Counting the Omer

We will not be following the Jewish calendar this year, nor the rabbinical mandate by starting the count on the day after Passover or the Feast of Unleavened Bread. According to Leviticus 23:15-18, “Then you are to count from the morrow after the Shabbat, from the day that you brought the omer of the wave offering, seven complete Shabbatot. 16 Until the morrow after the seventh Shabbat you are to count fifty days and then present a new grain offering to Adonai. 17 You are to bring out of your houses two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour. They are to be baked with hametz as firstfruits to Adonai. 18 You are to present, along with the bread, seven one-year-old lambs without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They will become a burnt offering to Adonai, with their meal offering, and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to Adonai.”

According to this passage, we are to begin the count on the day after the Shabbat, which is Sunday. This year, Sunday is Resurrection Day, celebrated in both Christian and Messianic circles. This year is precise; therefore, we will follow the Christian calendar this year and Shavu’ot, the ending of the 50 days, will be celebrated on Sunday, May 24th.

Each Day, read the passage and meditate on God’s deliverance in your life. The daily blessing for the counting is as follows: “Barukh Ata Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha’olam, asher kiddeshanu bemitsvotav vetsivanu al sefirat ha’omer.” (Blessed are You, Oh Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer (Sheave).)

After reciting the blessing, you count the day of the Omer. For example, on the first day you would say, after the blessing, “Haiyom yom echad ba’omer,” (today is one day of the omer), and on day two you would say, “Haiyom yom sheni ba’omer” (today is day 2 of the omer). When you’ve reached a week, you would say, “Haiyom shivah yamim, shehem shavuah echad ba’omer,” (today is seven days, which are a week of the omer), so on and so forth.

Enjoy counting the omer this year with the added blessing of being observant to the Scriptures.