Omer - 2106

 

·        We fulfill the Torah commandment of Sfiras Haomer from the second night of Pesach until Shavuous –

·        The Omer refers to the barley offering brought in the Bais Hamikdosh on the second day of Pesach.

·        The volume of barley is called an Omer, the equivalent to about 2 quarts.

·        Some say Be Omer, (in the Omer) and some say Le Omer (to the Omer) - 

 

·        Bringing the Omer had an important halachic purpose.

·        All the wheat (and other grains) grown since the last Pesach had the status of ‘new’ grain (Chodosh), and was sitting in storage unable to be used for the entire year. 

·        When the Omer of barley was brought on the second day of Pesach (first day of Chol Hamoed), this “new” wheat could now be used for personal use to bake bread and cake, etc. 

·        On Shavuous, two loaves of wheat – called the Shte Halechem – where brought in the Bais Hamikdosh.

·        The Shte Halechem was the first time in the year the new grain was allowed for the Avodah in the Bais Hamikdosh, and from then on the new grain could be used for other offerings.

 

·        There are several questions we can ask:

1.     Why do we count using the word Omer – the xx day of the Omer - when the Omer was offered only once, on the 2nd day of Pesach?

2.     Since we are counting from the day that the Omer was brought on the second day of Pesach, shouldn’t we say Me Omer (from the Omer), instead of ‘in the Omer’, or ‘to the Omer’?

3.     What does barley and Omer have to do with counting the days to Shavuous?

 

·        Here is some information that might help us in the search for the answers to these questions.

·        Barley is a ‘coarse grain’ food, given mainly to animals, as opposed to ‘fine grain’ wheat that is more appealing to people.

·        Animals live in herds and can’t talk, in contrast to people who are individuals with the power of speech.

·        We began leaving Egypt on Pesach, and we received the Torah seven weeks later on Shavuous.

·        The two loaves of bread that we offer on Shavuous bear a striking similarity to the two tablets of the Torah - the words Lechem and Luchos even have the same root, Lach meaning liquid.

·        The word Omer can be spelled with an Ayen, which was the amount of barley, and with an Aleph, meaning talking.

 

·        Let’s go through the symbols and suggest a possible explanation about what they might represent: 

·        Omer with an Eyen refers to the Barley given on the second day of Pesach, when we began  leaving Egypt.

·        Barley is a food for animals - we left Egypt  like a herd of speechless animals, not knowing where we were going, being led by Moshe our shepherd.

·        After 50 days we received the Torah from Hashem at Har Sinai.

·        The 10 commandments are called the Aseres Hadibros – from the root Dibur, speaking – referring to Hashem speaking to us.

·        The 2 loaves brought on Shavuous are made from wheat that people eat, as opposed to the barley that animals eat.

·        Not only did Hashem speak to us at Har Sinai, but the Torah helps us find our own voice as human beings.

·        At the end of the 50 days, we had reached the Omer with an Aleph, where Hashem spoke to us and we found our voice as human beings.

 

·        The seven weeks of counting the days of the Omer - is a transition from the Omer with an Eyen, to the Omer with an Aleph.

·        The transition is from leaving Egypt as a herd of speechless animals – represented by the Barley Omer.

·        We count to Shavuous and Matan Torah, where Hashem spoke to us and we found our human voice – beginning the eternal dialog between Hashem and the Jewish people.

·        We reach the level of Omer with an Aleph – speaking.

 

·        This would explain why we say ‘in’ the omer, or ‘to’ the omer.

·        ‘In’ the omer indicates that we are in a transition period,

·        Going from the Omer with an Ayen, when we felt like a herd of speechless animals, confused about where we were going, symbolized by Barely, the food for animals.

·        We are transitioning to the ‘omer’ with an Aleph.

·        This is when we give the Shte Halechem, the two loaves of wheat on Shavuous, symbolizing the two luchos of the Torah.

 

·        The period is a transition.

·        From the barley of animals to the wheat of people.

·        From being speechless like animals, to the Aserres Hadibros.

 

·        This is why we say ‘in’ the omer – we are in a transition – from Omer of Barley to the Omer of speech..

·        And this is why some say’ to’ the omer, because we are looking forward to the Omer with an Aleph,

·        This is Shavuous and Har Sinai, when Hashem spoke to us, and gave us the greatest gift ever given to mankind, the miracle of Matan Torah.