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May 13, 2022 (12 Iyar 5782) Significance of the Omer Dear Holy Friends, I hope this correspondence finds you well and in good cheer. We look forward to you joining us this Shabbat morning at 10:30am for our hybrid services which will take place in our sanctuary as well as on our regular zoom prayer link. We also look forward to celebrating Shavuoth with both indoor and outdoor activities, so everyone can participate. Please be on the lookout for holiday details. We are presently entrenched in a unique period of the Jewish calendar referred to as Sefirat HaOmer, the Counting of the Omer. This week’s Torah portion of Emor deals primarily with the observances incumbent upon the people throughout the year. The parsha specifically references the following mitzvah: “And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering, the day after the Sabbath (meaning from the night of the second seder), you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete. You must count until the day after the seventh week, fifty days; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to יהוה.” Many reasons are offered for connecting the days between Pesach and Shavuoth. Some suggest that after experiencing physical liberation, in the form of the Pesach holiday, the count of these days reflects our anticipation of the gift of Torah, which represents our spiritual liberation. (After all, it was the entire point of becoming free from Egypt). Kabbalists suggest that the generation of Jews who left Egypt had become spiritually impure and defiled by the idolatry of their host country and that the count represents 49 levels of spiritual growth and cleansing, which allowed us, as a people, to finally stand in God’s holy presence at Mount Sinai. According to tradition, to fulfill the Mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer, a person must pause to recite a blessing after nightfall, each day during the period between Pesach and Shavuoth. And if one has the discipline and diligence to remember and recite the Bracha successfully for 49 straight nights, one receives “credit” for having fulfilled one Mitzvah. To many people, myself included, it seems like a lot of work for one Torah point! Furthermore, in the crazy world in which we live, fulfilling this Mitzvah is complicated because of the hectic nature of our lives. Over the course of almost two months, many people may be caught up in travel, taking in a baseball game, attending meetings, or participating in other activities, making it easy to forget to recite the blessing. Imagine doing it right for 47 days and forgetting on the 48th. Ouch! Thanks to modern technology, there are now many apps that help us to make sure we don’t miss out on this lengthy, but meaningful, mitzvah. Each night, I receive a text message and an e-mail when the sun has set, reminding me of the obligation to “Count the Omer.” If nothing else, the last two years has highlighted the importance of utilizing new technologies to fulfill God’s Mitzvoth. Thanks to services like Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet, many people were able to attend services, make Shiva calls, and “travel” to funerals in other countries and participate in Jewish traditions that they might not have otherwise. Perhaps using an app is a way for you to start counting the Omer and beginning a new tradition for yourself. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Eric Wasser, EdD, Hon.DM
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