Counting the Omer: Laws, Blessings, Customs, and Meaning Explained

It is a mitzvah to count forty nine days, which are seven weeks, beginning from the night of the Omer harvest. The source of the commandment is in the Torah, as it says: “You shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day you bring the Omer offering, seven complete weeks shall there be. Until the day after the seventh week you shall count fifty days.”

The Omer Offering in the Temple

The night of the Omer harvest was the night of the sixteenth of Nisan, following the first day of Passover. On that night people would go out to the fields and harvest barley. The barley was then brought to the Temple courtyard, where it was processed. The grain was threshed, winnowed, and carefully cleaned of impurities. The kernels were roasted over fire and finely ground into flour.

From this flour, a measure of one tenth of an ephah was taken and sifted through thirteen sieves. It was mixed with a measure of oil and a handful of frankincense was placed upon it. The next day the offering was brought to the altar. The priest first waved it and then took a handful that was burned on the altar. Once this offering was brought, the new grain of that year became permitted for everyone to eat.

The Blessing Before Counting

Before counting the Omer, the following blessing is recited: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.”

Ideally the blessing and the counting should be recited while standing. However, if someone counted while sitting, they have still fulfilled the obligation.

Counting Both Days and Weeks

The counting includes two elements: the number of days and the number of weeks. Therefore both must be mentioned.

For example: On the seventh day one says: “Today is seven days, which are one week.”
On the tenth day one says: “Today is ten days, which are one week and three days.”

Different Wordings in the Counting

Some say “laOmer” meaning “of the Omer,” while others say “baOmer” meaning “in the Omer.” Both versions are used in different traditions.

Some people also say a declaration known as “Leshem Yichud” before counting and various prayers afterward. However, this is not obligatory. The essential part of the mitzvah is the blessing and the counting itself.

Knowing the Correct Day Before the Blessing

Ideally, before making the blessing a person should know which day of the Omer it is. If someone did not know the exact day but began the blessing with the intention of counting according to what they hear from someone else, they have fulfilled the obligation.

The Proper Time for Counting

The mitzvah should ideally be performed immediately at the beginning of the night after the appearance of the stars. One should therefore count as soon as they remember and not delay the counting.

If necessary, the Omer may still be counted with a blessing throughout the night until dawn.

Counting Before or After the Evening Prayer

The Omer may be counted before the evening prayer as long as it is already after nightfall. Some people are careful to count after the prayer. However, if someone fears they may forget, they may count beforehand.

Counting Before Havdalah

On Saturday night and after festivals that end at night, the Omer is counted before Havdalah in order to delay the formal conclusion of Shabbat.

The Time of Nightfall

Nightfall is considered to be about thirteen and a half minutes after sunset. However, it is preferable to be strict and count at definite nightfall, which is approximately twenty five minutes after sunset.

If Someone Forgot to Count

If someone forgot to count during the night, they should count during the following day without a blessing. After doing so, they may continue counting with a blessing on the following nights.

If they forgot both the night and the entire following day, they should continue counting afterward without a blessing.

Counting During the Day

If someone forgot to count at night, they may count during the day without a blessing until sunset. Some authorities extend this time slightly into twilight. Afterward they may continue counting the following nights with a blessing.

Counting in the Morning Prayer

It is customary in many communities to count the Omer during the morning prayer without a blessing as a reminder for anyone who forgot to count the previous night.

If One Missed an Entire Day

If someone missed counting both the night and the following day, they may no longer continue counting with a blessing. However, they are still obligated to continue counting without a blessing.

It is good for such a person to listen to the blessing from someone else who intends to include them. If this is not possible, they may say the blessing without mentioning God’s name aloud and think it silently in their mind.

If Someone Counted the Wrong Number

If someone counted the wrong day at night but realized the mistake during that same night, they should recount correctly with a blessing.

If they realized the mistake during the following day, they should recount correctly without a blessing and may continue counting with a blessing on the following nights.

If they only realized the mistake on the following night, it is considered as though they missed a day and they may no longer count with a blessing.

Mistake in the Week Count

If someone mistakenly counted the number of weeks incorrectly but counted the correct number of days, they may continue counting on the following nights with a blessing.

Mentioning the Omer in Conversation

If someone forgot to count on the night of Lag BaOmer but mentioned in conversation that “today is Lag BaOmer,” they may still later count with a blessing based on that statement.

Writing the Omer Count

Some people write the current day of the Omer at the top of letters or documents. Others write “the such and such day of the forty nine days.” If someone wrote the correct day in a letter and then forgot to count later that day, some authorities allow them to continue counting with a blessing.

Women and Counting the Omer

Women are exempt from counting the Omer because it is a time bound positive commandment.

However, if a woman wishes to perform the mitzvah she may do so. According to the Shulchan Aruch, women should count without a blessing, which is the custom among most Sephardic communities.

According to the ruling of the Rema, Ashkenazi women may recite the blessing. Some Ashkenazi authorities nevertheless advise women not to recite the blessing, since they may forget to count one day and mistakenly continue counting with a blessing afterward.

Some authorities based on Kabbalah also advise that women should not count the Omer at all. Others maintain that the Ashkenazi custom is for women to count.

Therefore, a woman who knows she will remember to count each day and will continue without a blessing if she misses a day may follow the Ashkenazi custom and count with a blessing.

Children

There is a mitzvah to educate children to count the Omer each day. They should count with a blessing.

If they forget one day, they should continue counting without a blessing, similar to the rule for adults.

A Child Who Becomes Bar Mitzvah During the Omer

If a child turns thirteen during the days of the Omer and had already been counting every day beforehand, he may continue counting with a blessing after becoming bar mitzvah.

The Reason for the Mitzvah

The author of Sefer HaChinuch explains that the purpose of counting is to strengthen our anticipation for Shavuot, the day when the Torah was given.

He writes that the entire purpose of the Jewish people is the Torah. The world itself was created for the Torah, and the Exodus from Egypt occurred so that the Jewish people could receive the Torah at Mount Sinai. Therefore the counting expresses our deep longing for that day.

Strengthening the Anticipation for the Giving of the Torah

The Sefer HaChinuch explains that we count each day from the second day of Passover until the day the Torah was given in order to demonstrate our intense desire for that moment.

Just as a servant eagerly counts the days until the time of freedom arrives, we count the days to show how greatly we yearn for the day when the Torah was given.

Why the Counting Begins After the First Day of Passover

The Sefer HaChinuch also explains why the counting begins on the day after the first day of Passover rather than on the first day itself.

The first day of Passover is entirely dedicated to remembering the great miracle of the Exodus from Egypt, which demonstrates God’s involvement in the world. Because of the greatness of that day, we do not mix another concept with it.

Therefore the counting begins on the second day, connected to the Omer offering that was brought in the Temple. This offering reminds us that God sustains humanity and renews the growth of crops each year for our survival.