Many in Chutz Laaretz have the minhag to bentch the first day of Sefiras Haomer at the end of the Haggdah. This is the opinion of the Rama Mepanu. According to this, the question of הלילה הנתשנ המ תולילה לכמ הזה would also apply to this as well why the first day of Sefirah is not counted in shul like all the other days?
The Shlah writes that the purpose of Galus Mitzrayim was to train Am Yisrael to facilitate their enlistment as slaves to Hashem and their subjugation to the fulfillment of the Torah. The Ksav Vekabalah writes that the Korban Haomer functions in the same manner. For the word עמר is translated as servitude as found in the passuk (Devarim 24 7)והתעמר בו. The Omer Korban is made from barley which is animal food. It is the korban of the Sotah woman who became deviant and secluded herself with another man. She has lost control over her animal soul and therefore must rededicate herself with servitude to Hashem.
So too after becoming freed from Egyptian slavery, we start the seven week journey to bring about our complete servitude to Hashem by a rigorous regimen of self improvement. The mitzvah of Sefiras Haomer is to be perceived as the days coming off Pesach and the Korban Omer which direct a Yid to prepare himself for servitude to Hashem and His Torah by the day of Shvuos.
When bringing this Korban to the Beis Hamikdash the Kohen fulfills the mitzvah of תנופה of waving it up down right and left. This tenufah ritual symbolizes that his ראשית belongs to Hashem as does all his produce לה' הארץ ומלואה for the din is מה שקנה עבד קנה אדונו the possessions of a slave belong to his master. This is the beginning of a Yid's dedication of his servitude to the Hashem who took him out of slavery to transfer him into His own service.
One of the major organs that a Yid must subjugate into the service of Hashem is his mouth - his speech. Man is granted the supreme title of the category מדבר as the Targum Onkeles says on the passuk ויהי אדם לנפש חיה when Hashem blew within man's nostrils a neshamah it was then when man rose to be in the category of מדבר a speaking soul. Utilizing one's speech to bring about Hashem's kovid was the intention of His redemption of Am Yisrael from Mitzrayim as the passuk says, עם זו יצרתי לי this nation I created in Mitzrayim for the purpose of תהלתי יספרו they should speak My praises. One cannot subjugate his body to Hashem's will and nevertheless conveniently leave out the drafting of his speech into Hashem's service and disciplinary rules. After all, the crown of Man is his speech. If his speech is out of whack then the entire man is distorted.
Therefore we find that the speech of Yisrael in Mitzrayim was also in slavery and under lock down. We didn't daven, learn Torah, speak kindness to one another. In fact we spoke Lashon Harah instead. However, during Pesach our mouths and speech were redeemed as the Ari writes that the name of the Yom Tov is פה סח the "mouth talks" in the form and purpose of its creation.
In םירצמ we were counting bricks to make sure that at the end of the day we would attain the total number required. מצרים is gematriah מספר. To them material objects and things were the only things of value worth counting. When we left Mitzrayim our counting was switched over to the service of Hashem and we began counting upwards from the day of the Korban Omer until the day of Matan Torah when we will become completely dedicated to Hashem's servitude.
The word הפונת which means wavering in four directions negating ourselves to Hashem's servitude, also spells two words תנו פה give your mouth. Not just your agricultural products belong to Hashem but speech from your mouth belong to Hashem as well.
The first amendment to the Constitution of the United States is the freedom of speech and expression. It might have been a good idea at the beginning but it opened a Pandora Box of abuse as we can see from all the revolutionary destructive protests and riots in campuses, and cities, many countries, all replete with open unabashed false accusations and bloodcurdling calls for death to Jews and even to America.
Only Hashem's divine laws such as prohibiting Lashon Hara, lies, embarrassing someone, words of revenge can preserve Man to still remain in the highest category called מדבר. If one learns the detailed encyclopedic work of the Chofetz Chaim ztl just on Lashon Harah he might get a glimpse of how precious one's speech must be guarded ensuring not to possess any shortcoming and defect down to the minutest detail. The highest level of "free speech" is to have it disciplined all the time and not to be a loose cannon.
During these seven weeks we must learn from the Korban Omer that we must work on being an upgraded servant to Hashem who took us out from Mitzrayim to be slaves to Him instead. The only way to work on the servitude is to correct and refine our middos each day of the sefirah. Then when the animal soul will be under our control by Shavuous time, we will bring the Korban of שני הלחם consisting of wheat, the food of Man. Then we can rejoice with our new regained title of רבדמ who's purpose is תהלתי יספרו. That is why we preferably start counting the sefirah right after the 'Seder. We just spent an entire night of speaking and eating mitzvos חס הפ.-We are in an inspired mood to give over our dibbur to Hashem and make a תנופה a הפ ונת bris with Him
Shabbos gives us an opportunity every week to be a better רבדמ than before. On Shabbos we receive again a blast of a new added neshamah which gives us an infusion and awareness to improve our dibbur raising it to a higher level just as we received when Hashem blew within Adam Harishon his neshama and power of speech .נפש חיה That is why זו יצרתי לי is gematriah יום השבת.
Rav Brazil,
Gut Shabbos
