Directly after the commandments regarding Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we find the ceremony of the presentation of the Omer, or “Sheaf of the First fruits”.ĩ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. The first time we find it in the famous 23 rd chapter of Leviticus, which describes all the feasts and festivals of the biblical year. But what exactly are we counting? And why are we doing it?įirst of all, it’s important to remember that this is a biblical commandment which is mentioned twice in the Torah-in Leviticus 23:15-16 and in Deuteronomy 16:9-10. Forty-nine days separate the second night of Passover and Shavuot – and these days are marked by a counting of the Omer.
The Counting of the Omer ( Sfirat Haomer – ספירת העומר) is one of the most mysterious and the least understood customs of the Jews (the Messianic Jews as well). Democratic Republic of the Congo (W) +242.Democratic Republic of the Congo (E) +242.
It is my hope that Omer Harvest will offer support, encouragement and inspiration to individuals and communities drawn to explore new ways of embodying and beautifying the practice of Counting the Omer. In addition to many new insightful books and comprehensive guides, people have been using beads, painting, quilting, poetry, chanting, yoga and so much more to fully embody and beautify their journeys through the Omer period. Over the last years, there has been growing interest in exploring creative ways to count the Omer. Omer Harvest is my offering to celebrate the practice of Hiddur Sefirat Ha’Omer–beautifying the counting of the Omer! Embellishing and adorning ritual objects (such as challah coverings, kiddish cups, seder plates, menorahs, etc.) can enhance and beautify our experience of ritual, and beauty itself then takes on a spiritual dimension. In Hebrew, ‘hiddur’ means to make beautiful and there is a longstanding tradition of hiddur mitzvah (beautifying a mitzvah) going beyond what is required to perform a mitzvah by infusing our spiritual practice with beauty.
In this way, there are 49 different combinations of qualities over the seven-week Omer period, offering great encouragement for deep personal introspection and exploration. In both traditions, each of these qualities correlates with each week of the Omer period, as well as with each day of the week. HOD (Humility, Splendor, Awe, Gratitude, Mindfulness)Īnother model draws from the Hebrew Aboriginal Medicine Wheel and uses the seven directions:.NETZACH (Eternity, Perseverance, Endurance).GEVURAH (Focussed Inner Strength, Discernment, Restraint).In the Jewish mystical tradition, each day of the Omer period represents a combination of qualities, drawing from the seven lower sefirot of the Tree of Life: Linking together the harvest festivals of Passover and Shavuot is the seven-week period of Sefirat Ha’Omer (Counting the Omer).
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