https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/calendar-counting-the-omer-sefirat-haomer.xml /articles/calendar-counting-the-omer-sefirat-haomer xml article Counting the Omer (Sefirat HaOmer) The 49-day count from the second night of Pesach to the eve of Shavuot — a Torah commandment, a practical bridge, and a Kabbalistic discipline. The New Jew /index.xml Sacred Time /sections/sacred-time.xml Counting the Omer (Sefirat HaOmer) /articles/calendar-counting-the-omer-sefirat-haomer.xml https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/calendar-counting-the-omer-sefirat-haomer https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/calendar-counting-the-omer-sefirat-haomer.json <_xml>https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/calendar-counting-the-omer-sefirat-haomer.xml
calendar-counting-the-omer-sefirat-haomer Counting the Omer (Sefirat HaOmer) The 49-day count from the second night of Pesach to the eve of Shavuot — a Torah commandment, a practical bridge, and a Kabbalistic discipline. Summary. From the second night of Pesach, Jews count 49 days (seven weeks) leading up to the festival of Shavuot. The commandment is in Vayikra 23:15. Each evening, after nightfall, the count is recited with a brief blessing: "Today is X days, which is X weeks and X days, in the Omer." The Kabbalistic tradition (Lurianic in particular) maps each of the 49 days to a specific combination of seven Sefirot (e.g., chesed sheb'chesed for day 1, gevurah sheb'chesed for day 2), making the count a structured contemplative discipline. essential calendar omer counting shavuot 2026-07-06T02:19:03.001Z 718 3
sacred-time Sacred Time
summary Summary. From the second night of [Pesach](/glossary.xml#letter-P), Jews count 49 days (seven weeks) leading up to the festival of [Shavuot](/glossary.xml#letter-S). The commandment is in [Vayikra 23:15](https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.23.15). Each evening, after nightfall, the count is recited with a brief blessing: "Today is X days, which is X weeks and X days, in the [Omer](/glossary.xml#letter-O)." The [Kabbalistic](/glossary.xml#letter-K) tradition ([Lurianic](/glossary.xml#letter-L) in particular) maps each of the 49 days to a specific combination of seven [Sefirot](/glossary.xml#letter-S) (e.g., [chesed sheb'chesed](/glossary.xml#letter-C) for day 1, gevurah sheb'chesed for day 2), making the count a structured contemplative discipline. Summary. From the second night of Pesach, Jews count 49 days (seven weeks) leading up to the festival of Shavuot. The commandment is in Vayikra 23:15. Each evening, after nightfall, the count is recited with a brief blessing: "Today is X days, which is X weeks and X days, in the Omer." The Kabbalistic tradition (Lurianic in particular) maps each of the 49 days to a specific combination of seven Sefirot (e.g., chesed sheb'chesed for day 1, gevurah sheb'chesed for day 2), making the count a structured contemplative discipline. heading The Mitzvah The Mitzvah paragraph The [Torah](/glossary.xml#letter-T) commands ([Vayikra](/glossary.xml#letter-V) 23:15): "You shall count for yourselves, from the morrow of the Sabbath, from the day you bring the omer of waving, seven complete weeks shall there be." In the [Beit HaMikdash](/glossary.xml#letter-B), the omer was a measure of barley brought on the second day of Pesach; the counting marked the period to the wheat harvest, celebrated on Shavuot. The [mitzvah](/glossary.xml#letter-M) of counting persists; the agricultural specifics await the rebuilding of the Temple. The Torah commands (Vayikra 23:15): "You shall count for yourselves, from the morrow of the Sabbath, from the day you bring the omer of waving, seven complete weeks shall there be." In the Beit HaMikdash, the omer was a measure of barley brought on the second day of Pesach; the counting marked the period to the wheat harvest, celebrated on Shavuot. The mitzvah of counting persists; the agricultural specifics await the rebuilding of the Temple. heading How to Count How to Count paragraph Each night, after nightfall: stand, say the blessing (Baruch ata [Adonai](/glossary.xml#letter-A)... asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al sefirat ha-omer), then recite the day's count. The first night: Hayom yom [echad](/glossary.xml#letter-E) ba-omer ("Today is the first day of the Omer"). From day seven onward, the count