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Sefirat HaOmer: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Sefirah.jpg|thumb|right|The first day of the Omer on Bet Midrash Gavoha's Sefira Calendar]] | [[Image:Sefirah.jpg|thumb|right|The first day of the Omer on Bet Midrash Gavoha's Sefira Calendar]] | ||
There is a Torah obligation to count the days of the Omer stated in the Pasuk <ref>(Vayikra 23:15-16) </ref> as follows: וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת מיום הביאכם את עמר התנופה שבע שבתות תמימת תהיינה: עד ממחרת השבת השביעת תספרו חמשים יום והקרבתם מנחה חדשה ליהוה:. The Mitzvah is to count 49 days (counting the days and the weeks) from the second day of [[Pesach]] (when the Korban HaOmer was brought) until Shavuot. The mitzvah applies nowadays. <Ref> Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvah Mitzvot Aseh #161) counts this as one mitzvah to count days and weeks and not as two separate mitzvot, seemingly based on the gemara menachot 66a. See Tosfot Menachot 65b | There is a Torah obligation to count the days of the Omer stated in the Pasuk <ref>(Vayikra 23:15-16) </ref> as follows: וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת מיום הביאכם את עמר התנופה שבע שבתות תמימת תהיינה: עד ממחרת השבת השביעת תספרו חמשים יום והקרבתם מנחה חדשה ליהוה:. The Mitzvah is to count 49 days (counting the days and the weeks) from the second day of [[Pesach]] (when the Korban HaOmer was brought) until Shavuot. The mitzvah applies nowadays. <Ref> Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvah Mitzvot Aseh #161) counts this as one mitzvah to count days and weeks and not as two separate mitzvot, seemingly based on the gemara menachot 66a. See Tosfot Menachot 65b s.v. Ketuv who asks why we only count 49 days when the Pasuk says to count 50 days and answers that the pasuk doesn't mean from the Korban Omer until the day after Ha[[Shabbat]] HaShevit count 50 days but rather means to from the Korban Omer until the day after Hashabbat HaShevit which is the 50th day one should count (up to but not including). Alternatively Tosfot answers that the command to count to the number 50 in the pasuk refers to when the Korban Shtei HaLechem is brought and not the count of the Omer. </ref> | ||
==Procedure of counting Sefirat HaOmer== | ==Procedure of counting Sefirat HaOmer== | ||
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# If one forgot to count the Omer an entire night and day one should continue to count without a Bracha. <Ref> S"A 489:8, Yabia Omer 3:28. Mishna Berura 489:36-37 explains that we continue counting to satisfy the opinions that say that you can, but don't say a beracha because of the opinions that you cannot, namely the Behag quoted by Tosafot Menachot 66a "zecher" that if you miss one night you can't count any longer because to fulfill the mitzva you need seven full weeks. Tosafot themselves disagree and say you can continue counting, as does Rabbeinu Yitzchak quoted in the Rosh Pesachim 10:41 because the Behag believes that the mitzva is only one long mitzva. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik quoted by Rav Herschel Schachter in Eretz Hatzvi 3:6-7 explains the behag not as saying that you need seven full weeks, but that you need the 49 consecutive days, and that is why the halacha is that if you count during the day even if you missed it the night before, you can continue through the rest of sefira with a beracha because you accomplished this obligation of consecutive nights. Sh"t Beit Halevi 1:39 says that since there is a mitzva to count days and weeks, if somebody misses a night in the middle of the week, he can count with a beracha on the nights that complete the week. Shearim mitzuyanim Bihalacha 120:4 says that nowadays when people miss a night they think they are exempt, and that is not what the S"A intended by saying that one should count without a beracha, and therefore, nowadays one should continue counting with a beracha. </ref> | # If one forgot to count the Omer an entire night and day one should continue to count without a Bracha. <Ref> S"A 489:8, Yabia Omer 3:28. Mishna Berura 489:36-37 explains that we continue counting to satisfy the opinions that say that you can, but don't say a beracha because of the opinions that you cannot, namely the Behag quoted by Tosafot Menachot 66a "zecher" that if you miss one night you can't count any longer because to fulfill the mitzva you need seven full weeks. Tosafot themselves disagree and say you can continue counting, as does Rabbeinu Yitzchak quoted in the Rosh Pesachim 10:41 because the Behag believes that the mitzva is only one long mitzva. