What It Means to Count

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

During the weeks between Pesach and Shavuos, there is a command to count each day. Why are we counting? What does the Torah expect us to accomplish by counting these days? Even if we cannot fully comprehend the reasons of the mitzvos, we see that Rishonim delve into their meaning, and whatever clarity we can gain will surely help us fulfill the mitzva with more excitement.

The Ramban (Vayikra 23:15-16) gives us a start, explaining that the Omer offering of barley done just after the first day of Pesach is connected to the Two Breads offering of wheat brought on Shavuos. Since wheat is a higher quality grain than barley, the main offering is on Shavuos, and this is what we are anticipating — we are counting up to the day when we can give a more exalted offering to Hashem.

Even though today we don’t have the Beis Hamikdash and cannot bring offerings, when we count, we should be thinking that we want the Beis Hamikdash and the opportunity to bring such offerings to Hashem.

The Sefer Hachinuch (306) adds another reason why we count the days between Pesach and Shavuos:  the Exodus from Egypt, which began at the time of the first Pesach offering, was only in order to reach Har Sinai and receive the Torah. Our counting is intended to express that we simply can’t wait to reach Matan Torah. Every day brings us that much closer to our ultimate goal. The Sefer HaChinuch compares this to a slave who knows that he will be freed by a certain date, and each new day brings with it new excitement. He is tasting his freedom even before he receives it, because he knows that it is close at hand, and he eagerly awaits it.

When we count every day, we too should be thinking how precious the Torah is to us and try to find ways to add to our learning. We should certainly be learning diligently during these days, and not giving in to the myriad “reasons” why we should take a break during our learning seder, and surely not to skip a seder altogether. Also, we should try to develop more excitement over our learning.

What can help us do this? Rav Menachem Frieman would suggest that one choose a role model, someone who engages in Torah study more than himself, and can serve as an example of hasmada, ahavas Torah and learning lishmah that he can aspire to.

In Yevamos (62b), we find another aspect of Sefiras Haomer that can help us grow in Torah. It states that the talmidim of Rabbi Akiva died during the Sefirah period, and this plunged the world into darkness. It seemed as though the Torah would go lost, chalila. Because of this, the period of Sefira includes some of the halachos of mourning. This itself is a lesson for us. Feel the pain of losing Torah! Without Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 talmidim, the world was almost lost! Without Torah, darkness began encroaching on the world. Feel this pain even now, millennia later, because this is the reality. Without Torah, life is darkness, devoid of meaning.

Now: Translate that pain into something positive, harness it as an incentive for you to learn more, in quality and quantity!

We should also reflect on the reason why these thousands of talmidim died during the Sefira. The Sages state (ibid.) that they died because they did not sufficiently honor each other. Rav Brodiansky notes that from this, we should see how unique Torah is. It is not a dry, academic subject, but rather an elevated wisdom that requires good middos in order to succeed in its study! This too should be part of our agenda during the Sefira—to improve our character and be worthy of such an elevated Torah!

Harav David Cohen says that we should certainly go all out in building ourselves in Torah on the day of Lag Ba’Omer, because on this day there is and always was special help from heaven to ascend in spiritual levels.

The Kaf Hachaim (Orach Chaim 493:26) says that the day that Rabbi Akiva began teaching Torah once again, after the loss of his many talmidim, was on Lag Ba’Omer. He gathered five talmidim, one of whom was Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. This is what brought Torah back to the world again.

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s yahrtzeit is on Lag Ba’Omer, and on the day of his passing, he revealed exceptional revelations of the hidden Torah to his talmidim (Introduction to Ha’adarah Zuta). Also, the day Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai left the cave and began teaching was on Lag Ba’omer (Aruch Hashulchan 493:7). The Chasam Sofer adds that the day the manna began falling for the generation of the Midbar was on Lag Ba’Omer. Lag Ba’Omer is clearly a propitious day, one that bears within it awesome potential for progress in Torah. We have to make use of it! If you make use of it in the beis medrash, you surely are realizing the purpose of this day. If you make use of it in Meron (of course, only with permission of the yeshiva), I’m sure that there as well a Jew can reach lofty levels of spirituality. Just make sure that this day is one of growth in Torah.

Rav Gedaliah Schorr would become visibly excited as he told his talmidim: “We should strive for perfection in Torah and in all areas throughout the Sefira, but certainly, from Lag Ba’Omer onward, you should put tremendous efforts into Torah! Lag Ba’Omer is a time of Torah, and Shavuos is, also. These two days together are illuminating all the days in between with the light of Torah. Use it!”

Rav Shimshon Pinkus would offer an analogy to his talmidim: Each day of the Sefira is like a brick in a building that we are constructing. Each week is like a layer of bricks. We are not just learning during the Sefira – we are trying to construct a giant building! We can’t understand how it is that our learning is putting this giant building together, but if we put all of our efforts in, Hashem will send us siyata deshameya and by Shavuos we will have completed a beautiful, immense structure of Torah.”

May we utilize the days of Sefiras Ha’Omer!