Today is the 28th day of the Omer.
In addition to its association with the harvest, the omer evolved to represent a period of spiritual preparation and anticipation, as our sages teach that the Israelites received the Torah on Mount Sinai on the festival of Shavuot. According to the 13th Century Spanish commentary, Sefer HaChinuch, the Israelites only achieved freedom so that they might receive the Torah, offering them freedom of the spirit, alongside the physical freedom they enjoyed following the Exodus.
Jewish spiritual practices suggest that each day of the omer represents a confluence of two of the seven lower s’firot, Divine attributes that humans may aspire to emulate. Thus, each day of the omer represents an opportunity for spiritual introspection and development in preparation for our own revelation, like the revelation enjoyed by our forebears at Sinai.
Still, others recommend the study of Pirkei Avot 6:6, which enumerates forty-eight methods for acquiring the wisdom of Torah.
These disparate practices all signal that the period following our Passover celebrations—the omer—can serve as an essential tool for spiritual or intellectual enlightenment in preparation for celebrating the pursuit of wisdom on Shavuot. How might we use the count to stimulate our own spiritual and intellectual development?
— Rabbi Josh Knobel