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The Counting Of The Omer ‐ Rannanah Vorzman (7th Grade)

The Kabbalists explain that the 49 days that connect Passover with Shavuot connects to the 49 qualities of the
human heart. Each day of the omer brings the people of Israel one step closer to talking to G-d. Counting the
omer starts the second night of Passover. The Torah says that during this time of the year we count seven com-
plete weeks, which is a total of 49 days. At the end of the seven weeks, we celebrate Shavuot, which means
weeks in Hebrew. During the time of the Beit Hamikdash, at the beginning of the Omer counting and on the
holiday of Shavuot, special grain sacrifices were brought. These offerings were waved in different directions,
just like the lulav on Sukkot. We count to show how excited we are to get the Torah. Doing this makes us more
spiritual and closer to G-d.

Have You Ever Wondered Why We Count Up During Se irat HaOmer, and Not

Down? ‐ Bracha Teigman (11th Grade)

Once a year, from the second night of Pesach until the day before Shavuot, we engage in a mitzvah called
Sefirat HaOmer (counting of the Omer). The Torah commands us to count 7 complete weeks, a total of 49 days
during this time each year:

“Hayom yom echad la’omer”- today is the first day of the Omer...“Hayom sh’nei yamim la’omer.”- today is the
second day of the Omer...etc.

“Seven, six, five; the anticipation is killing me. Four, three, two; I grab my friends close. One; the clock strikes
twelve, Happy New Year!

Notice a difference between these two countings?

Has it ever crossed your mind as to why we count up the 49 days until Shavuot and not down? Here is why. A
countdown itself may be fun for a while but once the clock strikes twelve, the thing you are counting down for
disappears as quickly as it arrives. The fact that the Rabbis reversed the method from counting down to count-
ing up, allows us to look at the process of counting the Omer more positively. Our excitement builds up, from
one day to two to three, making it is easier for us to handle the anticipation for seven weeks.

Another reason as to why we count up the days until Shavuot from Pesach is because the 49 days were given as
a time to cleanse ourselves. Each day up was another day Bnei Yisroel grew a level higher and each day indicat-
ed a step closer to becoming G-d’s chosen nation. Once a countdown is completed, the goal is achieved, and it
is over with. However, counting up does not just vanish once a set goal is reached. It is a time of improving and
reaching a higher level every step we take. It is more reasonable for human beings to focus on counting up in
order to learn from their mistakes and grow everyday to become as successful as possible