Rabbi's Message

I hope everyone had a meaningful Passover holiday and enjoyed some delicious hametz last night! With Passover now in the rearview mirror, we begin to turn out attention to the approaching holiday of Shavuot. Yet, oddly enough, despite specifying the date of every other major festival mentioned in the Torah, the Torah does not tell us the date for Shavuot. However, there is still no question when Shavuot begins, as the Torah informs us that the holiday, in which we celebrate receiving the Torah on Mt. Sinai, arrives seven weeks after the second day of Passover. Furthermore, we are instructed to count off the days between the two holidays. This period, in which we currently find ourselves, is called the Omer.

In ancient times, the Omer was a special barley offering that was brought each day between Passover and Shavuot. Today, the Omer serves more of a spiritual purpose which is highlighted by the counting of each day (Sefirat HaOmer). We count down to important moments all of the time. How many students are currently counting down the days of school until Summer vacation?! Counting down conveys excitement. As such, wouldn’t it make sense to count down the 49 days until Shavuot? But that, in fact is not what we do. Instead we count up. In the evening we say “today is the first day” Then, “today is the second day.” And so on. Perhaps this is because when we count down to something, we communicate that the time in between doesn’t much matter. All that is important is getting to the finish line. Counting down implies excitement but also a sense of “just get this wait over with.”

The days between Passover and Shavuot matter a great deal because we must prepare ourselves emotionally and spiritually to receive the Torah anew. We don’t just care about reaching the finish line but finishing strong. It’s not enough simply to receive the Torah; we have to prepare ourselves for it. And that is an active process.

In the case of counting the Omer, the rabbis suggest we consider this seven-week time period as a personal, slow, ascent of Mt. Sinai.  Every day we aim to take one step higher to the apex. I particularly like the metaphor of a ladder; each day we climb a little higher on the ladder. Each day we pull ourselves one rung higher; we develop a little more, we grow, and we learn. To be a Jew means to be always growing, at every stage of life, to never be standing still on the ladder.
This is why our tradition says it is important to count up and to make sure that we are counting each and every day. The counting of the Omer is an enforced way of slowing down, of recognizing the blessing in our lives. it is also an enforced way for each of us to pause and to ask ourselves: how can I grow today? How can I climb one step higher? How can I best prepare myself for the upcoming holiday of Shavuot and to receive the Torah with a whole heart?

Happy climbing and Shabbat Shalom.