26 Friday, April 29, 1983
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Significance of Numbers and Counting the Omer
(Continued from Page 1)
The last of the 13 is best
known to us because it was
sung in the ghettos, in the
death camps and is sung
today as a melodic testa-
ment of faith — hoping for
the ultimate coming of the
Messiah.
While we have many
well-known numbers
such as 40, 13, 10, there is
one which appears only
once in our tradition, but
it recurs with an annual
frequency and a sense of
precision. That number is
49, and refers to the
seven-week period, the
Omer, between Passover
and Shavuot. We count
each day of the 49 with a
real measure of exact-
ness.
Yet, even in precision
there is debate, and through
the centuries there has been
an ongoing argument re-
garding the beginning point
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of the Omer period.
In Leviticus 23:9 we are
told in connection with
Passover, "When you enter
the land which I am giving
to you and reap its harvest,
you shall bring the first
sheaf (omer) of your harvest
to the priest — the priest
shall wave it on the day
after the Sabbath." There
was an argument as to what
the word Sabbath really
meant.
The Pharisses concluded
that the term Sabbath, in
this passage, really referred
to the first day of the holi-
day of Passover. On the
other hand, their oppo-
nents, the Sadducees,
argued that the word "Sati-
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bath" 'referred to the Sab- of the Omer."
bath after the first day of
After the first week is
Passover.
concluded, the formula is
This whole debate is not enlarged, since we are ex-
just "putting an elephant pected to count the days and
through the eye of the nee- the weeks. Now it becomes
dle," as Talmud casuistry is the eighth day of the Omer,
sometimes described, be- which is one week and one
cause the next verse states, day of the Omer. This same
"and from that day on which formula, including weeks
you bring the sheaf of the and days, is utilized for the
wave offering, the day after rest of the count.
the Sabbath, you .shall
Remembering the
count seven weeks." For the
majority of Jews the exact day of the Omer
was not always an easy
seven-week Omer count be- task.
Furthermore, since
gins on the second night of
it was not considered
Passover.
For the Karaites, a proper to ask someone
small Jewish sect, most of else what day of the Omer
whom live in Israel, the it is, a'special device, the
counting follows the Omer calendar, was
minority opinion in the created to ease the situa-
Talmud. For most, this tion. Through the years
year the Omer count this has assumed the
began on the eve of form of a decorative box,
March 30. For the a large chart, and even an
Karaites it began on Omer book.
In time, many of these de-
April 3.
vices
have frequently be-
This period, specifically
come
collector's
items. The
known as Sefirat HaOmer,
the counting of the Omer, is oldest one in the United
also called Sefira. The States is found at the
Omer, the name of this Spanish and Portuguese
period, literally means Synagogue in New York
sheaf, a grain measure, and and has been in constant
linked the new grain offer- use for the last 250 years.
ing of Passover with the Written on parchment and
ceremony of the first fruits operated by rollers, it is
of the harvest presented on housed in a wooden box.
Omer counting art forms
Shavuot.
The counting ritual itself of various types have been
is performed every evening developed. There are large
at the conclusion of the wall ,posters beautifully
Maariv service. The indi- decorated with intricate de-
vidual stands and recites signs. Each of the Omer is
the blessing in which there listed, not only by number
is thanksgiving expressed but with a description of the
to God for sanctifying this meaning of the day.
act of counting the Omer. This practice of singling
Then the counting formula out the significance of each
notes, "today is the first day Omer day is rooted in the
.
Jewish mystical under-
standing of the emergence
of the Jewish people, from
the momentous act of the
Exodus at Passover to the
act of revelation at Mt.
_Sinai on Shavuot. The
seven-week countdown be-
comes an exercise in raising
one's sights from the shack-
les of slavery to the spiritual
peak of the reception of the
Torah. Thus the many
Omer counting devices help
in their own way to capture
the spirit of this seven-week
period.
During the Omer
period, the 33rd day is
known as Lag b'Omer.
The joy of this day con-
trasts with the tragedy
normally associated with
the Omer period. Lag
b'Omer, known by var-
ious names, thus be-
comes a pause to refresh
the soul and continue on
to the climax — the giving
of the Torah. Lag b'Omer
will be observed Sunday.
For all the counting we
Jews do, it is even more im-
portant that we make our
own individual actions
count. The Omer provides a
framework for action in that
we not only total the num-
bers but we also ask what
they really mean. Each one
linked together with the
next forms a composite pic-
ture which reflects the
uniqueness of our existence.
With real insight we are
told in the Psalms —
"Number your days so that
you may acquire a heart of
wisdom." That indeed is the
challenge of the counting of
the Omer.
Columnist Claims Israel Funded Terrorists
WASHINGTON — Abu
Nidal, the terrorist organ-
ization that claimed respon-
sibility for the April 10
murder of PLO moderate
Dr. Issam Sartawi and the
June 1982 assassination at-
tempt on Shlomo Argov, Is-
rael's ambassador to Lon-
don, may have been funded
secretly by Israel, according
to syndicated columnist
Jack Anderson.
Anderson cited "two
well-placed, intelligent
sources" who explained that
it was "in Israel's interest to
`divide and conquer' — to pointed out that intelli-
disrupt the PLO by setting gence agencies have been
one faction against an- known to provide money to
other." The sources said Is- groups over which they
rael had secretly provided have no significant control.
some of the funding for the
group, named after Abu Ni-
Honors for 52
dal, a terrorist who defected
NEW YORK — The
from the PLO in 1974.
Stephen Wise Free Syna-
Anderson, who reported gogue will confer honorary
the claim in a column Mon- life membership on 52 of its
day, said that "no credible members in a special cere-
source had suggested that mony Saturday. Each of the
Israli leaders knowingly 52 persons being honored
supported the assassination has been a synagogue
attempt of their own am- member for at least 50
bassador," but his sources years.