“You can't receive the Torah without having gone through the desert, and you can't cross the desert without counting the days.”
— Midrash Rabbah, Vayikra 28:3

1) Definition and general sense

• What is: the Counting of the Omer is the computation verbal journal of 49 days (7 weeks) that mediate between Passover and Shavuot. Begins the night of the second day of Passover (16 Nisan), and concludes on the eve of Shavuot. The name comes from the “omer” —a measure of barley— offered in the Temple at the beginning of the harvest; since that day had been seven weeks to bring the offering of two loaves of wheat on Shavuot.
• Biblical foundation: “Shall count seven weeks... until the day following the seventh week, fifty days” (Lev 23:15-16) and “You'll have seven weeks; since the start of the sickle in the harvest” (Deut 16:9).
• Rhythm agricultural and theological: the cycle links release physical (Passover) with reception of the Torah (Shavuot), joining redemption and revelation. Explanations of classic and contemporary highlight this transition barley (food more “core”) to wheat (bread of Shavuot).

2) The Omer in the Temple (historical context)

• The offering of the omer (barley) it is brought to the next day the first Yom Tov of the Passover; with its presentation is enabled the power consumption of the new grain. Details of the gathering night, threshing and agitation (“tenufá”) are described in Menajot cap 10.
• Controversy pharisees–the sadducees/boetusianos in the sense of “my-májrat ha-Shabbat” (“the day following the sabbath”) in Lev 23:15: the rabbinic tradition understood as “next day of Yom Tov” (16 Nisan), while groups literalists read it as Sunday; the Talmud discusses the point.

3) halachic Status today

• After the destruction of the Temple, continues until Shavuot. Does the obligation today is biblical or rabbinic? Most poskim: rabbinic; Rambam have read that keeps you biblical, with nuances. This dispute affects, for example, how to proceed with doubt.

“Every day of the Omer is a mirror of the soul. To have is to know.”
— Rabbi Yitzhak Luria (Arizal)

4) How to account (normative essential)

• When: of night (tzeit ha-kochavim), to ensure “complete weeks”; if he forgot for the night, it is an account of day without blessing and you can continue with the blessing of the following nights. If skipped a whole dayare you still counting without blessing the rest of the period.
• Formula: it is blessed and declare the day; from day 7 also says the number of weeks and days (“Today they are X days, which are, And weeks, and Z days of the Omer”). There are variants la-omer/ba-omer accepted.
• What is account: days and weeks (both computations have text-based).
• Who has: use common is that men are required; participation of women varies by communities (positive mitzvah time-dependent), with widespread practice of counting with a blessing according to local custom. (Summary of the literature halachic contemporary).

5) Customs semicuelgo (avelut) during the Omer

• Many communities observe practices of mourning partial (avoid wedding, hair cuts, hair and music) for the death of At 24,000 disciples of Rabbi Akiva “between Passover and Shavuot”; customs and calendars differ by tradition. Lag BaÓmer (day 33) interrupts the affliction for 24 hours.
• There are multiple schemes dates of grief (e.g., 1 to 33; 2 to 34; or 1 to Erev Shavuot, with exceptions in Lag BaÓmer), and minhagím different between communities ashkenazíes, sephardi and jasídicas.

“He who counts the days, learn to give value to time; and that which gives value to the time, is about to eternity.”
— Rabbi Moshe Cordovero

6) Lag BaÓmer: meaning and practice

• Lag BaÓmer (18 iyar, day 33) is day festive minor: cede the distress, for many weddings and haircuts (upsherín), and bonfires, especially in Meronassociated with Rabbi Shimon bar Yojái according to medieval traditions.

7) Dimension mysticism (Kabbalah)

• The 49 days are working as 49 combinations of the seven sefirot emotional: Jésed, Gevurah, Tiféret, Nétsaj, Hod, Yesod, Maljut; each week, and each day embodies a combination (e.g., “jésed shebe-jésed”, “gevurah, shebe-jésed”, etc). This reading structure meditations and exercises tikkún hamidot (refinement of character).

8) timing Differences between traditions

• Rabbinic (majority): starts in the night of the 16th of Nisan (the second night of Passover).
• Establishment of the karaite and samaritan: start counting after the shabbos weekly that falls within the Passover; hence, his Shavuot always falls in Sunday.

“The counting of the Omer is non-arithmetic; it is spiritual alchemy.”
— Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadí

9) key policy Texts

• Biblical sources: Leviticus 23:15-16; Deuteronomy 16:9-10.
• Mishnah/Talmud: Menajot cap 10 (omer), and passages on the beginning of the count, and the controversy of the “shabbat”.
• Codes: Shulchan Aruch, Oráj Chaim 489 (order of the account, forgetfulness, night, counting day without berajá, etc).

10) a practical Guide condensed (step by step)

1. Time: contá every night after tzeit (closed at night). If dudás, expect a little bit more and do not eat half an hour before in order to not forget.
2. Blessing: recitá the berajá and decí the number of the day; from the 7th, I included weeks + days. (Text and examples standardized in the sidurim).
3. Forgetfulness:
   • Forgot to night → contá day without berajá; retomás with berajá the next night.
   • Forgot day and night complete → I kept counting without berajá the rest.
4. Language: preferably Hebrew, but any language you understand it is valid.
5. Customs of mourning: avoid weddings/hair cuts, hair/music up to Lag BaÓmeraccording to the minhag of your community.

“Each of the 49 days is a step on the ladder to divine consciousness.”
— Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

11) frequently asked Questions

• Can you count before the night with berajá? No; if you've told day, it is without berajá to not lose the continuity, but the berajá requires the evening.
• Travel and time zones: is account based on your current location (the mitzvah is daily, linked to the local night); if the change makes you “win/lose” one night, apply rules of doubt/continuity (see rabbinic authority local). (Principles derived from 489 OJ and responsa modern).
• Women: practice varies by communities; many have (some with berajá). (Summary of poskim contemporary).

“The time between Passover and Shavuot is a workshop of the soul: grain, crude, the consecrated bread.”
— Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook