Counting of the Omer

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Counting of the Omer is a Jewish ritual of daily counting over the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot, marking spiritual preparation for receiving the Torah.

Aliases (1)

Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Jewish ritual
mitzvah
religious practice
associatedMovement Hasidic Judaism
associatedWithEvent Exodus from Egypt
Revelation at Mount Sinai
basedOn Deuteronomy 16:9–10
Leviticus 23:15–16
calendarContext occurs in the Hebrew months of Nisan and Iyar and into Sivan
commandmentType biblical commandment
commemorates death of Rabbi Akiva’s students
countingUnit days
weeks
customsAssociated restrictions on haircuts
restrictions on weddings
semi-mourning practices
duration 49 days
seven weeks
eachDayFormula Today is X days of the Omer
endsBefore festival of Shavuot
halachicDiscussion whether counting is a biblical or rabbinic obligation today
halachicRequirement blessing is recited before counting if previous days were not missed
counting must be done standing according to many authorities
HebrewName Sefirat HaOmer
historicalAssociation barley offering in the Temple
omer measure of barley
ifDayMissed continue counting without a blessing according to common practice
includes mention of both days and weeks after the first week
includesSpecialDay Lag BaOmer
LagBaOmerCustoms lifting of some mourning practices
LagBaOmerPosition 33rd day of the Omer
languageOfRitual Hebrew
linkedToHoliday Passover
Shavuot
liturgicalContext often recited after evening prayer (Ma’ariv)
originOfName omer grain offering
performedAtTime after nightfall
night
performedBy observant Jews
purpose marking the period between Passover and Shavuot
spiritual preparation for receiving the Torah
religion Judaism
requires recitation of a blessing
verbal counting
spiritualFrameworks Kabbalistic meditations
seven lower sefirot
startsAfter first day of Passover
statusAfterTempleDestruction observed as a rabbinic commandment according to many authorities
statusInTempleTimes connected to bringing the omer offering


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