includes weeks: Hayom shiv'a yamim, shehem shavua echad, ba-omer ("Today is seven days, which is one week, in the Omer"). The full count is in every siddur. If you forget to count one night before going to bed, count without a blessing the next day; if you miss an entire day (a full 24 hours), continue counting without a blessing from then on. If you remember to count consistently through to Shavuot, you have fulfilled the mitzvah in full. Each night, after nightfall: stand, say the blessing (Baruch ata Adonai... asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al sefirat ha-omer), then recite the day's count. The first night: Hayom yom echad ba-omer ("Today is the first day of the Omer"). From day seven onward, the count includes weeks: Hayom shiv'a yamim, shehem shavua echad, ba-omer ("Today is seven days, which is one week, in the Omer"). The full count is in every siddur. If you forget to count one night before going to bed, count without a blessing the next day; if you miss an entire day (a full 24 hours), continue counting without a blessing from then on. If you remember to count consistently through to Shavuot, you have fulfilled the mitzvah in full. heading The Kabbalistic Map The Kabbalistic Map paragraph The Kabbalistic tradition maps the 49 days to combinations of the seven "lower" Sefirot ([Chesed](/glossary.xml#letter-C), [Gevurah](/glossary.xml#letter-G), [Tiferet](/glossary.xml#letter-T), [Netzach](/glossary.xml#letter-N), [Hod](/glossary.xml#letter-H), [Yesod](/glossary.xml#letter-Y), [Malchut](/glossary.xml#letter-M)). Week 1 is Chesed (loving-kindness); within that week, day 1 is chesed sheb'chesed (loving-kindness within loving-kindness), day 2 is gevurah sheb'chesed (severity within loving-kindness), and so forth. The count becomes a contemplative discipline: each day, one meditates on the particular quality and on the inner work it asks of you. Many [siddurim](/glossary.xml#letter-S) include the Sefirot for each day; Rabbi Simon Jacobson's A Spiritual Guide to the Counting of the Omer is the contemporary popular guide. The Kabbalistic tradition maps the 49 days to combinations of the seven "lower" Sefirot (Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, Malchut). Week 1 is Chesed (loving-kindness); within that week, day 1 is chesed sheb'chesed (loving-kindness within loving-kindness), day 2 is gevurah sheb'chesed (severity within loving-kindness), and so forth. The count becomes a contemplative discipline: each day, one meditates on the particular quality and on the inner work it asks of you. Many siddurim include the Sefirot for each day; Rabbi Simon Jacobson's A Spiritual Guide to the Counting of the Omer is the contemporary popular guide. heading Restrictions of the Omer Restrictions of the Omer paragraph The first 33 days of the Omer (with one minor exception, [Lag BaOmer](/glossary.xml#letter-L), the 33rd day) are observed in [Ashkenazi](/glossary.xml#letter-A) tradition as a period of partial mourning: no weddings, no haircuts, no live music. The mourning commemorates the deaths of [Rabbi Akiva's](/glossary.xml#letter-R) 24,000 students who died from a plague between Pesach and Shavuot ([Talmud Yevamot 62b](https://www.sefaria.org/Yevamot.62b)), traditionally attributed to interpersonal strife (lack of [kavod](/glossary.xml#letter-K) between them). [Sephardic](/glossary.xml#letter-S) practice varies; many Sephardic communities mourn from Pesach to the 34th day or the entire 49 days. [Reform](/glossary.xml#letter-R) and many Conservative communities have relaxed these restrictions. The first 33 days of the Omer (with one minor exception, Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day) are observed in Ashkenazi tradition as a period of partial mourning: no weddings, no haircuts, no live music. The mourning commemorates the deaths of Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 students who died from a plague between Pesach and Shavuot (Talmud Yevamot 62b), traditionally attributed to interpersonal strife (lack of kavod between them). Sephardic practice varies; many Sephardic communities mourn from Pesach to the 34th day or the entire 49 days. Reform and many Conservative communities have relaxed these restrictions. heading Lag BaOmer Lag BaOmer paragraph The 33rd day of the Omer (lag = the Hebrew letters lamed-gimel = 33). Traditionally celebrated as the day Rabbi Akiva's plague ended, the