The counting of the Omer, or Sefirat Ha’Omer in Hebrew, is a unique period in the Jewish calendar during which each day is counted with a blessing, from Passover to Shavuot. In 2026, the counting begins on the second night of Passover, April 2, and continues until the day before Shavuot, May 20.
In this article:
- The Word “Omer” and Its Meaning
- Coming into the Land of Israel and the Omer Offering
- The Symbolic Connection: From Manna to Harvest
- But Why the Counting?
- A Daily Exercise in Perspective
- Practical Questions About Counting the Omer
- Sources
The Word “Omer” and Its Meaning
The word “Omer” appears in the Torah in a very specific context. The “Omer offering” was brought on the 16th of Nissan, the second day of Passover. On this day, a measure of the new barley harvest was offered in the Temple, marking the beginning of the harvest season and permitting the use of the new crop. This offering also marks the starting point for the counting of the Omer, which continues for forty-nine days until Shavuot.
The offering had the same volume as other similar offerings, namely a tenth of an ephah. Yet it stands out as the only case where the Torah refers to this measure by the name “Omer,” rather than simply describing it as “a tenth of an ephah.”
This distinction is not accidental. The term “Omer” is already familiar from an earlier moment in Jewish history: the giving of the manna in the wilderness. Each person was instructed to gather an omer of manna per day, a precise portion that sustained them throughout their journey.
Later commentators, such as Rav Yosef Salant in his work Be’er Yosef, explain that this shared terminology creates a meaningful connection. The Omer offering recalls the daily provision in the desert and awakens a sense of gratitude. By bringing an “omer” from the harvest, the people symbolically acknowledge that just as God once provided miraculous food in the desert, He continues to provide sustenance through the natural world.
Coming into the Land of Israel and the Omer Offering
The commandment of the Omer offering was not intended for immediate practice in the wilderness. It was given for a new stage in the people’s history: life in the Land of Israel.
The Torah introduces this mitzvah with the words, “When you enter the land that I am giving to you and you reap its harvest…” (Leviticus 23:10). This timing is essential. In the desert, the Israelites were nomadic and entirely dependent on manna. They had no fields, no planting, and no harvesting. The idea of bringing the first grain of a crop simply did not apply.
Everything changed upon entering the Land of Israel under Joshua. The biblical narrative describes a clear transition: the manna ceased as soon as the people began eating produce from the land (Joshua 5:11–12). The newly harvested grain was brought as an offering, and only afterward was the new crop permitted for consumption.
In the wilderness, food arrived miraculously from heaven. In the land, it came through human effort, yet remained dependent on divine blessing. The Omer offering thus became the bridge between these two realities, grounding agricultural life in spiritual awareness.
The Symbolic Connection: From Manna to Harvest
The connection between the manna and the Omer offering reveals a deeper message about sustenance and gratitude.
In the wilderness, each person received an exact daily portion of manna, an “omer” per individual. There was no uncertainty, no need for farming, and no illusion of self-sufficiency. No amount of extra effort could increase one’s portion. The source of sustenance was unmistakably divine.
In the Land of Israel, this clarity could easily fade. Agriculture involves labor, planning, and dependence on natural cycles. For the first time, people would plow, sow, and harvest with their own hands. This new reality introduced a spiritual risk: the feeling that success comes solely from one’s own effort.
This is the very danger described in the Song of Moses: “Jeshurun grew fat and kicked” (Deuteronomy 32:15). Prosperity can lead to a sense of “my power and the might of my hand,” and with that, a turning away from, a kind of “kicking” against, the true source of blessing.
The Omer offering is a way of affirming that even now, when food grows from the earth and requires human effort, its true source remains the same.
But Why the Counting?
The counting of the Omer is a biblical commandment, as stated in the Torah: “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath… seven complete weeks” (Leviticus 23:15), beginning with the Omer offering and continuing until Shavuot.
This period reflects a gradual process of growth. It begins with the offering of barley at Passover, a grain traditionally associated with animal feed. This symbolizes a more basic, unrefined state, corresponding to the condition of the Jewish people just after leaving Egypt.
Over the course of forty-nine days, the count leads to Shavuot, when an offering of wheat bread is brought. Wheat represents a higher level of refinement, and turning it into bread requires human skill and effort. This progression mirrors an inner transformation, preparing us to receive the Torah at Shavuot.
The counting itself reinforces an essential idea: sustenance is not an end in itself. Material provision is necessary, but it serves a higher purpose. It creates the stability and peace of mind needed to pursue spiritual growth.
A Daily Exercise in Perspective
In this light, the journey from Passover to Shavuot comes into focus. The daily counting reminds us that our physical needs are not an end in themselves, but support a deeper connection, symbolized by the giving of the Torah at Shavuot.
This insight becomes even more meaningful when we reflect on the very word “Omer.” By using the same term that described the daily portion of manna in the desert, the Torah reminds us that just as God provided food miraculously in the wilderness, He remains the true source of our livelihood, wherever we are.
Practical Questions About Counting the Omer
When do you count the Omer?
According to the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 489), the Omer should be counted in the evening in order for the seven weeks to be considered “complete” (temimot).
Ideal time: The mitzvah is ideally performed at nightfall, when three medium-sized stars appear, immediately following the Ma’ariv (evening) service.
Throughout the night: If the initial time is missed, one may still count with a blessing at any point during the night until dawn.
What if you forgot to count the Omer?
If you forgot to count at night but remember during the following day, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 489:7) rules that you should count immediately, but without a blessing.
Since a full 24-hour period was not missed, you may resume counting with a blessing on the following nights.
The logic: Counting during the day serves as a “backup” to preserve the continuity (temimot) of the seven complete weeks.
If both the night and the entire following day, until sunset, were missed, you should continue counting each night until the end of the 49 days, but without reciting a blessing for the remaining days.
Are women obligated to count the Omer?
Counting the Omer is a positive, time-bound commandment, from which women are technically exempt, similar to other time-dependent mitzvot.
However, women may choose to count. According to Sephardic custom, this is typically done without a blessing, while Ashkenazi custom generally permits reciting the blessing.
Is the Omer also a period of mourning?
Yes, the Omer is traditionally observed as a semi-mourning period. According to the Talmud (Yevamot 62b), 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva’s students died in a plague during this time because they did not show proper respect for one another.
As a result, certain customs of restraint are observed, such as refraining from weddings, haircuts, concerts, and festive celebrations.
However, these practices are not uniform throughout the entire period. The plague is said to have ceased on the 33rd day of the Omer, known as Lag BaOmer. For many, Lag BaOmer is a 24-hour exception to the mourning period where music, weddings, and haircuts are suddenly permitted.
Beyond the plague, the day is also celebrated as the Hillula (anniversary of passing) of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a student of Rabbi Akiva who requested that his death be marked with joy rather than mourning.
Sources
Primary Biblical Texts
- Leviticus 23:10–15 – Commandment of the Omer offering and counting
- Exodus 16:16 – The gathering of an “omer” of manna
- Deuteronomy 32:15 – “Jeshurun grew fat and kicked”
- Joshua 5:11–12 – The cessation of manna upon entering the Land of Israel
Talmudic Sources
- Yevamot 62b – Death of Rabbi Akiva’s students during the Omer period
Classical Rabbinic Sources
- Rashi on Joshua 5:11 – The first Omer offering in the Land of Israel
- Vayikra Rabbah 28:6 – The connection between the Omer offering and the manna
- Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 489:7 – Laws of counting the Omer
Later Rabbinic Sources
- Rav Yosef Salant, Be’er Yosef – On the meaning of the term “Omer” and its connection to manna
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