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik quoted by Rav Herschel Schachter in Eretz Hatzvi 3:6-7 explains the behag not as saying that you need seven full weeks, but that you need the 49 consecutive days, and that is why the halacha is that if you count during the day even if you missed it the night before, you can continue through the rest of sefira with a beracha because you accomplished this obligation of consecutive nights. Sh"t Beit Halevi 1:39 says that since there is a mitzva to count days and weeks, if somebody misses a night in the middle of the week, he can count with a beracha on the nights that complete the week. Shearim mitzuyanim Bihalacha 120:4 says that nowadays when people miss a night they think they are exempt, and that is not what the S"A intended by saying that one should count without a beracha, and therefore, nowadays one should continue counting with a beracha. </ref> | ||
# If one is unsure whether one missed an entire day one should continue to count with a Bracha. <ref> S"A 489:8 </ref> | # If one is unsure whether one missed an entire day one should continue to count with a Bracha. <ref> S"A 489:8 </ref> | ||
# If one forgot to count one entire day and night, some say that one can be the Shaliach Tzibbur and make the bracha for others, however, others argue that one may not do so, rather once one missed a night and day, one may not count with a bracha but one may listen to someone making the bracha for himself.<ref>Pri Chadash 489:8 quotes one Rabbi who said that just like the Shaliach Tzibbur can make the brachot of chazarat hashatz even if no one in the congregation needs those brachot to fulfill an obligation, so too a Shaliach Tzibbur may make tha bracha of Sefirat HaOmer even if he isn't obligated in that bracha because he missed a day. However, the Pri Chadash argues that once he missed a day he isn't considered mechuyachav in the mitzvah of sefiarh according to that opinion that one may not miss any days. He compares it to the Yerushalmi which says that a person who lives in a city that reads the megillah on the 14th can't fulfill the obligation of a person who lives in a walled city who reads the megillah on the 15th. He argues that even Rashi (Megillah 2a) who seems to argue on the Yerushalmi, doesn't really disagree (see also Tosfot Yevamot 14a | # If one forgot to count one entire day and night, some say that one can be the Shaliach Tzibbur and make the bracha for others, however, others argue that one may not do so, rather once one missed a night and day, one may not count with a bracha but one may listen to someone making the bracha for himself.<ref>Pri Chadash 489:8 quotes one Rabbi who said that just like the Shaliach Tzibbur can make the brachot of chazarat hashatz even if no one in the congregation needs those brachot to fulfill an obligation, so too a Shaliach Tzibbur may make tha bracha of Sefirat HaOmer even if he isn't obligated in that bracha because he missed a day. However, the Pri Chadash argues that once he missed a day he isn't considered mechuyachav in the mitzvah of sefiarh according to that opinion that one may not miss any days. He compares it to the Yerushalmi which says that a person who lives in a city that reads the megillah on the 14th can't fulfill the obligation of a person who lives in a walled city who reads the megillah on the 15th. He argues that even Rashi (Megillah 2a) who seems to argue on the Yerushalmi, doesn't really disagree (see also Tosfot Yevamot 14a s.v. Ki).</ref> | ||
==If someone asks the day of the Omer== | ==If someone asks the day of the Omer== | ||
# If someone asks "What day of the Omer is it?" if one hasn't fulfilled one's obligation yet, one should answer that "yesterday was such and such" rather than answering "today is such and such in the Omer" because if one were to do so, then one would fulfill one's obligation without having made the Bracha (and wouldn't be allowed to then say the Bracha). <ref>S"A 489:4 </ref> | # If someone asks "What day of the Omer is it?" if one hasn't fulfilled one's obligation yet, one should answer that "yesterday was such and such" rather than answering "today is such and such in the Omer" because if one were to do so, then one would fulfill one's obligation without having made the Bracha (and wouldn't be allowed to then say the Bracha). <ref>S"A 489:4 </ref> | ||
# If it's before [[Shekiah]] then one may answer the day in the Omer in a straightforward manner and still say that night's Omer with a Bracha. <ref> S"A 489:4 </ref>However, because of a minority opinion that one fulfills one's obligation by counting after Plag Mincha, even before [[Shekiyah]], one should be careful not to answer in a straightforward manner but rather say "yesterday was such and such".