This article will discuss the wording of the counting of the Omer as well as the blessing of the Omer and the prayers recited beforehand.
La’Omer vs. Ba’Omer
When counting the Omer some have the custom to “HaYom Yom... La’Omer” (today is the ___ day to the Omer) while others say “HaYom Yom... Ba’Omer” (today is the ___ day in the Omer).
The reason to say “La’omer” rather than ”Ba’Omer” is that “Hayom... Ba’Omer” means that today is a day within the Omer sacrifice. This is only true on the first day when there was a sacrifice but not on subsequent days when there was no sacrifice. Whereas “La’Omer” (to the Omer) refers to the number of days in the Omer period i.e., the time of the Omer sacrifice, rather than to the Omer itself.
The reason to say “Ba’Omer” is that “La’Omer” would mean the number of days since the Omer sacrifice. This only makes sense on the second day and on. Whereas on the first night, when the time of that sacrifice hasn’t yet arrived such a term is inappropriate. Whereas “Ba’Omer” can be understood to mean “within the Omer period” and is therefore appropriate even on the first night.
In practice, each community should follow their Nusach as both are correct.
Why Lag Ba’Omer?
Even those who count with the text of La’Omer refer to the 33rd day of the Omer as Lag Ba’Omer and not Lag La’omer. The Lubavitcher Rebbe cites an explanation that Lag Ba’Omer (when spelled ל"ג בעמר) is the same gematriyah (numerical value) as Moshe/ משה (Rabeinu) - 345. Since Lag Ba’Omer is the yohrtzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai who is said to have been elevated to the level which Moshe achieved when he received the second set of tablets, that is the more appropriate title of the day. Similarly, it has been suggested that the above gematriyah alludes to Rabbi Moshe Isserlish (known as the Rama, author of the glosses on the Shulchan Aruch) who passed away on Lag Ba’Omer.
It is also possible that the original version of counting was Ba’Omer and that it was later changed to La’Omer (according to some authorities) for the reason given above. But since the day was known as Lag Ba’Omer, based on the earlier custom, that is the name that remains in use.
Why “Al Sefirat Ha’Omer”?
There are two forms of the text of the blessing on mitzvot. As follows
- Some have the letter “lamed” such as ל ְהָנִיחַ תְּפִלִין אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְּוֹתָיו וְּצִוָּנוּ (lehaniach tefillin - to put on Tefillin) and לִשְּמוֹעַ קוֹל שוֹפָר (lishmo’ah kol shofar - to hear the sound of the Shofar)
- Whereas others have the word “al” such as עַל בִיעוּר חָמֵץ אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְּוֹתָיו וְּצִוָּנוּ (al bi’ur chametz - on the destruction of chametz) and עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָה (al achilat matzah - on the eating of matzah).
There is much discussion to explain why some brachot are made with a lamed and others with the word al. According to the Ran (Rabbeinu Nissim of Gerona) the bracha on a mitzvah that must be done personally and cannot be delegated to an emissary should be with a lamed unless the blessing is said on an action that has already been done. (When using a lamed the blessing refers to an action that has yet to be done and is therefore inappropriate for a mitzvah that has already been performed such as the blessing on washing one’s hands. Whereas a blessing with the word al refers to the mitzvah itself and is also appropriate for mitzvot which have already been done.)
In terms of the blessing of the Omer, since one must do it personally and cannot appoint someone else to do it for them, the Ran questions why we say the blessing of Al Sefirat Ha’Omer instead of Lispor Ha’Omer? He answers that since the blessing mentions the Omer sacrifice whose time is on the first day of the Omer which is a “past event” for the subsequent 48 days of the Omer, we therefore say the bracha with the term “Al” which is used for mitzvot that were done in the past.
It has also been suggested that in the Temple era the blessing of Lispor Ha’Omer was said. But that now, since the mitzvah of counting the Omer is a Rabbinic mitzvah according to most opinions, the sages changed the blessing to reflect the fact that we are no longer counting the days from the actual Omer sacrifice but that rather, we are counting to recall the counting that was done in those days.
LeShem Yichud
In many siddurim there is a short prayer before the counting of the Omer which begins with the words LeShem Yichud and includes Kabbalistic concepts. The Alter Rebbe (author of the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch) did not include this prayer in his siddur as he, generally didn’t include prayers with explicit mention of Kabbalistic concepts since they are beyond the comprehension of most people.