day of [Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai](/glossary.xml#letter-R)'s death (and revelation of the [Zohar](/glossary.xml#letter-Z), by tradition), and a day of celebration with bonfires (especially in Meron, Israel, at the site of Rabbi Shimon's tomb). In many Ashkenazi communities weddings, haircuts, and music resume on Lag BaOmer and continue through to Shavuot. Other communities — Chabad among them — keep the restrictions until just before Shavuot and treat Lag BaOmer itself as the only break. Follow your own community's custom. The 33rd day of the Omer (lag = the Hebrew letters lamed-gimel = 33). Traditionally celebrated as the day Rabbi Akiva's plague ended, the day of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's death (and revelation of the Zohar, by tradition), and a day of celebration with bonfires (especially in Meron, Israel, at the site of Rabbi Shimon's tomb). In many Ashkenazi communities weddings, haircuts, and music resume on Lag BaOmer and continue through to Shavuot. Other communities — Chabad among them — keep the restrictions until just before Shavuot and treat Lag BaOmer itself as the only break. Follow your own community's custom. heading Where Denominations Diverge Where Denominations Diverge paragraph [Orthodox](/glossary.xml#letter-O) observance is universal. Conservative observance is universal. Reform observance varies; some Reform congregations include the count in services, others do not. The mourning restrictions are widely observed in Orthodox; substantially relaxed in many non-Orthodox settings. Orthodox observance is universal. Conservative observance is universal. Reform observance varies; some Reform congregations include the count in services, others do not. The mourning restrictions are widely observed in Orthodox; substantially relaxed in many non-Orthodox settings. heading Sources Sources paragraph Torah: [Vayikra 23:15–16](https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.23.15-16). Torah: Vayikra 23:15–16. paragraph [Talmud](/glossary.xml#letter-T) Bavli, [Menachot 65b–66a](https://www.sefaria.org/Menachot.65b-66a); Yevamot 62b. Talmud Bavli, Menachot 65b–66a; Yevamot 62b. paragraph [Rambam](/glossary.xml#letter-R), [Mishneh Torah](/glossary.xml#letter-M), [Hilchot Temidim 7](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah,_Daily_Offerings_and_Additional_Offerings.7). Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Temidim 7. paragraph [Shulchan Aruch](/glossary.xml#letter-S), [Orach Chaim 489–493](https://www.sefaria.org/Shulchan_Arukh,_Orach_Chayim.489-493). Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 489–493. paragraph [Arizal](/glossary.xml#letter-T), [Pri Etz Chaim](https://www.sefaria.org/Pri_Etz_Chaim) — for the Kabbalistic Sefirot map. Arizal, Pri Etz Chaim — for the Kabbalistic Sefirot map. paragraph [How to Count the Omer - From Siddur Tehillat Hashem](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/136110/jewish/How-to-Count-the-Omer.htm) — Chabad.org. How to Count the Omer - From Siddur Tehillat Hashem — Chabad.org. paragraph [Mourning Observances of the Sefirat HaOmer Period](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/277597/jewish/Omer-Mourning-Observances.htm) — Chabad.org. Mourning Observances of the Sefirat HaOmer Period — Chabad.org. paragraph [Sefirat Ha'Omer: Count It](https://aish.com/421113423/) — Aish. Sefirat Ha'Omer: Count It — Aish. paragraph [Yevamot 62b (Steinsaltz Talmud portal)](https://steinsaltz-center.org/portal/library/Talmud/Yevamot/chapter/62.b) — Steinsaltz Center. Yevamot 62b (Steinsaltz Talmud portal) — Steinsaltz Center. heading Further Reading Further Reading paragraph Rabbi Simon Jacobson, A Spiritual Guide to the Counting of the Omer. Rabbi Simon Jacobson, A Spiritual Guide to the Counting of the Omer. paragraph [Yitz Greenberg](/glossary.xml#letter-R), The Jewish Way — Shavuot chapter. Yitz Greenberg, The Jewish Way — Shavuot chapter. calendar-how-the-jewish-calendar-works How the Jewish Calendar Works /articles/calendar-how-the-jewish-calendar-works.xml calendar-the-parshah-cycle The Parshah Cycle /articles/calendar-the-parshah-cycle.xml calendar-daf-yomi-a-page-a-day Daf Yomi: A Page a Day /articles/calendar-daf-yomi-a-page-a-day.xml calendar-daf-yomi-a-page-a-day Daf Yomi: A Page a Day deeper /articles/calendar-daf-yomi-a-page-a-day.xml holidays-fasts-the-four-minor-fasts