Holidays: What Are We Counting?

by Rav Moshe Haviv, Yeshivat Beit El, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

We are nearing the end of the Counting of the Omer period, which ends at the beginning of Shavuot [June 12, this year], the Festival of the Giving of the Torah. The 49 days of the Omer began on Passover, connecting between the Exodus from Egypt and the day we received the Torah.

The blessing we recite over the Torah also connects between these two: It begins with "He Who chose us from all the nations," referring to the Exodus when G-d plucked us out as a new nation from amidst another nation – and ends with "He gave us His Torah." In between them is the letter vuv, which means "and" – the special "connecting vuv" in which is hidden the light of the Counting of the Omer. How so?

The Torah tells us about Shavuot: "This day, you have become a nation to Hashem your G-d" (D'varim 27,9). But how could this be, if we actually became a free people seven weeks earlier when we left Egypt?! The answer is that the "becoming a nation" process may have begun at the Exodus, but ended only when we received the Torah.

To elaborate:

During the Counting of the Omer period, we reenact the process of the appearance of the Divine creation known as Israel: "This nation I have created for Myself; they will recount My praise" (Yeshayahu 43,21). The first part of the period is more connected to the physical part of the creation of Israel, i.e., to the creation of the national body. We then proceed, day after day, until we reach the spiritual part of Israel's formation. As we read in Tehillim (42,5):

 

אֶדַּדֵּם עַד בֵּית אֱ-לֹהִים בְּקוֹל רִנָּה וְתוֹדָה הָמוֹן חוֹגֵג׃

I walked slowly with the festive crowds to the House of G-d
with joyous shouts of praise.

 

The first word is spelled aleph-dalet-dalet-mem, which is equal to 49 in gematriya (numerology), It means that we walk slowly but purposefully, from the physical to the spiritual, until we reach 49; this is followed by Shavuot. The first day of the counting is more connected, and of course closer, to the physical, while the end brings us to the spiritual, to the appearance of the spiritual aspect of the nation, that which readies us to receive G-d's word at Mt. Sinai and forever after.

In our times, Divine Providence has merited us with Yom HaAtzma'ut, Israel Independence Day, which falls in the first half of the Omer period. It is an important, additional step, following our long centuries of exile, in the appearance of our physical, national revelation, and therefore is relevant to the "He Who chose us from all the nations" part of the blessing.

On the other hand, towards the end of the Omer period – next Wednesday, to be exact, on the 43rd day of the Omer – comes Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Reunification Day, which relates to "from Zion shall come forth Torah, and G-d's word from Jerusalem (Micha 4,2)." This is of course the spiritual aspect of our national revival: "He Who gave us His Torah."

The sanctity of our national body, and the day on which we received the Torah – are two parts of one entity, connected by the bridge of the Counting of the Omer. Both are necessary: the physical formation of the nation, and its spiritual development and perfection as well. 

One who wants to observe the Jewish "religion," but without any connection to the fact that Jews are a nation, will never be able to truly reach the point of acceptance of the Torah, which is the true manifestation of: "I will take you for Me as a nation and I will be for you – G-d" (Sh'mot 6,7).  

The students of Rabbi Akiva – first the ill-fated 24,000 pairs, and then Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess and Rabbe Shimon bar Yochai on Lag BaOmer – are also part of this process, but this is not the place to elaborate. Let us just note that Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook (1891-1982) noted in his work HaTorah HaGoelet another level of holiness concealed in this Exodus-to-Torah period. He said that the Counting of the Omer begins not only on Passover, but specifically on the day that the first barley crop was harvested; Omer literally means "sheaf," referring to this barley harvest. This means, he wrote, that it starts when we take a significant hold on the Land of Israel – yet another manifestation of our physical national identity.

Chag Same'ach!