Hineni Muchan UMezuman
In addition, many siddurim include a short prayer in which one declares that they are prepared to fulfill this mitzvah. The prayer begins with the following words הִנְּנִי מוּכָן וּמְּזֻמָן לְּקַיֵם מִצְּוַת עֲשֵה שֶׁל סְּפִירַת הָע ֹֽמֶׁר כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָתוּב בַתוֹרָה. וּסְּפַרְּתֶׁם לָכֶׁם מִמָחֳרַת הַשַבָת מִיוֹם הֲבִ יאֲכֶׁם אֶׁת ע ֹֽמֶׁר הַתְּנוּפָה שֶֹֽׁבַע שַבָתוֹת תְּמִימוֹת תִהְּיֶֹֽׁינָה – “I am hereby prepared and ready to perform the positive mitzvah to count the Omer, as is written in the Torah: ‘And you shall count for yourselves, from the day after Shabbat (the day of rest), from the day you bring the Omer as the wave-offering, seven complete weeks shall there be...”
Although, as mentioned above, most authorities are of the opinion that counting the Omer in the present time is a Rabbinic mitzvah. Nevertheless, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach explains that the words “I am prepared to... perform the positive mitzvah” can be referring to the Rabbinic commandment. The words “as is written in the Torah: ‘And you shall count for yourselves...’” can mean that the Rabbis based their mitzvah on that Torah verse.
No Shehechiyanu
When doing most seasonal mitzvot for the first time each year, the blessing of Shehechiynau is said (e.g., Shofar, Lulav, Chanukah Menorah). But we don’t say this bracha when counting the Omer for the first time. The commentaries give several explanations for this.
- Not the Full Mitzvah
The Ran writes that since this mitzvah is only a memory of the Torah level mitzvah it’s not appropriate to say Shehechiynau.
- Not the Happiest
In addition, the Ran writes that we only say Shehechiynau when doing mitzvot that are joyful. For example, we say it when:
o Blowing the shofar which “reminds” our Father in Heaven of our merit,
o Shaking the Lulav which is a joyful mitzvah,
o Reading the Megillah which recalls how G-d saved us.
o And the Pidyon HaBen which is done when the baby reaches the 31st day, indicating that he’s a viable child.
On the other hand, Sefirat Ha’Omer is a not considered happy since it recalls that we no longer have a Beit HaMikdash and the Omer sacrifice. - Related to the Yom Tov
The Levush (Rabbi Mordechai Yoffe of 16th century Prague) explains that the counting of the Omer leads up to the Yom Tov of Shavuot. As such the blessing of Shehechiyanu isn’t said as it’s included in the Shehechiyanu blessing that we say on that Yom Tov. This is similar to why we don’t say Shehechiyanu when checking for chametz – since it’s included in the Shehechiynau blessing said on Pesach.
- Expressing our Longing
Additionally, the Levush explains; “The reason for the counting is that G-d commanded us to count forty-nine days from the Exodus until the day on which the giving of the Torah will take place. This is like a person who anticipates and waits for a set day on which he will be given a great gift or something else that will bring him joy, and he hopes and longs for when that desired day will arrive.
So too, Hashem commanded us to count all the days and weeks until the day we hope for—the day of the giving of our Torah—in order to endear the Torah to us and to show that it is more beloved to us than the day of Exodus, and that it is the primary day we long for.
The counting is therefor because of the prolonged anticipation—we demonstrate that time feels “drawn out” for us until the day of the Giving of the Torah. Each day we bless and thank G-d that the next day has arrived and that the day of the Giving of the Torah has drawn closer.
If so, how can we recite Shehechiyanu over the counting, when the day of essential joy we’re longing for—the Giving of the Torah—has not yet arrived? We only recite Shehechiyanu over something in which there is joy, and in the counting itself there is no joy; therefore, we do not recite Shehechiyanu.”
Other Prayers
After the counting we recite several other prayers. G-d willing we will discuss these in another article.
One of those prayers is;
May the Merciful One return to us the service of the Beit Hamikdash in its place speedily in our days, Amen!
Wishing you a Chag Same’ach and, afterwards, a Shabbat Shalom UMevorach!