The Four Minor Fasts deeper /articles/holidays-fasts-the-four-minor-fasts.xml Adonai אֲדֹנָי Literally 'my Lord' — the name of God traditionally spoken in prayer and Torah reading in place of the four-letter divine name, which is never pronounced. Ashkenazi אשכנזי Describing Jews whose families trace to Central and Eastern Europe, and the customs, liturgy, and Hebrew pronunciation of those communities. The broad counterpart terms are Sephardi and Edot HaMizrach. Beit HaMikdash בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ The Holy Temple in Jerusalem — the First destroyed in 586 BCE, the Second in 70 CE. Much of Jewish prayer and practice remembers it and looks toward its restoration. Gevurah גְּבוּרָה Literally "strength" — one of the ten Sefirot of Kabbalah, representing divine judgment, discipline, and restraint, the counterbalance to Chesed (love). Hod הוֹד Literally "splendor" — one of the ten Sefirot of Kabbalah, associated with humility, gratitude, and yielding. Kabbalah קַבָּלָה The Jewish mystical tradition — literally "that which is received" — whose central text is the Zohar and whose distinctive teachings include the ten Sefirot and the infinite Ein Sof. going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalah Lag BaOmer ל"ג בָּעוֹמֶר The 33rd day of the Omer count (18 Iyar), when the Omer's semi-mourning lifts — celebrated with bonfires, weddings, haircuts, and the great pilgrimage to Meron. holidays-minor-lag-baomer Lurianic Kabbalah The school of Kabbalah taught by Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Arizal) in 16th-century Safed, with its cosmic drama of tzimtzum (divine contraction), the shattering of the vessels, and tikkun (repair). going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalah Malchut מַלְכוּת "Kingship" — the tenth Sefirah of Kabbalah, the divine presence as it is received in the world, identified with the Shechinah. Mishneh Torah מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה The Rambam's monumental 12th-century code of Jewish law — the first work to organize the whole of Halacha systematically, from prayer to Temple service. Netzach נֶצַח 'Endurance' or 'eternity' — one of the ten Sefirot in Kabbalah, associated with persistence and victory; it figures in the daily count of the Omer. Omer עֹמֶר Originally the barley offering brought on the second day of Pesach; now the 49-day period counted aloud each night from Pesach to Shavuot, a practice called Sefirat HaOmer. calendar-counting-the-omer-sefirat-haomer Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Judaism holds Halacha as fully binding and the Shulchan Aruch as its canonical code; it spans Haredi and Hasidic communities as well as Modern Orthodoxy, and is the starting point from which this Field Guide is written, even as it engages seriously with other denominations. how-to-use-this-field-guide Pesach פֶּסַח Passover — the spring festival commemorating the Exodus from Egypt, observed with the seder meal, matzah, and the removal of chametz from the home. holidays-shalosh-regalim-pesach Rabbi Akiva רבי עקיבא Rabbi Akiva ben Yosef (c. 50–135 CE) rose from an unlettered shepherd to become the most influential sage of the Mishnaic period; tradition holds that he died a martyr's death with the Shema on his lips, the model for every Jew's final words. essentials-essential-prayers-the-shema Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai רבי שמעון בר יוחאי A second-century Tanna and disciple of Rabbi Akiva, traditionally credited as the author of the Zohar; his yahrzeit is marked on Lag BaOmer with bonfires and pilgrimage to his grave in Meron. holidays-minor-lag-baomer Rabbi Yitz Greenberg Rabbi Irving 'Yitz' Greenberg (b. 1933), a Modern Orthodox rabbi and Holocaust theologian known for the principle that no Jewish theological statement should be made that would not be credible in the presence of burning children; author of The Jewish Way. holidays-modern-observances-yom-hashoah Rambam רמב״ם Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1138–1204), known by the acronym Rambam and in the Latin West as Maimonides, was the towering rationalist codifier and philosopher of medieval Judaism — author of the legal code Mishneh Torah and the philosophical Guide for the Perplexed. His formulation of God's unity and incorporeality remains foundational to Jewish theology across