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The Mitzvah:[1]
It is a positive command of the Torah for every single Jew[2] to count seven weeks worth of days beginning from when the Omer was offered. [In the times of the Temple the Omer was offered on the 16th of Nissan, the second day of Pesach. The Omer offering consisted of the new harvest of barley and was brought as a Mincha offering.[3]]
Appointing someone to count on one’s behalf:[4] One cannot appoint a messenger to count the days on his behalf. This applies whether one asks an individual to count on his behalf, or one asks a congregation, or Chazzan to count on one’s behalf.[5]
In the Diaspora:[6] The Mitzvah of counting the Omer Biblically applies in both Eretz Yisrael and the Diaspora.
During exile is the Mitzvah of Biblical or Rabbinical status?[7] It is disputed as to whether the obligation of counting the Omer during the times of exile, when we no longer have a Temple and no longer bring the Omer offering, is of Biblical requirement or is a Rabbinical injunction.[8] Practically, the main Halachic opinion follows like those who hold that the Mitzvah today is of Rabbinical status.[9] Nevertheless, despite its Rabbinical nature, the institution of the Sages follow the same laws as the Biblical command and there is thus no practical Halachic differences between them, other than those cases to be mentioned.[10]
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When did the Jewish people first begin counting the Omer?[11] The Rishonim[12] state a tradition that when we were told in Egypt that we would receive the Torah we became exceptionally excited to the point that we began counting down the days until Matan Torah. This eventually became known as the Mitzvah of Sefiras HaOmer.[13] Nevertheless, from the legal aspect of the Torah in which the counting of Sefira is dependent on the Omer offering, the Mitzvah to count Sefira did not begin until after the Jewish people entered into Eretz Yisrael and were able to bring the Omer on the 16th of Nissan of that year.[14]
The meaning behind Sefiras HaOmer: · The Omer is counted in order to commemorate the Temple offering of the Omer.[15] · The Omer is counted in anticipation for the receiving of the Torah on Shavuos.[16] · The Omer is counted in preparation for receiving the Torah out of purity of soul. The counting of the Omer purifies the soul of all impurities so it be able to receive the Torah. This counting applied especially after the Jews left the impurity of Egypt, in preparation for Matan Torah, and also applies today, after receiving the Torah, as on a spiritual level, the past occurrences [of the exodus and Matan Torah] reoccur each year.[17] · The counting of seven weeks is similar to the counting of the seven days of a Niddah, which is done as purification from her impure state, and allows her to enter into the Chuppah. Similarly, Hashem commanded us to count seven weeks so we leave the impurity of Egypt and enter the Chuppah with Hashem.[18] · The seven weeks which conclude with Shavuos on the 50th day corresponds to the seven cycles of Shemitah which concludes with Yovel in the 50th year.[19]
Does one fulfill 49 Mitzvos upon counting for 49 days or is it considered one single Mitzvah?[20] According to all opinions, each day of the count is a separate Mitzvah. This is similar to the Mitzvah of Tefillin, of which each day that one wears Tefillin he fulfills the Mitzvah of Tefillin and so too each day that one counts the Omer he fulfills the Mitzvah of Sefiras HaOmer.
Is the Biblical Mitzvah dependent on the Omer or on the Shtei Halechem? The Poskim[21] rule that the Biblical Mitzvah of counting the Omer is also dependent on the Shtei Halechem offering which is brought on Shavuos.
If Moshiach arrives in middle of Sefira, does the Mitzvah become a Biblical obligation?[22] Yes. Although the Mitzvah of Sefiras Haomer is dependent on the brining of the Omer, the Poskim[23] rule that it is also dependent on the Shtei Halechem offering which is brought on Shavuos, and hence once Moshiach comes and one is able to offer the Shtei Halechem, the Sefira from that day and onwards becomes Biblical. [Some[24] suggest that even the past days of Sefira that year, prior to Moshiach’s arrival, retroactively become Biblical once he arrives. The Rebbe however only suggests that the future days will become Biblical.]
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[1] Admur 489/1
[2] Admur ibid; Michaber 489/1; Menachos 65b; This is coming to exclude the idea that only the Beis Din is obligated in the counting. It however is not coming to include women within the obligation, as women are explicitly exempt from this Mitzvah as explained in 489/2.
