Counting of the Omer

Counting of the Omer (Hebrew: ספירת העומר ) is counted every evening ,for forty-nine days after nightfall, from the second night of Passover till the night before Shavuot.

According to the Torah, there are seven basic emotions that make up the spectrum of human experience. At the root of all forms of enslavement, is a distortion of these emotions. Each of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot is dedicated to examining and refining one of them.

The seven emotional attributes are:

• Chesed – Loving-kindness
Week 1 of the Omer
• Gevurah — Justice and discipline
Week 2 of the Omer
• Tiferet – Harmony, compassion
Week 3 of the Omer
• Netzach – Endurance
Week 4 of the Omer
• Hod – Humility
Week 5 of the Omer
• Yesod – Bonding
Week 6 of the Omer
• Malchut – Sovereignty, leadership
Week 7 of the Omer

The one who is counting the Omer recites this blessing:
• “Baruch atah A-donai E-loheinu Melekh Ha-olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al S’firat Ha-omer.”
• “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to count the Omer.”

The 7 weeks, which represent these emotional attributes, further divide into seven days making up the 49 days of the counting. The counting of the first week, which begins on the second night of Passover , would consist of the following structure:
Upon conclusion of the 49 days , we arrive at the 50th day , which is called: Mattan Torah.

After we have achieved all we can accomplish through our own initiative, traversing and refining every emotional corner of our psyche, we then receive a gift (‘mattan’ in Hebrew) from above. We receive the gift of true freedom : the ability to transcend our human limitations and touch the divine.

Credit:
chabad.org