"`And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the
Sabbath from the day that you bring the Omer of the wave
offering, seven complete Sabbaths shall there be up to the
morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall you number fifty
days' -- It is a mitzva to count the days and a mitzva to
count the weeks" (Maseches Rosh Hashonoh 5).
There are two significances to the counting of the Omer and
they are expressed first through the counting of the days
and second, through the counting of the weeks.
The act of counting indicates a unique value ascribed to
each unit in of itself. Things of no importance are not
counted but, rather, weighed, comprehensively, in bulk. One
relates to them in general. Inventory taking applies only to
things of individual value where each item occupies a
place.
"Out of His love towards Yisroel, He counts them at every
occasion" (Rashi, Parshas Bamidbor). "Something that
is enumerated is not overlooked," say Chazal in
Beitza 3. This applies halachically to a fruit that
is forbidden to eat which falls and is mingled inadvertently
with a large amount of fruit that may be eaten. The rule is
that it becomes nullified (botul) and is permissible
along with the rest. This pertains to the kind of produce
that is sold by weight as opposed to number, like sunflower
seeds and the like. But a species that is sold by the unit,
like watermelon, does not become nullified by the many and
remains forbidden even amidst the other fruit.
The reason for this is that nullification by amount is a
result of the fact that a single item, one unit that mingled
with the majority, loses its personal importance and becomes
part of the mass. And all the rules applying to rove,
majority, now apply here as well. As for something that is
sold by item, even if the original mixes with a large
quantity of units that are different, it retains its
individuality. This fruit does not become merely one of
many, but remains what it originally and truly was.
Each day between Pesach and Shavuos has its unique purpose.
In Kav Hayoshor, chapter 92, it is written: "Out of
Hashem's love towards Israel, He commanded them to count
forty-nine days from the day following [the first Yom Tov]
up till the fiftieth -- Shavuos, the Giving of the Torah.
The reason explained is that when the Jews were in exile,
they became defiled to the depths of forty-nine gates of
impurity. Had they remained in Egypt another day, till the
fifteenth of Nisan, we and our children and all of our
descendants would still be enslaved to Pharaoh. Hashem, in
His infinite mercy, took us out to freedom and gave us the
Torah after a counting of fifty days. The Jews counted forty-
nine days besides the day that the Torah was given, and on
each day, we rose a single level up from the forty-nine
levels, through the gateways, until we reached the Gate of
Understanding."
The counting of the Omer indicates this. These days "count"
and they are counted! "For there is counting with everything
that is not identical one to the other. Like with the
zov/zova who must count seven days before they become
purified. The days preceding lead up to the day when they
become pure, a day that is different. Here, too, the days of
the Omer must differ from one another, must be graduated.
So, granted, the days must be counted, but why the seven
weeks, separately? And why aloud? asks the Meshech
Chochmah. There is a separate goal in counting the weeks
by themselves. It is a culmination, each week gathering up
the seven units into one and all of them together into a
chain. Rashi determines that "Wherever we find the number
shiv'o, it is a separate noun form, not only a number
[it is similar to a dozen, here, a seven- numbered unit] but
a composite form of the seven together, or as he terms it in
French, septienne, a `seven'.
"The Maharal explains, "This is the difference between
shiv'o and shiv'as, a seven-unit of... It
should have been called shevi'is, a set of seven
(like a septuplet), but it is only called thus when they are
consecutive and all alike, identical. But if they are two
days together coupled with another five, it is not a
shevi'is unit (Gur Arye, Shemos 29:30). If so,
then the additional counting of weeks couples together the
days that were counted, one by one, with a separate
Sefira and individual content. It organizes the
series into blocs of seven in order to create a continuum
and connection between every unit counted up till then, but
important individually, with the end goal being a composite
"seven weeks that shall be complete."
The significance of this combination is that all the days
become a preparation and anticipation for the grand climax
of the fiftieth day. "For this is why we do not say
shehechiyonu over the commandment of the counting.
The anticipation does not cover the days already counted,
only the day following the final count. And then we DO say
shehechiyonu -- Who has kept us alive and sustained
us and made us reach this season. For throughout the days of
the Counting, we counted and waited for the great and
glorious day. In my opinion, we should interpret the verse
`And you shall count for you... seven weeks that shall be
complete' that the counting should be coupled with such
desire from the very beginning and sustained till the very
end, thinking: when will the appointed day of the Giving of
the Torah finally arrive! And since you shall be yearning
for each day as you count, and waiting for the climactic
anniversary fiftieth day, then all the seven weeks will be
complete, whole, joined with one another in one linked
chain, until they combine to the bloc leading to the
following day of the fiftieth. All of the seven weeks will
be dedicated to and joined to the number fifty.
(Igra deKalla Rosh Hashonoh)
