Living Torah Archives

The days between Passover and Shavuos correspond to the Israelites’ journey from Egypt in the lead up to receiving the Torah at Sinai. The closer they came to their goal, the more their anticipation grew.

We need G-d’s mercy so that the redemption actually arrives. Then, on the Second Passover, we can discuss whether we need to offer the Passover offering, and how exactly to go about doing so properly.

When the Jews were redeemed from Egypt, they eagerly counted down the days until the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Today as well, we count the days and weeks from Passover as we gear up to receive the Torah anew on Shavuos.

On the sixteenth of Nissan, the second day of Passover, we begin counting down the days until the festival of Shavuos, a practice with origins in the Jewish people’s redemption from slavery. As soon they left Egypt, the Jews began to eagerly count down the days until G-d would give them the Torah at Sinai.

An audio recording of the Rebbe counting the twenty-sixth day of the Omer while leading evening prayers.

A traveller should try to avoid crossing the International Date Line during the days of the Omer Count, since doing so will complicate the count.

The mitzvah of counting the Omer is to count the days from Passover until Shavuos, when the Omer offering was brought in the Temple. Each day has a purpose. Whether it leads up to the Omer offering or it is an ordinary day of life, we must look at the clock, and ask ourselves, “Am I using my time properly, to fulfill my mission in this world?”