denominations. essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god Reform Judaism Reform Judaism treats Halacha as a source of values and meaning rather than binding law, emphasizing individual autonomy, ethical monotheism, and tikkun olam; it was the first movement to fully recognize patrilineal descent and ordain women as rabbis. how-to-use-this-field-guide Sefirot סְפִירוֹת In Kabbalah, the ten emanations or attributes — such as chesed (love) and gevurah (strength) — through which the infinite God relates to creation. going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalah Sephardi סְפָרַדִּי A Jew whose family traces to medieval Spain and Portugal — and, in common usage, to the broader communities of the Mediterranean and Middle East that follow Sephardic law and liturgy. The plural is Sephardim. Shavuot שָׁבוּעוֹת The early-summer festival marking the giving of the Torah at Sinai, arriving at the end of the seven-week count from Pesach; customs include all-night study and dairy foods. holidays-shalosh-regalim-shavuot Shulchan Aruch שולחן ערוך Literally 'the set table' — the authoritative 16th-century code of Jewish law by Rabbi Yosef Karo, printed with the Ashkenazi glosses of Rabbi Moshe Isserles. It remains the baseline reference for halachic practice. Talmud תלמוד The vast rabbinic work — the Mishnah together with the Gemara's discussion of it — that develops the Oral Torah into Jewish law and thought. It is the central text of Jewish study after the Bible itself. essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-article The Arizal האר"י ז"ל Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), the towering kabbalist of 16th-century Safed whose teachings -- including tzimtzum, shevirat hakelim, and tikkun -- reshaped Jewish mysticism; he wrote almost nothing himself, and his system survives through the writings of his student Rabbi Chaim Vital. going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalah Tiferet תפארת 'Beauty' or 'splendor' — in Kabbalah, the sefirah that harmonizes lovingkindness (chesed) and restraint (gevurah) at the center of the divine attributes. Torah תּוֹרָה The Five Books of Moses — the scroll at the center of Jewish life — and, more broadly, the whole of Jewish teaching. 'Learning Torah' can mean anything from Chumash to Talmud. Vayikra ויקרא The Book of Leviticus, third of the Five Books of the Torah, named for its opening word, 'And He called'; its concerns are the sanctuary, the offerings, and holiness. Yesod יסוד 'Foundation' — in Kabbalah, the sefirah that channels the flow of divine energy into the world; in plain usage, a foundation or fundamental principle. Zohar זוהר The central work of Kabbalah — a mystical commentary on the Torah that emerged in 13th-century Spain and is traditionally attributed to the 2nd-century sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalah chesed חֶסֶד Loving-kindness — generous care that goes beyond obligation, one of Judaism's central virtues. In Kabbalah, Chesed is also the Sefirah of divine graciousness. chesed sheb'chesed חֶסֶד שֶׁבְּחֶסֶד 'Loving-kindness within loving-kindness' — the Kabbalistic label for the first day of the Omer count, which maps each of the 49 days onto a pairing of the seven lower Sefirot. calendar-counting-the-omer-sefirat-haomer echad אֶחָד 'One' — the final word of the Shema's first line, declaring God's absolute oneness. Saying it with full intention is the heart of the verse. kavod כָּבוֹד Honor or dignity — a central value of Jewish ethics, owed to parents, teachers, the community, and every human being created in God's image. mitzvah מִצְוָה A commandment — one of the Torah's 613 divine instructions, and by extension any religious duty or good deed. The plural is mitzvot. essentials-essential-facts-the-613-mitzvot siddur סידור The Jewish prayer book (plural siddurim), from a root meaning 'order' — it arranges the daily, Shabbat, and festival prayers in their fixed sequence. where-to-start-your-first-siddur parent Sacred Time /sections/sacred-time.xml related How the Jewish Calendar Works /articles/calendar-how-the-jewish-calendar-works.xml related The Parshah Cycle /articles/calendar-the-parshah-cycle.xml related Daf Yomi: A Page a Day /articles/calendar-daf-yomi-a-page-a-day.xml related Daf Yomi: A Page a Day /articles/calendar-daf-yomi-a-page-a-day.xml related The Four Minor Fasts /articles/holidays-fasts-the-four-minor-fasts.xml