<ref>Kaf HaChaim 489:52 quoting S"A 489:15</ref> | # If it's before [[Shekiah]] then one may answer the day in the Omer in a straightforward manner and still say that night's Omer with a Bracha. <ref> S"A 489:4 </ref>However, because of a minority opinion that one fulfills one's obligation by counting after Plag Mincha, even before [[Shekiyah]], one should be careful not to answer in a straightforward manner but rather say "yesterday was such and such".<ref>Kaf HaChaim 489:52 quoting S"A 489:15</ref> | ||
# If a person asks the day of the Omer and one answered by saying the number of the Omer without saying the number of weeks many authoriites hold that one hasn't fulfilled one's obligation and one should repeat the counting with a Bracha <ref> Sh"t Maharash HaLevi Siman 5 ([http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=1834&st=&pgnum=16&hilite= see it inside]) argues at length that the mitzvah includes an element of counting the days and an element of counting weeks and if one lacks either one the obligation wasn't fulfilled and one should repeat it with a Bracha. The Mishna Brurah 489:22 (and Shaar HaTzion 489:28) hold like the Eliyah Rabba who also holds that if one didn't count the weeks one must repeat the counting with a Bracha. </ref>, while others argue that one should repeat the counting without a Bracha <ref> Knesset HaGedolah on Bet Yosef 489 | # If a person asks the day of the Omer and one answered by saying the number of the Omer without saying the number of weeks many authoriites hold that one hasn't fulfilled one's obligation and one should repeat the counting with a Bracha <ref> Sh"t Maharash HaLevi Siman 5 ([http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=1834&st=&pgnum=16&hilite= see it inside]) argues at length that the mitzvah includes an element of counting the days and an element of counting weeks and if one lacks either one the obligation wasn't fulfilled and one should repeat it with a Bracha. The Mishna Brurah 489:22 (and Shaar HaTzion 489:28) hold like the Eliyah Rabba who also holds that if one didn't count the weeks one must repeat the counting with a Bracha. </ref>, while others argue that one should repeat the counting without a Bracha <ref> Knesset HaGedolah on Bet Yosef 489 s.v. VaAni </ref>, and some make a compromise to obligate one in repeating the counting with a Bracha on days when a week is completed. <ref> Shaar HaTzion 489:28 in name of the Pri Chadash </ref> | ||
# Some say that if a person answered the number in abbreviation (such as Lag for 33 or Dalet for 4) one has not fulfilled one’s obligation and one should repeat counting the Sefirah with a Bracha. <Ref> Sh"t Maharash HaLevi Siman 5 </ref> while others hold that one fulfills one's obligation with an abbreviation and one should not repeat the Omer with a Bracha. <ref> Knesset HaGedolah on Bet Yosef 489 | # Some say that if a person answered the number in abbreviation (such as Lag for 33 or Dalet for 4) one has not fulfilled one’s obligation and one should repeat counting the Sefirah with a Bracha. <Ref> Sh"t Maharash HaLevi Siman 5 </ref> while others hold that one fulfills one's obligation with an abbreviation and one should not repeat the Omer with a Bracha. <ref> Knesset HaGedolah on Bet Yosef 489 s.v. VaAni </ref> | ||
# If a person made the Bracha and then said the number in abbreviation one shouldn’t repeat the counting with a Bracha (since he clearly intended to fulfill his obligation and there is some significance to an abbreviation.)<Ref> Sh"t Maharash HaLevi Siman 5 </ref> | # If a person made the Bracha and then said the number in abbreviation one shouldn’t repeat the counting with a Bracha (since he clearly intended to fulfill his obligation and there is some significance to an abbreviation.)<Ref> Sh"t Maharash HaLevi Siman 5 </ref> | ||
# If one makes the Bracha and counts by saying the next number of the Omer minus one such as saying that today is forty minus one instead of saying thirty nine one has fulfilled one's obligation. <ref> The Pri HaAretz Siman 10 quotes the Mahari Malcho who says that if on the 39th day one said that tonight is 40 minus 1 one fulfilled one’s obligation. This is also quoted by the Kemach Solet pg 118b D”H Mi SheShachach, Bear Hetiev 489:8, Yad Aharon (on the Tur Siman 489 D”H Im Amar). </ref> | # If one makes the Bracha and counts by saying the next number of the Omer minus one such as saying that today is forty minus one instead of saying thirty nine one has fulfilled one's obligation. <ref> The Pri HaAretz Siman 10 quotes the Mahari Malcho who says that if on the 39th day one said that tonight is 40 minus 1 one fulfilled one’s obligation. This is also quoted by the Kemach Solet pg 118b D”H Mi SheShachach, Bear Hetiev 489:8, Yad Aharon (on the Tur Siman 489 D”H Im Amar). </ref> | ||
