Counting the O'mer

A study for consideration.

MRav McDonald

There has been much discussion over the past generations over the accuracy of our calendars concerning the counting of the O'mer. And this generation is no different. As we are wanting to make sure that we were being accurate and scriptural. So with some research there is some new light on the subject.

All of the calendars and resources, both Orthodox and Messianic set the date of the beginning of the counting of the O'mer as the second day of Pesach as day one of the counting.

But there is additional traditions that point to the “set” current calendar and the counting we see common in Judaism.

Tradition #1 -

This tradition places the 33^rd day of the O'mer as the 18^th day of Iyyar, the day that 24,000 pairs of Rabbi Akiva's students died of the plague. Now known as Lag B'Omer. This date is fixed as the 33^rd day and as the 18^th day of Iyyar. In doing so the scriptural requirement for the start of the counting has been replaced by Talmudic/Rabbinic traditions.

Tradition #2 -

Now further traditional indications were also found in the Talmudic commentary according to Rashi. Below is the support for Rashi's claim that “the day” Shavuot was on the 6^th of Sivan. Again these are Talmudic and Rabbinical traditions, and not scriptural dates. Contrary to popular beliefs, the calendars are NOT always correct but set per either Talmudic or Rabbinic decisions.

The following outline should help to understand the order of events: Prepared by Rabbi G. Rubin

1. On Rosh Chodesh Sivan the Jews arrive at the wilderness of Sinai. (19:1; cf. Rashi).

2. Early the following morning, the 2nd of Sivan, Moshe goes up Mt. Sinai for the first time. He is instructed to offer the Jews the opportunity of accepting the Torah, and of becoming a holy people. (19:3-6).

3. That same day Moshe descends and assembles the elders and passes on the message. The entire people respond in unison that whatever HaShem says, they will do. (19:7-8).

4. On the morning of the 3rd of Sivan Moshe again ascends the mountain to bring the people's response to HaShem. (19:8; cf. Rashi).

5. On this occasion he is told that on the day of Matan Torah HaShem will speak to him (i.e. to Moshe alone) from the midst of a thick cloud. The people will bear witness to this event, and this will establish the authenticity of Moshe's prophecy forever. (19:9; according to Lavush Ora, but see Gur Aryeh for a different understanding).

6. `Moshe's descent, as well as his subsequent conversation with the people is not described in the verses, but is inferred by Rashi from HaShem's response in verse 10 (see paragraph 8 below). The people seem to have protested against hearing Matan Torah second hand from Moshe, and insisted on hearing it from HaShem directly. (Rashi 19:9).

7. On the 4th of Sivan Moshe returns to the mountain to bring the people's request to HaShem. (The latter half of 19:9).

8. During this same encounter, HaShem informs Moshe that if the people insist on hearing for themselves, they must purify themselves on the 4th and 5th in order to receive the Torah on the 6th. In addition, Moshe is to instruct the people how close they may approach the mountain during the revelation, and for how long the restriction is to last. (19:10-13; cf. Rashi).

9. This is the same conversation with HaShem that is mentioned in Parashas Mishpatim (24:1-2; cf. Rashi ad loc), where Moshe is told that he, Aharon, Nadav, Avihu, and the elders are all to ascend on the day of the revelation, but that only Moshe will approach the cloud.

10. Still on the 4th of Sivan, Moshe descends, and informs the people of the command to purify themselves on these days. According to Rabbi Yose, Moshe interpreted days mentioned in paragraph 8 as two complete days in addition to the 4th, the delaying Matan Torah until the 7th of Sivan. (19:14-15; cf. Rashi and Shabbos 87a).

11. This is the same conversation with the people described in Mishpatim, when Moshe reminds the people of the Seven Noachide Laws, and the laws received at Mara. The people agree to keep all of HaShem's commandments. Moshe writes down all of the Torah from Bereishis until this point. (24:3-4; cf. Rashi).

