Each spring, between the excitement of Passover and the joy of Shavuot, is a unique Jewish practice that asks something of us in a special way. It’s not a celebration, a holiday, a gathering, or even a service. It is simply counting. Counting the omer comes from the book of Leviticus, where the Israelites are instructed to count seven weeks (49 days) to mark the time between bringing the Passover offering, and the new Shavuot offering. Though it is physical counting of sacrificed that we don’t make anymore, it is also a spiritual endeavor that can help us to feel connected to our ancestors and their journey of wandering in the desert. Throughout time, new practices have emerged around the omer, including a Kabbalist tradition that invites us to invoke a specific attribute for each day of the omer.
I will be the first one to admit that I am not a perfect omer counter. There are day I simply forget or only realize I haven’t engaged in the practice when I am officially too tired to do anything more! But, in a season that is often hectic with end-of-year programs, family logistics, of trying to hold both the joy and the heaviness of the world, we’re given a reminder to take a small pause. To slow down, say a few words, and count.
In many ways, this counting of the omer connects to the Torah portion we read this week, Behar–B’chukotai. In this section of the Torah, we read about cycles of time- of years of work and years of rest, of times of settling and times renewal. We learn about the sabbath year for crops, and the jubilee year for our lands. It reminds us that time isn’t just something that happens- it is something we are meant to take notice of. I think the omer reminds of that too.
So whether you are an avid omer-counter, or you’ve never heard of this practice, I invite you to take a moment to check in. Maybe the idea of counting isn’t for you, or maybe it resonates deeply. But this is the invitation of the season- to pay attention, to honor time and space, and to slow down, just a bit.
Shabbat Shalom
Cantor Sydney Michaeli
