Numbering Our Days. The Counting of the Omer.
As we start the second night of the Passover Seder, we enter into a sacred and auspicious period in the Jewish calendar, counting the Omer. How did an agricultural practice become so spiritual?
As the first night of Passover draws to a close, we begin a sacred and auspicious period in the Jewish calendar.
"Sefirat haOmer," (ספירת העמר) or the "Counting the Omer," refers to the daily commandment¹ of counting the days between Passover and Shavuot. But, there is more than meets the eye to this tradition.
During this time, we will count a total of 49 days, or seven 'weeks', which is what the word Shavuot literally means. The counting bridges Passover and Shavuot into a 50-day spiritual experience. As we will explore, this 50-day period is an important time for personal growth and transformation.
Agricultural or Spiritual?
An"Omer" refers to a biblical measure of grain once offered in the Tabernacle and Temple, therefore, many may view counting the Omer as an artifact of ancient agricultural practices. On the surface, it seems to have little to do with spirituality.
For ancient cultures, however, the abundance of the harvest was directly correlated to one's standing with their regional deities. This is similar to Israel and its relationship with Hashem. Therefore, the harvest was also a powerful means of connecting to the Creator - and an opportunity to show gratitude for the sustenance He provided that season.
An Auspicious and Sacred Time
We'll explore the common traditions today that are focused on the pursuit of Divine wisdom, revelation, and spiritual elevation - and how we got here.
The blueprint for this is laid out in the Torah, recounting the events of the Israelites as they were rescued from Egypt, beginning their journey to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai.
We're taught that every step of their journey served as a means of purification, developing their Emunah² (faith) - preparing them for an encounter with the Creator. (In truth, the entire time in Egypt was a larger purification process, but notably the 49 days after the exodus in particular.)
Something profound happened to the Israelites along this journey that laid the groundwork for the spiritual practices today. Like seeds planted in the ground, the nation of Israel sprouted into a harvest of holy people through the seven weeks. So too can we take advantage of this opportunity each year.
The Sefirot
When we break this period down, we notice 7 weeks of 7 days. This aligns with the various combinations of the seven 'emotive' Sefirot³. Each day, we will walk through one of these combinations and seek ways to refine the corresponding personality trait within ourselves. There are several free Omer apps online that you can download to take part in this journey.
Each week represents one of the (7) Sefirot³, Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut. Each day of the week is consigned a Sefirot as well. So, Day 1 is Chesed in Chesed. Day 2 is Gevurah in Chesed, Day 3 is Tiferet in Chesed - and so on.
It is one of the holidays where Jewish mysticism⁴ emerges unapologetically to the forefront. Therefore, it is worth investing some time in the basic understanding to unlock the potential of these seven weeks.
To help underscore the significance of this experience, let's spend a moment reacquainting ourselves witth our current situation and how this connects us to the time of the first Passover and the Garden of Eden.
The Search for Wisdom
In Jewish thought, it is understood that Divine wisdom, unlike secular wisdom, is granted with prerequisite conditions, many of which are spiritual in nature. Among them, we must become an empty vessel to receive the Divine light. We achieve this through the removal of spiritual contaminants like arrogance, greed, lust, etc.
Seeking unearned wisdom, and/or in an unsuitable state, can be devastating, as in the Garden of Eden. Eve's sin involved acquiring wisdom she was not fit to receive, yet. The aftereffects were profound.
Summarizing a previous work⁵, this sin left humankind engulfed in a state of impurity that occludes our connection with the Creator. Disconnected from the source of eternal life, there was little means for humanity to repair this condition.
In His grace, the Creator deployed a remedy. He established a covenant with a people, providing their descendants access to Divine Wisdom that, with careful obedience, could remediate much of this impurity over time⁶. But it would take time. And effort.
Before bestowing upon them this gift, two things were required: 1) He would need to rescue them from slavery, 2) they would need to be purified before they could receive this holy gift.
The Kabbalists tell us that in Egypt, amid the darkest of idolatry, the Israelites were drowning in impurity. They were on the lowest spiritual level, almost to the point of no return.
After their miraculous rescue, the people endured a seven-week journey that tested them on all levels - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It is easy to notice their "grumbling" and failures, but what's not as apparent are the spiritual dynamics that are refining and purifying them along the way.
So effective was this purification, that tradition tells us that the nation had been purified all the back to the level of Adam and Eve in the Garden!
Standing at the foot of Mount Sinai, they were about to receive the Torah, bringing all of humanity back on track, and achieving what Adam and Eve failed to attain.
Sadly, we are aware of what transpired as some of the Israelites reverted back to idolatry with the Golden Calf. Impurity regained its hold as humanity fell backward again - though this time with no easy remedies in sight. We are still on the long road back to Eden, enduring many trials and challenges in this prolonged purification process.
But, hope is not lost.
Making Our Days Count
Now that we understand the cosmological importance of this period we are entering.
Counting the Omer is an opportunity to count each day and make each day count, by committing to spiritual work. - Rabbi Min Kantrowitz. "Counting the Omer. A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide"
Though we cannot bring offerings to the Temple, we can offer ourselves, our time, and our effort. This is why the period of Sefirat haOmer has become a unique and special time for us to delve deeply into Mussar and personal development⁷.
During this time, set a goal and a clear intention of what you want to work on. And then get started. Enter through the gates of repentance, and prepare yourself to be a vessel for revelation and wisdom.
Teach us to number our days, That we may get a heart of wisdom. - Psalm 90:2
Book Recommendation
Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide.
Rabbi Min Kantrowitz
Notes:
¹ Leviticus 23:15-16
⁴ Jewish Mysticism podcast episode on MJ Next
⁶ Mitzvot and Misconceptions, Understanding the Biblical Commandments
