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 [...]

Today is the 27th day of the Omer. On the second day of Passover, Jews began a 49-day observance of S’firat Ha'Omer, counting the omer, which numbers the days between Passover and Shavuot, inspired by the teachings of Leviticus and Deuteronomy: “You shall count from the day following the sabbath – the day you brought the measure of your wave offering – seven weeks. They must be complete. You must count until the day after the seventh sabbath – fifty days. Then, you shall approach [the altar] with a new tribute for Adonai (Leviticus 23:15-16).” “Count off seven weeks. Begin counting when the sickle is first put to the standing grain. Then you shall make the Festival of Weeks [Shavuot] for Adonai, your God… (Deuteronomy 16:9-10).” Unfortunately, neither passage from the Torah is extremely clear when the counting of the omer should begin. In Leviticus, the counting appears tied to the Sabbath following [...]