Sefirat Haomer: What is it and how do I do it?

On the second night of Passover, Jews begin counting something known as Sefirat HaOmer, or “The Counting of the Omer.” Starting on that first night with the number one, we continue counting each day all the way up to 49. The fiftieth day is called Shavuos, the Jewish holiday when we celebrate the receiving of the Torah.

Sefirat HaOmer is, at its core, a way of counting the days until we receive the Torah — a beautiful expression of excitement and anticipation, much like how a bride counts down the days to her wedding.

As a bit of background, the word “omer” refers to a unit of measurement used in the times of the Temple. It refers specifically to a sacrifice containing an omer-measure of barley, which was offered daily up until Shavuos, when a wheat offering was brought instead. This is why we call it “The Counting of the Omer”: we are counting the days that an omer of barley was brought, leading up to Shavuos — the day we received the Torah.

This seven-week period also offers us a time for spiritual preparation and self-refinement. After all, we must elevate ourselves to a high spiritual level to be worthy of receiving the Torah.

How to Count the Omer:

• As soon as it is nighttime (thirty minutes after sundown), one can verbally count Sefirah. A special blessing (bracha) is recited before the count.
• If you forgot to count at night, you can still count the following day, but without the bracha. This allows you to resume counting with the blessing on the following nights.
• However, if you miss an entire day (night and the following day) without counting, you may no longer say the blessing for the rest of the count. You should, however, continue counting each day without the bracha.

Sefirat HaOmer is a precious time for reflection, growth, and anticipation as we prepare for the momentous celebration of receiving the Torah on Shavuos.