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Counting the Omer - 2021
What is the Omer?
The "Omer" (literally, "sheaf") was grain from the first harvested barley that was brought to the Temple as a first fruits offering. The counting begins on the day after the Sabbath during Passover week when the first Omer of barley was harvested and brought to the Temple.
When to Count the Omer
Leviticus 23:5-11: “During the first month, on the 14th day of the month, in the evening is Adonai’s Passover. On the 15th day of the same month is the Feast of Matzot (Unleavened Bread) to Adonai. For 7 days, you are to eat matzah (unleavened bread). On the 1st day you are to have a holy convocation and you shall do no regular work. Instead you are to present an offering made by fire to Adonai for 7 days. On the 7th day is a holy convocation when you are to do no regular work.
Adonai spoke to Moses says, ‘Speak to Yisrael and tell them: When you have come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you are to bring the omer of the firstfruits of your harvest to the kohen (priest). He is to wave the omer before Adonai to be accepted for you. On the morrow after the Shabbat, the kohen is to wave it.”
When to Start Counting the Omer For 2021 - 5781:
In March, at Sunset,
March 28th is the 1st Day of the Omer
March 29th is the 2nd Day of the Omer
March 30th is the 3rd Day of the Omer
March 31st is the 4th Day of the Omer
In April, at Sunset On:
April 1st is the 5th Day of the Omer
April 2nd is the 6th Day of the Omer
April 3rd is the 7th Day of the Omer
April 4th is the 8th Day of the Omer
April 5th is the 9th Day of the Omer
April 6th is the 10th Day of the Omer
April 7th is the 11th Day of the Omer
April 8th is the 12th Day of the Omer
April 9th is the 13th Day of the Omer
April 10th is the 14th Day of the Omer
April 11th is the 15th Day of the Omer
April 12th is the 16th Day of the Omer
April 13th is the 17th Day of the Omer
April 14th is the 18th Day of the Omer
April 15th is the 19th Day of the Omer
In May, at Sunset:
May 1st is the 35th Day of the Omer
May 2nd is the 36th Day of the Omer
May 3rd is the 37th Day of the Omer
May 4th is the 38th Day of the Omer
May 5th is the 39th Day of the Omer
May 6th is the 40th Day of the Omer
May 7th is the 41st Day of the Omer
May 8th is the 42nd Day of the Omer
May 9th is the 43rd Day of the Omer
May 10th is the 44th Day of the Omer
In April, at Sunset:
April 16th is the 20th Day of the Omer
April 17th is the 21st Day of the Omer
April 18th is the 22nd Day of the Omer
April 19th is the 23rd Day of the Omer
April 20th is the 24th Day of the Omer
April 21st is the 25th Day of the Omer
April 22nd is the 26th Day of the Omer
April 23rd is the 27th Day of the Omer
April 24th is the 28th Day of the Omer
April 25th is the 29th Day of the Omer
April 26th is the 30th Day of the Omer
April 27th is the 31st Day of the Omer
April 28th is the 32nd Day of the Omer
April 29th is the 33rd Day of the Omer
April 30th is the 34th Day of the Omer
In May, at Sunset:
May 11th is the 45th Day of the Omer
May 12th is the 46th Day of the Omer
May 13th is the 47th Day of the Omer
May 14th is the 48th Day of the Omer
May 15th is the 49th Day of the Omer
May 16th is the Feast of Shavuot! (Pentecost)
The Blessing for Counting the Omer
The Omer is counted every evening after nightfall. Before counting though, we stand and say the following blessing:
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU
ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU
BE-MITZ-VO-TAV-VETZI-VA-NU AL
SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
"Blessed are You oh LORD our God, King of the universe who has sanctified us with
His commandments and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Today is the _____ day of the Omer."
Why We Recite Psalm 67
Psalm 67 is also recited daily because it is composed of exactly 49 Hebrew words, which correspond to the 49 days of the Omer count. The Psalm is seasonally appropriate because of its harvest motif. It is spiritually appropriate because it speaks clearly of God's salvation (Yeshua) being made known over all the earth.
Psalm 67: “May God be merciful to us, and bless us, and cause His face to shine on us. (Selah) So that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the nations praise You, O God; let all the nations thank You. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You shall judge the peoples righteously and govern the nations on earth. Selah. Let the nations give thanks to You, O God; let all the nations praise You. The earth shall yield its increase; and God, our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
Why Count the Omer for 49 days?
God commanded it:
Leviticus 23:15,16: “Then you are to count from the morrow after the Shabbat, from the day that you brought the omer of the wave offering, 7 complete Shabbatot (Shabbats). Until the morrow after the 7th Shabbat, you are to county fifty days.
The Torah commands that during this time each year we count 49 days or 7 weeks from the day after the Sabbath of Passover week. The 50th day is the Feast of Shavuot, which means “weeks” from the counting of the 7 weeks. In Christianity this is known as the “Feast of Pentecost!” The first Pentecost was actually celebrated every year for 1,500 years before the book of Acts. Pentecost celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mt Sinai. To this day the Jewish people still keep the Feast of Pentecost every year.
The foremost reason to obey the LORD is that the count demonstrates our thrill for the impending occasion of receiving the Torah, God’s loving instruction. Just as a child often counts the days until the end of school or an upcoming family vacation, we count the days to show our excitement at again receiving the Torah. Counting in anticipation of an exciting event is quite understandable. Also it is not a countdown but a count up as we ascend the mountain of the LORD.
To better understand, we first need to answer a more basic question: Why did God wait 50 days after the Jews left Egypt before giving the Torah? Why didn't He simply give it to them in Egypt, or immediately after their departure?
The answer is that the Jews were not yet spiritually equipped to receive the Torah. For over 200 years, they had been living in an Egyptian society known to be the world center for immorality and vice.
The high-impact adventure of the Exodus ― 10 miraculous plagues and the splitting of the Red Sea ― launched the Jews into physical freedom. Yet a one-time experience, as powerful as it is, does not permanently change anyone's emotional attitude.
Spiritual growth, like climbing a ladder, must be one step at a time. The growth that occurs during this time is akin to a marathon. We pace ourselves and seek to improve day- by-day until we reach the day that we again receive the Torah.
But life is not a race to beat the other guy; life is a race to conquer your inner self. As we climb the ladder, which direction we're headed is more important than which rung we're on. Don't just count the Omer, make the Omer count!
The Messiah's resurrection makes the counting of the Omer a season of special significance and joy. For his disciples, it is a time to remember the resurrected Yeshua. All of His post-resurrection appearances and ascension fell within the days of the Omer count.He ascended on the 40th day of the Counting of the Omer.