12. On the 5th of Sivan Moshe builds an altar at the base of the mountain. Offerings are made. Moshe reads the book he has written to the people, who respond, "We will do and we will hear." The blood of the sacrifices is sprinkled on the altar on behalf of the people. (24:4-8; Rashi ad loc. and cf. Rashi 19:11).

13. On the 6th of Sivan, or the 7th according to Rabbi Yose, Moshe leads the people to the base of the mountain. We are informed, parenthetically, that during Matan Torah the people are destined to hear only two commandments directly. As for the others, Moshe will speak and HaShem will amplify his voice. (19:16-19; Rashi).

14. HaShem reveals his throne upon the mountain and summons Moshe. Moshe is told to warn the people again not to approach the mountain. Moshe protests that the people have already been warned. HaShem tells him that he must do so nevertheless. Then he is to return to the mountain. Aharon and the first born, who are the priests at this point, are to approach, each according to his level. (19:20-24: Rashi).

15. Moshe descends and passes on the information. (19:25).

16. Moshe's return to the mountain, together with Aharon, Nadav, Avihu and the elders, is described in Mishpatim (24:9). This is the assent foretold above, paragraph 9. During Matan Torah, Nadav, Avihu and the elders gaze inappropriately. Their punishment is postponed until another occasion, in order not to detract from Matan Torah. (24:10-11; Rashi).

17. Matan Torah itself, the pronouncement of the 10 Statements, is in Yisro. All of the 10 were said in a single word, then HaShem repeated and explained each one individually. (20:1-14; Rashi).

18. The people heard the first two explained, but then were overwhelmed and requested that Moshe hear the rest and relay them to the people. (20:15-17; Rashi ad loc. and cf. Rashi 19:19).

19. At this point the people back off. Moshe alone enters into the thick cloud (20:18), just as HaShem had said would happen (see paragraph 5). (Moshe's descent after hearing the 10 Statements is not described in the text).

20. After Matan Torah, Moshe is commanded to approach HaShem, and to remain with him to receive the stone tablets. Moshe ascends, accompanied part way by his disciple, Yehoshua. Aharon and Chur are left in charge. (24:12-14).

21. At this point, six days are mentioned, during which the cloud is present on the mountain, before Moshe is invited to enter. Rashi brings two opinions: a) These are the previous six days, the seventh being the day the 10 Statements were pronounced, after which he is invited to enter the cloud. Or b) These Six days begin after Matan Torah, and comprise the first six days out of the forty. (24:15-18; Rashi).

22. This ascent takes place on the 7th of Sivan. (Rashi 32:1). Moshe remains on the mountain for 40 days and nights. (24:18).

23. During these 40 days Moshe receives the laws commanded at the end of Yisro and the bulk of Mishpatim. (20:19 until 23:33; see Rashi on 31:18).

24. The end of the 40 days is described in Ki Sisa. When he is finished speaking, HaShem gives Moshe the tablets. (31:18).

25. On the 16th of Tammuz the people come to the mistaken conclusion that Moshe is overdue. The Golden Calf is made. Aharon declares a festival to HaShem for the next day. (32:1-5; Rashi).

26. They get up early on the morning of the 17th of Tammuz to worship the Calf (32:6).

27. HaShem tells Moshe to descend because of the Calf. Moshe descends. When he sees the Calf he casts down the tablets and breaks them. He grinds up the Calf and makes the people drink it. The Levites are ordered to kill the idolaters. (32:7-29).

28. On the 18th of Tammuz Moshe ascends the mountain to seek atonement for the people (according to Rashi, Shemos 18:13 and Devarim 9:18, although in Shemos 33:11 he says that Moshe came down on the 17th of Tammuz, burnt the Calf on the 18th and went back up on the 19th, see Gur Aryeh for an explanation). HaShem tells Moshe that from now on the Shechina will not be with them. (Shemos 32:31 until 33:3)

29. Moshe descends on the 29th of Av (Rashi, Devarim 9:18). He informs the people that the Shechina will not be with them. The people mourn. (Shemos 33:4-6, Rashi).

