BS"D

Counting of the Omer (April 2006)

There is a major difference between words and numbers.  Words can not stand alone.  They need to be part of, or related to, something else.  Even a word like "yes"or "no" needs to be a response to something to have any meaning.  Single letters such as "I" or "A" need other words to be able to pass on a message.  Sometimes, a simple gesture with a word can convey something, but never alone.

Numbers, on the other hand, can have meaning either by themselves or as part of a greater unit.  Each and every number represents something very specific.  When it then comes together with other numbers, it can become part of a whole; but it does not lose its individual identity.

During the period between Passover and Shavuos, we are very much into the concept of the counting of numbers.

We count every night the Sefirat Haomer.  This represents, among other things, the fact that when we were in Egypt, our forefathers had descended to the 49th level of impurity; and had we reached the 50th level, we could not have been redeemed.  In fact, 4/5ths of our nation were past the point of no return, and never left Egypt.

With regard to the Sephirat Haomer, we have three distinct countings.

• We count every day of the forty-nine days separately.
• We bundle them into weeks (i.e. today [April 30, 2006] is seventeen days that is two weeks and three day in the Omer).
• Finally we have the full forty-nine.

If we miss any one of them, we can not continue the rest of the count with a Brocho (a blessing).

There are many ways to understand these laws, but for now the explanation I would like to share with you is that:

• every single one of us counts and has what to contribute towards being ready to receive the Torah
• in addition (get the pun) we also have what we must contribute to our immediate community
• but it all is only with a Brocho, when we allow for it to be part of all of Klall Yisroel, the totality

As our Rabbis of blessed memory say it, the Torah had to be received "KE ISH ECHAD BELAIV ECHAD", as one man with one heart.

May we be merited to use these days properly to prepare ourselves to receive the Torah on Shavuos!

Rabbi Joseph D. Krupnik