[3] Rambam Temidim Umusafim 7/11
[4] Admur ibid
[5] The source: This is learned from the verse Emor 23:16-17 “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Shabbos [which refers to the first day of Pesach], the day that you bring the Omer offering. The [counting] should be seven complete weeks” and the next verse says “[You are to count] until the day after the seventh week you are to count 50 days…” Now, the Sages expounded from this double wording of “Count for yourself” and “You are to count” that it is not valid for simply the Beis Din to perform the counting, as is done by other Mitzvos such as Yovel, in which Beis Din counts seven Shemitah cycles and then sanctifies the 50th year as Yovel, and rather each and every Jew must count. [Admur ibid]
[6] Admur 489/2; Rambam Temidim Umusafim 7/24; Ravayah 526
[7] Admur 489/2
[8] The dispute: [According to some opinions] this [Biblical] Mitzvah of counting the Omer [Biblically] applies even [during exile] when we do not have a Temple. [1st opinion in Admur ibid; Rambam Temidim Umusafim 7/24; Ravayah 526; Chinuch 306] However, other opinions rule that today in exile, when we no longer have a Temple or bring the Omer offering, the Mitzvah of Sefira is no longer at all a Biblical command and is rather a Rabbinical obligation that was instituted in memory of the Temple. [2nd opinion in Admur ibid; Tosafus Menachos 66a; Rosh Pesachim 10/40; Ran Pesachim 28a; See Beis Halevi 1/39] Other opinions rule it is no longer Biblical because we do not have the Temple and cannot bring the Shtei Halechem on Shavuos, [and not because of the Omer offering]. [Likkutei Sichos 38/10 [printed in Toras Menachem 3/4-12] and Toras Menachem 5751 3/95; Radbaz 1327; Abudarham Seder Tefilos Shaar 3; Maharil Seder Birchas Haomer; Beis Yitzchak Y.D. 2/19; Sefer Hamachria 18; Nimukei Orach Chaim in end of Sefer; Darkei Chaim Veshalom 625; Minchas Elazar 5/1; Piskeiy Teshuvoas 489/10] The Ran ibid explains an alternative reason for why the Sages established the Mitzvah of Sefira today in exile is because even originally the Mitzvah of Sefira was not relevant to the Omer or Temple, as the Jewish people first began counting the Omer in anticipation of receiving the Torah, and hence today too we count the Omer in anticipation for Shavuos. Nevertheless, this is merely a Midrash, as the main reason for the institution was for commemoration of the Temple. [Ran ibid]
[9] Admur ibid; Beis Yosef 489; implication of Michaber 489/6; M”B 489/14; Kaf Hachaim 489/4
[10] These differences include a) If one counted the days and not the weeks. [489/6] b) Counting by Bein Hashmashos. [489/12-13]
[11] Ran Pesachim 28a; Chinuch Emor Mitzvah 273 “We were commanded to count starting from the day after we left Mitzrayim until the day we receive the Torah to show our anticipation and excitement for receiving the Torah.”
[12] Ran Pesachim 28a
[13] Ran ibid; To note that the Ran states that the Jewish people were told that the Torah would be given on the 50th day of their count, while in truth the Torah given on the 52nd day after they left Mitzrayim which was the 51st day of the Omer and not the 50th. [See Admur 494/1] Vetzaruch Iyun!
[14] See Yalkut Shimoni Parshas Behar that the Mitzvah of the Omer only began on the 16th of Nissan, after entering Eretz Yisrael.
[15] Admur 489/2; Tosafus Menachos 66a; Rosh Pesachim 10/40; Ran Pesachim 28a
[16] Ran Pesachim 28a; Chinuch Emor Mitzvah 273 “We were commanded to count starting from the day after we left Mitzrayim until the day we receive the Torah to show our anticipation and excitement for receiving the Torah.”
[17] Or Hachaim Hakadosh Emor 23/16
[18] Or Hachaim Hakadosh Emor
[19] Ramban Emor 23/16
[20] Likkutei Sichos 1/270
Background: There is dispute as to whether we consider the 49 days of Sefira as one unit of a Mitzvah, and hence if one day is lacking the entire Mitzvah is now forfeited, or whether one considers the Mitzvah as 49 separate Mitzvos, similar to 49 separate Mitzvos of donning Tefillin each morning. [see Halacha 19] Seemingly, according to the first approach that it is a single Mitzvah, a number of difficulties are raised, such as why one counts each night with a blessing, a total of 49 blessings, when in truth it’s only one Mitzvah. Likewise, one should not be allowed to count until the 49th night just in case one will miss a future night which will invalidate his Mitzvah retroactively? Rather the explanation is as follows: All agree that there is a new Mitzvah to count every night, however the dispute is whether the current day is dependent on the previous days count. According to the first opinion, each day is dependent on the previous day’s count in order for that days count to be Temimos. Meaning that if one did not count day 17 then he can’t count day 18, as the number 17 is missing from the 18th count. However, the counts of the previous days, from days 1-16 remain unaffected, being that they do not include day 17 that became invalid. The second opinion however holds that the Mitzvah of each night is completely independent of the previous nights, and the count on the 17th is not required to include within it the fulfilled count of any of the previous nights. [Likkutei Sichos 1/270; See also Yabia Omer 1/21; Piskeiy Teshuvos 489/22]
[21] Likkutei Sichos 38/10 [printed in Toras Menachem 3/4-12] and Toras Menachem 5751 3/95; Radbaz 1327; Abudarham Seder Tefilos Shaar 3; Maharil Seder Birchas Haomer; Beis Yitzchak Y.D. 2/19; Sefer Hamachria 18; Nimukei Orach Chaim in end of Sefer; Darkei Chaim Veshalom 625; Minchas Elazar 5/1; Piskeiy Teshuvoas 489/10
[22] Likkutei Sichos 38/10 [printed in Toras Menachem 3/4-12] and Toras Menachem 5751 3/95
[23] See previous footnotes
[24] Munkatcher ibid
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