30. We are informed that from the time of the sin of the Calf, Moshe has moved his tent out of the camp (33:7-11). There in his tent Moshe now pleads with HaShem that the Shechina should go with them. HaShem agrees. Moshe asks to see HaShem's glory, and HaShem agrees. Moshe is instructed to carve two new tablets, and to prepare to return to the mountain the next morning. (33:12 until 34:3).

31. On Rosh Chodesh Elul Moshe once more ascends the mountain. (Rashi Shemos 33:11 and Devarim 9:18) He is instructed in the 13 Attributes of Mercy, and warned that we must not make covenants with the Canaanites, but we must shatter their altars. (34:4-17)

32. Rashi informs us that during this third period on the mountain the building of the tabernacle was commanded (Rashi 31:18), but he does not specify at what point. Perhaps he would place parshios Truma, Tetzavei and the beginning of Ki Sisa (25:1 until 31:17), between 34:17 and 34:18. Thus the discussion of what to do to the Canaanite altars (leading up to 34:17) would be followed by the instructions for making a tabernacle and altar for HaShem. And the discussion of Shabbos in verses 31:12-17, would be followed by the discussion of the festivals (the usual association), 34:18-26.

33. In verse 34:27 Moshe is informed which parts of the Torah may be written down and which may not (Rashi). He remains on the mountain for forty days and nights, as he did before, by the end of which HaShem has rewritten the Ten Commandments on the tablets that Moshe has carved (see Rashi to 34:1). He descends with the second tablets on Yom Kippur, his face glowing with "rays of splendor". (34:29-35; Rashi).

As we saw above there are at least 2 traditional reasons for the error in the counting of the Omer. Let us see what scripture says.

Leviticus (Vayikra) 23

23:15

"'From the day after the day of rest -that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving -you are to count seven full weeks,

23:16

until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to ADONAI.

23:17

You must bring bread from your homes for waving-two loaves made with one gallon of fine flour, baked with leaven -as firstfruits for ADONAI.

23:18

Along with the bread, present seven lambs without defect one year old, one young bull and two rams; these will be a burnt offering for ADONAI, with their grain and drink offerings, an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI.

23:19

Offer one male goat as a sin offering and two male lambs one year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings.

23:20

The cohen will wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before ADONAI, with the two lambs; these will be holy for ADONAI for the cohen.

23:21

On the same day, you are to call a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live.

According to scripture, that would place the first day of the Omer on 22 Nissan 5768/27 April 2008 and Shavuot on 15 Sivan 5768/12 May 2008 (research done in late 2006/early 2007)

Even the Chief Rabbi's agreed, " 'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the L-RD .

Historically, this passage had profound reverberations within Judaism because of the ambiguity in the phrase, "from the day after the Sabbath." This was important because on it depended the date of Shavuot, Pentecost. Some groups in ancient Judaism read the phrase literally to mean Sunday, with the result that for them Shavuot always fell on a Sunday seven weeks later. Others, relying on oral tradition, interpreted it to mean "from the day after the festival [i.e. the first day of Passover]." That is our custom. The resulting argument over the calendar was one of the major disputes within Judaism in the late Second Temple period. However, that is not our concern here.

[From the office of the Chief Rabbi]

It is obvious, the Rabbi's chose Talmudic and Rabbinic Tradditions to that of Torah.

It's time to return to Torah.

In all fairness, R. Yosef has told Israel (Site Developer) that He keeps the festival shabbat and cites; Joshua/Y'hoshua 5:10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. 11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day after [c] they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan

I personally hold to the Biblical Shabbat instead of the festival sabbath. My reason is that Nevi'im can not over rule Torah. 'The Talmud states that no passage loses its p'shat:

Talmud Shabbat 63a - Rabbi Kahana objected to Mar son of Rabbi Huna: But this refers to the words of the Torah? A verse cannot depart from its plain meaning, he replied.'

R.Yosef will be posting an article for consideration as well.