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא.
(8) And we learned: The Jubilee, in which slaves go out to freedom, is united in this mind; and those fifty years of the Jubilee and those fifty days of the count of the Omer are united in it. For the spirits of the slaves rest in them, and their spirits go out (another textual version: its spirit goes out) to rest, as it is written (Isaiah 14:3), "on the day that the Lord shall give rest from your sorrow and trouble, and from the bondage, etc." And because of this, the hay (the second letter of the four letter name of God) is where the spirit rests, and it is what takes the spirit out to freedom. So the exodus from Egypt depends on that container (of the tefillin that is associated with that letter), as it does with the letter, hay, of the holy name, as has been said. To here is the general principle of yod-hay (the first two letters) of the holy name.
The counting of the forty-nine days signifies a sevenfold refining process and marks our progress to full human status with our acceptance of the Torah at Sinai, seven weeks after the Exodus.
(1) בהקריבכם…בשבעתיכם, when you offer on your festival of weeks, etc. The plural indicates that this festival is not only meant for bringing the offering from the new wheat harvest, but that at the same time it also symbolises the completion of the count of the seven weeks commencing with the second day of Passover. This represents a major rehabilitation of our souls as explained by the Kabbalists. The Torah is careful to use the possessive suffix to indicate that the seven weeks represent the essential elements which distinguished the seven righteous people who between them form the spiritual foundation of the Jewish people. This is explained in detail in Tikkuney Hazohar chapter 21.
(ג) גם מבאר טעם ספירת העומר בפ' אמור וז״ל: ובמדרש הגלוי וספרתם לכם שבע שבתות, זאת הספירה היא לפי שהשי״ת אמר למשה בהוציאך את העם ממצרים תעבדון את האלהים, ולפי שהתורה היתה חביבה עליהם היו סופרים הימים והלילות והעתים אימתי יגיע הזמן, משל לאדם שיש לו להשיג חפץ מחופץ או לישא אשה לסוף חמישים יום, ומרוב תשוקתו הוא מונה הימים והעתים, כך ישראל, ולכן אמרו מצוה למימני יומי ומצוה למימני שבועי (מנחות ס"ו). עכ"ל המדרש (רב פעלים 42).
(3) And [R. Avraham Saba] also explains the reason for the counting of the omer in Parashat Emor, and these are [his] words: And in the Midrash HaGalui, "'And you shall count seven weeks' - this counting is because the Lord, may He be blessed, said to Moshe (Exodus 3:13), 'When you take the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God' (and receive the Torah). And since the Torah was beloved to them, they counted the days, the nights and the moments until the time would come. It can be compared to a man who will be receiving a desired object or marrying a woman at the end of fifty days; so due to his great desire, he counts the days and the moments. Likewise is Israel [with this]. And that is why they said (Menachot 66), 'It is a commandment to count days and it is a commandment to count weeks.'" To here are [the words] of the midrash. (Rav Paalim 42)
You shall count for yourselves. The word chosen for designating counting (וספרתם) alludes to the soul’s benefit — becoming sanctified and purified from all materialistic desires and lowly thoughts during this seven week period. For even the word תספור (count) does not connote merely to know how many days and weeks, rather, it implies analysis and watchfulness, as it says, “But now, You count my steps” (Iyov 14:16). This mainly implies analysis and watchfulness of one’s steps and behavior. Similarly, here too, the meaning of “you shall count for yourselves” is that you should inspect your lives, think deeply about yourself — what is the true good you should choose and the true evil from which you must flee. Do not do anything without weighing it first in the scales of judgment to see if it is good or bad. This can be compared to someone who received a sum of money from his friend. He will be careful about the amount of the coin count and also the quality of each counted coin, lest he have an invalid, defective coin … Possibly, we can also say that in using the word וספרתם the Torah includes the idea of purity and refinement, as the language of the verses (Yechezkel 1:26): “Sapphire (ספיר) stone,” and (Shemos 24:10), “Sapphire brick.”. HaKtav VeHaKabalah Lev. 23:15
Abraham Joshua Heschel
“Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement. ....get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.” ―
And Fly: A Poem for Counting the Omer
by Stacey Zisook Robinson
Count your things.
Add them up.
Amass a pile of More.
Grab and gather
in forty-nine steps,
the firsts
of your herd,
your horde
your heart.
Count them
in countless succession:
All your best -
Your hopes.
Your sins.
Fill your tent;
load the baskets and bags
with counting
and counted riches that
smell of excess
and succulent
ripeness:
A bursting of Ready,
sweet and sour and sharp
all at once
on your tongue.
Count them all.
Gather them up;
Breathe in
seven breaths of seven
and lay them at
the waiting altar
that stands in the shadow of God.
Lay your counted glory there -
an offering:
a psalm of blessing
and hopeful benediction.
Lay it all down
and fly.