April 17, 2010 | 3 Iyar 5770

If you were with us over the Passover holiday, you might have heard me confess about a religious practice that in the past I have failed at miserably. It is called – Counting the Omer.  The absurdity of my shortcoming is profound. I can keep kosher, pray three times a day, make study a part of my religious practice, participate in Gemilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness) but I can’t count to 50. The mitzvah of the Counting of the Omer is exactly that – counting to 50 - and I mess it up every year. The Torah stipulates: 

 “You shall count seven weeks” (Deuteronomy 16:9). The practice is simple—every evening we say the following blessing: Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haOlam  asher kidishanu b’mitzvotav vetzivanu al Ha’Siferat Ha’Omer. Blessed are you, Lord our God, Sovereign of the Universe who sanctified us with His command-ments and commanded us to count the Omer.

We recite this blessing and then say the number of that particular day of the Omer. The counting begins on the second night Passover Seder and extends to Shavuot. There really couldn’t be anything simpler. However, year after year, I make it to day 23 and something happens - I mix up the day; I take a late afternoon nap, not waking up until morning; there is always an excuse and the result is the same – I mess up the counting of the Omer.

I think a lot about this mitzvah. Due to its simplicity, I often find myself wondering why God would command something which seems so frivolous. This year, however, I am seeing this commandment anew. After a year and a half with the Ahavath Achim community I am finally realizing what it is that God wants by commanding me to count. It is really not about counting numbers. It is about being reliable and being present. It is no wonder that the counting of the Omer follows immediately after Passover, the celebration of our freedom and continues until Shavuot, our celebration of Torah. Before God gives us His most precious gift, Torah, God wants to see if we are worthy of such a bequest. Therefore, the Omer is not about counting, it is measuring my reliability – can God rely upon me to be present every evening and count. 

Reliability is one of the most important elements of a holy community. Having people that we can turn to in times of trouble; having people that we can count on when we really need them, is a key ingredient for making a Kehillah Kedusha (Holy Congregation). If we can all make that a priority then we really can make this place count for something.

Shabbat Shalom.