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Counting the Omer
Culled from The
Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols by Ellen Frankel and Betsy Platkin Teutsch
Starting with the second day of Passover and extending until the start of Shavuot is a period of seven weeks. During this time, Jews are told
to count the days – called sefirat ha-omer, the counting of the omer. This is the same period of time that it took for our ancient ancestors to leave Egypt until they received the Ten Commandments at
Mt.Sinai. It was an ancient practice to bring an omer, or sheath, of barley to the HolyTemple in Jerusalem as a Passover offering. Today, we remember this practice by saying a special prayer each of the
seven weeks of the omer, each day ending with the recitation of how many days of the omer have passed. This is also a period of time with several restrictions on Jewish life, much like the restrictions place
on one who is in mourning. One is not to play music or listen to live music; hair cutting is prohibited nor are weddings to take place. The only exception to this is on the 33 day of the omer, called Lag
(33) b'Omer. This day is celebrated as a minor holiday though the exact reason why is not known. Some have suggested that it is the day a terrible plague ceased during the time of Rabbi Akiba. So
devastating had been this epidemic that at least 24,000 of R. Akiba's students perished. Others say that it was on this day that Bar Kochba recaptured Jerusalem from the Romans. Whatever the reason,
weddings and celebrations, the cutting of hair, etc. are all permitted on Lag B'Omer.
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